Reed elected industry chair of Caltrans Task Group    Jeffrey Reed, RPA President and CEO of International Surfacing Systems and other paving companies in AZ, CA and OR, was recently elected to serve as the industry chair of a Task Group created by Caltrans in 1995. Terrie Bressette, Chief, Office of Flexible Pavements, Division of Materials Engineering and Testing Services, Caltrans serves as the agency Chair.    The original purpose of the Task Group was to develop a performance based specification for Asphalt-Rubber Concrete (called Rubberized Asphalt Concrete “RAC” in CA). Jay McQuillen of Granite Construction, a longtime RPA Officer and Director, served as the first industry Chair.    The Task Group was expanded in 1999 to include representatives of other yet to be proven processes containing crumb rubber. The Task Group provides oversight on a number of subcommittees dealing with a variety of issues concerning rubber modified paving materials and crumb rubber sampling and testing.

Former PolyTek officials, form alliance with RTG Three former senior executives of PolyTek have joined Recovery Technologies Group, Inc. (RTG) in an alliance aimed at extending RTG’s presence into the Southwest region of the U.S. and beyond.    The officials are Mike Masson, former CEO of PolyTek; Larry Gilliland, former vice president of marketing; and Craig Masson, former maintenance and quality control director.    RTG operates 11 tire recycling facilities in the Midwest, South, and Eastern states and three facilities in Canada. They collect and process more than 40 million tires each year.    While details of the new partnership were not available at press time, industry watchers speculate that the move signals a new impetus by RTG in the southwestern U.S. where the rubber industry has been experiencing some financial instability.    It is also expected that Mike Masson will play a visible role in RTG’s nationwide tire recycling strategy.

RPA Calendar

January 28
RPA Executive Committee Meeting
Wyndham Garden Hotel
Dallas, TX

January 29
RPA Annual Meeting
Wyndham Garden Hotel
Dallas, TX

January 30
Workshop
Crumb Rubber in Road
Construction
Wyndham Garden Hotel
Dallas, TX