Formation as WBPA
The founders of the Wisconsin Bituminous Paving Association drafted and ratified the organization’s constitution on December 13, 1948. On December 28 of that year, the WBPA officially incorporated.
The purpose of the organization was twofold: to promote quality of hot mix asphalt pavement and to act as a public relations liaison with all units of government and the private sector.
The original members were:
Walter Bechthold, Payne & Dolan, Inc.
J.E. Schultz and L.W. Kahl, Rein, Schultz and Dahl
L.M. Hayes, Rock Road Construction
R.L. Miller, Reliance
Orville Murphy, Black Creek Construction
Milton Neils, Alexander
Lowell Turner, Turner Construction
Henry White, White Construction
Walter Bechthold was the first President; J.E. Schultz was the first Secretary/Treasurer.
Organizational Renewal
The organization remained relatively inactive for a decade, but with initiation of the Interstate Highway System under President Eisenhower’s in 1956, Wisconsin’s asphalt industry was poised to take an active role in new highway construction in the state.
WBPA was reorganized and revitalized at Madison’s Park Hotel in 1956, Mike Hayes was selected President; R.L. Miller became Vice President, and L.W. Kahl became Secretary/Treasurer.
At that time, Ed Konkol was appointed the first full-time Executive Director of the WBPA. This marked the beginning of active representation of the asphalt industry in Wisconsin that continues to this day.
Name Change
An amendment was made to the Articles of Incorporation on April 13, 1965, changing the organization’s name to its current form: the Wisconsin Asphalt Pavement Association.
Seven Decades of Leadership
WAPA’s Past Presidents and Executive Directors since the renewal of the association in 1956:
PAST PRESIDENTS | ||
Year | President | Company |
1956 | Mike Hayes | Rock Road Construction Companies |
1957 | Mike Hayes | Rock Road Construction Companies |
1958 | Mike Hayes | Rock Road Construction Companies |
1959 | Mike Hayes | Rock Road Construction Companies |
1960 | Mike Hayes | Rock Road Construction Companies |
1961 | Mike Hayes | Rock Road Construction Companies |
1962 | Mike Hayes | Rock Road Construction Companies |
1963 | Mike Hayes | Rock Road Construction Companies |
1964 | James J. Cote | Mathy Construction Company |
1965 | James J. Cote | Mathy Construction Company |
1966 | Bruce Schultz | Rein, Schultz & Dahl, Inc. |
1967 | Bruce Schultz | Rein, Schultz & Dahl, Inc. |
1968 | William Knuese | Payne & Dolan |
1969 | William Knuese | Payne & Dolan |
1970 | Orville Murphy | Murphy Construction Company |
1971 | Orville Murphy | Murphy Construction Company |
1972 | D.L. Gasser | D.L. Gasser Construction Company |
1973 | D.L. Gasser | D.L. Gasser Construction Company |
1974 | L.W. (Bud) Kahl | Rein, Schultz & Dahl, Inc. |
1975 | L.W. (Bud) Kahl | Rein, Schultz & Dahl, Inc. |
1976 | Ned Bechthold | Payne & Dolan, Inc. |
1977 | Ned Bechthold | Payne & Dolan, Inc. |
1978 | Charles F. Mathy | Mathy Construction Co. |
1979 | Charles F. Mathy | Mathy Construction Co. |
1980 | Donald J. Beaudoin | Wm. Beaudoin & Sons, Inc. |
1981 | Donald J. Beaudoin | Wm. Beaudoin & Sons, Inc. |
1982 | Tom Linnan | L & W Construction Co., Inc. |
1983 | Tom Linnan | L & W Construction Co., Inc. |
1984 | D.L. Gasser | D.L. Gasser Construction Company |
1985 | D.L. Gasser | D.L. Gasser Construction Company |
1986 | Don Lang | Lang Engineering Company, Inc. |
1987 | Don Lang | Lang Engineering Company, Inc. |
1988 | Ervin Benish | Payne & Dolan, Inc. |
1989 | Ervin Benish | Payne & Dolan, Inc. |
1990 | Robert J. Kennedy, Sr. | Rock Road Companies Inc. |
1991 | Robert J. Kennedy, Sr. | Rock Road Companies Inc. |
1992 | Joe Teglia | Paving Mix & Construction Co., Inc. |
1993 | Kent Pitlik | Pitlik & Wick, Inc. |
1994 | Kent Pitlik | Pitlik & Wick, Inc. |
1995 | Steve Kennedy | Rock Road Companies Inc. |
1996 | Steve Kennedy | Rock Road Companies Inc. |
1997 | Steve Kennedy | Rock Road Companies Inc. |
1998 | Jeffrey Miller | R.W. Miller & Sons, Inc. |
1999 | John Montgomery | American Asphalt of Wisconsin |
2000 | Larry Usack | Northeast Asphalt, Inc. |
2001 | Brian Pitlik | Pitlik & Wick, Inc. |
2002 | Brian Pitlik | Pitlik & Wick, Inc. |
2003 | Rick Schmidt | Payne & Dolan, Inc. |
2004 | Steve Kennedy | Rock Road Companies Inc. |
2005 | Steve Kennedy | Rock Road Companies Inc. |
2006 | Rick Schmidt | Payne & Dolan, Inc. |
2007 | Brian Pitlik | Pitlik & Wick, Inc. |
2008 | Jeffrey Miller | R.W. Miller & Sons, Inc. |
2009 | Steve Higgins | Payne & Dolan, Inc. |
2010 | John Montgomery | American Asphalt of Wisconsin |
2011 | Dustin Gradel | Tri-County Paving Inc. |
2012 | Brad Pitlik | Pitlik and Wick, Inc. |
2013 | John Bartoszek | Northeast Asphalt Inc. |
2014 | Kirt Haggard | Northwest Asphalt Products |
2015 | Steve Kennedy | Rock Road Companies Inc. |
2016 | Brian Endres | Payne & Dolan, Inc. |
2017 | Brian Endres | Payne & Dolan, Inc. |
2018 | Dustin Gradel | Tri-County Paving Inc. |
2019 | Dustin Gradel | Tri-County Paving Inc. |
2020 | Michael Byrnes | Mathy Construction Co. |
2021 | Michael Byrnes | Mathy Construction Co. |
2022 | Carl Johnson | Stark Pavement Corp. |
2023 | Carl Johnson | Stark Pavement Corp. |
EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS | |
Year(s) | Executive Director |
1957-1965 | Ed Konkol |
1965-1975 | Al Thelen |
1975 | Wes Burmeister |
1977-1982 | Jack Mathews |
1984 | Larry Murphy |
1985 | Merlin Luher |
1986-2003 | Gerald Waelti |
2003-2007 | Patrick Goss |
2008-2012 | Scot Schwandt |
2013-2023 | Brandon Strand |
2023-Present | Deb Schwerman |
A History in Documents
Click any image to open.
WBPA’s Original Articles of Incorporation, December 1948
First page of the Constitution and Bylaws, December 1948
Flash! Emergency Alert Letterhead, late 1950s
Membership Application with Association Aims, Objectives and Purposes, circa 1957. (Historical reference only. New members, please apply online)
Magic Carpet, The Story of Asphalt, circa 1957
Asphalt Institute Advertisements, late 1950s
Matchbook Cover, late 1950s