Women of Asphalt
Meet A Woman of Asphalt: Duval Asphalt’s Rena Deihl She officially joined the asphalt industry in 2020 at the urging of her father, an employee of Duval Asphalt, Jacksonville, Florida, and has already taken her education at the scale house to a larger role at the company. Rena Deihl is now a plant operator for Duval Asphalt working among all three asphalt plants in Jacksonville and learning new aspects of the job that endears the industry to her more each day. Duval Asphalt’s West 12th Street plant has been featured on AsphaltPro’s front cover to highlight environmental excellence. A spokesperson for the company shared that both the 12th Street plant and the Philips Highway plant Deihl operates have garnered National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) environmental diamond achievement commendations over the years. The 12th Street plant is an Astec 400 Double Barrel. The Philips Highway plant is a Gencor 400 Ultradrum, rated at 300 TPH. Deihl shared that her top production day so far at the Gencor plant was 1,400 tons. She took some time to share her insight as a fairly new woman of asphalt.
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AsphaltPro: What did you find most rewarding or most interesting about your job at the scale house when you started out? Rena Deihl: Most interesting was finding out all of the different materials that came into our plant. Understanding what the different aggregates were and learning how “milling” can be recycled. AsphaltPro: Would you say “jumping into” the asphalt industry with the job at the scale house was a good fit for you, and how would you advise or encourage other women who are interested in plant operations for entering the industry?
26 / November 2021
She might be relatively new to the asphalt industry, but she already knows how to keep the asphalt plant clean and dust-free. Here she smiles proudly in front of the facility she operates. Rena Deihl: Most definitely. It allows other departments within the business to see what you’re capable of. Apply for the job, work hard and be open to learn new things.
AsphaltPro: Could you share with the readers how the scale house and materials work prepared you to transition to plant operation? Rena Deihl: Learning the basic knowledge of how to do customer/job tickets, and learning the difference in the aggregates we receive that get fed into our plant to make our asphalt. AsphaltPro: What part of your education relates best to the career track you’re on?
Rena Deihl: I really did not need a degree for what I am doing now as a plant operator. Although, I would really like to take some production courses to further my education.
A spokesperson for Duval Asphalt shared the company suggests both industry consultants—such as TJ Young of T2ASCO LLC—and the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) around the country that offer training for continuing education for workers on the production side of our industry. For example: “Classes are offered by Astec, Gencor, Stansteel. Clarence Richard Company offers online classes.”
