Michael Musto
We have long been one of the top five buyers of sealcoat in the U.S., so the decision to manufacture sealcoat was a logical step in that it gives us a competitive edge on materials cost and also gives us ultimate control of the quality of the final product. We are manufacturing our sealcoat under exclusive license with Carbonyte Process of Sacramento, CA, so we now have a cutting edge product with superior performance characteristics in all respects. The new Carbonyte Process product dries in half the time as conventional sealcoat, is environmentally safe, has no unpleasant odor, and resists tracking and tire scuffing.
I founded U.S. Seal-Coat in 1985; the company quickly grew to an innovative business plan, which included a dedication to professionalism, a value-oriented sales strategy, and attention to detail. At the start, I found that we were often countering a belief held by some property managers that asphalt sealing is not cost effective. So we did the necessary research and developed accurate figures on the cost of maintaining parking surfaces under various conditions. We developed a very good understanding of asphalt maintenance costs that we could share with our customers, so we could prove to them that they were saving money by using our services. In many cases, our customers have saved 48% by properly maintaining with sealcoat.
The "One Source for All Paving Needs" Concept
In 1994 the U.S. Paving division was added, and U.S. Seal-Coat expanded into paving and line painting to achieve total quality control over every job from start to finish. At the time we were subcontracting our paving and line painting work. Since we are in the business of exceeding expectations, we recognized the cost control and quality control benefits of performing all work in house. With the new capability established of providing paving, patching, curbing and drain repair, crack sealing, sealcoating, and line painting services done entirely by our own staff, we began promoting U.S. Seal-Coat as, "The One Source for All of Your Paving Needs," a theme which continues today.
Growth Leads to Hartford and Plymouth Locations
U.S. Seal-Coat has long been based in Woburn, Mass., but as operations expanded during the 1990s the company developed significant customers base in both Conn. and southeastern Mass. Providing our more remote customers with competitive pricing and prompt service became a real challenge for us. In 2004 we purchased and renovated a building in Hartford and this became our first satellite office. Then in the spring of 2006 we opened a second location in Plymouth. Now with full time staff and equipment located in both regions, we are even better able to service our customers there and throughout New England. We are able to provide faster turn-around on jobs and quicker response to customer needs. Proximity to our customers provides economies of operation that give us an edge over our competition.
A Progressive Maintenance Plan Makes Life Easy for the Customer
Another concept promoted by U.S. Seal-Coat is the progressive asphalt maintenance plan. What is the most cost effective time cycle for performing pavement maintenance? The answer depends on local climate and the age and condition of the asphalt surface. For that reason we provide our customers with a free periodic inspection of their parking surfaces and assist them in establishing a schedule and budget for necessary pavement service and repair.
In conclusion, over 23 years we have stayed ahead of our competition by continually refining and improving our services. Our decision to begin manufacturing sealcoat follows in that tradition and we are now very pleased to be able to offer the superior Carbonyte Process sealcoat to our customers.
Michael Musto is president of U.S. Seal-Coat, Woburn and Plymouth Mass. and Hartford, Conn.