In 1956, Asphalt Materials, Inc. (AMI) began with a mindset that would define the next seventy years: never stand still.
From the beginning, this was a company built to evolve. The founders of AMI understood that to build something that lasts, you must be driven by curiosity, let challenge shape you and stay committed to finding better ways to serve customers. Founders Fred Fehsenfeld Sr. and Dick Stephenson set out to build a company designed to adapt in order to lead.
Our core values are rooted in our history, and seventy years later, they continue to fuel how we innovate and grow each season.
Core Value: Keep Your Eyes Open for Opportunity
In the early 1950s, Fred Fehsenfeld Sr. was working for his family business, Crystal Flash, when he encouraged the purchase of a small asphalt emulsion plant to counteract the seasonality of operations. That plant, Asphalt Materials & Construction Company, was the opportunity that started our company’s evolution.
Once formalized as Asphalt Materials, Inc. in 1956, Fehsenfeld and co-founder Dick Stephenson led the company through a period of growth in the 1960s when the asphalt industry was focused on large interstate projects in Indiana. Here, they found another opportunity in taking a different path than the rest of the market: they decided to focus on serving local roads and communities. Instead of chasing volume, they focused on impact, building solutions for counties and municipalities that needed durable, cost-effective roads.
It was a defining decision: prioritize impact over volume, and long-term opportunity over short-term gain.
Core Value: Do the Right Thing Always
From the beginning, doing the right thing was expected, not optional.
The same mindset drove a deeper commitment to technical service and research. Asphalt Materials didn’t believe its responsibility ended at delivery. Instead, teams worked alongside customers in the field, ensuring products were applied correctly and performed as intended.
Early on, our hands-on support revealed something important: when customers had the right technical guidance, pavement performance improved significantly. That realization pushed the company to go further, continuously asking what more could be done to improve outcomes and deliver long-term results.
That question pushed the company to aim beyond meeting expectations by continuously improving outcomes for customers. Doing the right thing without compromise didn’t just solve problems in the moment; it built something more lasting.
Core Value: Build Long-Term Relationships and Mutual Trust
Relationships weren’t just part of the business; they were the business.
A strong example of this commitment came with the acquisition of Emulsicoat in 1985. With deep roots in contractor-led ownership, Emulsicoat brought a perspective grounded in the realities of the field: understanding how work gets done, where challenges arise and what it takes to deliver a successful project. Its long-standing contractor relationships were built on the same principles AMI has always valued: trust, reliability and shared success.
Similarly, the addition of H.G. Meigs in 2019 further reflects this focus. With nearly a century of history, H.G. Meigs has built its own legacy on dependable service and deep customer partnerships.
In 2025, Emulsicoat celebrated 50 years in the industry, while H.G. Meigs marked an incredible 90-year milestone, highlighting that relationships built the right way don’t just endure but strengthen over time.
But our relationships are also built day by day, in the field. Beyond selling materials, the team focuses on educating agencies on product performance and application techniques, sticking around until they’re confident the job is done right. That consistency turns everyday interactions into trust, which becomes partnerships that last for decades, because customers know they can rely not just on the product, but on the people behind it.
Core Value: Bet on People
Fred and Dick knew early that growth depends on finding the right people and trusting them to lead.
They looked for individuals with the right mindset — people who cared deeply about customers, took ownership of their work and constantly looked for better ways to serve the market. They invested in those people, and that philosophy became part of the culture.
One of the earliest AMI employees, Tom Bertsch, knew this reputation well. “I was told by many people that there’s one thing you could count on from Asphalt Materials — they were the first up in the morning, the first person to the job, and the first to figure out how to supply the market the best.”
Betting on people didn’t just build that first team; it built a culture that continues to drive us forward.
Core Value: Tackle the Big Problems
Innovation at AMI always starts with a simple question: how can we solve our customers’ toughest challenges?
Driven by the need to build better roads with limited resources, the team listened closely to what customers needed most and responded with practical, high-impact solutions:
- Joint solutions like J-Band® to address longitudinal joint performance issues
- Cold mix solutions that create stronger, more cost-effective road bases
- Improved emulsions that perform reliably, even in difficult conditions
- Treatments that reduce pavement permeability to extend service life
These were field-driven solutions, shaped by real-world needs.
From the earliest days, Fred and Dick challenged the organization to go beyond specifications and think holistically about pavement performance. It wasn’t enough for products to meet standards; they needed to exceed expectations and deliver long-term value.
That mindset continues to define Asphalt Materials today: always asking, what’s next?
Core Value: Create Enduring Value
A clear focus on looking beyond today’s projects and investing in moving the industry forward has fueled our work from the start. Our connection to Heritage Research Group (HRG), the research and development center of The Heritage Group, is key in delivering that value.
Founded in 1980, HRG stands at the forefront of innovation. Their team of scientists and engineers use cutting-edge technology and inventive problem-solving to turn big challenges into even bigger opportunities. HRG is a valuable partner to Asphalt Materials in creating a direct pipeline from research to application, allowing innovations to move quickly from concept to the field, like J-Band® and AMIGUARD™ Rapid Penetrating Emulsions.
“The best innovation happens across lines, not within them,” says Sibel Selcuk, Executive Vice President of HRG. “By combining the scientific capabilities of Heritage Research Group with the deep industry knowledge of Asphalt Materials, we accelerate the development of practical solutions that strengthen infrastructure, improve long-term performance and create lasting value.”
But creating enduring value goes beyond our business. Our team actively contributes to industry organizations shaping the future of asphalt, like Asphalt Institute and FP2, serving in leadership roles and supporting their work. We also encourage continuous learning so that our experts can continue to grow alongside the industry, participating in programs like Asphalt Emulsion Manufacturing Association’s (AEMA) Leadership Education for Asphalt Preservation (LEAP) program.
Over seventy years, the industry has changed. Markets have shifted. Technologies have advanced. Today, Asphalt Materials supports thousands of miles of roadway annually for customers across our footprint and boasts an extensive production and storage network. We didn’t just build a company that lasts. We built a company that adapts, improves and leads year after year.
Learn more about the people and work behind Asphalt Materials: https://asphalt-materials.com/
