“I started at the bottom, on the road crew,” Emmitt said. “If somebody wanted a hole dug, they called me. But I took pride seeing things go from nothing to something.”

“I miss that sometimes. But now, I get to interact with customers, and I like that, putting someone in a better spirit than when they came in.”

Just four years ago, Emmitt was working at a road site when they called him out of a ditch and offered him the job at the plant.

Now, he’s in charge of mixing the rocks with the right amount of chemicals and heat, measuring and monitoring to provide the type of asphalt customers need. If they aren’t sure, he’ll ask them what they want to do, then make recommendations.

“I worked hard on the road crew and was patient. And I see the same things in some of my customers. They’ll come in for just a few tons of asphalt. Then, one day they’ll have a big order. They’ve made it, and that’s satisfying to me.”

Would Emmitt recommend highway construction as a career?

“If I had a friend who I knew will work hard to achieve their goals, I would. It’s a career where you can grow. I’ve found that if you let the people you work for know your aspirations, they’ll help you get there.”