ALRQ0109

THE ALABAMA

ROADBUILDER Spring 2009

• A Publication of the Alabama Road Builders’ Association

Building Roads the

Green Way • Legislative Preview 2009 • A New Year’s Wish List from ARTBA • Member Profile: M.C. Williams Contracting Company, Inc.

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THE ALABAMA

ROADBUILDER Spring 2009 • A Publication of the Alabama Road Builders’ Association

ARBA OFFICERS, DIRECTORS & STAFF President S.T. (SONNY) BUNN, JR. Vice President SHERMAN SUITTS Treasurer MICHAEL H. MCCARTNEY, II Secretary KEITH ANDREWS Immediate Past President GREG ABRAMSON Directors 2008-2009 RANDY BILLINGSLEY TERRY BUNN BOB DAWSON CRAIG FLEMING JOHN FULLER LEE GROSS JOHN HARPER RON JACKSON DAVE JONES KEITH (TAC) MIMS TIM MULLENDORE JOHN E. MURPHY, II CHRIS NEWELL DAVID REED DEREK ROBERTS PAUL B. SCOTT, JR. DAN STRACENER LARRY TOMLIN JOHN G. WALTON NORMAN WALTON CHARLES E. WATTS, JR. Published for: Alabama Road Builders’ Association 630 Adams Avenue Montgomery, AL 36104 (334) 832-4331 Fax: (334) 265-4931 www.alrba.org

CONTENTS Executive Director’s Message.................................................. 6 President’s Message ................................................................. 9 From the Alabama Department of Transportation .............................................. 10 Building Roads the Green Way ............................................. 1 1 Legislative Preview 2009...................................................... 13 Driven to Succeed ................................................................. 15 A New Year’s Wish List From ARTBA............................... 18 A Squandered Inheritance ................................................... 20 Member Profile: M.C. Williams Contracting Company, Inc. ........................ 22 Heard Along the Highway .................................................. 23 Index to Advertisers ............................................................. 25 Advertisers.com.................................................................... 25 2009 ARBA/AAPA Conference Preview ........................... 26

STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BILLY NORRELL norrell@alrba.org COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR TERRI MITCHELL terri@alrba.org ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT SHIRLEY BANKS shirley@alrba.org

Published by:

Naylor, LLC 5950 N.W. 1st Place Gainesville, FL 32607 (352) 332-1252 or (800) 369-6220 Fax: (352) 331-3525 www.naylor.com PUBLISHER Kathleen Gardner EDITOR Julie Bancroft PROJECT MANAGER Tom Schell PUBLICATION DIRECTOR Rick Sauers ADVERTISING SALES Susan Maracle, Mark Tumarkin, Michael Williams, Cherie Worley, Chris Zabel MARKETING Erin Sevitz LAYOUT AND DESIGN Naylor, LLC ADVERTISING ART Reanne Dawson ©2009 Naylor, LLC. All rights reserved.

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The Alabama Roadbuilder • Spring 2009

5

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED DRIVING LESS NOW COULD BECOME COSTLY LATER

BY BILLY NORRELL ARBA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

IN AUGUST, ALABAMA POSTED the country’s second-biggest decline in driving. Alabamians drove 482 million fewer miles in August 2008 than in August 2007. The 8.1 percent decrease was the second-highest in the country. We will likely see the trend continue this holiday season.

But there is one segment of our economy that this action hits directly in the pocketbook—building and maintaining our state roads and bridges. Alabama’s road and bridge system is almost exclusively funded by gasoline tax revenues—which are collected on each gallon of gasoline and diesel fuel sold.

With fewer miles being driven, that means fewer gas tax dollars being collected and spent on our infrastructure system. To add to the problems, road construction material prices have increased almost 50 percent in the past few years, and Alabama’s General Fund continues to borrow from the road and bridge pot to shore up its own funding shortfalls.

With less money available to expand our roads, replace deficient bridges and fix potholes through traditional funding methods, we are forced to look elsewhere. Toll roads, public/private partnerships, borrowing through bonding and consumption-based taxes are consistently being discussed.

Not only are people driving less, but when they are replacing their vehicles, they are replacing them with more fuel efficient versions. Those conservation efforts, whether voluntary or otherwise, cost

the country’s highway fund $3 billion, according to the latest U.S. Department of Transportation figures.

Alabama gasoline tax collections dropped 2 percent in 2007-08 compared with 2006-07, and more than 12 percent in motor fuels (diesel). The trends have continued with both categories showing similar drops in October and November.

Though fewer miles driven results in a reduced amount of fuel tax revenue, it doesn’t mean there is less wear on roads and bridges, or less need for repair.

Rain and even sunlight degrade our roadways. Rapid growth in population and freight movement has put stress on the nation’s roads and bridges and outpaced efforts to maintain and improve the system.

The shortfalls created compare to the taxes that are placed on tobacco—people are encouraged not to smoke, but those tax revenues help pay for, among other things, health programs. People are told to conserve gasoline and drive less, but it creates funding problems for highways.

In Michigan, a recent legislative study suggested swapping the per gallon tax to a tax on the wholesale price of gasoline. Swapping tax structures would let revenues rise and fall with the changing fuel prices rather than tie gas revenues so strongly to consumption, which is falling. Georgia has a small gasoline tax, but it applies a sales tax to their fuel products.

Alabama’s gas tax, at 18 cents per gallon, hasn’t been increased since 1992. With gasoline prices falling to

According to the Federal Highway Administration, every $1 billion invested by state governments in highway construction and improvements supports a total of 27,823 jobs.

6

The Alabama Roadbuilder • Spring 2009

below $1.50 per gallon in many areas of the state, the Legislature should consider increasing or indexing the user fees—the real foundation of our road and bridge system financing.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, every $1 billion invested by state governments in highway construction and improvements supports a total of 27,823 jobs.

This includes 9,537 on-site construction jobs, 4,324 jobs in industries either directly or indirectly supplying materials and services needed for the projects and 13,962 jobs supported when those employed at the construction site or in supplier industries spend their incomes. If Alabama really wants to revitalize its economic engine, then road and bridge construction has proven to be successful. Employment opportunities are almost immediate and provide a much-needed boost to state coffers through sales taxes.

While the nation’s highway contractors are hopeful to receive assistance in road and bridge spending possibilities through President Obama’s highly anticipated stimulus package, we cannot consistently rely on Washington to bail us out. This issue needs to be addressed at the state level in a way that prepares us for the future and all the stresses placed on the already thinly stretched highway dollar.

In the long run, we need to admit we are either going to continue to underinvest and accept more gridlock, congestion and compromise our safety, or we encourage our elected officials to enhance existing funding and create new revenue sources. It’s a tough assignment for the Legislature, 414831_Ritchie.indd 1 2/10/09 but one that must be considered for North Montgomery Materials, LLC economic health of Alabama.

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

TRIP REPORT SPEAKS VOLUMES WE JUST HOPE PEOPLE ARE LISTENING

BY S.T. (SONNY) BUNN, JR. ARBA PRESIDENT

THE ROAD INFORMATION PROGRAM, of which your Alabama Road Builders’ Association is a proud supporter, recently released a report on Alabama’s road and bridge system. The report determined that: • Thirteen percent of the state’s major roads and highways have pavements in poor or mediocre condition.

• Approximately a quarter of Alabama’s bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. This includes all state, local and municipal bridges 20 feet and longer.

• Alabama’s population increased 15 percent from 1990 to 2007, from 4 million to 4.6 million residents. Alabama’s population is expected to increase by another 15 percent by 2025.

• On average, 1,106 people were killed each year in crashes on Alabama’s roads from 2002 to 2006. Alabama’s traffic fatality rate in 2006 was 42 percent higher than the national average. Improving safety features on Alabama’s roads and highways would likely result in a decrease in traffic fatalities in the state. Roadway design is an important factor in approximately one-third of fatal and serious traffic accidents.

Funding these needs is critical to the future success of the Alabama economy. It has been proven that infrastructure construction projects bring jobs and boost the economy of the state. However, Alabama’s method for funding its transportation needs is severely compromised. Not only is our industry working with materials that have increased in price nearly 50 percent in recent years (therefore generating less work with the same amount of money), but inflation has eaten away almost half the purchasing power of the limited dollars that are available. According to the report: • Alabama faces a transportation funding shortfall of approximately $6.9 billion from 2008 to 2017. As a result, needed highway projects will not be able to move forward without additional funding. Investment in the state’s roads, highways and bridges creates significant employment in the state.

• ALDOT estimates that from 2008 to 2017, approximately $16.2 billion is needed to allow the state to significantly improve road and bridge conditions, make reasonable roadway safety improvements and address needed traffic congestion relief.

• According to ALDOT estimates, anticipated funding levels from 2008 to 2017 will be only $9.3 billion. As a result, needed highway improvement and maintenance projects will not be able to move forward without additional transportation funding.

• A 2007 analysis by the Federal Highway Administration found that every $1 billion invested in highway construction would support approximately 27,800 jobs, including about 9,500 in the construction sector, about 4,300 jobs in industries supporting the construction sector, and about 14,000 other jobs induced in nonconstruction-related sectors of the economy.

We are hopeful that the economic stimulus package from Washington will include infrastructure money, but this will not be the solution to our problems—only a temporary fi x. Reauthorization will occur this year as well, and we have to remember that this six-year legislation is the real foundation that holds our road and bridge funding system together.

Alabama hasn’t experienced an increase in state support for roads and bridges since 1992 and in federal support since 1993. All the while we are looked at as a pot of money that can be dipped into anytime another state agency needs propping up. As the builders of Alabama’s highways, our industry has an obligation to make its roads and bridges as durable and safe as we can, but there must be adequate and sustainable funding to make that possible. Join us, and support your industry to see that this happens. ❏

We are hopeful that the economic stimulus package from Washington will include infrastructure money, but this will not be the solution to our problems—only a temporary fix.

The Alabama Roadbuilder • Spring 2009

9

FROM THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

TRANSPORTATION FUNDING ON THE HORIZON

BY JOE MCINNES TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR, ALDOT

I HAVE BEEN PREDICTING for much of the past year in my column in The Alabama Roadbuilder and in civic club speeches that transportation funding would be a key public policy issue in 2009. Transportation funding emerged as a major part of the economic stimulus package. This stimulus package will result in a large infusion of federal dollars—the first time the states have received funding that did not require a state match since the interstate construction era.

At this writing, Congress was still working on a bill. Of the federal funds that will come to Alabama, it seems that a considerable amount will be allocated to local governments.

Still, this is a large infusion of funding that will help us address “ready-to-go” projects on Alabama’s transportation network.

Along with other planned work, it will help us improve our infrastructure, gain new capacity and make our highways safer. It will also keep Alabama’s road-building industry working, boost our economy and better position us to continue competing for new industry by improving our infrastructure.

We’ve met with leadership from the Alabama Road Builders’ Association to discuss our efforts and share information about how we are approaching the stimulus issue. We’re also engaged with members of our Congressional delegation and the new administration in Washington about the transportation funding, and we’re working hard to be sure we can put this anticipated funding to the best possible use to meet our needs in Alabama.

Another issue is that of our next six-year federal funding bill. The current act is scheduled to expire Sept.

30. There is concern that the stimulus funding may affect funding levels in the next six-year appropriation. Our industry hasn’t seen an increase in the level of funding since 1992, and in the interim period we’ve seen revenues become stagnant and costs soar.

Through it all, though, we are accomplishing more now than ever before. We’ve closed significant gaps in our state and U.S. highways. Major interstate improvements are under way in Montgomery and other places across Alabama. The fi nal tie-in is all that remains to fi nish Corridor X. The next two years will bring major projects that will further reduce the gaps in our transportation network.

The Alabama Legislature has convened its 2009 regular session. One of the major transportation-related issues is a bill that would allow ALDOT to explore non-traditional funding sources and use innovative contracting methods such as design-build. This bill would allow ALDOT to consider toll-funded construction of new capacity.

With all these issues ahead of us, 2009 will be a busy and eventful year. As we face tumultuous issues in our industry, let’s hope our hard work and cooperation will make prophetic the words of the poet Robert Browning, when he wrote “the best is yet to be.” ❏

Our industry hasn’t seen an increase in the level of funding since 1992, and in the interim period we’ve seen revenues become stagnant and costs soar.

10

The Alabama Roadbuilder • Spring 2009

GOING GREEN

Building Roads the Green Way

BY MARY LOU JAY

ost people don’t think of road building as a “green” activity but it can be a good environmental choice for a community.

M

Consider the exhaust pollution generated every day by bumper-to-bumper traffic on overcrowded highways. Build or add lanes to those roads and traffic starts moving again, significantly reducing unwanted emissions. Motorists travel more safely and reach their destinations faster.

Road builders today can minimize the environmental impact of road building with modern construction techniques. They can incorporate recycled and natural products and improve erosion control in the project areas.

They may even leave the soil in a construction area in better shape after the project than it was before.

The state of Alabama has emphasized the need for road contractors working in the state to employ green building techniques. “Things have changed in the last few years as far as attitudes and ways that the government—and the Alabama Department of Transportation in particular— have looked at the environmental aspects of road building,” says J. H. “Skip” Ragsdale, Jr., president of Sunshine Supplies Inc. “Joe McInnes, ALDOT’s director, has made an effort to make sure that field personnel in all the different division offices realize that ALDOT will put up the money necessary to do the environmental work so that we will not pollute the environment.”

“This is part of an overall change in our society; there is more environmental sensitivity on the part of citizens and public officials,” adds Sherman Suitts, vice president, human resources and business development of Vulcan Materials. Even as agencies like the Alabama Department of Environmental Management require more stringent controls on drainage and water runoff, the road building industry itself is more committed to building in an environmentally responsible way.

“Much of what the industry is doing now to minimize our impact on the environment we have done on our own volition. We do a lot on our own above and beyond what we’re required to do in protecting the air and water quality around our plants, for example,” adds Don Powell, Vulcan’s director of technical services.

BUILDING TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT Steps taken at the beginning of a road project can uncover hidden environmental problems, says Shannon Riley, president and CEO of One Stop Environmental. “We do an The Alabama Roadbuilder • Spring 2009

assessment to look if there has been any kind of environmental impact on the soil, anything that needs to be cleaned up before the road can go through.” The problem they encounter most frequently is abandoned underground gasoline and diesel fuel tanks.

Riley’s company removes the tanks and sometimes the surrounding soil. “If the tank had been in the ground and was leaking, it could have been left there until it was detected,” she says. “This way it gets pulled out sooner and the ground water is protected.”

The use of recycled materials has been an everyday practice for road contractors for many years. The components of asphalt pavements—asphalt cement, rock, sand and gravel—are reclaimed and recycled again and again, reducing costs and saving landfi ll space. Road builders use stone—a natural and recyclable material—for a variety of purposes, from placement on project entry roads to eliminate trucks’ dirt and mud track off to stabilizing embankment cuts. Stones line ditches and funnels off storm water and armor bridge structures to keep water from scouring bridge foundations.

“One application that people don’t think about is the use of agricultural lime to get grass and plants growing faster and more prolific on shoulders and banks to minimize 11

erosion,” says Rick Phillips, Vulcan Materials’ southern gulf coast director of technical services.

Protecting water supplies is a priority for road builders. ALDOT and several state soil and water conservation districts have funded development of the “Alabama Handbook for Erosion Control, Sediment Control and Stormwater Management.” This book, to be updated this year, lists 44 best practices that builders can use on the job site.

Road designers can also use new software programs to predict the efficacy of various erosion control measures over the years. This sometimes enables them to spend less money while ensuring the environment is protected, by using vegetation instead of stone for stabilization, for example.

In addition, with more funding available for erosion control, the industry is developing better solutions for it.

Recent innovations include combining cellular confinement systems with

turf reinforcement mats to vegetate previously unplantable areas, using spray mulch with tough cotton fibers instead of roll out blankets to prevent erosion while saving application time, and erecting a silt fence with a new machine that can place up to 5,000 feet a day instead of the usual 1,800 feet.

“These are all technologies that have improved the old way of doing things and at less cost,” observes Ragadale. “If you do something every day, you’ll find a better way to do it.” ❏

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The Alabama Roadbuilder • Spring 2009

LEGISLATIVE

Legislative Preview 2009 Continuing the Challenge to Protect and Raise Funds n preparation for the 2009 regular legislative session which began on Feb. 3, your association has spent a busy off-season discussing the opportunities and obstacles which exist for the transportation construction industry. No one knows for sure what all can be accomplished, but despite the differences that may be in place, the one thing that your industry can take comfort in is that every one of Alabama’s elected officials wants a healthy and successful road system in their district. Whether it is protecting those funds that provide the lifeblood for Alabama’s highway program or working to raise additional funds to continue the much needed growth in our construction program, your association will be working with all members of the Legislature.

I

Efforts to increase revenues for roads and bridges have been promoted since the last session. However, with the economy in the condition it’s in, despite gasoline prices being down more than $2 per gallon and elections being only one year away, it is unlikely that any real funding legislation for roads and bridges will have a chance this session. We will likely be fending off almost certain assaults on road and bridge funds as conditions in the state General Fund continue to decline.

A terrible precedent of using road and bridge funds to prop up other agencies rather than requiring them to raise their own revenues was set long ago, and unfortunately, is still practiced today.

Transit supporters have been hard at work to craft legislation to raise funds for their own efforts. The transportation construction industry does not oppose mass transit, and has always believed that a unique revenue source or local funding should be responsible for supporting such efforts. We will closely monitor this legislation as it works through the legislative process.

Anti-quarry legislation is also projected to resurface during the session, and our industry will make certain these bills are watched closely. We will continue to work with legislative leaders and work toward a middle ground for contractor liability protection from lawsuits.

Efforts in the off-season have proven to The Alabama Roadbuilder • Spring 2009

be effective, and these discussions will continue throughout the course of the session. Heavy equipment dealer protection legislation is also prepared and ready to go and may be one of the only noncontroversial legislative offerings that has a chance to become law this session.

As the session progresses, we will update our membership with weekly wrap-ups and more timely alerts as they are needed. Please let this office know of any local efforts that you become aware of throughout the course of the spring session. As always, we appreciate all you do for Alabama’s transportation construction industry and look forward to another productive legislative session.

Legislative Committees of Interest to ARBA and Alabama’s Transportation Construction Industry: HOUSE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS Speaker of the House – Seth Hammett RULES Chair - Guin, Ken Vice Chair - Buskey, James E. Ranking Minority Member Johnson, Ron Boyd, Barbara Bigsby Ford, Craig Galliher, Blaine Greeson, Todd Hinshaw, Randy Laird, Richard Page, III, John G. “Jack”

Payne, Arthur Robinson, John Scott, Roderick “Rod” Warren, Pebblin W. Ward, Cam GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS Chair - Knight, Jr., John F. Vice Chair - Page, III, John G. “Jack” Ranking Minority Member Gaston, Victor Allen, Gerald Baker, Locy Beasley, William M. “Billy” Canfield, J. Gregory “Greg” Grantland, Ronald Hall, Laura Letson, John J. “Jody” Love, Jay Newton, Charles O. Salaam, Yusuf Sherer, Tommy Thomas, Elwyn GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS Chair - Robinson, Oliver Vice Chair - Fite, Lea Ranking Minority Member Payne, Arthur Boyd, Barbara Bigsby Coleman, Merika Fields, James Gaston, Victor Hill, Mike Howard, Ralph A. 13

Hubbard, Mike Letson, John J. “Jody” Moore, Pat Morrow, Johnny Mack Shiver, Harry Taylor, Butch SENATE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS RULES Chair - Barron, Lowell Vice Chair - Little, T. D. “Ted” Bedford, Jr., Roger H. Bishop, Charles Butler, Tom Denton, Bobby E. Figures, Vivian Davis French, Steve Little, Zeb Mitchem, Hinton Ross, Quinton T. Smith, Harri Anne Smitherman, Rodger M.

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FINANCE & TAXATION GENERAL FUND Chair - Bedford, Jr., Roger H. Deputy Chair – Singleton, Bobby Barron, Lowell Beason, Scott Benefield, Kim French, Steve Glover, Rusty Little, Zeb McClain, Edward B. “E. B.” Mitchell, Wendell Mitchem, Hinton Orr, Arthur Penn, Myron C. Pittman, Trip Preuitt, Jim Sanders, Hank COMMERCE, TRANSPORTATION AND UTILITIES Chair - Ross, Quinton T. Vice Chair - Barron, Lowell Bedford, Jr., Roger H. Bishop, Charles Coleman, Linda Glover, Rusty Holley, Jimmy Little, Zeb Means, Larry Mitchell, Wendell Mitchem, Hinton Preuitt, Jim Sanders, Hank Smith, Harri Anne The Alabama Roadbuilder • Spring 2009

ARTBA CHAIRMAN

Driven to Succeed ARTBA’s Chairman Is Ready to Set a New Direction for the U.S. Transportation System

BY JOANNE COSTIN

he stakes are high in 2009, and Charles Potts doesn’t like to lose. In his role as ARTBA’s new chairman, winning means a new direction for the U.S. transportation system as part of the 2009 federal surface transportation investment bill. A direction that not only makes us competitive, but that is ahead of the world. Some might consider it a lofty goal. But then again, they may not know Charles Potts.

T

“There is hardly a thing that Charlie has not done,” says Mike Acott, president of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA). “I don’t think I have come across too many people that have been involved in so many aspects of the industry.”

LIFELONG PASSION FOR TRANSPORTATION From his early work with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to his current position as CEO of Indianapolis-based Heritage Construction and Materials, Potts’ career embodies his lifelong passion for the transportation industry.

“From the time when I was very small, I wanted to build roads,” says Potts, who grew up in Winston-Salem, N.C. His chance came early on, as he worked for a grading contractor on the construction of Interstates I-40 near Statesville, N.C., and I-65/I-85 through Durham, N.C., to earn money for college. “I was operating equipment before I had my driver’s license,” says Potts.

The Alabama Roadbuilder • Spring 2009

At the The Citadel, Potts received a degree in civil engineering and then went on to receive a master’s degree from West Virginia University, where he majored in highway engineering

Potts and his wife, Jackie. The couple currently resides in Carmel, Ind.

and highway materials. In 1968, at the age of 22, Potts headed to the FDOT to make a name for himself as a bituminous research engineer. “I looked at it as a place I could get a huge amount of experience in a short period of time.

I wanted to become a recognized expert in asphalt and asphalt materials.”

Dr. Don Brock, chairman and CEO of Astec Industries, a leading manufacturer of road building equipment, worked with Potts during his days at FDOT in the early ’70s. He credits Potts for leading the way for recycling asphalt pavements in high quantities. “Charlie was always very innovative,” says Brock. “All you had to do is go talk to him with a new idea and he would set up an R&D job and go pave a road and try it. He was very quick to make changes for the betterment of the industry.”

At the FDOT, Potts was responsible for all the state’s research involving liquid asphalt materials, hot mix asphalt materials and mix design and flexible pavement design. He was the principal investigator in the research work leading to the national guide specification for hot mix recycled asphalt. His work ultimately earned him the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHTO) “Alfred E. Johnson Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Engineering” as well as an honorary membership in the Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists.

15

After 16 years serving the FDOT, Potts transitioned to the contractor side of the business when he joined Ashland, Inc. He worked his way through a variety of managerial assignments before becoming senior vice president of Ashland, Inc., and president of APAC, Inc., Ashland’s highway construction business. For the past five years, he has led Heritage Construction and Materials, a privately-held company, with operations in multiple states as well as in China.

INDUSTRY RECOGNITION Potts continued to devote time to industry groups and associations over his career. He served as a member of several Transportation Research Board Committees and Federal Highway Administration technical working groups. He was on a number of expert task groups for the Transportation Research Board and the Federal Highway Administration.

He is the author of more than 100 published technical reports and articles related to the highway construction industry. In 2007, he was elected to

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West Virginia University’s Academy of Engineers and also is a member of The Citadels’ Engineering and Civil Engineering Advisory Councils.

Recently, he was elected into the NAPA Hot-Mix Hall of Fame.

Potts’ work with industry associations and groups laid the foundation for his current role at ARTBA, where one of his key objectives will be to involve every stakeholder of the new transportation system. This includes not only the business community, but port authorities, the trucking industry, rail and construction. “I think by and large, the stakeholders recognize that we are at a critical juncture,” says Potts, “and we have to work together and realize that there are some compromises that have to be made in the process.”

It is recognized that this is not an easy task.

Fred Fehsenfeld, Jr., managing trustee of the Heritage Group, has seen Potts’ consensus-building skills fi rsthand. “He’s always willing to listen to both sides of an issue, but at the same time, he has clear vision of where he wants to go.”

A BROAD RANGE OF EXPERIENCE Acott believes Potts’ experience in both the public and private sectors gives him an advantage. “He has a strong understanding of the groups like NAPA, the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA),

Center for Asphalt Technology at Auburn University and president of the Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists. He is also a past member of the board of NSSGA. Potts involvement with ARTBA goes back 12 years, having most recently served as senior vice chairman.

However, it’s Potts technical knowledge that sets him apart. “It is rare that you have someone who is a technical expert coupled with someone who is a strategic visionary,” says Steve Zelnak, chairman and CEO of Martin Marietta Materials, a leading aggregates producer.

“He knows how the system works and how you can do it efficiently, and he knows the needs that are out there,” says Brock. “He knows the system from the ground up, from the state designing it, to the contractor building it, and the repair of the roads and everything else.”

2009 GOALS Potts’ experience, talents and vision will help him accomplish the goals he set forth on Oct. 23 during his speech at the ARTBA National Convention in Chicago. Potts will lead ARTBA in framing the debate on the 2009 highway and transit investment bill by advancing a clear vision that strengthens the federal role in transportation.

“We need a new national plan developed by sitting down with every-

“He’s always willing to listen to both sides of an issue, but at the same time, he has clear vision of where he wants to go.” the Associated General Contractors Association (AGC), ARTBA and all the various state asphalt associations,” notes Acott. “He also has excellent relationships with AASHTO, having gone through the ranks of the DOT.” Some of Potts’ former leadership positions include chairman of NAPA, chairman and member of the Board of the Directors of the National

body and trying to understand the needs of the individual states and the dynamics of the population,” explains Potts. This includes advancing the idea of ARTBA’s “Critical Commerce Corridors” goods movement program to ensure it is part of the fi nal legislation. Potts is clear that the challenge is about more than congestion, bottlenecks and delayed deliveries. It The Alabama Roadbuilder • Spring 2009

is about securing America’s place in the global competitive market.

Contingent with that goal, Potts will help mobilize grassroots support for the bill that emerges from Congress. “It’s going to take the efforts of literally hundreds of thousands of folks working in individual states,” says Potts. “We have to make our voices heard from our industry to give the benefit of our own experiences.”

To that end, Potts implores ARTBA members to not only provide fi nancial support for ARTBA, but also to support the association’s staff with their mental capital. “If we want to have the best program, we need to have input from every quarter.”

Potts is well aware of the challenges ahead, but at the same time, he is confident in the industry’s ability to meet them. “Sometimes we do our best when we are in the deepest hole,” says Potts. “Even though the economic situation is pretty bleak, I think it brings out some of the best

The Alabama Roadbuilder • Spring 2009 380612_Ready.indd 1

“It is rare that you have someone who is a technical expert coupled with someone who is a strategic visionary.” thinking and the best minds in the country to look to see what really drives our economy.”

TELLING THE STORY If Potts fi nds fault with the industry, it is only with their reluctance to tell their story. It is based on a belief that the public will somehow recognize the importance of infrastructure investment without hearing about it from our industry. Potts disagrees. “People born after 1965 don’t know what it was like not to have an Interstate system,” says Potts. “We have to get out and explain the story so that the American people will understand the value.”

When a new vision and plan is in place, Potts believes we will move to another level as far as world leadership and global competitiveness. His

passion is evident and his motivation clear. “I am very concerned if we don’t do this, my grandchildren’s quality of life will never approach what we had,” Potts says.

Excitement and enthusiasm for the new plan are building. “If we do the right things, we are going to be successful in the next year,” Potts notes.

Yet, a new direction for transportation is dependent on much more than a one-year sprint to the fi nish as the chairman of ARTBA. Potts has prepared for this time and this role with a lifetime of work in the transportation industry. Summing up what many believe, Fehsenfeld maintains, “He is the right man, at the right time, for a very, very important job.” ❏ Joanne Costin, an ARTBA consultant, can be reached at jcostin@ costincustom.com.

17 2/12/09 11:27:50 PM

ARTBA

A New Year’s Wish List from ARTBA: Transparency & Accountability in Transportation Stimulus Package

BY T. PETER RUANE, PRESIDENT & CEO, AMERICAN ROAD & TRANSPORTATION BUILDERS ASSOCIATION

s I write this column, President Obama and Congress are working on a major economic stimulus package. For months, ARTBA has been strongly advocating for transportation infrastructure investment to be a major component of the legislation now being debated.

A

While our success is certainly not a given, ARTBA members—from both the private and public sectors —need to think ahead to the challenges we will face from a major infusion of federal dollars into these programs. Our elected officials can help by demanding accountability for this funding and giving us an opportunity to show real progress.

A ROAD TO ECONOMIC RECOVERY Investing in highway and transit projects is a road to economic recovery.

However, simply throwing transportation dollars at the crisis—unless done right—would be a critical mistake.

To counter characterizations of “pork barrel spending,” ARTBA believes every transportation dollar included in the stimulus package should be subjected to a strict review process.

To that end, both the U.S. Department of Transportation inspector general and the Government Accountability Office should be charged with conducting independent reviews and issuing timely public reports on how the funds are utilized, the types of projects they build and the time frame in which they are completed. These safeguards will ensure the investment of funds is entirely transparent and will demonstrate their social utility.

A top-level White House “czar,” with the full confidence and authority of the president, should also be appointed to work directly with relevant federal agencies and the governors in accelerating the delivery of worthy projects.

18

IMMEDIATE IMPACTS More than any other, transportation investments can immediately stimulate the economy.

The large majority of these projects actually are “bridges to somewhere,” providing real public benefits. Every $1 billion invested in transportation can support nearly 35,000 American jobs.

Two thirds of these jobs won’t be on construction sites, but fueling employment in other sectors of the economy.

As the president and Congress consider transportation investments, it is important to appreciate that there is no such thing as a cookie-cutter transportation project. While mega-projects like the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge take years to complete, smaller projects, such as roadway and airport runway resurfacing, bridge inspections, deck repairs and painting, safety signage and hardware improvements, and roadside hazard eliminations can be done quickly.

CONTACT MEMBERS OF CONGRESS Critics will argue that it takes years for the economy to benefit from infrastructure investments.

Transportation design and construction professionals know otherwise.

That’s why ARTBA is encouraging you to contact your members of Congress and give them details on recent, shorter-duration projects that you’ve completed and how many jobs you were able to create in the process.

We can show them firsthand what we are able to do quickly.

EXPEDITE! Moreover, even large-scale projects can be expedited in times of need— such as now. Slightly more than a year after the I-35 W Bridge in Minneapolis collapsed, a completely new crossing was substantially finished—a job that directly employed 650 workers and many more throughout the local economy. Even more dramatically, it took only 66 days after the emergency contract was awarded to rebuild the collapsed Santa Monica Freeway in Southern California following the 1994 Northridge Earthquake.

While disasters are obvious motivators, the fundamental key to accelerating projects is structuring the flow of funds so they can put projects and people to work as quickly as possible. Imposing “use-it-or-loseit” mechanisms that require states and local authorities to commit funds by a date certain is highly effective.

In addition, the economic recovery package should cover the full cost of the worthy projects and ensure these funds support real economic growth.

Provisions such as these will ensure the transportation funds are put to work swiftly.

The Alabama Roadbuilder • Spring 2009

More than any other, transportation investments can immediately stimulate the economy.

EAGER TO WORK The transportation construction industry and its materials and equipment suppliers have been hard hit by the economic downturn. In October, transportation construction employment hit a 10-year low. These workers are eager to get back on the job.

We have the capacity and expertise to take on additional work quickly, with the support of transportation agencies moving with a sense of urgency.

Therefore, it is critically important that all transportation construction professionals work together to take advantage of this once-in-a-halfcentury’s opportunity. We should all be strong advocates to ensure that the new president and Congress authorize this funding.

However, once we get our wish, the real work begins. And then shortly after, it will be time to suit up for the next, much larger, battle: the 2009 highway/transit authorization investment bill! ❏

5300 Cahaba River Road, Suite 150 Birmingham, Alabama 35243 Phone: 205.969.6115 Facsimile: 205.969.6116

4131 Carmichael Road, Suite A Montgomery, Alabama 36106 Phone: 334.272.6200 Facsimile: 334.272.4705

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The 107-year-old American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) is the consensus voice of the transportation construction industry on the federal level. The Alabama Road Builders’ Association is ARTBA’s affiliated chapter in the state.

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• Spring 2009

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19 PM 12/22/08 9:57:52

AASHTO EDITORIAL

A Squandered Inheritance An editorial from American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ president about economic infrastructure. From the June 2008 issue of Better Roads Magazine.

BY PETE RAHN

A

mericans seem to hold a special disdain for those who have been given much through inheritance but have managed to lose it through foolishness and neglect.

Yet, as a generation, we have done exactly that.

Consider that we—the baby boomers—have allowed our inheritance, the nation’s economic infrastructure, to crumble beneath our feet from selfishness and neglect. Somewhere along the path of being the “me” generation we forgot about “us.”

Great nations build and invest for succeeding generations … like our parents and grandparents did. We have not.

Why should we care?

Access to what is referred to as “economic infrastructure,” that being highquality transportation and utilities is

the residents of the Midwest about the effects of flooding on their way of life.

The interdependence of our economic infrastructure is also important to understand. Each relies on the other to function. Remove one and the others falter.

The one thing this entire infrastructure has in common is the enormous investment it represents by Americans at a time in United States history when we were far poorer as a society and our economy was one of many equals.

During the past half century, our nation has become far more mobile and more prosperous than ever imagined

The benefits of a superior transportation system have provided the American economy productivity growth envied by the world for the past half century.

Our transportation system has allowed products—before, during and after manufacture—to be shipped at extremely low costs to the advantage of consumers and producers. We have all profited from higher wages and cheaper food. We travel more frequently and further than any generation in history creating a whole new industry from hotel chains to expansive airlines. And, we are now losing our edge.

While China, India and Russia are

If Americans are unenthusiastic about investing in their future, our own past tells us courageous leaders must act in our best interest. the underlying difference between First World and Third World countries.

Reliable electricity, clean water and communications along with highway systems, railroads and airports make our modern economy possible. You need only to talk to a resident from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to realize how dependent we really are on First World infrastructure.

And if you think it is only a hurricane that can transform our lives instantly, talk to the residents of the seven northeastern states that lost electric power or 20

from investments made by previous generations. This inheritance came at a sacrifice but those generations understood the connection between infrastructure and our economy. This is a lesson we’ve not learned. In fact, we take for granted the very things that have made our way of life possible. This situation places at peril not only our own, but future generations of Americans’ standard of living and our nation’s global competitiveness.

My interest is with transportation, but this circumstance applies to almost every component of our economic infrastructure.

spending record amounts to increase their economic advantage, the United States is retreating from our needs. Our highways are deteriorating with many fixes today being no more than BandAids. We’ve exceeded the capacity of 83 percent of our National Highway System resulting in ever growing congestion and tremendous waste of our collective time and waning fuel supplies, as well as increasing air pollution due to idling vehicles.

Our water ports are at the leading edge of what’s been called a tsunami of The Alabama Roadbuilder • Spring 2009

freight with none of them prepared for what’s coming. Airports and air routes are overburdened with too many planes and not enough runways to handle demand, which has produced an actual decline in the average speed commercial aircraft fly. After years of downsizing, freight railroads are now near their capacity. Transit systems can’t replace outdated equipment.

Frankly, we have squandered our inheritance. We have enjoyed the benefits without a willingness to ensure our own children and grandchildren have the same advantages that we’ve had.

We’ve lived for the day. We’ve bought into the idea that governments that provide much of our critical infrastructure are wasteful, inept and not deserving of our hard-earned wages.

We’ve allowed demagogues to convince us that we have very little, if any, personal responsibility for a public service that we can not see benefit us individually. And, if it does benefit us, we prefer to have someone else pay !LLISON &OR TRANSMISSIONS WITH A WORK ETHIC for it.

AS STRONG AS YOURS 7ILLIAMS &OR SALES AND How is this possible? We truly are the SERVICE THAT ALWAYS GO THE DISTANCE wealthiest society our planet has ever We know you’ve got a tough job to do. So seen. We have more reason to invest in we’re equipped and staffed to handle anything our critical economic infrastructure than you throw our way. With factory-trained certiďŹ ed technicians, 24-hour emergency service at any time in history. Yet we remain and fully equipped service trucks. So when unwilling to do so. it’s time to go to work, call us. We’ll be ready.

Situations like this require leadership. If Americans are unenthusiastic about investing in their future, our own www.wwwilliams.com past tells us courageous leaders must act in our best interest. Jefferson, Lincoln, ALABAMA OTHER LOCATIONS: Roosevelt and Eisenhower all “got it.�

Birmingham 800.365.3780 Arizona, Georgia,Michigan, Nevada, Today, they are recognized for their vital Montgomery 800.592.3413 Ohio and South Carolina contributions to the nation through critical transportation system improvements.

We have a chance to turn this around 412536_WWWilliams.indd 1 12/17/08 8:50:39 AM in 2009 as Congress works to authorize the next national highway and transit bill and the president establishes his vision for our economic infrastructure.

Without bold action, our children 1940 Pinson Valley Parkway will surely ask, “How could we have Birmingham, AL 35217 bungled this so badly?â€? â??

Office: (205) 849-1727 Fax: (205) 849-1726

Pete Rahn is president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and director of the Missouri Department of Transportation.

The Alabama Roadbuilder • Spring 2009 348413_Apache.indd

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MEMBER PROFILE

M.C. Williams Contracting Company, Inc. arl Williams, a native of Gulfcrest, Ala., served in World War II from 1941 to 1945 in the Motor Service Division, and later, after returning home from the war, worked at Brookley Field in Mobile. In 1949, he purchased a tractor and started clearing and grubbing, terracing, and fish pond work. He continued to add more equipment until 1953 when he partnered with William P. Bouler, forming Williams & Bouler Construction Company. They performed highway, county and city construction work. In 1957, they became a member of the Alabama Road Builders’ Association.

C

In 1964, after being quite active in highway work, the partnership was dissolved and Carl began his own operation under the name M.C. Williams Contracting Company, specializing in county, municipal and highway work. After opening his business, his wife, Doris, went to work with him as secretary handling the routine office procedures in addition to being a mother of two children.

For the next 16 years, Carl worked hands-on, day in and day out to build a company that he was proud of and whose work he was glad to claim as his own. In 1980, Carl “retired” and subsequently spent almost every day going from job site to job site until his health no longer allowed him to do so. Carl and Doris’ son Ricky took over the company after his retirement and Doris continued to work in the office until she retired in 1996.

Carl and Doris’ oldest grandson, John McLaughlin, also work with the company upon graduating from high school and left the company for other business opportunities in 1999. Carl and Doris’ daughter Melanie has also worked for the company at various times over the years.

In December 1996, Ricky’s son Chad joined the family business as the secretary/treasurer and began trying to fi ll the big shoes left after his grandmother’s retirement. Chad took over the presidency in 2004, while Ricky remains just as active as the chief operations officer, overseeing the dayto-day affairs of the many aspects of the company. Ricky’s daughter Carla also works in the family business as the current secretary/treasurer. M. C. Williams Contracting Company maintains a rich history of employee dedication and hard work. Many of the supervisors that work for the company today started as laborers straight out of high school and worked their way up the ladder. The company continues to specialize in county, municipal and highway work along the Gulf Coast.

Carl Williams passed away in January 2005 at the age of 86 and just shy of his 55th wedding anniversary. His wife Doris still enjoys hearing about the jobs that are going on today as well as sharing a few stories of her own of days gone by. ❏

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The Alabama Roadbuilder10/30/08 • Spring 2009 6:43:29 PM

HEARD ALONG THE HIGHWAY ARBA CONVENTION 2009 – RETURN TO ATLANTIS! The annual ARBA convention is nearly here, and this year we are once again joining forces with our sister organization, The Alabama Asphalt Pavement Association to celebrate the 50th anniversary of AAPA from June 10-14, 2009, at Atlantis Resort, Casino and Spa on Paradise Island, Bahamas.

Mark your calendars today and be on the lookout for registration information for the best convention event yet!

ARBA SPRING FLING MAY 7-8, 2009 – COTTON CREEK, ORANGE BEACH, THURSDAY-FRIDAY! The Annual Spring Fling golf and fishing tournament is set once again for this May in Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Make your plans today to be a part of this exciting activity. Join ARBA friends and ALDOT guests as we participate in a two-day event consisting of a fishing rodeo and a golf tournament. Be watching your mailings for registration forms that will be coming soon!

ARBA MEMBER MEETS #41

ARBA FLY-IN MAY 19-21, 2009 – WASHINGTON, D.C. ARBA members will once again descend on the nation’s Capitol in May for its annual D.C. Fly-In. May 19-21, 2009, is the scheduled time for this event, so mark your calendars and plan to join us for this quick trip. You will be up and back the next day as we cover a lot of ground during our short time in Washington, D.C. Visits to Congressional offices, a special dinner with Alabama delegation members and a breakfast the next day with a delegation member as the guest speaker will complete the agenda for the two-day trip. Be on the lookout for information about this great event.

ARBA Member Rusty Baynes, with Ozark Safety Services, LLC, (Rusty is also a college official), had the great privilege of meeting former President George H. W. Bush at the Texas A&M game this fall.

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The Alabama Roadbuilder • Spring 2009

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS AGGREGATES Martin Marietta Aggregates.............................................. 14 ASPHALT & ASPHALT PRODUCTS Gulf Coast Asphalt Co......................................................... 8 ASPHALT EMULSIONS OR EMULSIFYING AGENTS Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions Inc. .......................................... 4 ASPHALT EMULSIONS MANUFACTURERS Blacklidge Emulsions, Inc...........................inside front cover ATTORNEYS Burr & Forman LLP .......................................................... 25 AUCTIONEERS Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers America ...................................... 7 CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT Cowin Equipment.................................... outside back cover CRUSHED LIMESTONE The Rogers Group, Inc...................................................... 25 CRUSHED STONE/GRANITE/RIPRAP Southeast Materials Corporation ...................................... 19 DRILLING & BLASTING CONTRACTORS Apache Construction ........................................................ 21 EARTHWORK/GRADING S. A. Graham Company, Inc. ............................................ 12 ENGINEERING/ARCHITECTS Thompson Engineering .................................................... 12 EQUIPMENT RENTAL & SALES Thompson Tractor .............................................................. 3 Warrior Tractor and Equipment ......................................... 24 EROSION CONTROL Erosion Control Implements, LLC...................................... 12 FUEL & LUBRICANTS The McPherson Companies, Inc. ...................................... 24 GRANITE QUARRY Hard Rock Hill-Division of North Montogomery Materials.... 7 GUARDRAIL & HIGHWAY SAFETY Alabama Guardrail, Inc. .................................................... 19 INSURANCE Palomar Insurance Corporation ........................................ 24 INSURANCE & BONDS Hines, Ridolphi, Carper & Aman, LLC ................................ 19 Turner Insurance & Bonding Co. .................inside back cover LIME/QUICKLIME/HYDRATED LIME SLURRY Chemical Lime ................................................................. 24 PAINT SUPPLIERS Safety Coatings, Inc. ........................................................ 25 PIPE MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS Crumpler Plastic Pipe, Inc. ............................................... 23 READY MIX CONCRETE Bayou Concrete, a division of Gulf Concrete LLC .............. 19 Ready Mix USA Inc........................................................... 17

STEEL Gerdau Ameristeel ........................................................... 16 TESTING SERVICE & EQUIPMENT Humboldt Mfg. Company ................................................. 22 TRAFFIC CONTROL EQUIPMENT Alabama Barricade, Inc. ..................................................... 8

TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNAGE Protection Services, Inc.................................................... 23 TRUCK SALES, PARTS & SERVICES WW Williams .................................................................... 21 UNDERGROUND LINE LOCATORS Alabama One Call ............................................................ 12

ADVERTISERS.COM Alabama Barricade, Inc .............................................. www.alabamabarricade.com................................................................ 8 Alabama Guardrail, Inc ............................................... n/a ..................................................................................................... 19 Alabama One Call ....................................................... www.al1call.com ............................................................................... 12 Apache Construction .................................................. n/a ..................................................................................................... 21 Bayou Concrete, a division of Gulf Concrete LLC ...... www.bayouconcretellc.com ............................................................... 19 Blacklidge Emulsions, Inc .......................................... www.blacklidgeemulsions.com .................................. inside front cover Burr & Forman LLP ..................................................... www.burr.com ................................................................................... 25 Chemical Lime ............................................................ www.chemicallime.com ..................................................................... 24 Cowin Equipment........................................................ www.cowin.com ....................................................... outside back cover Crumpler Plastic Pipe, Inc .......................................... www.cpp-pipe.com............................................................................ 23 Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions Inc .................................. www.ergonasphalt.com ....................................................................... 4 Erosion Control Implements, LLC ............................... www.sunshinesupplies.com ............................................................... 12 Gerdau Ameristeel ...................................................... n/a ..................................................................................................... 16 Gulf Coast Asphalt Co ................................................. www.gcachouston.com........................................................................ 8 Hard Rock Hill-Division of North Montogomery Materials ................................. n/a ....................................................................................................... 7 Hines, Ridolphi, Carper & Aman, LLC ......................... www.hrcallc.com ............................................................................... 19 Humboldt Mfg. Company ............................................ www.humboldtmfg.com ..................................................................... 22 Martin Marietta Aggregates ....................................... www.martinmarietta.com................................................................... 14 The McPherson Companies, Inc ................................. www.mcphersonoil.com..................................................................... 24 Palomar Insurance Corporation ................................. www.palomarins.com ........................................................................ 24 Protection Services, Inc.............................................. www.protectionservices.com ............................................................. 23 Ready Mix USA Inc...................................................... www.rmusainc.com ........................................................................... 17 Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers America ............................ www.rbauction.com ............................................................................. 7 The Rogers Group, Inc ................................................ www.rogersgroupinc.com .................................................................. 25 S. A. Graham Company, Inc ....................................... www.sagraham.com .......................................................................... 12 Safety Coatings, Inc .................................................... www.safetycoatings.com ................................................................... 25 Southeast Materials Corporation ............................... n/a ..................................................................................................... 19 Thompson Engineering............................................... www.thompsonengineering.com ........................................................ 12 Thompson Tractor....................................................... www.thompsontractor.com .................................................................. 3 Turner Insurance & Bonding Co ................................. www.tibcoinc.com ...................................................... inside back cover Warrior Tractor and Equipment .................................. www.warriortractor.com..................................................................... 24 WW Williams ............................................................... www.wwwilliams.com ....................................................................... 21

PROFILES ATTORNEYS

Burr & Forman LLP 420 North Twentieth St., Ste. 3400 Birmingham, AL 35203 416382_Burr.indd 1 251-3000 2/10/09 • 11:22:15 PM 458-5100 Phone: (205) Fax: (205) Web: www.burr.com Burr & Forman LLP combines a 103-year history in the Southeast with a forward-thinking approach to providing legal solutions. With over 200 attorneys in offices in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee, we offer a wide range of business and litigation services to diverse clients with local, national, and international interests.

PAINT SUPPLIERS Safety Coatings, Inc. 20180 Safety Lane P.O. Box 399 Foley, AL 36536-0399 Phone: (251) 943-1638 • Fax: (251) 943-3689 E-mail: info@safetycoatings.com Web: www.safetycoatings.com Safety Coatings manufactures all types of traffic paints, including DOT approved, Federal Specs, Parking lot paints, Hi-Build traffic paint, and Loop Sealant. We have been in business since 1979, and are known for our quality and service. Please call us for any of your traffic paint needs.

The Alabama Roadbuilder • Spring 2009

ROGERS GROUP, INC. SERVING NORTHWEST ALABAMA CRUSHED LIMESTONE PRODUCTS ASPHALT CONSTRUCTION DEREK ROBERTS - GENERAL MANAGER SCOT CORNELIUS - SALES MANAGER KENNY ADOMYETZ - CONSTRUCTION MGR. P.O. BOX 188, TUSCUMBIA, AL 35674 PHONE (256) 383-1645 FAX (256) 381-4464

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25

Destination Atlantis!

June 10-14, 2009 Atlantis Resort, Casino and Spa Paradise Island, Bahamas

Celebrating AAPA’s th

50

Photographer: Pam Mclean

Photographer: Macduff Everton

Photographer: Peter Vitale

Photographer: Ron Garrison

Anniversary

Join us on Paradise Island for

the 2009 ARBA/AAPA Convention The annual ARBA convention is nearly here, and this year we are once again joining forces with our sister organization, The Alabama Asphalt Pavement Association, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of AAPA. The spectacular Atlantis, Paradise Island, rises magically from the turquoise lagoons and blue Atlantic of the Bahamas and is known worldwide as a resort destination that has truly redefined entertainment and gaming in the tropics.

Water is the focal point of Atlantis. The resort is built around 20 million gallons of fresh and saltwater pools, lagoons and cascading waterfalls. Atlantis’ marine habitat is second only to Mother Nature in size, with an unparalleled assortment of exhibit lagoons and underwater formations — all located on a seemingly endless stretch of beach that has been called the most beautiful in the world.

For more information, call ARBA at 334-832-4331.

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