Meet a Woman of Asphalt: Iron Horse Asphalt’s Alisha Hatch

Incorporating family and career offers a satisfying work-life balance for this paving contractor woman of asphalt.

What do you do when you’re juggling a full-time job with raising a family and expanding an asphalt business? If you’re a woman of asphalt, you go all in! For Alisha Hatch, she’d been working at the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) when she and her husband, Tyson Hatch, purchased Pocatello Sweeping in 2009. She left the office job to join the asphalt industry full-time in May 2017.

“We had three children at the time,” Hatch said. “The next year we had our twins, making five. Their ages now: Rex 11, Willow 9, Wynn 7, Otto 5, Wilder 5.”

When it became obvious the company was ready to expand into paving, she became majority owner of Iron Horse Asphalt. On the day we spoke, she shared that she’s technically the owner and office manager, but the day prior, she was a full-time estimator. We’re fortunate she could take some time to share her story and show how a woman of asphalt gets the job done.

AsphaltPro: You shared that you worked full-time at the FBI prior to deciding to become a majority owner in the asphalt business. Could you share with the readers what the deciding factor was to jump in with both feet?

Alisha Hatch: We wanted to take our business to the next level, and we knew we couldn’t do that juggling children between us and me not able to help fill time. The year I joined Tyson we increased sales by 33% and the following year we increased by almost 60%.

AsphaltPro: What appealed most to you about the construction business and asphalt in particular?

Alisha Hatch: Our business was already going towards asphalt and working with Tyson was where I wanted to be. Asphalt and construction is not a woman’s world and the challenge was appealing. Learning more about asphalt and being able to help our company move forward is exciting.

AsphaltPro: It’s no secret many women take on the caregiver role in families and our industry has been working to find ways to provide childcare options and family-leave options for family members who need flexible schedules or time off to care for aging parents, etc. What solution did Iron Horse Asphalt find for your schedule (or for the schedule of other women you have in your employ)?

Alisha Hatch: As business owners we work around the clock it seems. Our children are very involved and usually come with me to do estimates. We arranged the on-site estimating to once or twice a week so we’re not driving around all the time. I use lunch time and afternoon to write up the estimates and the kids help take care of each other. There are usually TV shows involved at that point, too!

AsphaltPro: You mentioned that the business is allowing you and your husband to work together toward a common goal. Could you share with the readers your philosophy on how the Iron Horse Asphalt business is allowing you to build this enterprise together?

Alisha Hatch: Tyson and I work very closely. I do the office work and estimating, and he does the groundwork. Working together has its ups and downs. We have to listen and respect each other’s needs and trust the work we are each contributing.

AsphaltPro: When do you find time for yourself and how have you found a work/life balance amid building a business you’re both a part of? (Are there any tips you’d offer to another woman of asphalt considering partnering in business with her spouse?)

Alisha Hatch: The balance is a work in progress. As our kids are getting older, we have been able to set aside time for date nights but that didn’t happen in the earlier years. Finding a babysitter was hard for five kids (two being infant twins). Vacations turn into taking work calls and kids’ school activities are sometimes missed by one of us. We know that what we have is made possible by God and our hard work and we’re grateful for it. We love having our kids involved and taking claim to building and working towards this with us. Our kids helped do some asphalt work at their school and thought it was pretty awesome. It gave them a sense of pride.

My tips for others working with their spouses is patience, look forward to set goals and look back at goals accomplished. We set a few five-year goals when we started and met all of them except one: me being able to quit my full-time job. We added it again to our next five-year goals and we were able to make it happen. Sometimes when we’re down or frustrated with each other or the business it helps to reminisce how far we’ve come and what major milestones we have made together.

AsphaltPro: Iron Horse Asphalt isn’t a large corporate paving company. Could you describe the atmosphere you’ve built and what about the structure is most comfortable/pleasing to you?

Alisha Hatch: We have a family-oriented approach to our company. All that are working with us, we feel are family and take that to heart when making any company decisions.

Through the busy season we’re usually 8-10 people. The atmosphere is casual and joking. Everyone gets along and no one is lost. Everyone is crucial to our success and our employees take pride in the work and care about the outcome and quality of the job.

AsphaltPro: Besides the sweeper, are there other pieces of equipment you’ve operated in the field? Which is your favorite?

Alisha Hatch: I operated the paver when someone needed the day off and I’ve operated the skid-steers. Up until two years ago we also offered snow removal; I drove plow trucks quite a bit. One particular storm was very intense and my job called off work for the day. I went straight to work in a plow still wearing my skirt, blouse and high heels!

Operating the paver is stressful and hard. I made a few mistakes, and I am very grateful we have qualified people to do that and not me. I enjoy the sweeper, probably because I did it the most in earlier years.

AsphaltPro: Which of your roles in the company is the most rewarding to you and what is it about the role that you find most appealing or satisfying?

Alisha Hatch: One of the most rewarding roles is following an estimate all the way through a job. I like meeting customers and when our crew provides a great end product, it’s very fulling.

AsphaltPro: As a contractor that performs commercial and residential installs, Iron Horse Asphalt must get to work with a variety of project owners/property managers. What is your favorite type of project to work on and what makes that intriguing to you?

Alisha Hatch: I like working with and developing relationships with long term customers the best. Homeowners are good to work with and the plus side to that is we get to meet a lot in our community.

AsphaltPro: Could you share with the readers what your role as the office manager of an asphalt company, specifically, requires of you, in general and day-to-day? What are some “soft skills” you would recommend other women in the industry hone if they wished to step into an office manager role?

Alisha Hatch: Multi-tasking! I take calls from the customers, write up estimates and follow up on their needs. I manage the schedule and coordinate with Tyson and the crew to make sure I’ve provided enough time for work. And when a job changes and all the work needs to be juggled around, I make a new schedule. Once the work is completed, I send out the invoices and also follow up on accounts receivable. Each day has a bit of everything mixed in.

But on a regular day, we get the younger kids to school. I home school our oldest son, so I spend time between him and office work until we pick up our youngest twins. I finish up as much as I can before the rest of the kids get home.

I recommend honing in on customer service, project prioritization and allowing yourself grace when things get busy.

AsphaltPro: I don’t want us to ignore your early career in the FBI. Could you tell the readers what you found most valuable about that job and what skills you see yourself transferring from that career to your current career?

Alisha Hatch: I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without my experiences and growth at my previous job. I worked at the FBI for 10 years. I had many opportunities to work with a variety of people and learn quality control techniques and presentation skills. I managed several different teams and learned from others on how to and how not to manage people.

AsphaltPro: What do you think is the most important skill you’ve brought to your position as first a sweeper operator and then as a company owner and project estimator in the asphalt industry? (And how would you encourage other women entering the industry to hone a similar skill to be any kind of construction professional they want to become?)

Alisha Hatch: Being part of all different aspects of the business has allowed Tyson and I to understand the demands of each position. This gives us the opportunity to know what each employee can and should be able to handle and also the limits of each position. Empathy is something women can bring to the construction industry. Construction can be rough around the edges and women can bring a lighter, more organized approach to employees and scheduling.

AsphaltPro: What would you say has been the most challenging “obstacle” you, as a female in the construction industry, had to overcome in the past 15 years, and how DID you overcome that obstacle?

Alisha Hatch: One of the biggest challenges is customers not accepting me as a knowledgeable professional that can give educated answers to their questions and provide an accurate, quality estimate.

AsphaltPro: How do you think other women in the industry can incorporate that skill or habit into their workdays?

Alisha Hatch: I want to be a resource for our company and help where it’s needed. In order to do this, I ask a lot of questions, help fix the equipment on nights and weekends, and visit the job sites. I also travel to trade shows with Tyson to see what is going on in the industry and bring the knowledge back to our market.

AsphaltPro: Let’s talk about Teamwork. What is the most challenging project Iron Horse Asphalt has been a part of and how did you and your crew overcome the challenge?

Alisha Hatch: Our crew pulled off a big job without a full crew. We had a deadline for an install on campground. The job needed to get done so the area could be reopened for the weekend. On the morning of the project everyone was given their responsibilities knowing they’d have to pull extra weight and extra tasks to make it happen on time and be done well. Trucks started running behind and one truck blew a tire. Despite being shorthanded and having slow trucks, they were able to put down all the asphalt and have a high-quality product for the customer. While loading up the equipment, everyone was able to take a breath and really admire what they accomplished. Each member of the crew felt a sense of pride knowing what they had overcome.

AsphaltPro: Let’s talk about Perceptions. It’s a fact that asphalt paving can be hot and dusty. How do you respond to people who say it’s a “dirty job?” And how can we re-educate young people about to encourage more women to consider a career in the asphalt business?

Alisha Hatch: It is a dirty job! It’s real, honest work. Sometimes dirty jobs and asphalt work is looked down upon as a lower-class career.

There’s so much behind the scenes and on the job site that women can help with. We’ve had great women sweeper operators, because they have more of an eye for cleanliness. We’ve had women roller operators; they do great in that capacity because of attention to detail. Something I would tell a young lady to encourage her in this industry? There’s a lot of manly men in the world of construction! There are so many opportunities for growth and development that haven’t been tapped into yet for women. A new perspective on a mostly male run industry can use a feminine touch.

AsphaltPro: What is the most rewarding aspect for you of being in the asphalt business?

Alisha Hatch: The most rewarding has been bringing a fresh outlook to asphalt to our community. Sometimes dirty jobs and asphalt work is looked down upon as a lower class or low caliber career. We are trying to change that perception. We hire men and women who are respectable and hard working with a quality mind set. It is so rewarding to watch a customer be pleasantly surprised when we show up on a job site clean cut, respectful and with a desire to give the best product. When the job is complete, we have made one more person in our community think differently about the dirty work of asphalt.

AsphaltPro: Will you tell us about a person who served as a mentor for you and how this person encouraged you? Is there a piece of advice from this person that you would share with other women in the industry/other operators?

Alisha Hatch: My husband Tyson is my biggest mentor and cheerleader. When I get discouraged about people in the industry thinking less of me as underrated woman of asphalt, he always jokes that if they only knew who ran this company! He teaches and pushes me to overcome these stigmatisms and show our community how a woman can do this too. You CAN be a big part of the industry, you can get your hands a little dirty and we can become more well-rounded women because of it.