How America’s Principles are the Core Focus of Pitch Black®
By Nicole Larsen & Robb Archie
As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary this year, we’re proud to reflect on what makes our country great. Many of us have seen the videos of World Cup visitors praising our restaurants, our friendly American demeanor, our beautiful neighborhoods and of course, our beloved Buc-ees and 7-Elevens on every corner. But as they drive from airport, to freeway, to road, to parking lot (which many of us have paved and sealed over generations), the greatest principles of America exist quietly in the background and rooted in our culture. We wanted to take the opportunity to acknowledge these American principles and how they are the foundation of our company and many companies in the U.S., regardless of political affiliation or industry competition.
The Courage to Take Risks
If America was built on anything, it was courage. As we all know, running a business is a series of calculated risks. If you’re not a rebel in your industry, you’re not setting yourself up for growth. While the Pitch Black® formula remains consistent, we continue to push the boundaries of industry benchmarks. In 1981, we stepped away from coal tar and created a safer, environmentally-safe sealcoat that performs beautifully! It dries fast but more importantly produces a darker, richer and thicker sealcoat that holds up to the elements and maintains it’s dark color longer than most products. We knew we struck gold! But selling asphalt emulsion sealcoat to the East Coast was an uphill battle 40 years ago. People told us we were crazy. When offering a product or service most companies are not, you’re alone in your quest and you have to make peace with that. In the multi-stage process of transforming a creative idea such as Pitch Black®, we realized we were making a product that would have a high impact in the industry, have high value, improve efficiency in the application and change the way the sealcoat businesses operated. We had the courage to weather the storm of other sealcoat manufacturers disparaging us and our product at industry shows, in presentations and on the internet. But we converted the skeptics. Having the courage to push past the industry status quo on your own is the recipe for growth.
Pushing Through Hard Times
America has had its shares of ups and downs to put it lightly. But for Americans, the struggles we’ve overcome as a country are part of the fabric of our culture. No one understands economic struggles more than small business owners. They are the customers we consider in every decision we make as a company. The way we price our sealcoat plants, how we train manufacturers, our commitment to safe ingredients, and how we educate customers is with the hardworking small business owner in mind. We know how difficult the last four years have been with high shipping prices, high fuel prices, high material prices, and some products that fall far short of expectations. If you prepare the pavement surface properly, use a high-quality product, mix and prepare the sealcoat material properly and educate yourself in the science of seal coating, your jobs will look better, last longer and produce more customers. Our core focus for Pitch Black® is maintaining quality and the value of the brand. While some companies choose to water down sealcoat, lower prices or make more economical blends, that’s not the Pitch Black® way. We’re pushing past the hard times by continuing our commitment to the highest quality sealcoat our customers rely on.
Moving Forward Through Innovation
America continues to succeed through innovation. Whether it’s the next iPhone or AI, the race to innovate is always on. When we were contractors, we were looking for a better way of doing things in the sealcoating business. We were dedicated to creating a better product that dried faster, stayed darker, lasted longer, had no irritating odor and did not create health risks to people and the environment. We wanted a product that made cleanup easy. We didn’t want contractors to have to use harsh chemicals to get it off them, equipment or buildings. We also focused on compatibility with water-based or oil-based line striping paints, so they wouldn’t change color. We wanted a sealcoat that would allow us to stripe faster so we could finish projects more quickly and save on crew costs. Pitch Black® succeeded in all of those areas. We pioneered the introduction of asphalt-based sealcoat into the Midwest and East Coast of the USA. We’ve worked hard at making Pitch Black® a great product and we continue to do so whether we’re talking to suppliers about ingredients or designing new plant features.
Maintaining Honor & Quality
Americans that love this country know it’s a great honor to maintain our freedom, many of whom have fought fearlessly for it. America is a lighthouse, a beacon for the world. In business, the best companies are a beacon for quality… and that’s the Pitch Black® mission. Before inventing Pitch Black®, the Archie family started in the asphalt industry in the 1930s and been a part of it ever since. We applied coal tar, operated coal tar plants, paved highways, city streets, county roads, utilities and sealed pavements across the USA. We understand the need for a strong product that lasts. In those 90 some years, we always followed a strict code of ethics. Honor and integrity have always been very important to us. But inventing an asphalt-emulsion sealcoat was a gamechanger. Having a product with 0.00% PAHs, but still strong enough to last on city streets, airports and high-traffic parking lots differentiates us from many brands. We know our manufacturers and contractors rely on that promise to keep Pitch Black® at 0.00% PAHs, to keep our strict ingredient standards and customer service standards. We meet with city and state officials to educate them on how our material can benefit their city streets, schools, and parks. We answer the phone around the clock, fly to our manufacturers, help with open houses, answer questions for our customers’ customers because that’s the Pitch Black® way.
Many have asked us why we don’t make more than one sealcoat product. The answer is simple. We do not offer other blends of sealer, because we believe Pitch Black® is our very best sealcoat material. We know you’ll agree once you try it. After all, Pitch Black® sells itself. Today, we have sealcoat plants and distributors throughout the USA and Eastern Canada with more plants to come! Join the Pitch Black® family. Contact us today to lock down your plant territory.
ABOUT PITCH BLACK•: The Archie family got its start in asphalt in the 1930s with Robb Archie’s grandfather, Joe Archie, in Western New York. Archie’s dad, Earl Archie, learned the trade from his dad during the 1940s and 50s and taught it to his son, Robb Archie, who carried that knowledge from the 1960s and 70s to make Pitch Black® in the 1980s. The family secret formula is licensed to Pitch Black® manufacturers and has been used for over 40 years. Robert Archie, inventor of Pitch Black® sealcoat, is also currently president of U.S. Seal International, Inc. and ASMA-USA (Asphalt Sealcoat Manufacturers Association).
ABOUT THE WRITER: Nicole Larsen has contributed cover articles on behalf of U.S. Seal International, Inc. (Pitch Black®) since 2013. She is also Chief Marketing Officer for U.S. Seal International and founder of marketing agency, Busy Ave, Inc.
