The hot mix asphalt and pavement maintenance industry underwent significant shifts in late 2010, marked by strategic acquisitions, environmental research partnerships, new equipment launches, and green technology initiatives. For contractors and industry professionals tracking these developments, understanding how these changes reshaped the landscape offers valuable context for current operations and investment decisions. This article examines four major stories from December 2010 that continue to influence how pavement maintenance professionals approach their work today. For additional perspective on market timing in construction, see our analysis of Pending Home Sales December 2011 Market Timing Builders, which examines how real estate trends correlate with construction activity cycles.
Crafco Acquires Deery American Corporation: Consolidation in Pavement Preservation
In December 2010, Crafco Inc., an Ergon Company headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, completed the acquisition of substantially all assets of Deery American Corporation and its affiliated companies. The transaction, effective December 3, 2010, represented a significant consolidation in the pavement preservation and crack sealing market. This move allowed Crafco to expand its manufacturing footprint and product portfolio substantially.
Strategic Implications of the Acquisition
The acquisition brought several strategic advantages for Crafco:
- Addition of two new manufacturing locations in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Youngstown, Ohio
- Expansion of Crafco’s existing network of six strategically located manufacturing facilities across the United States
- Continued marketing and supply of Deery brand products to the industry
- Broader geographic coverage for faster delivery and reduced shipping costs to customers
Manufacturing Footprint After the Acquisition
Following the acquisition, Crafco operated from eight manufacturing facilities nationwide. The following table summarizes the expanded production network:
| Location | Status | Primary Function |
|---|---|---|
| Chandler, AZ | Existing (Headquarters) | Corporate operations, manufacturing |
| Multiple existing US sites | Existing (6 facilities) | Crack sealants, pavement preservation products |
| Cheyenne, WY | Added via acquisition | Deery brand manufacturing |
| Youngstown, OH | Added via acquisition | Deery brand manufacturing |
The expanded manufacturing capacity positioned Crafco to serve a wider customer base across the Midwest, West, and Northeast regions with improved response times and reduced freight costs. This acquisition reflected a broader industry trend toward consolidation that allowed larger players to achieve economies of scale while maintaining multiple regional manufacturing hubs.
Elgin Sweeper EPA Research Agreement: Advancing Porous Pavement Knowledge
Elgin Sweeper entered what was reportedly the first agreement of its kind in the sweeping industry when it signed a cooperative research and development agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The partnership aimed to improve understanding of the maintenance needs of three types of porous pavement systems. This collaboration brought together a leading sweeper manufacturer with the EPA’s Office of Research and Development’s National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL).
Objectives of the Research Agreement
The EPA-Elgin partnership focused on several core objectives:
- Share Elgin’s background knowledge of surface cleaning data and techniques with EPA researchers
- Develop improved maintenance protocols for porous pavement surfaces
- Reduce storm water pollution through better sweeping practices
- Create implementation technologies that cities and communities can deploy
- Support national priorities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality
Significance for the Pavement Industry
According to Brian Giles, sweeper product manager at Elgin Sweeper, the partnership furthered the company’s commitment to developing environmentally efficient street sweepers and solutions that reduce air pollution and storm water pollution. The NRMRL, created in 1995, focuses on environmental problem solving and directly supports national priorities including hazardous waste site cleanup and water protection. This research agreement highlighted the growing intersection between pavement maintenance equipment design and environmental regulation, a trend that has only intensified in subsequent years.
Understanding how environmental conditions affect pavement materials is critical for quality construction outcomes. For insights on temperature-related challenges, refer to Hot Weather Concreting Effect of Hot Weather On Concrete, which covers similar environmental considerations for concrete placement.
LeeBoy Licenses Blaw-Knox Brand: New Commercial Paver Line Launched
LB Performance Paving Products, a new division of LeeBoy, announced it would launch a new line of Blaw-Knox branded equipment. This strategic licensing agreement with Volvo Construction Equipment allowed LeeBoy to resurrect a storied brand name in the paving industry while designing, manufacturing, marketing, and supporting a complete range of commercial paving products.
Initial Product Launch Lineup
The initial product launch included three road wideners and two rubber-tired pavers:
| Model | Type | Horsepower | Key Specification |
|---|---|---|---|
| RW-80A | Road widener | 80 hp (Tier IV diesel) | 7 ft material placement width |
| RW-100B | Road widener (mid-size) | 110 hp (Cummins diesel) | 10 ft material placement width |
| RW-195E | Road widener (largest) | 190 hp (Cummins diesel) | 12 ft material placement width |
| PF-150B | Rubber tired paver | 67 hp (K liquid-cooled diesel) | 15 ft paving width |
| PF-161B | Rubber tired paver | 110 hp (Cummins diesel) | 17 ft paving width |
Design Philosophy and Market Position
Kelly Majeskie, president of LeeBoy, emphasized the company’s strategy of returning to the core values that built the Blaw-Knox reputation. The new line featured hallmark simple design that is easy to service and intuitive for the operator, with upgrades in engine and drive systems to ensure optimum performance. All products were produced at LeeBoy’s plant in Lincolnton, North Carolina, and distributed through Volvo Construction Equipment roadbuilding distributors.
Industry Leadership Perspective
Al Cleeland, Blaw-Knox division manager, noted that Blaw-Knox was traditionally a brand held as the standard for pavers. Returning to the roots and core values that built the brand meant giving contractors and agencies the same ownership experience they once enjoyed. Majeskie added that the team offered more than 100 years of combined paving experience and the knowledge to serve as jobsite consultants, putting that expertise to work in engineering the best possible product.
For a detailed overview of safety requirements in hot mix operations, see Asphalt Safety Comprehensive Guide to Hazard Management in Hot Mix Asphalt Operations, which covers essential protective protocols for paving crews.
Schwarze Industries Partners With Enova for Electric Sweeper Development
Schwarze Industries of Huntsville, Alabama, partnered with Enova Systems, a leading innovator of electric and hybrid-electric vehicle solutions for medium and heavy-duty trucks and buses, to develop a fully electric green sweeper for the United States Air Force. This project represented one of the earliest major initiatives to bring fully electric sweeping technology to the military sector.
Technical Specifications and Innovation
The fully electric green sweeper incorporated several innovative features:
- Drive system: Enova 120 kW all-electric drive system coupled with a hydraulic pump
- Power source: Hydrogen produced by a solar electric array
- Sweeper platform: Schwarze’s regenerative air sweeper design (A7000 model)
- Production site: Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu, Hawaii
- Significance: First advanced sweeper technology used by the USAF
Broader Implications for the Industry
Raymond Massey, director of sales and marketing for Schwarze, expressed excitement about the partnership, noting the hope that this sweeper would become the standard Air Force specification for all sweeping applications. The project demonstrated that electric and hydrogen-powered sweeping technology was viable for demanding military applications, paving the way for broader commercial adoption in subsequent years. This initiative aligned with growing federal and state requirements for reduced emissions from construction and maintenance equipment.
Lessons for Pavement Maintenance Contractors
The developments covered in this roundup collectively illustrate several enduring lessons for pavement maintenance professionals:
- Consolidation creates opportunity: Acquisitions like Crafco-Deery expand product availability and service coverage for contractors who work across multiple regions.
- Environmental research shapes equipment design: The EPA-Elgin partnership showed that sweeping and pavement maintenance practices directly affect water quality outcomes, influencing specification requirements.
- Brand heritage matters in equipment selection: The Blaw-Knox relaunch demonstrated that established brands with strong reputations for simplicity and serviceability retain loyal customer bases.
- Electrification is coming to heavy equipment: The Schwarze-Enova electric sweeper project previewed trends that have since become central to equipment procurement decisions across both public and private sectors.
For a deeper understanding of asphalt production infrastructure, see Asphalt Plants and Pavement Construction Equipment a Complete Guide to Hot Mix Asphalt Production, which examines the facilities and machinery behind quality asphalt output.
Looking Ahead: Lessons From Late 2010
December 2010 was a pivotal month for the hot mix asphalt and pavement maintenance industry. The Crafco-Deery acquisition reshaped the competitive landscape for crack sealing and pavement preservation products. The Elgin-EPA research partnership established a new model for cooperation between equipment manufacturers and federal environmental agencies. The LeeBoy-Blaw-Knox licensing deal brought a legendary paving brand back to market with modern engineering. And the Schwarze-Enova electric sweeper project laid groundwork for the zero-emission equipment trends that dominate today’s industry conversations.
These developments remind contractors and specifiers that the pavement maintenance industry is continuously evolving through corporate strategy, environmental policy, and technological innovation. Staying informed about these shifts enables better purchasing decisions, more competitive bidding, and more effective long-term planning.