Tilcon Earns Back-to-Back Environmental Leadership Awards
This article appears in the Fall 2025 print edition of NAPA Quarterly. Subscribe here.
SUSTAINABILITY, COMMUNITY, AND TEAMWORK CONTRIBUTE TO WIN
KATIE NAVARRA, CONTRIBUTOR
At Tilcon Connecticut, a CRH company, sustainability and social responsibility aren’t a one-time achievement – they’re a way of doing business. For the second consecutive year, the company earned the Environmental Leadership Award (ELA), this time for its initiatives at its North Branford site. For Roger Simoes, Asphalt Manager and second-generation Tilcon employee, the recognition is deeply meaningful.
“We’re really proud of the fact that we’ve received the award two years in a row,” Simoes said. “I’m hoping we can keep it going and that it ignites some of our sister companies to apply for it as well.”
Tilcon earned the 2024 award for initiatives at its North Branford site, including innovative RAP processing, infrastructure improvements, and team collaboration. Backed by CRH’s focus on innovation and sustainability and supported by a multigenerational workforce, Tilcon continues to lead with sustainability, community focus, and a commitment to people.
“Winning two years in a row speaks to their [Tilcon’s] consistency,” said Haywood Lewis, NAPA’s IMPACT Leadership & Awards Program Manager. “They are dedicated to doing things the right way and are consistently winning awards for that.”
Before Tilcon became part of CRH, the company was actively investing in its communities and reducing its environmental footprint. Now, with CRH’s support, that legacy continues.
“Tilcon has built environmental responsibility into its culture,” Simoes said. “It’s not just a corporate initiative. It’s our culture to be active in the community, be good neighbors, and be as sustainable as possible.”
Nearly all Tilcon sites have earned NAPA Diamond Achievement or Diamond Quality Commendations – recognitions that reflect consistent attention to safety, sustainability, and operational excellence. Submissions are evaluated based on environmental responsibility, site appearance, and social responsibility.
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
A series of sustainability-driven upgrades at Tilcon’s North Branford site contributed to the company’s achievement. One of the most significant was the installation of an in-line RAP crusher. The system allows crews to crush RAP as it’s used, eliminating the need to produce and transport recycled material separately. It’s a move that reduces emissions, simplifies handling, and keeps moisture levels lower in stockpiles, improving quality while minimizing environmental impact.
The company also increased the use of rejuvenators in its mixes and produced asphalt containing up to 35% RAP. Additionally, Tilcon is using chemical additives to reduce production temperatures to 275 °F on some mixes while maintaining performance and workability.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Community impact is carefully managed through a variety of mitigation techniques and technology: condensers on asphalt tanks to minimize odor, noise suppression systems on silo discharge gates, and a strict no-tailgate-slamming policy. During night operations, the plant uses strobe lights instead of audible alarms to reduce noise pollution. Dust control is maintained through regular water truck operation and sweeping. Regular landscaping maintenance and a systematic painting program ensure the plant’s appearance enhances the local environment.
“People in the community notice,” Simoes said. “They know that we’re trying to do the right thing. That builds trust – and it makes Tilcon a place people want to work.”
In 2024, the company hosted its first golf tournament, raising funds to support the Women of Asphalt New England Branch.
“If I were choosing where to work, I’d want to be somewhere that’s respected in the industry,” he said. “This kind of recognition helps show what we stand for.”
EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT
Simoes believes the company’s environmental leadership contributes to stronger recruitment and retention. In a competitive labor market, those values matter. He has been with Tilcon for 28 years, and his father worked for the company before him. Around the kitchen table, conversations often centered on job sites, coworkers, and the community.
“It feels like I’ve been in this industry for more than 40 years,” Simoes said. “It’s part of who I am, and that’s true for a lot of people here.”
That family-first, people-centered mindset continues to shape the company’s culture and its environmental progress.
Safety is paramount at Tilcon, with monthly division-specific committee meetings and ‘Back to Basics’ inspections that ensure compliance with safety protocols, inspections, and fire safety measures.
“In the end,” Simoes said, “it’s really about the people who make this all work.”
The company’s commitment to employee development includes a mentorship program and training classes on basic plant operations for new hires, as well as an advanced class for plant and loader operators. Tilcon maintains strong community connections through annual plant tours and bi-annual job fairs at local high schools.
BEST PRACTICES – AND PRACTITIONERS
With 11 operating asphalt plants across Connecticut, Tilcon’s ability to share best practices has become a competitive advantage. The team intentionally builds opportunities for cross-site collaboration, particularly during winter repairs, when crews from different locations come together to support maintenance projects.
“We may be 15 or 20 miles from each other, and we kind of run like separate entities,” Simoes said. “But that collaboration makes our culture fluid across the entire division.”
This collaborative mindset has enabled Tilcon to scale successful environmental strategies across multiple locations. The same principles that earned recognition for the company’s New Britain plant in 2023 shaped the work in North Branford.
ADVICE FOR APPLYING FOR THE ELA
For NAPA members considering submitting their own Environmental Leadership Award application, Simoes has straightforward advice: start early and get everyone involved.
“We’re a seasonal business here in Connecticut and have eight months to do 12 months of work,” he said. “It’s easy for other things to take priority. This [application] should be a priority.”
He encourages companies to delegate pieces of the application process, which not only lightens the workload but also helps employees better understand the depth of their own company’s impact.
“It really shouldn’t be a one-person job,” he said. “When you delegate parts of it to others, they can say, ‘Wow, I didn’t realize we were this involved in the community.’ It brings to light the community service we do, and when they start learning about these things, it makes them even more proud.”
Submitting the application early is helpful, according to Lewis. NAPA receives hundreds of award applications annually. Starting the process well before the deadlines allows time for including details that can help an organization stand out to judges.
“Videos, photos, and specific details are part of the submission requirements, and helps judges make their decision,” Lewis said.
“People in the community notice. They know that we’re trying to do the right thing. That builds trust – and it makes Tilcon a place people want to work.”
–Roger Simoes, Asphalt Manager and second-generation Tilcon employee
FINALISTS
SULLY-MILLER CONTRACTING CO.
The Blue Diamond Materials – Victorville Facility was recognized as a 2025 Environmental Leadership Finalist for its efforts to reduce its emissions at its plant and within its fleet.
Blue Diamond is also using Warm-Mix asphalt technology in and around the Los Angeles basin.
Sully-Miller Environmental Director Matthew Eaton wrote “Lower temperatures provide significant conservation and environmental advantages including reduced emissions both at the plant and the jobsite, improved service life, improved workability, longer paving windows, and enhanced recycling.”
