Offering award-winning asphalt paving services for high-quality, durable transportation surfaces throughout the Midwest.

Asphalt paving experts

Mud’s for fun, Asphalt is for Getting there

Our work at ESS isn’t just about dirt-slinging and bridge building. In fact, we maintain one of the largest asphalt paving operations in the Midwest region with well over 300 full-time experts in hot-mix paving. This hard-working group lays down more than one million tons of asphalt on average every year — enough to pave a 12-foot wide, 2-inch deep road from the ESS home office in Columbia, MO to Phoenix, AZ.

While these numbers are impressive, our greatest pride is knowing the important role our paved roads and highways play in getting millions of people where they need to go every day.

Total number of expertly trained employee-owners in our asphalt paving operation
Pieces of fully-owned state-of-the-art asphalt paving equipment in the division fleet
Equivalent total number of miles pavable with the amount of asphalt produced by ESS in 2022
Average total tons of hot-mix laid by ESS annually for infrastructure projects across the Midwest

Recognition

Award-Winning Underground Systems

The work done by ESS pipe crews has produced an impressive number of award-winning projects throughout the Midwest region.

Asphalt Paving Highlights

What sets our paving teams apart

Black gold — our asphalt experts love the stuff. Our award-winning approach to asphalt paving is a mix of decades-long experience and advanced technologies. Here’s how we lay it down.

Closeup of Asphalt

Partner Testimonials

ESS performed the asphalt runway improvements with excellence, responsiveness, and professionalism, including completing all phases within or ahead of schedule. Working with ESS has been a very positive experience, and we look forward to the opportunity to work with them on future projects.

Brian Maurer, PE
Vice President, Director of Public Works, Morrison-Shipley | Halff

ESS was responsive and helpful throughout the entire project. We found their schedules and communication to be accurate and reliable, and their installation was of high quality. Their team is effective in seeking amicable resolution to construction challenges that are inherent on any project.

Brandon Poindexter, CCM
Project Manager, Branco Enterprises, Inc.

Frequently Asked Questions

Want to know more about asphalt paving?

We’re more than happy to provide information about our paving division and the incredible work they do. Here are answers to just a few common questions we receive.

  • Are there any types of asphalt paving projects you DO NOT take on?

    At ESS, our paving teams do it all — from large-scale interstates to single-family residential driveways. We approach every project with equal commitment to quality.

  • Does ESS perform cold-patch asphalt repairs?

    Yes! Here in the Midwest, it’s essential for any paving company worth their salt to perform cold-patch repairs. We provide this service to address paving needs even during winter months.

  • What are some industry awards won by the ESS asphalt paving teams?

    Our paving crews have earned numerous quality awards from many of the industry’s most prestigious agencies, including the National Asphalt Pavement Association, Missouri Asphalt Pavement Association, and Arkansas Asphalt Pavement Association, among others.

  • Do ESS paving teams work outside the company’s asphalt production area?

    While we prefer to work within our area of production, ESS routinely performs work outside of travel distance to our plants. In these cases, we rely on trusted production companies to purchase asphalt that meets our quality standards.

  • Does ESS pave year-round or seasonally?

    Our region of operation in the Midwest requires ESS to pave seasonally during spring, summer, and autumn months, typically shutting down during winter.

Paving equipment

Featured Projects

Our asphalt paving teams in action

Asphalt paving is one of the most wide-spread operations involved in ESS projects. From commercial and industrial developments to public infrastructure, our asphalt paving crews stay busy! Check out some examples of our award-winning work to see just how impactful our paving crews really are.

View All Projects
Roads being paved

WE LOVE THE SMELL OF ASPHALT IN THE MORNING

Careers

Join our team as a skilled laborer

Few other areas of ESS offer as large an opportunity for rapid advancement as our asphalt paving operations. With large crew sizes and tons of work, there is tremendous potential to gain skills quickly and ascend to a position of leadership. A skilled laborer position is a great starting point for a long and successful career with ESS.

View Open Positions