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3 Tips to Maintaining a Successful Sealcoating Business
By Marvin Joles III "This was a weird year.” That’s pretty much the general response when I hear sealcoating contractors being asked how their 2024 season went. Nobody said they did bad, really, but just that it wasn’t as expected in several ways. Whether it was the...
Conference Season Tips
Making the Most of Show Season By Marvin Joles III Chances are, if you are in the asphalt industry and you see me in person anytime from mid-October to the end of March, it will be at an asphalt industry conference, expo or event. That has been my life’s course for...
Compacting Cold-Mix Patches
By Marvin Joles III Let’s face it: as asphalt maintenance contractors, we would much rather they just have us cut and replace with hot-mix, infrared or even skim patch a spot. But when they want the “cheapest” solution to fix a hole or broken spot, it’s cold-mix. Yes,...
Winterization 101: How to Keep Your Sealcoating Equipment in Top Shape
Marvin Joles III One of the worst feelings in the sealcoating world is being ready to go and jump right out of the gate come spring, then getting to that first client you have set up and something doesn’t work or leaks. You have officially taken yourself from the...
Heating Up with Infrared Patching
Tips And Challenges For Hot Weather Application Marvin Joles III This summer at Wis-Coat, we have been doing a decent amount of infrared patching. We have used this method and equipment for a few years now and have learned a lot along the way. To say that I had the...
Navigating Summer Sealcoating:
Tips And Challenges For Hot Weather Application Marvin Joles III I know there has been a lot of rain this summer around most parts of the country. Even though we laugh about it, if you have seen the “swimming pool” meme on the Blacktop Banter Instagram this month,...
Top 3 Things to Know When Getting into Sealcoating
Marvin Joles III This season marks my 20th year owning and operating a primarily sealcoating business. I have learned a lot over the years and have been fortunate enough to gain insight from some of the leaders in the industry that have been more successful than I...
10 Things to Consider when Buying Asphalt Equipment
Marvin Joles III We just bought a gang of equipment this spring at Wis-Coat Asphalt Maintenance. The type of equipment that makes you consider either taking “Asphalt Maintenance” off the end of your business name or adding “and Paving” to it. Paver. Skid Steer....
Driving Success Together: The Power of “Mastermind Groups” in the Asphalt Industry
Owner/Operator Groups in Asphalt… Why? Marvin Joles III In the Asphalt industry, where projects are often multifaceted and the Owner/Operator role is stressful and long, the concept of a “mastermind” group (like the Blacktop Banter Success Group) holds significant...
3 Tips to Prepare for Spring in Asphalt Maintenance
As the winter weather begins to fade away and spring approaches, asphalt companies must begin preparing for the busy season ahead. With warmer temperatures and more sunlight, spring is the perfect time for asphalt maintenance and repair projects. Here are a few key...
Do the Right Thing
By Marvin Joles III and Chris Tammany I have to be honest, LinkedIn has been the Asphalt Industry “Hot-Spot” for me as of late. I pop in there daily to post and see what my constituents comment about my posts. My posts are often about something going on at BB....
3 Tips to a Successful Conference Season
By Marvin Joles III If you are familiar with my content over the years, you know I LOVE the Expos and Conferences that highlight our industry. It is where vital relationships are fostered and where the community is made. These events, and the relationships developed...
“Lots” of Cracks
By Marvin Joles III and Daniel Wright In the past few years, if you have been paying attention much, the Cracksealing market, as far as offerings from manufacturers go, has been “heating up”. With every manufacturer showing off new features and making advancements to...
Asphalt Repairs with Infrared Technology
By Marvin Joles III and Chris Giese We have been fortunate as of late at Blacktop Banter to have recently spent some time creating content about Infrared Asphalt repairs for some of the leading Infrared Equipment Manufacturers in the Asphalt Industry. While I (Marvin)...
Let’s Have a Safety Meeting
By Marvin Joles III Have you ever seen the photos on Facebook groups of guys who have had Hot-Rubber Crack-Sealant cover their hands or splash on their arms? No?...be thankful. Let’s be honest about this. If you are a contractor and have your buddy or cousin (maybe...
Asphalt & Motorsports
By Marvin Joles III Loud motors, burning rubber, high speeds, wrecks and thrilling finishes. That’s what we think when we think racing, but here at Blacktop Banter we are learning there is a lot more to it than what is on the surface. For example, the actual surface....
Content Marketing WHY AND HOW?
By Marvin Joles III and Jeani Ringkob It can never be too late in the season to market your business and try to create leads, especially if your season never ends. In any case, you have heard me speak for years about how internet marketing, whether social media or...
Batteries On Asphalt
By Marvin Joles III Progression. At one point, we had hand crank drills. I’m sure somebody said, “I don’t know if I trust those, what if you don’t have electricity yet or the power goes out on a job.” Then when battery powered drills came out, people said, “They are...
Growing Your Talent Pipeline
By Marvin Joles III and Cam Roberts It’s a struggle. Finding talent. It’s a topic we often discuss in our Blacktop Banter Success Group and one that is possibly easily solvable if you are willing to look through a different lens and willing to take the steps (work) to...
Products & Equipment, in the NOW
By Marvin Joles III With one of the larger Asphalt Industry Expos recently coming to a close in Charlotte, NC last month, there were a lot of new products on display. Make no mistake, there were pieces of equipment that were on display that have been largely unchanged...
Adopting Technology for an Efficient Season
By Marvin Joles III As we get into the New Year, in most regions this time of year hits us in our slow/off part of our work season. Most the asphalt industry business owners I know, use this time of year for maintenance, education, staff hires, training, tax prep and...
The Importance of Industry Relationships
By Marvin Joles III Shaking hands, exchanging names. Then what? This was the basis of one of the recent Blacktop Banter Podcast episodes and is something to think about when we meet with clients, reps, vendors, other contractors and just people along our contractor...
