Barrett's history is a story of innovation and growth, but it is also a story about people.
Many hard-working, dedicated people are behind every milestone and item on this timeline. As we move into the future, Barrett Paving Materials will continue to be a company that remembers that people are what make us extraordinary and the reason we do what we do.
1854 | From Roofing To Roadways
Road construction was far from Samuel E. Barrett’s mind when he began a small roofing business in Chicago, Illinois, in 1854.
As his operation expanded, Barrett realized that America’s growing cities were literally getting stuck in the mud, and he saw the need for innovative solutions for the country’s burgeoning road system.
The demand for paved streets and sidewalks led Barrett to experiment with roofing tar as a treatment for brick, stone, and wooden block pavements. The concept was a success, and Barrett Paving was born.
1903 | Good Roads At Low Cost
The Barrett Manufacturing Company initiated experiments that eventually led to the development of Tarvia™. Tarviated roads were a cost-effective solution for creating and repairing the roads Americans desperately needed.
Barrett’s advertising campaign, Good Roads At Low Cost, targeted American consumers and informed them of how Tarvia™ could improve their roads and lives.
1920 | A Solution to Wartime Shortages
During World War I, there was a worldwide shortage of chemical commodities like dyes and drugs. To combat this problem, Barrett and four other American chemical companies merged to form the Allied Chemical & Dye Corporation in 1920.
The corporation instantly became one of the world’s largest and was poised to lend its industrial might to America’s national defense if necessary. The Barrett Division of Allied Chemical & Dye Corp handled paving materials.
1927 | Modernizing and Expanding
Barrett constructed a stationary mix plant in Jamesville, New York, marking the beginning of the company’s evolution into the modern asphalt paving and road construction business. Over the next 50 years, Barrett Paving built a manufacturing plant network throughout New York, New Jersey, Ohio, and Illinois.
The steady success and growth of the company continued, and as the 1970s came to a close, Barrett experienced rapid expansion.
The addition of these new subsidiaries and several smaller acquisitions formed a larger entity that is known today as Barrett Industries.
1979 | An Era Of Purchased and Productivity
In 1979, Barrett Paving purchased all assets of the paving material business from Allied Chemical Corporation. Later that year, the Barrett Division of Allied Chemical was purchased by Colas, Inc., ushering in a new era of productivity. With support from the largest road-building company in the world, a series of major acquisitions and consolidations began.
The 1980s | Continued Growth and Expansion
Barrett Paving Materials continued to expand. Two acquired sites in Boonville and Northwood, NY, provided a wide variety of aggregate and asphalt mix to service the private, commercial, and public works markets.
In June 1986, Barrett Paving Materials purchased a 200-acre farm in Watertown, NY. The land’s 53 million tons of calcitic limestone provided the local area with crusher run, shot rock, cold patch, topsoil, and agricultural lime. By May 1988, the Drum Mix Plant was complete in Watertown.
Barrett Paving Materials entered an aggregate and material supply agreement with Cobleskill Stone Products in September 1986. The agreement allowed Barrett to mine, market, and process limestone products and buy all materials for bituminous concrete construction activities.
In 1987, Barrett acquired The Brewer Company, a large Hot Mix Asphalt producer in Cincinnati. This added six asphalt plants, two aggregate resources, and additional construction operations. Within three years, Barrett acquired the Northwood group and saw great expansions throughout the state of Ohio and reaching into Indiana.
Our people are our strength and most valuable asset; our company culture reflects that. At Barrett Paving Materials Inc., we have created a safe, supportive work environment where dedication is rewarded, and great workers thrive.
The 1990s | Growing As Industry Leaders
Barrett Paving Materials took over the aggregate business from Cobleskill Stone Products. We also added the Asphalt Batch Plant to the facility, purchased crushing equipment, and built the new Regional Office for New York North.
During the 90s, the New York North Region established its Construction Division. The Construction Division consisted mainly of small paving projects in its infancy: parking lots, town roadways, and schools.
In 1991, the Midwest Ohio Division was formed, combining the efforts and focus of Kentucky, Indiana, and Southwest Ohio.
In 1998, Construction added VPP and heavy highway work to its arsenal.
Barrett’s continuous growth can be attributed to the great quality of our products and high standards of quality control.
The 2000s | Additions and Expansions Continue
Barrett Paving Materials purchased Spring Creek Corporation in the year 2000. This new acquisition brought a limestone quarry, sand and gravel plant, and three ready-mix concrete plants into the company’s holdings – a first for Barrett.
In the fall of 2003, Barrett acquired the Hilltop Basic Resources Dayton operations, adding two more sand & gravel locations, strengthening the company’s footprint within the southern Ohio market area.
In 2004, Barrett was busy with acquisitions and additions in Southern Ohio. The expansion ultimately resulted in the 2012 merge of Barrett Midwest Central and Midwest South regions into one main office located in Middletown, OH.
Barrett maintains a spirit of growth, high quality, and ethics. Barrett is focused on being a responsible community member at all our US locations.
The 2010s | New Quarries and Trucks
In 2010, Barrett Paving Materials acquired the Port Leyden Quarry for limestone. The limestone reserves in the Boonville location were depleted, and granite was the only material harvested from the Boonville Quarry at this time. A year later, the company also purchased Black River Quarry.
The New York Central region started a trucking cost center for material delivery in 2017. The company also purchased three new trucks for hauling to Barrett construction jobs and manufacturing locations.
2020s and Beyond | Paving The Future
Today, Barrett Paving Materials, Inc. maintains a spirit of growth, high quality, and ethics. From highways to runways, parking lots, and neighborhood streets, we continue to grow in experience and expertise to provide greater quality products and services to airports, contractors, governments, municipalities, and private companies.