Communicating Quality

NAPA’s Quality in Construction Awards window runs through Oct. 31

There is plenty of pride to go around in the asphalt pavement industry.

From the crew members who drive their families past last year’s projects with a matter-of-fact “we paved that” to the folks at the plants, labs, and offices who feel the only pavement that matters is the next one, the industry runs on achieving performance and moving on.

The NAPA Awards program acts as a catalyst for that pride, using metrics to offer companies across the nation the chance to prove their standards do not come standard.

Quality in Construction Award entries include self-reporting sections as well as scores verified by third-party judges. Applications are divided between smaller projects using less than 50,000 tons of asphalt, and larger highway projects using 50,000 tons or more.

The highest-scoring 10 projects under 50K tons receive the Larry H. Lemon Award, while the best scores earn larger projects the opportunity to be named a Sheldon G. Hayes Award finalist.

As with any competition, there are perennial contenders. Ohio’s Shelly Holding Co., A CRH Co., for instance, has had at least one project named to the Larry H. Lemon list every year since 2020.

Companies that are proactive in empowering their quality control and quality assurance teams are often able to participate more often in NAPA Awards programming because data is collected as the paving season goes, not when applications open in August.

Consistency can be key, too, as some companies elect to have the same employee submit their applications each year. Building that consistency can begin with asking for help: A NAPA staff member is always just an email away when an application is stuck or there are technical issues slowing down the process. This increased familiarity with the awards portal allows for more focus on the project assessment inputs.

NAPA Awards are intended to help companies put their best foot forward with their communities while proving their pavements meet national quality standards.

Winning projects become a point of pride for each company and crew member because whether it’s cruising past the project, receiving applause at the NAPA Annual Meeting, or sharing news of your win at the next career fair, it’s all part of telling the asphalt pavement industry’s story.

For a full exploration of the NAPA Awards program, access the latest webinar, Stand Out as an Industry Leader: Master NAPA’s Awards & Diamond Commendations Applications, from the NAPA Resource Center at AsphaltPavement.org/Resources.