The holidays are a sacred time for celebration and reflection. At Blacklidge, we have so many blessings to reflect on. This year was full of honors, innovations and joy. It has made me more excited than ever about the work we do, both for our industry and our community.

Paving the Most Famous House in our Nation

This year we were honored to play a part in paving the driveway of the most famous house in our nation. We were chosen by an asphalt paving company to get the job done professionally, quickly and securely. They trusted us to provide a long lasting, American-made asphalt solution, and we delivered with our UltraFuse® product and industry-leading service. While I am always proud of the work we do at Blacklidge, being asked to serve our country in this unique way was truly one of the highlights of my career.

Age-Resistant Innovation

The exceptional products trusted by the most demanding clients are the result of Blacklidge’s continual innovation in our industry. We know that our country’s asphalt pavements could last much longer than their current lifetime. That’s why this past year we prioritized the development of new, high performance products to combat the premature aging of asphalt. Our ReSet® technology is shifting the way our industry thinks about regenerating and renewing degrading asphalt. ReSet is the foundation for breakthrough age-regenerating products—like ReGen® and ReGenX®—that are changing the game.

Honoring Women of Asphalt

This past year, we’ve not only supported asphalt innovation, but also a more diverse workforce through our sponsorship of Women of Asphalt. From sponsoring their Where We Belong podcast to their events at World of Asphalt 2019, Blacklidge supports Women of Asphalt’s mission to lead and inspire women in the industry. Their leadership is essential for the future of the asphalt industry. Supporting their initiative is a point of great pride for the entire Blacklidge team.

Serving the Community

Our service goes beyond the asphalt industry. Blacklidge team members are engaged in their local communities, with many serving within church leadership, athletic organizations, volunteer programs and more. Throughout the year, employees brought new ideas for service projects to the attention of our leadership team, who were excited to engage in new missions of service.

One initiative that was very important to me was our work with the Mississippi Gulf Coast Heart Gala, which raised over $150,000 for the American Heart Association. This year’s theme was “White Out Stroke,” which was extremely personal due to my own father’s experience with stroke and the fact that stroke is the number one disabler of workers in the world. Additionally, our continued sponsorship of children through the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Junior Auxiliary of Gulfport remain rewarding and integral to our focus on service.

From providing exceptional service to our customers to serving our community, I was often reminded of this verse from Proverbs this year:

“Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings.”
(Proverbs, 22:29)

To see the exceptionally skilled Blacklidge team standing before the needy and the mighty, proudly serving all who need our help and our expertise, brings me such joy. I can’t wait to continue our work in 2020 and beyond, because I know it will be amazing.