When we turn on the news these days, we are reminded that our world is full of conflict. Some of them are global and geopolitical, some are national and cultural and some touch closer to home – in our communities, workplaces and even our industry. In times like these, I find myself reflecting on what it means to be a peacemaker.
Peacemaking is often thought of in lofty terms, reserved for diplomats or leaders on the world stage. But I believe it has a very real and practical place in the asphalt industry. In fact, our daily work offers constant opportunities to build peace – both literally and figuratively.
In all its applications, asphalt does a lot of things well, but one thing we may not readily see is its ability to connect people. It links families to each other through our roads, it connects an untold number of industries to their employees, children to schools, houses into homes with a roof over our heads and goods to markets. It is, in summation, the very foundation of a safe and reliable transportation network and a ubiquitous product that covers most of our homes in the form of shingles on our roofs. Every mile of smooth, durable pavement and each shingle placed on a rooftop is, in a sense, an act of peacemaking – reducing friction, preventing conflict and creating common spaces in which we gather with friends and loved ones alike.
But beyond the product itself, peacemaking also shows up in how we work. Our industry sits at the intersection of many stakeholders: public agencies, private contractors, researchers, suppliers and the traveling public. With so many voices, there will always be competing priorities, tight budgets and differing perspectives. To be a peacemaker in this space requires listening before speaking, seeking understanding before judgment and building consensus without losing sight of quality and safety.
At the Asphalt Institute, we strive to embody this role. When our engineers work alongside departments of transportation to solve binder challenges, they are peacemakers by bridging technical gaps and aligning expectations. When our member companies share best practices on sustainability or innovation, they are peacemakers by demonstrating that collaboration can move us further than competition alone. And when our Asphalt Institute Foundation invests in scholarships for the next generation, it is an act of peacemaking by investing in people who will one day lead with both knowledge and wisdom, giving each recipient peace of mind today.
Of course, being a peacemaker does not mean avoiding difficult conversations. Quite the opposite. It means leaning into them with respect, humility and the intent to build rather than divide. The best pavements and roofs are not built by ignoring stress; they are built by managing it, dissipating it and designing for the long haul. In the same way, the best leaders in our industry are not those who silence conflict, but those who help channel it toward productive solutions.
In the pages of our October 2025 issue of Asphalt magazine, you’ll see stories of innovation, collaboration and perseverance. These, too, are acts of peacemaking – proof that even in uncertain times, our industry continues to provide stability, reliability and opportunity by moving us all forward – together.
