Hutchens Construction Paves Greener Paths

When considering various “green” technologies and innovations, it’s more likely that people would think of their cars before they’d think of the pavement underneath them.

But Hutchens Construction, based in Cassville, Mo., is invested in the business of recycling paving material, much of which is fossil fuel based.

“It’s our little way of reducing our dependence on foreign crude oil,” said Phil Hutchens, owner and president of the company.

Hutchens Construction has three plants. The oldest is in Monette and opened in 1970, while the Bella Vista plant opened in 1996 and the Springdale facility started in 2005.

When a paved surface has outlived its useful life, it is milled up and the contents are shipped to one of the company’s three plants.

The company began recycling paving material two years ago at its Bella Vista plant and now has recycling operations at all three plants.

Recycling the material is slightly cheaper than using new material, but as of now, much of the savings is absorbed in the additional cost of the equipment. The company invested about $250,000 in the equipment at each facility.

Hutchens said pavement recycling has been around for years, but has become more prevalent lately, especially in the southeastern states, where a shortage of aggregate materials has driven up costs.