Making the Connection

Andrew Gillman and Curt Perterka have been traveling across the country in a Ford F150. The 15,200 miles they’ve recorded on the odometer have not just been to tour the country, but also to spread a message. With a decked-out truck sporting a green landscape, blue sky and road sign, Gillman and Peterka have surely turned a few heads as they travel down America’s highways as they try to gain support for a cause they feel will benefit the country in several ways.

The Road Connection is a nationwide initiative to highlight the need for increased road and infrastructure funding. It involves increasing awareness about the positive impact that infrastructure funding has on the job market, about the poor road conditions that exist in many areas today, and about the burden that the high cost of poor road conditions place on both individuals and communities.

Gillman, of West Des Moines, Iowa-based Performance Marketing, is driving that message to people literally by making stops at trade shows, open houses and industry events.

“I am the ‘mobile journalist’ that has the opportunity to travel around the country in the truck and document our progress through video, photos, and writing,” says Gillman. “My role is to make sure that Americans have an idea about the challenges facing our roads and bridges, and educating everyone we meet about the severity of the situation— in turn, persuading them to take political action and contact their members of Congress by visiting www.theroadconnection.org.”

Construction & Demolition Recycling magazine, a media sponsor of The Road Connection, caught up with Gillman on the campaign trail and had the opportunity to ask him about the progress being made.

Construction & Demolition Recycling (C&DR): Please tell us how The Road Connection came into existence?

Andrew Gillman (AG): The Road Connection is a project that began with an idea to improve the roads, highways and bridges in this country. Roads connect us all: they are the lifeblood of commerce, they keep us safe, and they improve our quality of life. Sadly, they are falling apart and being largely ignored by our lawmakers. A group of people from KPI-JCI & Astec Mobile Screens in Yankton, S.D., and a group of people from Performance Marketing in West Des Moines, Iowa, got together and came to the conclusion that something needed to be done. After a lot of brainstorming, discussion, and caffeine, The Road Connection was born, and KPI-JCI & Astec Mobile Screens was proud to take the reins as a key sponsor of this initiative.

(C&DR): What have you done so far this year to spread your message?

(AG): We have been on the road almost non-stop since January taking our message to trade shows, open houses, dealer locations, and construction sites on the side of the road taking photos, video, and educating folks about the need for a federal highway bill. We will eventually be sending a video to all the members of Congress urging them to work together to get folks back to work fixing our roads.

(C&DR): Why do you feel this is such an important issue?

(AG): This is an important issue for two main reasons. First, U.S. infrastructure received a grade of D-minus from the American Society of Civil Engineers. This is about as close as you can get to failing without actually doing so. Most folks are unaware of shocking facts regarding our roads and bridges; like that one in four bridges in this country are structurally deficient and are in need of repair. It’s also important from an economic standpoint. A lot of the people in this country are still feeling the effects of the down economy. Unemployment is still hovering around 10 percent, and nothing boosts the economy and gets folks back to work like a fully-funded, comprehensive public works project.

(C&DR): What kind of response have you received from the industry?

(AG): I’m proud to say that we have received nothing but positive responses and support from folks in the industry. Many industry trade associations have jumped on board with The Road Connection, including NAPA (National Automotive Parts Association), ARTBA (American Road & Transportation Builders Association), NSSGA (National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association), AED (Associated Equipment Distributors), and AEM (Association of Equipment Manufacturers). On top of that, we have had great success in sharing our message with everyone we meet at trade shows, open houses, and dealer stops. They all agree that we need to invest in our roads and bridges and get this country back on track.

(C&DR): How are you working with local, state or federal legislators?

(AG): One of the main ways we are reaching out to federal legislators is by urging folks to contact their senators and representatives in Congress. The Road Connection offers an easy way to do this from our website, www.theroad connection.org. Click on the Contact Congress button, enter some information, and it sends out a form letter to your two senators and district representative. We are also inviting federal, state and local politicians to dealer events to share their views on infrastructure funding. So far, we have gotten a positive response from those folks as well. Most agree that something needs to be done, but partisan politics being commonplace on Capitol Hill, it seems the parties can’t agree on exactly how to fund a bill.

(C&DR): What are some of the issues and legislation currently being considered by Congress? What is your stance on those issues?

(AG): Before March 31st, the U.S. Senate had a version of the bill calling for $109 billion over two years to be allocated to repairing our roadways. The House plan called for $260 billion over five years. The Senate-proposed plan had overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate, and was sent to the House to pass before sending it to the President to be signed into law. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives did not pass the Senate bill. Partisan politics once again left everyday Americans in a tough position. Instead, a 90-day extension of current funding levels was passed, effectively “kicking the can” down the road for another few months. The Road Connection takes a non-partisan viewpoint, and we feel that Congress needs to work together to pass something, anything, that fix our roads, and give contractors the confidence to invest in workers and equipment, which will in turn benefit all Americans in the form of better roads and a stronger economy. Investing in our roads and bridges is something that has unprecedented return for our country. For every billion that is invested in infrastructure, 28,000 jobs are created, in turn generating $6.2 billion of economic activity. That’s a return of $5.20 for every dollar invested.

(C&DR): What do you hope to see happen in the next six to 12 months in terms of legislation? How do you think progress will be affected with the upcoming elections?

(AG): It’s always a tricky situation trying to get anything done in an election year. Politicians are focused primarily on keeping their jobs, which sometimes puts the needs of their constituency on the proverbial back burner. Our role in keeping the politicians focused on this issue will be by continuing to flood their offices with letters telling them exactly how important a highway bill is to all of us. We will also continue to invite them to Road Connection events along the way, so that they can stay “in touch” with the needs of everyday Americans. Hopefully, they will take note, and understand that in order to keep their jobs, they need to show us (their constituency), that they have our best interests in mind, and passing a long-term highway bill is a step in the right direction.

(C&DR): What does the future have in store for The Road Connection?

(AG): The Road Connection will continue to carry our message to everyday folks advocating for better roads and bridges. We have dealer stops scheduled across the country from now until September, and will be educating the public about how important this issue really is. Unfortunately, roads and bridges are largely taken for granted in this country, and so it’s our job to make sure that people know that political change only happens when their voice is heard. By unifying our voices, we will put lawmakers on notice that we will not allow them to play political games at the expense of the safety of the American motorist.

(C&DR): How can someone get involved with The Road Connection?

(AG): The Road Connection is a grassroots, non-partisan effort, so the best way to get involved is by sharing our message with your family, friends, and colleagues and asking them to send a letter to their Senators and Representatives by visiting The Road Connection website (www.theroadconnection.org), and clicking on the Contact Congress button. Another way to support the cause is by visiting our blog and social sites— leave comments, “like” us on Facebook, share a story about what better roads mean to you, or enter our worst roads contest from our website. All these things help The Road Connection gain momentum as we make a big push towards pressuring our lawmakers to pass a long-term highway bill. For more information on those opportunities, please contact me directly: contact@theroadconnection.org

(C&DR): Is there anything else you want to mention?

(AG): This campaign would not be possible without the support of our sponsors, so we would like to quickly thank all of the publications, trade associations and companies for getting involved and supporting this message that will in turn positively affect the industry—and the country in general. A special thank you to our key sponsors, KPI-JCI & Astec Mobile Screens for the leadership they have taken in The Road Connection campaign.

Andrew Gillman of Performance Marketing, West Des Moines, Iowa, is with The Road Connection campaign and can be reached at contact@theroadconnection.org.

Connecting with legislators: Visitors to The Road Connection website, www.theroadconnection.org, can click on the “Contact Congress” button, and send a letter directly to their representatives in Congress to let them know where they stand on the federal highway bill.