Asphalt: America’s Top Recycling Industry

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EAE Sr. VP Patrick Nation Talks Sustainability with the Asphalt Institute:

In a recent interview for Asphalt, the magazine of the Asphalt Institute, Patrick Nation, Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions (Ergon A&E) Senior Vice President and Chair of the Asphalt Institute, shared his thoughts about sustainability as it pertains to the asphalt industry and to Ergon.

The asphalt industry certainly plays an important role in today’s society. “We are the main resource going into the transportation system that moves people and goods around the world,” Nation explained. “Without a great transportation network, people and businesses suffer tremendously. This will not change moving forward. The world might look a little different, but transportation networks will be an important part of whatever our world looks like in the future.”

According to Nation, the industry has a good story to tell about sustainability. “We just need to tell it,” he said. “This is a space where the industry can play an important role and help with challenges faced around the world.”

The asphalt paving industry is one of the top recycling industries in the world. Asphalt is 100% reusable and the most recycled material in America, with an estimated 94% of reclaimed material going back into new pavements. Asphalt Institute members supply most of the binder in this industry and lead the effort in recycling.

“Carbon-reducing technologies that can reduce the production of hot mix temperatures and instantly capture a significant reduction in carbon are available today. Our industry has also developed pavement maintenance technologies that get produced and applied at lower temperatures,” Nation added. “These technologies can and will be included in agency LCA (life cycle assessment) plans, and this will help agencies reduce their carbon footprint.”

When asked what he sees as the greatest opportunities for the asphalt industry in the future, Patrick said he believes they can lead the infrastructure narrative on sustainability. “I think we have the people and assets to help be a solution to the ESG (environmental, social and governance) movement,” he added. “We are in a good space going forward and need to embrace the changes that are coming.”

Sustainability at Ergon

“For Ergon, sustainability means doing right,” Nation commented. “We strive to always do the right thing through our company and for the people we represent, including our employees, their families, our customers and the world we operate in. By reducing our carbon footprint, Ergon has reasonable plans to make sure we are doing our part to help.”

A few examples of specific steps taken by Ergon A&E include:

  • Patented technologies to reduce effects of aging on asphalt and enable the use of higher levels of recycled materials in asphalt have been developed by Ergon companies.

  • Ergon A&E’s warm mix asphalt technology is an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional hot mix applications, reducing carbon emissions, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter and more.

  • Ergon A&E’s micro surfacing and chip seal treatments offer 44% and 51% reductions in greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional roadway construction methods.

  • Crafco, a division of Ergon A&E, recycles an average of 10 million pounds of crumb rubber from tires each year, leading to the reduction of 30 million pounds of CO2e emissions.

To learn more about Ergon’s ESG efforts or download our Doing Right Report, visit https://ergon.com/sustainability.

And if you would like more information about the environmentally friendly products offered by Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, find your local sales representative at https://ergonasphalt.com/locations.

Ergon to Adjust Naphthenic Prices in North America

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FLOWOOD, Miss. — Ergon has announced an increase in pricing of naphthenic oils in the North American market by $0.35 per gallon effective Monday, March 14, 2022. The increase will apply to all viscosities.

About Ergon
Ergon is a group of privately held companies that operate under six primary business segments: Refining & Marketing, Specialty Chemicals, Asphalt & Emulsions, Oil & Gas, Midstream & Logistics, and Construction & Real Estate.

Contact Information
Kathy Potts
Vice President of Marketing Communications
601-933-3000
kathy.potts@ergon.com

Women at Ergon Bring Solutions to the Construction Industry

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Ergon is proud to provide opportunities for women to join the Ergon family and advance in construction-related careers, one of the fields where women continue to be underrepresented.

For Women in Construction Week 2022, we’ve highlighted a few women who help move Ergon’s construction-related operations forward with quality, safety and customer satisfaction in mind. We hope to inspire and encourage all women to think outside the box and push past barriers when it comes to choosing a new career path.

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Meet Ergon’s Women in Construction

Many women have contributed directly to Ergon’s goals to meet needs, support families and serve customers in their construction/infrastructure related roles. Meet a few of them below.

Rosita Martinez – Ergon Asfaltos México

Rosita serves as Technical Manager for Ergon Asfaltos México (EAM), a subsidiary of Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions. She joined EAM in 1999 and has since played a vital role in the development of asphalt and emulsion products and systems for roads within Ergon’s Mexico markets. Additionally, she is responsible for the coordination of the Pavement Engineering Division and other technical services, managing the Quality Control/Quality Assurance (QA/QC) program and managing intellectual property.

“Rosita has immense knowledge in all areas of asphalt and emulsions,” said Scott Watson, Senior VP – Technical Operations. “It is very difficult to have such a grasp of formulations, production, applications and performance evaluation, but Rosita has mastered them all.”

Rosita shared her experience working in construction in hopes of inspiring women who desire to do challenging, exciting and purposeful work to consider the field as well: “Working in construction offers constant challenges and opportunities since it’s a constantly changing field,” she said. “I enjoy testing and seeing the results of our work on roads. It’s also an exciting career that provides enormous satisfaction from being able to contribute meaningful work to improve infrastructure — something that impacts people daily.”

Catrina Franklin – Alliant Construction (Ergon Construction Group)

Catrina serves as the Project Management Assistant for Alliant Construction, a division of Ergon Construction Group. In this role, she is involved in many aspects of the business, including accounting work, estimating, operations, handling daily office duties and more. Catrina joined Alliant in September 2020 and has already had a huge impact on business operations.

“Catrina Franklin is a valuable asset for us,” said Andy Measells, VP & General Manager of Alliant Construction. “Because Alliant stays focused on delivering the highest quality customer and partner experiences, our service, speed, integrity and professionalism matter. And that’s why it’s so great to have an experienced team member like Catrina, who understands all the puzzle pieces, so to speak, and helps keep our operations running smoothly and efficiently.”

Catrina encourages women who are interested in learning new things and seeing concepts come to life to consider careers in construction. “Construction has been an exciting career for me,” she said. “Every day is different and I’m always learning new things. I love every aspect of it from estimating to operations.”

Amy Walker –  Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions

Since 2004, Amy has excelled as Area Sales Manager (ASM) for Mississippi — the home of Ergon’s headquarters.

For Amy, her job is about more than convincing various agencies to buy Ergon’s asphalt and emulsion products. It’s about building relationships based on exceptional service, technical support and education on best practices to advance the goal of improving America’s infrastructure. “Amy is very service oriented and is always available to answer questions, teach and help our customers be successful,” said Larry Tomkins, Ergon A&E’s VP – Southeast Region. “She has the unique ability to be able to connect with people, and her contribution to the industry and Ergon has been felt all across Mississippi.”

In her role as ASM, Amy has excelled at building relationships with county supervisors, road managers, county engineers, consulting engineers, representatives from Departments of Transportation and also city agencies. “We work together to assess the needs of the roads within their network, as well as assess proper application and site selection,” she said. “And I provide support to ensure a successful project and troubleshoot when needed.”

In addition to overcoming stereotypes in the construction/infrastructure field, Amy is also the first member of the third generation of the Lampton family to be appointed to Ergon’s Board of Directors.

Brandi Julian – Crafco

Brandi Julian is Director of Organizational Development (DOD) for Crafco, a subsidiary of Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions and the world’s leading manufacturer of packaged pavement preservation products. “Implementing Organizational Development, which is a new initiative at Crafco, requires a leader who not only has the vision, but also the strength to educate and inspire employees to embrace positive change,” said Gary Johnson, Crafco President. “Brandi is that leader, and I cannot think of anyone better to guide us through the development and execution of this monumental effort.”

As DOD, Brandi plays a vital part in growing the construction industry by providing opportunities for employee retention, growth, development and performance management — opportunities she ensures are extended to groups, like women, who remain underrepresented in the industry. “I believe diversity of any employee base adds value to new thoughts and new ways of operating and improving processes,” said Brandi.

In addition to doing her part to ensure a competent and diverse workplace, Brandi encourages women to think outside the box when it comes to their careers and not limit themselves to traditional roles. “There are vast opportunities for women in the construction industry, and I would encourage women, especially those currently pursing degrees, to think outside of traditional female fields and roles,” she said.

Women of Ergon Breaking Barriers
This list doesn’t scratch the surface of the many female employees overcoming stereotypes within the various industries Ergon serves. If you’re interested in a company committed to respecting and providing spaces for the diversity of ideas and of people, visit ergoncareers.com.

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Construction Services at Ergon
Ergon provides specialized services within various sectors of the construction industry, including industrial and commercial construction, maintenance and related services through our Construction & Real Estate segment. We also produce, market and distribute asphalt, emulsions, specialty coatings and sealants for road construction and maintenance through our Asphalt & Emulsions segment.

National Employee Appreciation Day at Ergon

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A Message from the Lampton Family, CEO Emmitte Haddox and COO Kris Patrick

On this National Employee Appreciation Day, Ergon and the Lampton family extend our heartfelt thanks to our family of employees around the world. Thank you for your continued commitment to working hard, working safely and looking out for each other.

Watch our “Thank You” video.

“Ergon is where we choose to invest our time, energy, talents and contributions toward a common goal,” commented Emmitte Haddox, Ergon Chief Executive Officer. “With a focus on Doing Right, we strive to make this company the best it can be. Each person owns their contribution to Ergon’s mission of meeting needs, supporting families and serving customers.”

The Ergon family has gone above and beyond to serve and protect their coworkers, customers and communities since the pandemic started.

“Our clear motivation from day one was to protect our employees. Period,” said Kris Patrick, Ergon Chief Operating Officer. “I would put our actions on a scale against those of any other company.”

Kris explained that Ergon’s mission hasn’t changed over time, and it didn’t change because of COVID. “It has been said that the moments that challenge us the most define us, and this has certainly been a defining time period,” he added. “While many companies were trying to hold on or slow the free fall, our employees moved Ergon forward in so many ways. Those employees are what make this company great.”

Ergon. United by Service. Driven by Solutions.