The teams at Duval Asphalt Products, Inc. (Duval Asphalt) and Asphalt Testing Solutions & Engineering, LLC (ATS) recently hosted Congressman Aaron Bean, at their West 12th Street location in Jacksonville, Florida. Representative Bean was joined by District Director Bryan Campbell, Chief of Staff Jamie Robinette, District Representative Brittany Mask, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 2 Director of Transportation Operations Travis Humphries and the Asphalt Contractors Association of Florida (ACAF) President Amy Miller.
The group toured Duval Asphalt’s plant to learn about plant operations, focusing on the updates and technologies implemented to streamline operations for efficiency and lowering their carbon footprint during production. They also toured the ATS Quality Control lab for a behind-the-scenes look at an asphalt pavement’s life cycle from initial design to its materials’ properties to specification verification and future performance.
Duval Asphalt’s direct engagement with industry associations’ advocacy efforts, such as answering the call to work with local officials, created the opportunity for Representative Bean to not only visit and learn more about Duval Asphalt and ATS, but learn more about the asphalt industry as a whole and the cooperative effort to work to advance its key legislative priorities in Washington.
“I was honored to be a part of the tour to share all the great work Duval Asphalt and other ACAF members do in Congressman Bean’s District,” said Amy Miller. “We appreciated him taking time and interest and know the work he is doing in DC will allow us to continue to meet the needs of road owners and users in Florida.”
Discussions focused on multiple industry initiatives; education and open communication are crucial to ensure well-informed outcomes regarding potential mandates, laws or rules affecting our industry.
“Transportation and Infrastructure funding is critical,” said Evelyn Warder, Duval Asphalt’s Government Policy & Contracts Liaison. “We need and value the support of our legislators, so hosting Representative Bean at our facility today was a huge win for our industry.”
Mitchell Gant, Vice President of Duval Asphalt, felt the visit was beneficial to all parties involved. “It was a pleasure to host Representative Bean at our West 12th Street facility,” he said. “It was instrumental to have industry representation from FDOT and ACAF on site as well.
“These visits open communication channels to not only build relationships with our representatives, but also to educate each other. We learned about Representative’s Bean priorities and shared our needs, challenges, and innovations within our industry. As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Congressman can influence funding levels and allocations, potentially securing more asphalt projects. Ultimately these relationships can lead to better outcomes for both our industry and the public infrastructure it supports.”
Duval Asphalt and ATS welcome all legislative friends to visit their facilities in Northeast Florida, but they were especially proud to showcase the industry’s work with a key member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
