Asphalt and everything related to its creation and distribution -- that’s our specific area of time-tested expertise. Sometimes, just a few minutes picking the brain of an established, specific subject matter expert can save you significant time, effort and expense.
MISSION
Colonial Asphalt Consulting was founded to put years of experience in the asphalt industry to the best possible use. Decades of successes -- and a few mistakes -- have added up to a knowledge base that can help others in the asphalt and asphalt supply business be more successful and efficient. Our goal is to put that hard-earned knowledge to the best use possible.
EXPERIENCE
For 35 years, Colonial Asphalt Consulting owner Fran O’Brien was fully immersed in the world of asphalt as the President of The Hudson Companies. Before that, he worked at the ground level in the transportation industry. Fran now works with a variety of other professionals as needed, drawing on his years of contacts and knowledgeable connections in the industry.
The Hudson Companies provided a number of services related to liquid asphalt, including procurement, transportation and reformulation for specific uses and conditions. For years they were the premier asphalt suppliers in Rhode Island with a strong customer base throughout the region.
The industry saw significant change over the years Fran spent helming Hudson. Communications technology, transportation systems and the chemical research and compounds available for improving various liquid asphalt products all revolutionized. It was an important part of Fran’s role at the company to stay on top of all of it, maintaining both a big-picture perspective and a tight grasp on the important details that could make the difference in a project’s ultimate success. He is excited to now bring that knowledge and experience to other companies through Colonial Asphalt Consulting.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Fran O’Brien has been a keynote speaker at the annual conference of Construction Industries of RI and has spoken at numerous other industry events.
Fran brings his deep subject matter knowledge to life with helpful insights and the right mix of humor and facts to create a solid, memorable presentation.
At many leading conferences, Fran has long been a regular participant. These include Construction Industries of Massachusetts (CIN), Massachusetts Aggregate and Asphalt Pavement Association (MAAPA), Connecticut Construction Industries Association (CCIA), National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), Asphalt Institute, NCAT (National Center for Asphalt Technology).
Fran is available to travel to conferences and exhibitions and share his experiences in entertaining presentations customized for your organization or conference.
SUPPLY
Managing the supply chain can involve numerous decisions. Some are by-the-numbers and involve straightforward math. Others include assessing potential side-effects and may require outside-the-box thinking to resolve.
Colonial Asphalt Consulting has worked on long-term and short-term supply challenges, both domestic and international. Our experience is particularly strong in areas known for distribution challenges, like the weather-ridden East Coast, and Mid-Atlantic states where waterborne transport can be challenging or unavailable.
The closest supply is not always the most economical - a surplus overseas might lead to unexpected opportunities from an unconventional source. Or unlisted reserves may be available, but only to a supply expert who knows what questions to ask as well as when and where to ask them.
Ideal supply chain management is currently a hybrid art, leveraging both the latest tracking and notification technology, and the old-school wisdom of knowing the people and options that can get things done. When you’re looking for help, advice, or management of a supply chain issue, Colonial has the knowledge to get you from point A to point B cleanly and efficiently.
LOGISTICS
Transportation – in-bound, of components, mixes or asphalt, and out-bound, of final products – can play a huge role in your customers’ satisfaction. Getting the right product on time is essential for any construction project, and can distinguish you from competitors.
What steps can you take to make sure your logistics go smoothly on a regular basis? And to make sure they can respond to extreme or unusual situations? Costs can be easy to compare - but are there hidden costs to different solutions? These hidden costs might be in the form of higher risk that hasn’t been quantified, or in terms of manpower to interact with shipping partners or move product from vessel to terminal, or they might be found in storage costs or downtime.
In a just-in-time inventory world that’s not always on-time, our experience managing trains, boats and trucks can help you set up the best systems, and find the best solutions in an emergency situation. Whether it’s waterborne, on the road or on rails, Colonial Asphalt Consulting’s experts have worked with it before, and can help you make the most of the logistics options available to you - right down to the moment your customer receives shipment.
TERMINAL DESIGN
Working with engineering associates and others who subspecialize in every aspect of terminal development, Colonial Asphalt Consulting’s Fran O’Brien helped develop a state-of-the-art, efficient, cost-effective terminal in Wilson, North Carolina.
The installation was an Inland rail terminal – designed to make temperature maintenance more cost-efficient.
Since that experience building from the ground up, Fran and his team have consulted on other terminals being constructed or updated, including terminals in Connecticut and South Portland, Maine. This included installing a PMA (Polymer Modified Asphalt) plant.
This experience and Colonial’s attention to detail can be leveraged for your terminal construction project, to make sure you’re not overlooking vital aspects of your once-in-a-lifetime project that could haunt you for decades.
ASSOCIATIONS
• Construction Industries of Massachusetts (CIN)
• Massachusetts Aggregate and Asphalt Pavement Association (MAAPA)
• Connecticut Construction Industries Association (CCIA)
• National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA)
• Asphalt Institute
• NCAT (National Center for Asphalt Technology)
RESOURCES
These links will take you to some solid online information and background on the asphalt industry today.
• National Asphalt Pavement Association (a great source of multi-purpose asphalt information)
• Asphalt Magazine (the leading international magazine on our favorite topic)
• Asphalt Facts (hard news on a site that actively debunks common consumer myths about asphalt)
• Asphalt Industry Alliance (behind the scenes on new developments in the industry)
• Asphalt News (consumer-oriented asphalt industry updates)
• Beyond Roads (a site that focuses on all the other uses of asphalt, including construction and roofing)
• Road And Bridges ( covering the transportation construction and maintenance marketplace)
• Association of Asphalt Paving Technologies (in-depth looks at the science behind innovations in the asphalt industry)
• gateio (a leading magazine for the entire field of construction)
• gateio (educational information on warm mix and asphalt recycling, as well as other asphalt-related technology)
401 479 2000 / M: 401 286 3200
Snug Harbor, Rhode Island 02879 fjobrien@colonialasphalt.com