WAPA’s History

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
YearPresidentCompany
1956Mike HayesRock Road Construction Companies
1957Mike HayesRock Road Construction Companies
1958Mike HayesRock Road Construction Companies
1959Mike HayesRock Road Construction Companies
1960Mike HayesRock Road Construction Companies
1961Mike HayesRock Road Construction Companies
1962Mike HayesRock Road Construction Companies
1963Mike HayesRock Road Construction Companies
1964James J. CoteMathy Construction Company
1965James J. CoteMathy Construction Company
1966Bruce SchultzRein, Schultz & Dahl, Inc.
1967Bruce SchultzRein, Schultz & Dahl, Inc.
1968William KnuesePayne & Dolan
1969William KnuesePayne & Dolan
1970Orville MurphyMurphy Construction Company
1971Orville MurphyMurphy Construction Company
1972D.L. GasserD.L. Gasser Construction Company
1973D.L. GasserD.L. Gasser Construction Company
1974L.W. (Bud) KahlRein, Schultz & Dahl, Inc.
1975L.W. (Bud) KahlRein, Schultz & Dahl, Inc.
1976Ned BechtholdPayne & Dolan, Inc.
1977Ned BechtholdPayne & Dolan, Inc.
1978Charles F. MathyMathy Construction Co.
1979Charles F. MathyMathy Construction Co.
1980Donald J. BeaudoinWm. Beaudoin & Sons, Inc.
1981Donald J. BeaudoinWm. Beaudoin & Sons, Inc.
1982Tom LinnanL & W Construction Co., Inc.
1983Tom LinnanL & W Construction Co., Inc.
1984D.L. GasserD.L. Gasser Construction Company
1985D.L. GasserD.L. Gasser Construction Company
1986Don LangLang Engineering Company, Inc.
1987Don LangLang Engineering Company, Inc.
1988Ervin BenishPayne & Dolan, Inc.
1989Ervin BenishPayne & Dolan, Inc.
1990Robert J. Kennedy, Sr.Rock Road Companies Inc.
1991Robert J. Kennedy, Sr.Rock Road Companies Inc.
1992Joe TegliaPaving Mix & Construction Co., Inc.
1993Kent PitlikPitlik & Wick, Inc.
1994Kent PitlikPitlik & Wick, Inc.
1995Steve KennedyRock Road Companies Inc.
1996Steve KennedyRock Road Companies Inc.
1997Steve KennedyRock Road Companies Inc.
1998Jeffrey MillerR.W. Miller & Sons, Inc.
1999John MontgomeryAmerican Asphalt of Wisconsin
2000Larry UsackNortheast Asphalt, Inc.
2001Brian PitlikPitlik & Wick, Inc.
2002Brian PitlikPitlik & Wick, Inc.
2003Rick SchmidtPayne & Dolan, Inc.
2004Steve KennedyRock Road Companies Inc.
2005Steve KennedyRock Road Companies Inc.
2006Rick SchmidtPayne & Dolan, Inc.
2007Brian PitlikPitlik & Wick, Inc.
2008Jeffrey MillerR.W. Miller & Sons, Inc.
2009Steve HigginsPayne & Dolan, Inc.
2010John MontgomeryAmerican Asphalt of Wisconsin
2011Dustin GradelTri-County Paving Inc.
2012Brad PitlikPitlik and Wick, Inc.
2013John BartoszekNortheast Asphalt Inc.
2014Kirt HaggardNorthwest Asphalt Products
2015Steve KennedyRock Road Companies Inc.
2016Brian EndresPayne & Dolan, Inc.
2017Brian EndresPayne & Dolan, Inc.
2018Dustin GradelTri-County Paving Inc.
2019Dustin GradelTri-County Paving Inc.
2020Michael ByrnesMathy Construction Co.
2021Michael ByrnesMathy Construction Co.
2022Carl JohnsonStark Pavement Corp.
2023Carl JohnsonStark Pavement Corp.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS
Year(s)Executive Director
1957-1965Ed Konkol
1965-1975Al Thelen
1975Wes Burmeister
1977-1982Jack Mathews
1984Larry Murphy
1985Merlin Luher
1986-2003Gerald Waelti
2003-2007Patrick Goss
2008-2012Scot Schwandt
2013-2023Brandon Strand
2023-PresentDeb 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

75th Anniversary proclamation, 2023

75th Anniversary commemorative booklet, 2023