The Pavement Network held our Annual Meeting from January 30 to February 2, 2024, at the beautiful Royalton Punta Cana resort in the Dominican Republic.
We had over 100 attendees this year, comprised of PN members, their guests, and vendors.
We want to thank Jeff Mattney and Jason Murphy from Holmes Murphy for their excellent presentation on Captive Insurance and Ty Nielson from BambooHR for his presentation.
We had a number of presentations over the course of four days, and some fun was thrown in as well.
Presentation Highlights
Jeff Mattney and Jason Murphy from Holmes Murphy: Captive Insurance
Owners & Admin Meetings Presentation
The Captive Strategy to “Do Business Boldly” presented owners with how Holmes Murphy uses Captive Insurance to bring like-minded businesses together to form their own insurance companies. Using Innovative Captive Strategies, construction companies have reduced their premium rates and enjoyed substantial returns. Jeff and Jason highlight member T&K Asphalt Services as a case study. Find out more at holmesmurphy.com.
Ty Nielson: BambooHR
Admin Meeting Presentation
Ty examined one of the biggest challenges we face: hiring quality employees. He presented the overall negative perception of the recruiting industry, that many potential employees come to the industry as a last resort and that companies within the industry are fighting for the same people. Ty also highlighted how much companies spend on hiring and onboarding new employees (the average cost is $4,700). BambooHR is a tool used to streamline hiring and onboarding and track the process. Effective onboarding can reduce turnover by as much as 30%. New hires decide within the first 44 days if they want to stay on the job. If you want to learn more about BambooHR, visit bamboohr.com.
Dean Garrett: Making Decisions for the Next Level of Business
Owners Meeting Presentation
Dean Garrett of Morgan Industries took us through a look back at Morgan Industries and how it has changed and grown over time. Then, we discussed important questions for the future of our businesses, such as what’s needed for the company to move forward and how our decisions affect our bottom lines.
The presentation also covered the importance of the right people in the right roles and how the future will likely impact our business with considerations like AI, EV (electric vehicles), environmental impacts, political changes, and Gen Z’s role in the job industry.
AI in HR
Admin Meeting Presentation
This session included an overview of AI and ChatGPT and how to best use AI within an HR context, particularly focusing on job descriptions and postings, onboarding procedures, recruitment campaigns, and job offers.
John Lewis from Lawson Products
Fleet Meeting Presentation
John discussed the company’s 70 year history in business and the Lawson Product Line, including fasteners, cutting tools, welding, and more. He outlined how Lawson uses a “5S” audit scorecard to assess company needs and uses this needs analysis to assist in solutions, installation, managing inventory, and reporting. Lawson’s end-user benefits include consolidated billing, lower inventory costs, consolidated reporting, and purchasing transparency, among other benefits. Contact John to learn more about Lawson Managed Inventory.
Andy Brown from FleetPride
Fleet Meeting Presentation
Andy gave us an overview of strategic account benefits for the CNBA “RAM” Pricing Catalog. He noted that 23 of 35 CNBA members are within 10 miles of a FleetPride Branch, and all members are within 41 miles of a branch. FleetPride has industry leading digital solutions that allow you to quickly check local inventory, find the right products, or get the sales assistance you need. They currently have 85+ service centers and 35+ mobile/onsite repair locations.
Member Check-Ins
Our annual meeting also included the chance for members to check in with their 2023 stats and 2024 goals. It is encouraging to see how our members are doing each year. Member check-ins allow us to understand the pavement business across the US and encourage and help each other grow our businesses.
Round Table Discussions
We also include time for round table discussions during our meetings to have an opportunity to discuss our expertise, problems, and experiences in general. This year, our round table discussions throughout the meetings focused on the following themes:
- Employee Development/Training
- Preparing for Lean Times
- Communication and Accountability Between Remote Offices/Operations
- Unique Strategies that Worked for Your Company in 2023
- Incentives/Compensation Structures
- DOT Compliance and Inspections
Welcome to Our New Members
While in sunny (and sometimes rainy!) Punta Cana, the Pavement Network Board voted in our two newest members, Atlas Asphalt and Sable Asphalt & Concrete!
About Atlas Asphalt
With a legacy of excellence spanning 40 years, Atlas Asphalt stands out as a premier leader in the Long Island paving market. Renowned for our unwavering commitment to quality, integrity, safety, and customer satisfaction, we have paved millions of square feet of blacktop across the region. Our competitive rates and dedicated team make us the go-to choice for designing, constructing, and maintaining your new asphalt parking lot. Partner with Atlas Asphalt and experience unparalleled service and expertise in every project we undertake.
About Sable Asphalt & Concrete
Since 1988, we’ve been dedicated to providing quality seal coating, asphalt repairs, crack filling, line striping, and resurfacing to customers in Northeastern Ohio.
We offer a personal “hands on” approach to your asphalt project. Our professional team of asphalt technicians uses only the highest quality materials to give you the longest lasting performance in the industry. We utilize the latest equipment technology to ensure the best finish product, one that Sable Asphalt stands behind.
Welcome to Our New Board Members
We voted on and welcomed our two newest board members at the Pavement Network:
- Kevin House from Georgia Paving replaced Gordon Miller from GPM for Network Operations Lead.
- Tom Merry from Rainier Asphalt & Concrete replaced Eric Billingkoff from T&K Asphalt as Network Sales Lead.
We want to thank Gordon and Eric for their time, leadership, and expertise these past few years leading their respective divisions. We know Kevin and Tom are going to do great, and we thank them for their commitment to the Pavement Network.
CNBA Annual Shareholders Meeting
Our last day included the Contractors National Buyer Alliance’s annual shareholders meeting. After presentations from John Lewis (Lawson), Andy Brown (FleetPride), and Ari Bleemer (OneCrew), we reviewed the CNBA advantages and member requirements. We also celebrated new CNBA vendors TPR Strategies, Elemental Design, GoodYear, and Boot Barn.
We welcome new CNBA members, American Asphalt and Magnum Drywall.
We also looked to the future with new vendors, members, growth bonuses, and dividend payouts. We had a lot of fun handing out those checks, too! Thank you to every CNBA member for continuing to make this alliance possible.
Fun Excursions
It wasn’t all business in Punta Cana, though. Friday, we took a catamaran tour of Bavaro Beach to explore a coral reef, swim, and enjoy the Dominican Republic. Other highlights included time to enjoy the resort’s amenities, a cigar-rolling demonstration, and plenty of conversations over breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
For all of our members in attendance, we hope you enjoyed the 2024 Annual Meeting and found it valuable for your team and growth. We can’t wait to see you at our next annual meeting in 2025, where Rainier Asphalt & Concrete will host us in The Emerald City!