MnDOT finds PMBs Extend Road Service Life by Six Years

Many highway agencies recognize the benefits of using modified asphalts to reduce pavement distress and increase service life. A recent study from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) found that asphalt pavements with polymer-modified binders (PMBs) perform better than pavements with unmodified asphalt binders. They also found that modified binders are more cost-effective, even for local low-volume roads. While pavements with PMBs may cost more initially, performance is improved in the long run. 

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Mitchell Kovalsky Promoted to Senior Project Engineer

We are pleased to announce the promotion of Mitch Kovalsky to Senior Project Engineer in the AMI Capital Project Engineering Group. In this role, Mitch will continue to lead projects critical to our business operation while supporting implementation of the overall capital plan.

Mitch graduated from Purdue University in 2018 as a Chemical Engineer and joined AMI as a Lab Tech at the Indianapolis Plant. Shortly after, in March of 2019, he joined the engineering team as a Project Engineer.

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Higbie and Jenkins Join the 2023-2024 LEAP Class 

Asphalt Material’s Sales Representative Nate Jenkins and Heritage Research Group’s Senior Asphalt Research Chemist Campbell Higbie have joined the 2023-2024 LEAP Class. Nate Jenkins is a member of the Asphalt Materials, Inc. (AMI) sales team and has worked with the company since January 2014. Campbell began his career at The Heritage Group (THG) when he joined the Heritage Research Group (HRG) in March 2016 as a lab technician for the asphalt emulsion lab. In 2018, Higbie moved into a research and innovation role with HRG. This has allowed him to help AMI develop novel approaches in asphalt applications, specifically with emulsions.  

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Happy National Intern Day!

Naarah Holloway contributed to this story.

Happy National Intern Day! Today we celebrate all our interns and the challenging work they do at The Heritage Group. We believe that the interns of today are the leaders of tomorrow! That said, we value our interns and want to ensure they gain the best experience by learning, growing, and fostering new relationships.  

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AMI supplies high-quality materials for CCAP® in Morgan County, Indiana

Agencies are seeking cost-effective and sustainable solutions to make roads last longer. This is why the Heritage Research Group (HRG), Asphalt Materials Inc. (AMI), Milestone Contractors, and US Aggregates are all working together in a One HC+M project to figure out how to make the strongest, most sustainable, and cost-efficient asphalt mix in the Midwest region. One solution the team has found that is not only cost efficient, but sustainable and durable, is Cold-Construction Asphalt Pavement (CCAP®).  

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AMIGUARD™ RPE Helping Create Longer Lasting, Safer Roads in Monroe County

What is RPE?

It is important to plan ahead when considering pavement protection and preservation techniques. Proactive pavement protection is an infrastructure investment, but it can also help ensure safety for drivers. One important aspect of pavement preservation is to reduce air voids. When air voids are high, permeability is high, which adversely affects pavement life. This is why using a Rapid Penetrating Emulsion (RPE) soon after pavement construction can be a wise investment.

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Happy National Air Traffic Control Day

National Air Traffic Control Day, July 6, is a day to recognize and appreciate the men and women who work hard to keep us safe in the skies! Air traffic controllers are responsible for ensuring safe flights by navigating, monitoring, and guiding aircrafts around airports throughout the United States. The next time you are on a flight, thank your flight attendant and pilot for all they do to keep us safe while travelling.

On this day, we highlight the work it takes to keep all aspects of air travel safe, including runway construction and maintenance. One such project recently took place at Coles County Memorial Airport (MTO). Just like many roads, airport runaways may experience longitudinal joint failure. When runways are poorly paved with insufficient materials, cracks can form over time. This is why it is important to apply a Void Reducing Asphalt Membrane (VRAM), such as J-Band®, to ensure a long-lasting, safe runway.

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Sara Pieroni Emphasizes the Importance of Blood Drives 

Donating blood is an incredibly important and life-saving act of kindness. It can help save the lives of those in need. Blood donations help to replenish the blood supply, and may help those who are critically ill, an accident victim, someone having surgery, or receiving a transplant. Our very own Sara Pieroni was a transplant recipient in 2022 and therefore has firsthand knowledge of how important blood donations can be.  

I will say this is what helped me when I had my transplant. I was getting blood infusions weekly for a month or so, and sometimes 3-5 times a day. This is awesome! Thanks for sharing how important it is to give blood if you can, you never know whose life you are saving and helping. I am SO very blessed to have a company that supports this and makes it easy for people to contribute. I never realized how important and HOW MANY people depend on blood from the banks. My whole entire family aunts, uncles, and cousins are all regular donors now. 

Thank you, TEAM AMI! 

#AMIThankful 

– Sara Pieroni 

Our team partners with Versiti Blood Centers for our quarterly blood drives in 2023, and the first was held on March 21, 2023. The AMI blood drives have positively affected our community. In 2022 we saved over 1,000 lives and since the start of the AMI Blood Drive in 2020, we have saved over 3,000 lives. Our goal this year is to save 1,500 lives.  

To learn more about how you can get involved, visit: www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/ 

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Our Safety Commitment at AMI

Safety is an important aspect of everything we do here at Asphalt Materials Inc. In order to succeed in the industry, we need to establish a culture where everyone has an opportunity to have their voice heard. In order to ensure this, we have our team of safety professionals! Our team routinely hosts meetings, training sessions, and ‘tool box talks’ to promote open dialogue.

Meet Our Safety Team

Steve Clonce | Environmental Health & Safety Director

Steve leads the safety, compliance, and environmental roles for AMI. Steve is a member of the operations leadership team and directly reports to Chris McGee.

Steve is an Indiana native and Notre Dame fan! Steve comes to AMI from Corteva where he served as the EH&S leader for 4 years and was in an EH&S Responsible Care Leader role for 6 years at Dow Agrosciences prior to his role with Corteva.

Additionally, Steve served in the US Army as a Military Police Officer and graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

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HRG Spotlight: Building a More Sustainable Business With CIR Tech

In August of 2022, a project took place in Martinsville, IN with our Cold-In-Place Recycling (CIR) technology.

CIR is a cost-effective and sustainable method of constructing a recycled asphalt-bound layer that reduces trucking and construction time and saves natural resources.  CIR is part of our AMICYCLE™ product portfolio, which also includes FDR (Full Depth Reclamation) and CCPR (Cold Central Plant Recycling). 

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