Awards
Award Applications
2025 Industry Leader Award
The Utah Asphalt Pavement Associations’ Industry Leader Award is a prestigious award given each year, at the Association’s Annual Dinner, to the individual who demonstrates commitment and leadership to industry, UAPA, themselves, and the community. Having been nominated and chosen from among peers, this individual strives to represent all that is best about the asphalt pavement industry in Utah.
Asphalt Pavement Alliance Awards
The Asphalt Pavement Alliance developed the prestigious Perpetual Pavement awards to recognize long-life asphalt pavements in the U.S. and honor asphalt pavements demonstrating outstanding design and construction.
Nominations for each award are accepted from August 1 though December 1 of each year. Click below for more information on the various awards.
2024 Utah Large/Small Asphalt Project of the Year
2024 Quality in Pavement Preservation Award
2024 Private Project of the Year Nomination Award
Hall of Fame Inductees
The Utah Asphalt Pavement Hall of Fame Inductee is chosen each year from among industry representatives and peers as someone who has significantly contributed to the betterment of the asphalt pavement industry in Utah. It is presented to an individual who actively fostered and demonstrated vision and dedication in advancing the asphalt pavement industry and overall investment in quality infrastructure for the state of Utah.
2024 Inductee
Todd Morgan
The Utah Asphalt Pavement Hall of Fame Inductee is chosen each year from among industry representatives and peers as someone who has significantly contributed to the betterment of the asphalt pavement industry in Utah. It is presented to an individual who actively fostered and demonstrated vision and dedication in advancing the asphalt pavement industry and overall investment in quality infrastructure for the state of Utah.
The chosen inductee has a strong record of supporting policies and practices throughout their career that lowered the costs of doing business while reflecting industry values of responsible, safe and ethical business practices. This year’s Hall of Fame winner is Todd Morgan.
2020 Inductee
Hal LaBelle
Hal LaBelle 2020 Hall of Fame Inductee
Hal LaBelle grew up in Centerville, Utah, and graduated from Davis High, where he was active in student government and athletics. He went to Utah State on a baseball scholarship and graduated in 1960 after majoring in industrial management and minoring in economics. Hal also received an MBA from LaSalle University Extension in 1970.
Hal’s career took an unexpected turn almost immediately after graduation in 1960. He had started working for a construction company. At the time, his dad was a chemical engineer who was working as the area lube oil manager for Phillips Petroleum Company. His dad and a co-worker decided to be partners and start Utah Emulsions Company. The partner passed away six months after they organized the new company. At that time, Hal’s father asked him to join him in the new venture. He happily agreed.
Hal gives his dad credit for teaching him, by example and expectation, to have a great work ethic. He says his dad also had a positive attitude. Those attributes had a big impact as they started Utah Emulsions from ground zero, and the same attributes helped the company continue to be successful for many years after that. Hal is proud to be his father’s son because his dad was genuine and was always the same person regardless of who he was with. His dad’s best advice — and something Hal has heeded his entire career — was to “make recommendations that are best for your clients, not you; in the end, you will benefit because your clients will always trust you.”
Hal worked with his dad for 15 years, until his passing, far too young, at the age of 58. Hal continued to work as president of the business for another 10 years until the decision was made to sell Utah Emulsions to Koch Asphalt Co., a division of Koch Industries headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Hal stayed on with Koch as sales manager of the Western Region through 1998. After that, he joined Asphalt Systems, Inc. as an intermountain marketing manager. He is currently a senior advisor on a part-time basis.
During his entire career, Hal has had the opportunity of working with state DOTs, counties, cities and contractors and has supplied them with liquid asphalt products for their road maintenance projects. He has loved his work and appreciated the close friendships of co-workers and clients. Hal particularly admires two men who influenced and taught him:
- Wally Stephenson, Utah DOT engineer
- Gene Hansen, U.S. Forest Service engineer
Hal is also glad to have worked together with Phil Manning for over 40 years. Phil is currently the general manager for the ASI Salt Lake facility, and he was Hal’s plant and operations manager for Utah Emulsions and Koch.
Hal enjoys working with other co-workers and clients as well. He has enjoyed working with state, county, city and contractor individuals and to learn from many of them. He has always respected and admired their professionalism.
In addition to being awarded his engineering degree in 1960, Hal also married his college sweetheart. They have four children: Lisa, Rick, Curt and Mark. His family has been a great support for him. His sons Rick and Mark have worked with him at ASI for more than 15 years, and he has enjoyed working alongside them and learning from them. Both work with ASI’s road division, Rick out of Boise, Idaho, and Mark out of Salt Lake.
Hal feels very fortunate to have had excellent co-workers and to work with friends and family. For Hal, work is what you do to provide for your families, but he says the relationships he has developed with co-workers and customers have had an important positive effect on his work experience and results.
Since graduation, Hal has always been active in industry organizations on a local and national level, which has been very important and helpful for him. It was an honor and a great experience for him to serve on the board of directors and as vice chairman and chairman for the Associated General Contractors, a national organization that consists of associates and suppliers. Hal sees the asphalt industry as a team. Building and maintaining quality roads for the public is an important responsibility. Being successful depends on working together effectively. He sees associations like UAPA as a way to help members with that goal. UAPA also allows members to foster good relationships with suppliers and contractors.
Hal has some good advice for those new to the industry:
- Become aware of how important asphalt is to our way of life. Asphalt matters because the country as a whole and individual people all need good roads.
- Focus on good relationships with customers and colleagues.
- Be honest. Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer people who consider a handshake to be totally trustworthy. Do what you say you are going to do; that, in and of itself, will put you firmly on the path toward success.
2019 Inductee
Larry Brown
Larry Brown 2019 Hall of Fame Inductee
“When you get done with a road, it’s there, for God and everyone to see. No excuses. I’ve tried to live my life that way too.”
Larry Brown began his career in the equipment business in 1971, working for Century Equipment as a part-time parts guy while going to school at the University of Utah. He graduated with a
B.A. in Business Management.
After graduating, he started working full time, at Century Equipment, and was promoted to Ag and Construction sales. Larry’s first machine sale at Century was a new Case 580B backhoe that he sold for $12,500. Larry would continue selling for Century Equipment until 1977, when he left to become the new paving equipment salesman at Cate Equipment. Larry’s sales career blossomed at Cate and he quickly became regarded as an expert in the paving industry.
Larry continued working at Cate Equipment for 24 years. He refined his craft, made relationships that have lasted his entire career, and became known as an industry expert. In 2001, Wheeler Machinery made a big commitment to the paving industry – one which caught Larry’s attention. In April of 2001, he made the move to Wheeler Machinery and in the 17 years with Wheeler, he grew their market share from 20.4 percent to 79.9 percent. Larry was a consistent top PINS winner in paving across North America.
Larry is highly regarded among his peers as being honest, genuine, hardworking and direct. His sense of humor makes it very easy to be around him, and most can easily remember laughing out loud over his jokes or anecdotal stories. Larry has earned the respect and admiration of both his competitors and his customers.
After a long and successful career in the paving industry, his best advice is:
• Build relationships. They are the key to a successful career and a successful life. There are lots of quality people in the construction industry. Win people’s trust, and more importantly, go out of your way to keep it.
• Help your customers make money. I always found that when I helped them make money, I made a little money, my company made a little money, and we were all generally very happy.
• Worry about the second sale. Making the first sale is really easy. But, it’s the 2nd and 3rd ones that are tricky. By the time you get around to a repeat sale, it’s pretty obvious if you are living up to your promises or not. I always made it a point to sell with the repeat sale in mind.
Larry has truly become a legend in the paving industry and has left an indelible impression on his customers, friends and in the companies that he represented. He is proud that in a 40-year plus career, he’s only had three employers. The paving industry is small, and as he puts it, “It’s a pretty obvious field. What’s good is good and what isn’t is not. When you get done with a road, it’s there, for God and everyone to see. No excuses. I’ve tried to live my life that way too.”
Because of Larry’s hard work, dedication and example, the paving industry is a better place, and his legacy will endure. In paving jargon, his contributions will not soon be repaired, paved, rolled or forgotten.
2018 Inductee
Harvey Hansen
Harvey Hansen 2018 Hall of Fame Inductee
Harvey Hansen was born and raised in the Salt Lake area. He began working in the Asphalt/ Sand & Gravel industry in 1954 right after finishing High School. He went to work for Utah Sand and Gravel which later was purchased by Monroc. Harvey was hired as an asphalt plant operator and became very skilled at his trade. He excelled in becoming a welder and doing plant maintenance on the Asphalt Plant as well.
In those days people started working in an industry or with a company and planned to make that their career. Longevity was something to be proud of and led to advancements. At this juncture in Harvey’s life, those were his intentions as well. He was a hard worker, liked going to work every day, and enjoyed people.
Harvey devoted the next 23 years to his employer. During this time he fostered many friendships and met many people whom he could learn from and teach. He believed good ideas could come from anyone, not just the educated and management, and valued the feedback he received. In the lives of most individuals, there are people who have an influence or impact on their careers. In Harvey’s case, it was a bad manager who had the greatest impact on him. He learned there was a better way to treat people and a better way to do business, which led him to a career change. This change did not alter what he was skilled to do; rather, it pushed him in the direction of entrepreneurship within the same industry. Harvey started his own business in 1975 and named it Asphalt Materials; however, most people just called it Harvey’s. He said it was easy to sell quality asphalt, but harder to sell low grade asphalt, so he made the decision to always strive to make the best mix he could. He has been the only man in Utah to have an asphalt mix named for him—“Harvey’s mix” and people still request it.
It was a great accomplishment for Harvey to create something that was successful. He felt great personal satisfaction in his achievement and did what he had to do to succeed. This was something he was very proud of. His business philosophy included the following: work hard and put in the hours needed, value employees, treat customers fairly and help them out if possible, be involved in the business operations, be honest and honor your word– his word was his bond.
There are four things Harvey feels strongly about that helped him be successful in his business and that he
believes would help others be successful. First, do something you enjoy. Second, work hard, put in the hours to make your business successful, and be committed to the company, not its income. Third, pay your bills first and save for future needs. Fourth, use good business practices and show respect to others.
Harvey has a few sayings that he lives
by which have probably added to his
success. They are:
- Any job worth doing is worth doing well
- Never do a half-way job
- Do the best and be the best you can
- Treat others the way you would like to be treated
- The customer is almost always right, unless they are wrong
- It’s easier to smile and be happy
Harvey had a good attitude, got along with others, enjoyed people, valued their opinion, and considered them equal, was diplomatic, and treated others fairly. In looking back on the past 45 years, Harvey has a feeling of
accomplishment and self-satisfaction that he was able to make his company a success and share a piece of his legacy with his family. It makes it all worthwhile when things come together.
2017 Inductee
Al Schellenberg
Al Schellenberg 2017 Hall of Fame Inductee
DURING HIS WORKING CAREER, SCHELLENBERG GAINED A REPUTATION FOR HIS INTEGRITY. HE ALSO HAD A REPUTATION FOR BEING KIND AND FAIR. THAT, AND HIS ADHERENCE TO HIS FDIC MOTTO, HASN’T CHANGED.
If you want to find someone with a good work ethic, one good place to start is with someone who has worked on a farm. Al Schellenberg is a good example.
He was born in Bern, the de-facto capital of Switzerland, and his family immigrated to the U.S. when he was two years old. During his years in middle school, the family ended up in Idaho, and Al honed his work ethic on the farms in rural Idaho around where he lived. He attended BYU and graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering. Shortly after college, he started a small concrete business with his brother-in-law.
He began working at Geneva Rock Products in 1972, which is a subsidiary of the Orem-based Clyde Companies. That first job, which he thought would just be short-term, turned
into a life-long career with the company. Al, himself has said, “When I first joined Geneva, I thought since this a family- owned company, there was probably limited opportunities, but I’d try it out for a few years.”
He has many great stories from his years at Geneva Rock. Early on, there was a misunderstanding surrounding a tire vendor and five turkeys, which led to Al being temporarily fired. He was of course rehired that same day when it was all cleared up.
Al’s career began with engineering and estimating, and culminated with him retiring in 2011 after having served as the president of Geneva Rock Products, the president of WW Clyde & Co., and the Executive Vice President of Clyde Companies. The in-between years were filled with many positions and varied duties, and as Clyde Companies grew, Al’s career growth kept pace. Al’s dedication to quality quickly became well-known in the industry. He was also known as a thoughtful leader and mentor. He was very clear that without good people not much would get done, and as a result, he went out of his way to reward and acknowledge the contributions of others.
Somewhere along the way he decided to use an acronym to express four words that became his personal life motto: Faith, Discipline, Integrity, and Christ … or FDIC.
In the years since his retirement, Al Schellenberg has focused on meaningful things, which is what he set out to do. Spending time with his nine children and 50 grandchildren,
has certainly kept him busy. However, he has also devoted significant time to civic involvement, and the Boy Scout program. He has spent considerable time and effort in his retirement helping with construction at scout camps all over Utah, and while he has received many accolades and professional awards, he has also been awarded the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America for the impact made on the lives of youth through service given to the council.
2016 Inductee
Val Staker
Val Staker 2016 Hall of Fame Inductee
THOSE THAT WORKED WITH VAL OVER THE YEARS WILL TELL YOU THAT VAL WAS KNOWN FOR WALKING JOB SITES, AND TALKING TO THE CREWS. HE MADE A POINT OF GETTING TO KNOW PEOPLE, SO HE COULD CALL THEM BY THEIR NAME.
Val Staker was born and raised in Murray, Utah. He attended the University of Utah, but quickly decided that his career was calling. He started working for Pollard Asphalt, and realized two things: there was a world of opportunity in the asphalt business, and the best way to take advantage of the opportunities he saw was as a business owner.
In 1969, Val and his father Stu borrowed $5,000.00 and together with his brother Gordon formed Staker Paving and Construction Company, Inc. The company was soon recognized for its work supplying rock products and asphalt paving, as it became one of the largest asphalt manufacturers in the Western U.S.
Val Staker’s career in the asphalt paving industry has been very successful. Staker Paving and Construction eventually merged with another company, CRH, in 1995, a Fortune 500 company, with locations worldwide. As a result of the merger, Val assumed a significant and visible leadership role. Under his watch, yearly sales in 1995 were $750 million. Staker Paving merged with Jack B. Parsons, another Oldcastle subsidiary, in 2001. Staker Paving and Parsons were both family-owned Utah businesses that had decades of business experience, and both companies joined Oldcastle in the mid-1990s.
Val’s career was founded on sound principles that served him and others well:
- honesty,
- respect,
- fairness,
- a relentless dedication to quality
Those that worked with Val over the years will tell you that Val was known for walking job sites, and talking to the crews. He made a point of getting to know people, so he could call them by their name. Val was deliberate and real, and had a genuine desire to interact with his employees. He had a way of making everyone feel valued and important, which in turn, instilled loyalty to him and the company.
Val’s habit of empowering his people to make decisions – right or wrong – mentored many along the way. He was adamant that in life you need to commit to what you do, and do it, and in this aspect, like many others, he led by example. This sometimes spilled over into his personal life – he liked to drive fast, getting from point A to B, quickly. Once while driving his Porsche on I-15 he received a ticket for speeding, which he protested in court, saying that Porsches were made to be driven fast, so it was perfectly safe. The fact that he spent his career actually paving many of the roads, and a lot of I-15 here in Utah, could certainly support his theory.
Val retired from Staker Parson Companies in 2001. He left a legacy of professionalism in his industry and his community. Today, Val is enjoying his retirement, his four children, 22 grandchildren, fishing, traveling and watching the Utah Jazz play basketball.
2015 Inductee
Mont Wilson
Mont Wilson 2015 Hall of Fame Inductee
OVER THE 48 YEARS THAT MONT WILSON DEVOTED HIS EFFORTS TO THE PEOPLE AND PROJECTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, MONT ALWAYS WORKED TO MAKE THE INDUSTRY A BETTER PLACE AND ALWAYS LIVED BY THE NOTION TO GIVE MORE THAN YOU RECEIVE.
Mont Wilson can be summed up as follows: He was an avid learner who was committed to exactness and consistency, and he was also a mentor and friend. He created a legacy of listening, guiding, caring, and being generous with his time and his knowledge.
Over the 48 years that Mont Wilson devoted his efforts to the people and projects in the construction industry, Mont always worked to make the industry a better place and always lived by the notion to give more than you receive. Mont was well respected by those in the industry, regardless of company or position. Mont always enjoyed the personal (people) side of construction – he believed he had the biggest influence on people during one-on-one conversations.
Mont was born in Payson. He was known as “John” by solicitors or by those who knew him from his Army service, but his friends and his family always called him Mont.
A well-read man and a lover of learning, Mont could carry a conversation on almost any topic. His formal education included graduating from Payson High School and obtaining a degree in Civil Engineering from Brigham Young University. After graduation, Mont started his career with UDOT as a resident engineer who was responsible for managing a staff of surveyors, inspectors, and technicians, along with other engineers. Mont progressed through the ranks of UDOT, eventually developing engineering standards and new methods and procedures in the areas of surveying, mapping, design, and inspection. Mont later moved over to the contracting side of the industry working for J.B. Parsons, Staker Paving and fi nally Granite Construction. While at Staker Paving, Mont was instrumental
in helping to develop a computerized estimating system.
For those that knew Mont, know that he was committed to being extremely accurate and consistent in his “numbers.” While working on a project at Dougway Proving Grounds, and returning to Salt Lake, he ran out of gas. His associate Scott Fernald, who was with him in the truck, rhetorically asked him if he knew he was low on gas, to which Mont replied
that he did, and continued on with a question of his own: how could you know exactly who much gas the tank actually held until you actually ran the tank dry? His exactness with numbers was legendary.
Most importantly, Mont was a mentor to many in the industry. Mont’s willingness to spend as much time as was needed to teach, discuss, and joke about work is what made Mont such a great person. As mentioned previously, Mont would rather be one-on-one with someone rather than in front of a crowd. Chris Faulhaber described what it was like to be mentored by Mont as follows: “Mont was such an inspiration to my career and a good friend. He helped me down a path that has led to my current success and I truly believe I wouldn’t have made it here if not for him. I greatly appreciate the time I was able to have Mont be my mentor and influence me.”
Mont had a Hall of Fame career in the highway construction business in Utah and other western states. He was named Engineer of the Year in 2005 by the Associated General Contractors of Utah. If you drive on a state or federal highway anywhere in Utah or use a runway at the Salt Lake International Airport, you can bet that Mont has been there and had a hand in blazing the trail. Mont was known to many as “the professor” and was a leader in our industry.
2014 Inductee
Doyt Bolling
Doyt Bolling 2014 Hall of Fame Inductee
WHEN YOU APPROACH YOUR JOB FROM THE POINT OF BEING TEACHABLE, OR “MENTOR-ABLE” AS THE CASE MAY BE, YOU WILL FIND THAT THE SUCCESS OF OTHERS WILL POSITIVELY IMPACT YOU, AND JUST LIKE A ROAD, YOUR OWN CAREER WILL BE BUILT FROM A STRONG FOUNDATION UP.
In 1962, right after college, Doyt Bolling came west to build roads. He spent 32 years with the Federal Highway Administration and supervised road construction on thousands of miles of asphalt pavement, from the interstate system to the roads through the country’s western National Parks.
After he retired from his position with the Highway Administration, he spent 15 years as the director of the Utah LTAP Center, which is an integral part of a nationwide Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP). The Center bridges the gap between research and practice by translating the latest state-of-the-art technology in transportation into implementable products and information for the special use of local transportation agencies and personnel.
Additionally, he spent two years with the National Center for Pavement Preservation, until he retired for the last time in 2011.
Throughout his 50-year career in the asphalt paving industry, Doyt was a mentor to many, paying back the industry for the relationships that helped his own career to advance. Doyt is quick to mention that anyone serving in a leadership capacity learns quickly that their job simply can’t be done without staff that’s proactive, dedicated and capable. Part of any super-visor’s job description is to mentor people.
Doyt’s philosophy can be summed us as follows:
- Pay attention to detail. Just like a road, an organization needs to be built from the foundation up, and for the foundation to be strong, you have to pay attention to what you are doing.
- Use the best materials available. It’s simple; you can’t produce a quality product with sub par materials. It’s just not possible.
- Listen to fellow workers. Learn to collaborate and be open to the ideas of others.
The asphalt pavement industry is one where new and better ways of doing things are constantly evolving, and according to Doyt, being open and willing to listen and learn will serve you well. When you approach your job from the point of being teachable, or “mentor-able” as the case may be, you will find that the success of others will positively impact you, and just like a road, your own career will be built from a strong foundation up.
2013 Inductee
J. Don Brock
J. Don Brock 2013 Hall of Fame Inductee
“A MENTOR MANY YEARS AGO TOLD ME THAT TO BUILD A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS YOU JUST NEED TO BUILD A QUALITY PRODUCT, GIVE OUTSTANDING SERVICE, AND TOUCH THE CUSTOMERS.” – DR. J. DON BROCK
J. Don Brock founded Astec in 1972 along with four other friends and associates. Under his leadership, Astec grew into a global company of 18 subsidiaries in the U.S. and abroad. Today, Astec is a publicly-traded company with approximately $1 billion dollars in sales and more than 4,000 employees worldwide.
Don was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in October 1938. He was one of two children born to the late James and Edna Brock. He graduated from Central High School in 1957 and received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville in 1961. He continued his education at the Georgia Institute of Technology earning a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1963 and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering in 1965.
While in high school, Don worked with his dad building thermal hot oil heaters and asphalt storage tanks. This was the beginning of his career in the industry. It was at Georgia Tech that Don invented a revolutionary carpet dryer; this gave him the money to start Astec Industries.
When asked about the formulas for success, Astec management shared the following:
- Continuous devotion to meeting the needs of our customers.
As we wordsmith it, we say, “Continuous devotion to meeting the needs of our customers.” This means to give good service; educate the customer in how to use the equipment and maintain it, fix it if a problem arises, and fix it quickly, then determine what caused the problem, who was responsible, etc. - Honesty and integrity in all aspects of business.
In other words, you do what you say you are going to do regard-less of whether it’s in the contract or not. Make sure that you fulfill all of your promises to the customer. Just do the right thing. - Respect for all individuals.
All associates working for Astec should be treated the same regardless of their position. Every job is important regardless of what it is, or we would not have the job. For example, our receptionists are our managers of first impression. We encourage them to answer the phone properly and show common courtesy. - Preserving entrepreneurial spirit and innovation.
We operate through a structure where each company has the opportunity to develop its own products, focus on those products to make sure they work properly, be proud of what they manufacture and build, and make sure that these products operate as they have promised to their customers. - Safety, quality and productivity as means to ensure success.
This would insure giving a return to the stock-holders. While this is not the first core value, it is a byproduct of doing the first four values right.
While he was a quiet and unassuming man in person, no one would argue with calling him a giant in the industry. His legacy includes the founding of Astec in addition to holding approximately 100 patents, many of which helped to change the asphalt industry. Don was chairman of the board and CEO of Astec until 2014 when his son Ben Brock became CEO of the company. Don remained chairman of the board of Astec until his death, in 2015.