I’ve been traveling a lot lately — taking our new SigmaBond product on the road from Texas to Tennessee. I’ve loved talking to folks about the sustainable and high performance properties of SigmaBond — and how it can lead to longer lasting roads when added to a hot mix formulation. The trade shows have also given me an opportunity to learn and keep a pulse on what’s happening in the industry. Here are a few highlights from my recent travels.

TXAPA 46th Annual Meeting 

In September, I attended TXAPA’s Annual Meeting in San Antonio. This year’s theme was ELEVATE!, as in elevate your expectations for communication, performance and most importantly — QUALITY. SigmaBond definitely fit the bill of this year’s theme, and Polyco was able to communicate this with DOT engineers and contractors who attended. The former were especially interested in understanding how SigmaBond can repair, replace or improve their current process. Since Texas is usually on the leading edge of pavement innovation, balanced mix design and how that fits into performance specifications was a hot topic among this group.

Texas Municipal League Annual Conference & Exhibition 

In October, I attended the TML conference in Houston. The vendors varied from Christmas decorations for Main Street and street lighting to industrial playgrounds and garbage trucks — anything you could imagine cities, counties and municipalities needing to procure. While this was not a traditional asphalt convening, the experience allowed Polyco to get in front of decision-makers across the state. We met government officials from communities big and small — folks who are not familiar with the paving process but are invested in the benefits. It was a great learning experience as we had to pivot our elevator pitch to explain SigmaBond in layman’s terms. 

Southeastern Asphalt User/Producer Group Annual Meeting & Exhibition 

In November, I took a break from Texas and attended the SEAUPG Annual Meeting in Knoxville, Tennessee. The event featured presentations such as “Balanced Mix Design for High RAP Mixture with Rejuvenator” and “Examples of Successful Practices with State Implementation of Balanced Design of Asphalt Mix”, which provided great insight into growth opportunities and updates to DOT specifications in the region. Additionally, we were able to position SigmaBond in a way that aligns with specs and responds to needs and trends at the local level. 

Asphalt Institute Annual Meeting 

Just this week, I had the opportunity to visit with colleagues from the Asphalt Institute in Tucson, Arizona. Sustainability and life cycle assessment of asphalt and asphalt pavements were big topics of conversation at this year’s annual meeting. In addition to standard committee meetings — such as technical asphalt, finance and marketing — the Asphalt Institute Foundation approved nominations for its 2022 committee and board members. I’m honored to have been selected as the Vice Chair of the Asphalt Institute Foundation and the Asphalt Institute’s representative for the Asphalt Paving Alliance. Even though much was accomplished, I was still able to squeeze in a round of golf and soak up some desert sun.

As the year winds down and industry events are put on pause until the new year, I’m proud of the presence we’ve built and thankful for everything we’ve learned along the way. It’s been a great experience and I’m looking forward to reconnecting with folks and continuing to introduce SigmaBond to new audiences. See you in 2022!