First Stop: Martin Marietta Quarry Tour

Our Martin Marietta Vigilante Quarry tour started off with a warm welcome from our tour guides with breakfast and coffee.   We discussed our roles within the asphalt emulsion industry before sitting down for a presentation by Plant Manager, Craig Posvar.   Craig went over the plant’s history and their overall operation within the Southern California market.  It was great to see how excited they were to host us for the tour!  Martin Marietta is a new ISSA member, which led to good discussions with their team. 

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Next Up: Albina Asphalt Site Visit and TCC Fly In

The AEMA LEAP Program visited with Albina Asphalt on April 20th, 2022 in Vancouver, WA. As one of four plant locations for Albina through Washington State, Oregon, and California, the team was hosted by President Greg Arntson and lead on a tour by Operations Manager Kevin Jeffers.  During the visit, time was devoted to discussing the near 120 year company history of Albina, a demonstration of the emulsion milling process, a tour of the polymer modification plant and process as well as the Albina AASHTO certified laboratory for asphalt binder and emulsion testing. Finally, the group concluded the visit with an open discussion regarding best practices for manufacturing, logistics, and market trends around the industry.

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Third Stop- Asphalt Materials Inc:

The next stop of the LEAP Program was Asphalt Materials, in Indianapolis, IN! They spent the early part of the day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and also met with Tony Kriech, the Strategic Advisor who started the Heritage Research and Development center. We got to experience an in-depth tour into the research laboratory where Tony explained the role of each analytical tool and the capabilities of the laboratory.

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Fourth Tour- Gorman Asphalt & MWPPP 

Several members of the LEAP cohort met in Albany, New York on August 30th for a visit with Gorman Asphalt. The group was hosted by Charlotte Gorman and included a job site visit, lab tour, and plant tours. Shortly after their Gorman visit, members of the LEAP Class attended MWPPP where they were able to attend to hear agencies at the city, county, and state levels give their strategies and perspectives on the usage of preservation treatments within their networks.

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LEAP To Ergon Refining:  

On October 12th, the LEAP class had partnered with Ergon Refining for a tour of Ergon’s Vicksburg refinery! On their tour, they covered "Refining 101", unit operations, and more as they toured through the refinery!

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Final Stop: Ingevity  

The Inaugural LEAP Class wrapped up our final tour in November with Ingevity, headquartered in North Charleston, South Carolina! While there, they had the chance to speak with Dave Welborn, Director, Pavement Preservation Technical Service, and tour the Pavement Technologies labs at Ingevity’s Technical Center! 

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Bittersweet Graduation!  

 At the 50th Annual Meeting of the Asphalt Emulsion Manufacturers Association (AEMA), February 27-March 3, 2023, in Litchfield Park, AZ, AEMA recognized and honored the inaugural Leadership Education for Asphalt Preservation (LEAP) Class! Graduates were recognized during the Awards Breakfast, where they received their graduation certificates and class gift! The LEAP Program also recognized Class Dean, Stormy Brewster, with her own special certificate of appreciation! 

Read more about their special graduation ceremony here!