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.

What Does Purposeful Growth Mean for Ergon, Customers and Employees?

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At Ergon, we understand that our success is tied to the success of our both our customers and our employees. Purposeful Growth is a core value — one we live and breathe every day, with every decision and every solution.

The positive trajectory of our organization has been steady since our founding in 1954. Growth has always been aligned with a clear purpose and vision as we have expanded from serving customers locally to providing products and services in more than 90 countries around the world. We are focused on growing the right way — not just the fastest way.

Watch the video below (part of our Culture & Values video series) to learn about Purposeful Growth at Ergon, as told by a few members of the Ergon family.

For Our Employees
We are investing in present and future generations, empowering our teams to realize their full potential. We are committed to providing the best opportunities for employees to succeed. Ergon’s Organizational Development Department partners with leadership to ensure all companies excel in recruiting, retaining and developing the best people to reflect our core values and to ensure continued growth.

Brandi Julian, Training Director with Crafco, recently shared about their Leadership Essentials Program. Crafco, part of Ergon’s Asphalt & Emulsions Segment, is the world’s leading manufacturer of pavement preservation products and the equipment used to apply them. Based in Arizona, Crafco has manufacturing facilities in six states and abroad, in addition to distribution and sales offices around the world.

“This program covers the employee life cycle,” Brandi explained. “We look at everything from selection and recruiting, to onboarding, then on to engaging and retaining employees. It’s not just about finding a good employee. It’s about developing them to be their most efficient and effective.”

Once someone is part of the Ergon family, we want to do everything we can to keep them here. Our low turnover rate (14.9%, compared to the national average of 24%) is a testament to our success in that area, as is our 11-year average length of service.

Education and Knowledge Sharing
Another interesting project Brandi has been working on is documenting the knowledge and experience of our current employees to benefit future employees. “How do we take the experiential knowledge of our people who have all this tenure and have been here for years and years, write that down and capture that knowledge? We have developed a very robust product knowledge training library,” Brandi explained. “We have spent so much time interviewing leaders, plant managers — trying to really capture their knowledge about our equipment, our products, and get that knowledge captured and written down so that we can share it across all of Crafco.”

As Jana Branham, Ergon Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, explains in the Purposeful Growth video linked above, “We are investing in education to make sure our people have the right skills and capabilities to deliver on the projects that we do — so that we can be productive in every interaction.”

If you’re interested in working for a company that makes your growth a priority, visit ergoncareers.com for job openings within our family of companies today.

 

Culture and Values at Ergon

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When you ask an Ergon employee how they would describe our culture, the almost invariable response is “family.” Many are quick to add that they had worked for other companies in the past that claimed to be family, but they didn’t truly grasp what that meant until they came to Ergon.

You could attribute our family atmosphere to southern hospitality. We are headquartered in Mississippi, after all. But Ergon’s culture really stems from being a family-owned company, built by one man, Leslie Lampton Sr., who called his employees around the world by name and passed his values on to his four sons, his many grandchildren who work for the company today, and more than 3,000 employees around the world.

Mr. Lampton taught us that people always come before profits. If we take care of our people, our customers and our communities, the business will take care of itself.

After his passing in 2018, we embarked on a journey to highlight the Ergon story, our values and our beliefs from the perspective of those who live them out every day. We’ve created a series of culture and values videos featuring Ergon family members from throughout the organization. The video linked below shares a glimpse into what makes Ergon a trusted partner to customers in more than 90 countries around the world — and what makes this an exceptional place to work, learn and grow.

Ergon has a heritage born of hard work, a foundation built by service and a future bound by what we create next. With a focus on always doing the right thing, the Ergon family invests our time, energy and talents toward a common goal — making this organization the best it can be.

Our Values

  • Empowered Service  
    Together, we’re committed to delivering unparalleled service. We do what’s right, provide solutions and foster stronger relationships with our teams and customers. Employee safety is our top priority and the first consideration in all aspects of our service. That’s empowered service.

  • Selfless Leadership  
    We lead with compassion and put those around us before ourselves. We don’t say we’re the experts, we demonstrate it through technical expertise, category innovation and care for what we do. We call this selfless leadership.

  • Purposeful Growth 
    We believe employee growth and company growth go hand in hand. We build our legacy together to ensure future success through purposeful growth. The company has always reinvested tremendously back into the business, but not just growing for the sake of growing, but growing in a careful and strategic way.

  • Respectful Relationships  
    And together, we foster a culture of respect, acceptance and diversity of ideas and of people. Our differences make us stronger. And we’re united by our shared values, always forging respectful relationships.

If you’d like to learn more about Ergon, start here: https://ergon.com/about.

And if you’re interested in joining the Ergon family, visit ergoncareers.com.

Meet Ashmita Niroula: Breaking Barriers in STEM

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On this International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Ergon recognizes the contributions of women and girls who push past stereotypes to contribute to science every day. We are proud of the highly competent women, like Ergon Refining Inc.’s Ashmita Niroula, who help steer product development and quality control efforts across our organization. They are helping change the narrative of science being a male-dominated field.

Meet Ashmita

Ashmita Niroula, a native of Nepal, moved to the United States in 2014. She graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and began her career in science as an intern for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Ashmita joined Ergon Refining in July 2019 and currently serves as Market Technical Support Representative – Dielectric Fluids (formerly Insulating Oils). Dielectric fluids are specifically used for equipment such as power and distribution transformers, switchgears and circuit breakers. Ashmita’s role requires extensive knowledge of this equipment as well as the electrical properties of different dielectric fluids and their impact.

No stranger to transformers, as a child, Ashmita spent time in her father’s electrical shop in Nepal taking small transformers apart to see what they were comprised of. This curiosity led her to pursue an electrical engineering career. “It wasn’t until around ninth grade when I started spending more time in my father’s shop that I decided engineering was what I wanted to pursue,” said Ashmita.

Breaking Barriers in STEM

Ashmita is one of many women breaking barriers in the STEM career field. But there’s still progress to be made. It has been reported that while there have been strides in the number of women who enter STEM-related fields, there are still fewer women than men who begin careers in this field, and they leave these careers at a “disproportionately higher rate than men.”

When asked what she would say to young girls interested in science specifically, Ashmita suggested they should stick with it because science should have no relationship with the gender of the discoverer. “Never feel bad for being the only girl the class. Instead, feel special, trust yourself and study with passion. You can make a difference,” she said.

Women Make a Difference at Ergon

As an equal opportunity employer that respects the diversity of ideas and of people, Ergon is honored to support the women in science within our Ergon family. Read about a few other women in science and technology at Ergon here: Ergon Women in STEM.

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Want to become part of the Ergon family? Visit ergoncareers.com for job openings today.

Ergon Asphalt Hosts Spokane Valley Fire Department Special Ops Groups

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“How you practice is how you perform. We are happy to extend the Ergon value of empowered service to the first responders we rely on to support emergency response efforts and care for our people.”

– Michael Kinard, Director of Operations Excellence, Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions

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Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions (EA&E) hosted the Spokane Valley Fire Department as they conducted their confined-space rescue training sessions in October and November 2021. During these sessions, special operations rescue groups utilized an empty tank at EA&E’s Spokane Valley location to train for first aid and retrieval out of confined space scenarios.

“We’ve trained in tanks in the past, but this was our first one at an Ergon facility,” said Tony Perry, Spokane Valley Fire Department Captain and head of confined-space training. “Each confined space is different, but having an opportunity to train in a place that’s a little more unique than what we’d have in other industrial settings proved helpful to us.”

Steve Barto, EA&E’s Spokane Valley Facility Manager, initially called to find out about the department’s confined-space program and to confirm rescue protocol and contact information. His forward thinking led to a hands-on training opportunity that would benefit the fire department, EA&E and other local fuel facilities and small tank farms.

“I mentioned that we had a tank open, and they were welcome to use it for a drill if needed,” said Steve. “I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to build an ongoing relationship with our fire department and also aid them in ensuring they had adequate on-site experience to facilitate efficient confined-space rescues in the future.”

In addition to confined-space training sessions, the Spokane Valley Fire Department also took time to familiarize themselves with EAE’s Lockout Tagout procedures, and they look forward to additional training sessions to come.

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EAE’s tanks are usually emptied for periodic tank floor inspections. There is an observation period prior to the tank being refilled with product in which walkthroughs, and now training, can be conducted.

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 $0.25 per gallon effective Friday, February 11, 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 Director of Marketing Communications 601-933-3000 kathy.potts@ergon.com ergon.com |  ergonnsa.com

Ergon’s Doing Right Report

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Ergon is proud to share the organization’s first Doing Right Report, a celebration of the many ways we are committed to doing right with our products, for our planet, by our people and through our principles.

You can find Ergon’s 2021 Doing Right Report on ergon.com.

“Doing the right thing is nothing new to the Ergon family,” commented Kris Patrick, Chief Operating Officer. “It’s what our culture and values were built upon.” As interest in environmental, social and governance (ESG) grows and our customers, suppliers and financial institutions are asking about steps Ergon is taking, it is important that we share our sustainability story.

The report celebrates the uniqueness of the Ergon organization — the things we’ve been doing right for decades. It highlights innovative ways our companies are already working together to impact sustainability. We are creating cleaner products, supporting and protecting our people and our communities today and for future generations, and ensuring the continued success of this organization upon which so many people around the world depend.

In this report, you’ll learn how we are Doing Right:

  • With our PRODUCTS throughout the organization, including warm mix from Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, Ergon Refining & Marketing’s base oils used to reduce friction and improve efficiency, Crafco’s ground tire rubber use, and many more examples

  • For our PLANET with information on energy consumption, greenhouse gas data, and hazardous and non-hazardous waste

  • By our PEOPLE through initiatives like Target Zero and training, highlighting our total recordable incident rate, age and gender metrics, and low turnover rate

  • Through our PRINCIPLES, including our management structure, training record and continued focus on community service and volunteerism

The report also sets a baseline for key metrics we will be reporting on in the future, and it allows our businesses to actively work toward setting goals to be shared in 2022.