The Road Forward logo

The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) welcomes The Gerken Companies as a partner in The Road Forward, an industry-wide vision for sustainable communities and commerce.

This partnership helps fund ongoing efforts to engage, educate, and empower the U.S. asphalt community, driving forward the milestone of achieving net zero carbon emission asphalt pavements by 2050.

Founded in 1959 in Napoleon, Ohio, The Gerken Companies has been a NAPA Producer member since 1991. Gerken's asphalt services throughout northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan include paving, milling and grinding, quality control and testing, decorative asphalt and asphalt material production, including environmentally friendly warm-mix and reclaimed asphalt.

According to Susan Witt, civil engineer at Gerken, community support is one of the company's core values.

"We do more than work in the communities our companies serve," said Witt. "We live here, too. So, we are continually considering our impact on society and the environment."

Witt served on NAPA's Climate Stewardship Task Force, which developed The Road Forward. Other Gerken employees serve NAPA and the industry as well. Mandy Gerken-Snyder, vice president of Legal, Risk & Compliance, sits on NAPA's board of directors as chair of the IMPACT Leadership Group. President Brent Gerken serves on several committees, including as the Ohio State Advisor for the Northcentral Region Advisory Council.

"Meeting our industry's bold sustainability goals requires that we all work together," said Brent Gerken. "Toward that end, we're proud to partner with NAPA in The Road Forward initiative."

"We are grateful to The Gerken Companies for their role in developing and supporting The Road Forward," said NAPA President and CEO Audrey Copeland. "Gerken's work has earned numerous Quality in Construction Awards and Diamond Achievement Sustainable Commendations, demonstrating that sustainability and performance go hand in hand."

The Road Forward brings together the entire U.S. asphalt community to conduct research, implementation and ongoing education. Opportunities to join the program in 2024 end Aug. 30 and will re-open for annual enrollment in conjunction with NAPA's 2025 Annual Meeting, Feb. 2-5 in Maui.

The Road Forward Partners are NAPA members that actively support this work through financial contributions, leadership, and expertise. New this year, NAPA invites nonprofit organizations, like-minded associations, and agencies to support the industry-wide effort through a tiered program. The new tiered program invites all stakeholders to the table to collectively propel the vision toward net zero.

For more information, visit AsphaltPavement.org/Forward and gerkencompanies.com.

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