My family has been in the road construction business for generations so, to me, providing the best performing asphalt products is deeply personal. While I’m extremely proud of all of our products, UltraTack® holds a special place in my heart because it’s the original trackless tack that started it all.
About 15 years ago, Blacklidge was inspired to create a trackless tack with superior performance in response to the needs of our customers. We developed UltraTack to deliver longer-lasting, better bonding pavements as well as faster construction times and cleaner job sites. At the time, trackless tack was an innovative concept, so educating the industry about the benefits of UltraTack was key to its success.
Over time, trackless tack became the most studied tack coat in the industry and the superior performance of UltraTack was evident. For example, one study by Virginia D.O.T. revealed that using trackless tack results in a 10 percent service-life extension, essentially saving the state $20 million per year in maintenance-resurfacing costs. Collectively, this equates to an entire year’s worth of resurfacing.
UltraTack has not only proven itself theoretically, but also in real world applications. One of the earliest adopters of UltraTack is Orange County in Florida. With major tourist attractions like Disney World and Universal Studios in the area, the clean look that UltraTack delivers is extremely important to that municipality. In addition to the aesthetic benefits, UltraTack dries quickly (setting in about 15 minutes), provides superior bonding strength, enhanced consistency and high stability—lasting up to one month in storage.
While the high-performance properties of UltraTack are excellent now, we at Blacklidge know that we can always do better. Our commitment to innovation as a way to better serve our customers is what drives us. We will continually strive to enhance UltraTack, working to extend storage duration and compress drying times. Building on the legacy my great-grandfather started, Blacklidge continues to push forward as a leading producer of high-performance asphalt products like UltraTack.