Meet a Woman of Asphalt: Pothole Heroes’ Rebecca Neidich
BY Beth Brody
Serial entrepreneur Rebecca Neidich, co-founder of Pothole Heroes, is a WIC to follow
Rebecca Neidich, co-founder of Pothole Heroes is the heart and soul of the company. She brings a background in human resources, construction, marketing and entrepreneurship to her eco-friendly asphalt maintenance company, which has rapidly expanded to serve the Southeast United States and the Ohio tri-state area since its founding in 2021. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Neidich was the human resources & recruiting manager at a major nationwide furniture chain’s corporate office. This background in organizational development and employee relations would serve her well as she went on the road to entrepreneurship.
Neidich knew that practicing preventive maintenance throughout the lifespan of an asphalt surface can extend its usable life and dramatically reduce long-term costs.
Neidich’s first foray as a business owner was in 2003, as the co-founder of walk-in tub manufacturer, Safety Tubs, LLC, with her husband, Andre Neidich. After Safety Tubs and its patents were acquired, she took some time off to be a stay-at-home mom and ponder her next opportunity. When she and her husband realized that asphalt maintenance was an underserved area, it led to the establishment of the company, Pothole Heroes, which was named by her nine-year-old daughter.
As the co-founder and owner of Pothole Heroes, Rebecca Neidich encourages more women to join the growing asphalt industry. She’s a member of several industry groups, including the Women of Asphalt. “There is much room for growth for women in the industry…It is good, steady work that pays well and there are always roads, highways, paths and parking lots that need maintenance.”
Pothole Heroes started in Orlando in 2021 and was an immediate success. Neidich hasn’t looked back. Over the past three years, Pothole Heroes has grown to serve Tampa, Daytona, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Melbourne, Miami, Naples, Marco Island, Pensacola, Tallahassee and West Palm Beach, Florida, as well as the Cincinnati, Ohio tri-state areas. In the first four months of 2024 alone, Pothole Heroes expanded to two new locations—Charlotte, North Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia. Expansion plans include additional locations in the Southeast.
Pothole Heroes is a woman-owned business providing sustainable asphalt maintenance to commercial, multi-family, HOAs and municipalities. One day, Neidich’s team might be repairing the asphalt in the parking lot of Mt. Hermon Lutheran Church in Statesville, North Carolina, or resealing the asphalt at Bunker Hill Condominium Association in Mount Dora, Florida. In addition to pothole repair and pavement patching, her company also specializes in sealcoating and striping, concrete services, utility cut repairs, trip hazard repairs, ADA compliance, and emergency repairs.
Neidich knew that practicing preventive maintenance throughout the lifespan of an asphalt surface can extend its usable life and dramatically reduce long-term costs. And preventive maintenance is one key to Pothole Heroes’ success. Another element that contributes to the company’s high standing in the industry is their sustainability practices.
The Pothole Heroes custom clean-fuel trucks are equipped with solar panels for recharging battery-powered peripheral equipment like saws and blowers.
One of the company initiatives Neidich is most proud of is the focus on environmentally friendly processes. Pothole Heroes uses infrared technology, which helps asphalt repair be more efficient and reduces the carbon footprint. Called “hot in-place,” this type of repair recycles the asphalt that is already in place. This is an environmentally friendly, cost-effective method of rejuvenating asphalt surfaces to good-as-new condition. Like all recycled asphalt treatments, hot in-place has a small carbon footprint and reduced binder consumption, which leads to reduced emissions.
“We are dedicated to reducing the company’s carbon footprint and hot in-place infrared recycling goes a long way to helping our clients achieve that goal,” Neidich explained. “In addition to the dramatic cost-benefit of recycling 100% of existing pavement, hot in-place has the bonus of reducing business disruption and user delays.”
Pothole Heroes’ infrared recycling system combined with their fleet of state-of-the-art eco-friendly trucks gives the company an edge when it comes to reducing the carbon footprint. Pothole Heroes has a goal of achieving 100% sustainability and net zero CO2 emissions within 10 years.
Pothole Heroes crews perform hot in-place infrared patching to reduce the company’s carbon footprint during pavement repairs. Neidich explained, “In addition to the dramatic cost-benefit of recycling 100% of existing pavement, hot in-place has the bonus of reducing business disruption and user delays.”
“We are typically in and out in far less time than conventional repairs,” Neidich explained. “Less time on the job and running back and forth to asphalt plants means less CO2 spewing into the air. In addition, all our Pothole Heroes custom clean-fuel trucks are equipped with solar panels for recharging our battery-powered peripheral equipment like saws and blowers. These measures offer the opportunity to save money, save time, and help us all breathe a little easier.
“Our company mission is to make a difference in the asphalt industry, with a commitment to promoting women in leadership roles, educating outsiders about sustainability and better environmental practices, and creating solid community leaders,” she continued. “Pothole Heroes and the executive team are determined to help make the world a little nicer than we found it.”
Neidich is a member of several industry groups, including Women of Asphalt, which supports women in all aspects of the asphalt industry through mentoring, education and advocacy, and encourages women to seek careers in the asphalt industry. She’s also in the Society for Human Resource Management, the leading professional human resources
membership association.
“There is much room for growth for women in the asphalt industry,” Neidich said. “I encourage more women to enter this growing field. It is good, steady work that pays well and there are always roads, highways, paths and parking lots that need maintenance.”