When I look back on 2021, I think of it as a great transition period for Blacklidge. I also see it as a new beginning or the beginning of a new era, not only for the company, but for business in general.

UltraFuse goes to D.C.

When I look at 2021 overall, there were things that happened to us as a company that were unbelievable. We had the opportunity to pave Pennsylvania Avenue using UltraFuse, one of our core products. We are considered as one of the best in the country at bonding asphalts together, and people know that when they deal with us, it’s always the better road.

Agility everywhere I think of 2021 as a time when we showed great resilience as a company. We had several teammates step up to fill gaps and help service our customers with a customer-centric attitude. Our new logistics team learned urgently, as they were faced with challenges as a new team. We introduced new leadership in ’21, and they embraced the core value of agility everywhere, which will provide tremendous success in 2022.

Infrastructure opportunities

Also, in 2021, the Federal Government passed legislation that will provide a record amount of funding to the asphalt paving industry for the next five years. The amount is more than any we have ever seen in our industry; this will allow Blacklidge opportunities that can be seen well into the future.

Remembering lost friends

We also experienced several tragedies in2021. We had three of our teammates pass away, which I know saddens all of us. Because of the loss of these teammates, I realize the true importance of building a Christ-centered relationship with all of us. It helps all of us realize the importance of enjoying the time we have together. We miss seeing those teammates; they meant a lot to all of us. I’m praying and hoping that their legacy of always being a team player lives on throughout our organization. The teammates that we lost were Cody Wolfe, Scott Rugg, and Danny Coleman. After Cody’s passing, we decided to work on a future goal of fulfilling 10 employees’ wishes and dreams to come true by the end of the decade.

This year will be a year full of exciting opportunities for us to work together and achieve all of our goals. I’m super excited about this journey we’re on and I am very thankful for all of our Blacklidge teammates.