The National Asphalt Pavement Association presented its 2025 Operational Excellence Awards, bestowing honors to 19 contractors, including its top award.
The top NAPA award for excellence in construction of an asphalt pavement, the Sheldon G. Hayes Award, went to Payne & Dolan Inc. of Waukesha, Wisconsin, and the Michigan Department of Transportation.
They earned the honor for their work on US-2 east of Great Lakes Road to Gogebic Station in Gogebic County. Payne & Dolan is a Walbec Group Company.
To nab the Hayes Award, contractors must complete a project using more than 50,000 tons of asphalt pavement mixture that wins a Quality in Construction Award, which is determined by independent pavement engineers based on meeting specifications and density. Top projects are then rated for smoothness one year after construction and visually inspected by an independent consultant.
The three other finalists for the Sheldon G. Hayes Award, which is named after a NAPA founder:
- APAC-Kansas, Shears Division, a CRH Company, of Hutchinson, Kansas, and the Kansas Department of Transportation for their work on US-281 in Russell County.
- Earle Asphalt Company of Wall Township, New Jersey, and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority for their work on the New Jersey Turnpike in Burlington and Mercer County.
- Kelly Paving Inc., of Marietta, Ohio, and the West Virginia Department of Transportation for their work on US-50 Bear Run in Bears Run, West Virginia.
2025 Lemon Awards
The 2025 Larry H. Lemon Awards for excellence in construction of an asphalt pavement using less than 50,000 tons of asphalt went to ten contractors.
Named after longtime NAPA Awards Committee member Larry H. Lemon, winners are:
- APAC-Kansas Inc., Shears Div., a CRH Co., of Hutchinson, Kan, for US-50 in Harvey County, Kansas
- Cadillac Asphalt LLC, a CRH Co., of Farmington Hills, Michigan, for Preservation Overlay Program for RCOC - Crooks Road in Oakland County, Michigan
- CWR Contracting Inc., a Construction Partners Inc. Co., of Wildwood, Florida, for Improvement Plans of Villages of Sumter Morse Blvd. Phase 1 and Stillwater Trail in Sumter County, Florida
- Northeast Asphalt Inc., a Walbec Group Co., of Greenville, Wisconsin, for State Trunk Highway 110 Fremont to Marion in Greenville, Wisconsin
- Northeast Asphalt Inc., a Walbec Group Co., of Greenville, Wisconsin, for State Trunk Highway 21 Redgranite to Oshkosh in Greenville, Wisconsin
- RJ Daigle & Sons Contractors Inc. of Baton Rouge, Lousiana, for LA-943 in Donaldsonville, Lousiana
- RK Hall, Inc., of Paris, Texas, for US-82 Grayson County Paris District CSJ 0045-18-043 in Grayson County, Texas
- Scotty's Contracting and Stone LLC of Bowling Green, Kentucky, for Sonora to Elizabethtown (I-65) in Hart-Larue-Hardin, Kentucky
- The Shelly Holding Co., a CRH Co., of Thornville, Ohio, for 24-0418 Law-141-8.40 in Lawrence County, Ohio
- The Shelly Holding Co., a CRH Co., of Thornville, Ohio, for Gallia County Road Improvements-Valley View Road in Gallia County, Ohio
2025 Operational Excellence Awards
Another four companies won Operational Excellence Awards, which honors contractors in different categories covering the environment, community involvement and safety innovation.
2025 Environmental Leadership Award winner:
- Payne & Dolan Inc., a Walbec Group Co., of Waukesha, Wisconsin, for their Control 20 - Waukesha Asphalt Plant
2025 Community Involvement Award winners:
- Callanan Industries Inc., a CRH Co. (winner), of Albany, New York, for Callanan Cares
- Lehman-Roberts/Memphis Stone & Gravel (winner) of Memphis, Tennessee, for their Community Engagement program
- Reed Family Companies (winner) of Modesto, California, for their Community Involvement program
- Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC (finalist), of Venice, Florida, for Ajax Paving's Pave It Forward
- Sully-Miller Contracting Co. (finalist) of Brea, California, for Sully-Miller Days of Caring
2025 Safety Innovation Award winner:
- Gallagher Asphalt of Thorton, Illinois, for their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Pictograms
- Kokosing Materials Inc. of Fredericktown, Ohio, for their Confined Space Hands-On Training Simulator
2025 Ray Brown Airport Asphalt Pavement Award
Dunn Construction Co. Inc. of Birmingham, Alabama, took home the 2025 Ray Brown Airport Asphalt Pavement Award for work on the Taxiway H Connector at the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) in Birmingham, Alabama.
This project involved removing the existing asphalt to install a new surface on the pathway connecting runways with terminals and other facilities. The end result was improved ride quality and pavement strength, plus new taxiway striping. Dunn Construction was celebrated for completing the project on time despite a tight schedule and required coordination around airport traffic.
