By: Frank Raczon, Senior Editor, Construction Equipment
Large asphalt paver manufacturers have reason to smile as the market is good overall, and though there is some caution about possible headwinds, they continue to incorporate technology to increase contractor efficiency and control.
“It’s been a really good year but the perception by some in the industry is that it hasn’t been, because 2017 was such a great year,” says Kyle Neisen, product managers for pavers and MTVs at Roadtec. “The industry is down some from 2017, but it’s still good progress. In 2017 we saw the fruits of the FAST Act Bill, and 2018 was the tail end of that.” Neisen adds that heavy rains over much of the country affected the ability to schedule some jobs.
“While we don’t see any major market growth for asphalt pavers, it’s reasonable to believe that there could be expected modest growth on the basis that, according to industry experts and construction associations, most states are beginning to transition from the rapid bridge-replacement programs and are starting to let more Interstate reconstruction projects through,” says Bill Laing, paving product manager for Volvo Construction Equipment. “A specific example of the expected shift in focus was cited by the Pennsylvania DOT, which is forecasting a 7 percent increase in total number of asphalt projects compared to 2018.”
For the full story, please visit: https://www.constructionequipment.com/more-asphalt-paving-more-investment
