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Ingevity, North Charleston, South Carolina, and Ajax Paving Solutions of Florida LLC, North Venice, have pledged their support for The Road Forward, an industrywide initiative of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) aimed at producing net-zero carbon emission asphalt pavements.
In joining inaugural sponsors Cargill Asphalt Solutions and Peckham Industries Inc., Ingevity, an associate member of NAPA, and Ajax, a producer member of NAPA, are demonstrating their commitment to climate stewardship while advancing the asphalt pavement industry.
“For decades, Ingevity and Ajax Paving Industries of Florida have demonstrated their respective commitments to innovating on behalf of their customers and communities,” NAPA President CEO Audrey Copeland says. “Their support of The Road Forward fuels our vision for the future: sustainable communities and commerce, connected by net-zero carbon asphalt pavements.”
Family-owned Ajax Paving operates eight asphalt plants across Florida’s Gulf Coast and constructs various projects from runways to design-build. Ajax President Vince Hafeli has served on NAPA’s board of directors since 2015 and is currently the vice chair of the Southeast Region Advisory Council.
A NAPA member since 2002, Ingevity manufactures sustainable specialty chemicals and materials for a variety of markets, including preservation products for asphalt pavements and warm-mix asphalt (WMA) additives like Evotherm. Ingevity recently published an environmental product declaration (EPD) for Evotherm M1, making it the first chemical additive supplier to be included in NAPA’s EPD tool, Emerald Eco-Label.
In supporting The Road Forward, Ajax and Ingevity will help fund ongoing research and education to aid the U.S. asphalt industry as it seeks net-zero carbon emission asphalt production and construction by 2050.
“Ajax Paving Industries of Florida is excited to be leading the asphalt industry in paving the path forward in sustainability,” Hafeli says. “The journey to a net-zero future is difficult to even comprehend. However, with NAPA as a partner, we are excited about the upcoming journey, which ties directly into Ajax being the employer, contractor and partner of choice.”
Ingevity Vice President of Pavement Technologies Andrew Crow says the commitment to The Road Forward reflects the company’s heritage of providing renewable raw material-sources products.
“Ingevity is very pleased to support NAPA and The Road Forward initiative as we work together to move the asphalt industry towards net zero emissions,” he says. “At Ingevity, sustainability is at the center of all we do … We are excited to bring our expertise in sustainable paving technologies to the industry as we work to meet our shared climate goals.”
