Paving the way to success

When Frank Wilkinson decided to start GoAsphalt with his business partner, Jordan Verdier, to service commercial contracts in the Edmonton area, he expected it to be a part-time gig. But soon after the Acheson, Alberta-based company was up and running, that quickly changed.

"I decided to do part-time the first year, part-time the second year, and then full time; however, it took off the first year," Wilkinson says.

GoAsphalt provides a full range of paving services to commercial businesses, builders, contractors, shopping centres, institutions, construction companies, and residential and municipal sectors.

These services include:

pavement repairs
complete resurfacing for parking lots
roads
subdivision
pathways
industrial yards
driveways

The company also provides subgrade, prep and stabilization gravel services.

"We prefer to stay in the commercial contracts; we don't go into the residential very much. Any size job we take on – small, big, patching to roadways, pretty much everything," Wilkinson says.

Wilkinson, the president of GoAsphalt, adds that the company's work is 80 percent contract work and 20 percent from private commercial projects. His crew enjoys the more straightforward projects like big rectangular paves but isn't deterred by more complicated projects. "Once you get into paving parking lots with small commercial units, there is a lot of handwork and corners. So, most of the guys like wide-open spaces, big paves!" Wilkinson says.

Upgrading the fleet

GoAsphalt was introduced to SMS Equipment when Wilkinson went shopping for a new paver a few years ago. He ended up purchasing a BOMAG BW 11 RH. Since then, Wilkinson has turned to SMS Equipment and BOMAG for all his paving needs.

GoAsphalt's current paving fleet consists of three BOMAG units: a BW 161 AD articulated tandem roller, a CR820T paver and a BW 11 RH pneumatic roller.

"BOMAG has had a good road construction equipment line for years," Wilkinson says. "The paver that we got is perfect for the growth of our company. We decided to go with a production paver and got out of the small pavers, so that's where that BOMAG CR820T paver came into play, allowing us to step it up a couple notches."

He adds that the BOMAG paver can be used for jobs of any size.

"It's versatile. People say our gear is for highway paving, but we use it every day," Wilkinson says. "For compactors, we have a rubber tire and 10-ton double steel. Both of those units are definitely making our jobs a lot better."

Hands-on training

To assist GoAsphalt's paving crew with a smooth transition, the company received hands-on training on the BOMAG equipment for four days, courtesy of SMS Equipment technical support specialist Chaunce Edwards.

"On the first and second days he was there for 12 to 13 hours, stayed with us straight through to the end. So, the service and the sales were excellent in that department," Wilkinson says. "He basically went through the whole machines with everything. Right from the basics, straight to the fundamentals of everything - can't get better with the service than we experienced."

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