CONTRACTOR SPOTLIGHT
Paving the Way for Success
Lessons Learned While Growing an Asphalt Business
After Southeast Asphalt purchased Neal Manufacturing’s dual applicator machine, which features a squeegee and
spray bar, they quickly saw its value, project after project.
hen Charlie Swift started
Southeast Asphalt and Main-
tenance LLC in 1996, his
budget determined his equip-
ment, and his equipment determined
the jobs he could take.
“Basically, I started out with the
cheapest equipment I could get,” he
said.
For Swift, building an asphalt sealcoat-
ing and maintenance company from
the bottom up meant getting things
done on an extremely limited budget.
Through the humble beginnings of his
business, Swift quickly learned that
when you rely on inexpensive, used
equipment, you’re only as good as your
worst piece — and that was anything
but efficient.
Early on, his equipment set the pa-
rameters for his potential. Projects took
longer to complete, and he was only
able to bid on small projects, such as
parking lots for banks and other local
businesses. Determined to keep finding
work, Swift maximized the potential of
his second-hand sealcoating equipment.
“As I gained more experience, I kept
getting better and better and saw my
business growing busier and busier,” he
said.
Finally, Swift reached a tipping point.
“I was getting enough work that I
could start upgrading equipment. It
made it possible for us to handle larger
jobs,” he said.
The jobs continued to line up and
Swift hasn’t looked back. It’s now been
two decades and Southeast has expand-
ed to have a national reach. Based in
Knoxville, Tennessee, a majority of
the company’s work is centered in the
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