COVER STORY | ADVERTORIAL
Maintenance Inc . office in Wooster , Ohio .
Room after room of contractor supplies !
Allied Paving Equipment : Brad , what is your perspective on where the pavement maintenance industry is headed in 2023 ? Brad Eagle : Well , by the order patterns we have been experiencing , the pandemic hangover is pretty well over ! In 2021 – 22 , contractors suffered as suppliers tried to fill orders , and it became a chore to meet their needs . We at Maintenance Inc . were very fortunate to retain about all of our main contractors because we stocked up on items that we knew could possibly run short in season . Mark McLeod , our President & CEO , and I discussed this at length in 2020 – 21 . We made a list of products we could grab that were available at that time . We put in advanced orders for tools , blowers , melters , spray unit parts , hoses , tips and raw materials for our paints and additives , Gator Patch and Trowel Grade patch . APE : Do you think that contractor order patterns will stay brisk or taper down after the season begins ? BE : Contractors only had to call a few suppliers to see that all suppliers had issues with incoming products and services or were just sold out . That alone caused panic buying on the contractors ’ side . I would get an order for a dozen asphalt lutes , two dozen shovels , a dozen of this and that . They were afraid of not getting the tools and accessories they needed to do the job . Today , things are almost back to normal as far as ordering . We are not having to ration paints , parts or tools so far . So keep your fingers crossed ! APE : Mark , what do you think is going to be the primary issue for pavement maintenance contractors this season ? Mark McLeod : Labor will be an issue for sure this season . If you look at how many young men and women are not in
the workforce today , that is a sign that we need more education and ways to instill pride in their jobs . APE : So you think the labor shortage is going to be one of the biggest issues in the industry this year ? MM : I do . Successful professional pavement maintenance contractors I know tell me that their success stems from the returning of their seasoned veteran crew leaders and drivers that are paramount to their business . When crew leaders and drivers don ’ t return , the effect trickles down to all parts of one ’ s business . I personally have seen so many 1,500- gallon spray rigs come up for sale because there are limited CDL drivers available . Supply chains typically scoop up CDL drivers for over-the-road . Our ABLE 1,000-gallon spray rigs seem to be the contractors ’ choice lately , as they don ’ t need a CDL on lighter weighted load hauls with
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