AL Blades - General Contractors, Construction Materials, New York Southern Tier & Northern Pennsylvania, general contractor, construction materials, southern tier construction, heavy highway construction, western new york general contractor, asphalt producer, asphalt supplier, residential driveways, commercial driveways, parking lots, StreetPrint, site development, site developer, excavation, water line installation, sewer line installation, asphalt, asphalt paving, pavement, culvert, bridge construction, bridge rehabilitation, airport construction, runway paving, runway construction, infrastructure improvements, A.L. Blades, Blades, AL Blades & Sons, BCP, Blades Construction Products Corp, Blades Construction products corporation, Steuben Crushed Stone, Howard Sand & Gravel, Valley Asphalt, Cuba Asphalt, Hornell construction, aggregate, aggregates, NYSDOT approved materials, NYSDOT approved aggregate, PENNDOT approved aggregate, NYSDEC approved aggregate, Army Corp of Engineers approved aggregate, bituminous concrete, hot mix asphalt, cold mix asphalt, polymer modified asphalt, latex modified asphalt, gravel, crushed stone, rip rap, geotextiles, heavy stone

History

Archie L. Blades operating the "business end"
of asphalt distribution in 1922

By 1922 the automobile was shaping the way America worked and played. Road building was not some luxurious option, rather it was a necessity demanded by the public. It was in that year that World War I veteran, Archie Lee Blades established an asphalt and tar distribution business. He worked closely with the White Motor Truck Company and with the Etnyre Company to develop mobile asphalt distributors to 'make' and maintain the byways of yesteryear. In 1925 the company built its first 'hot mix' plant and throughout the 1920's Archie Blades contributed, generally by trial and error, to the development of the asphalt lay down machine (paver).

Sons, Robert and Lee joined their father in the following decade. Both had graduated from Dartmouth College and each served overseas during the Second World War. During their careers, the second-generation owners moved the company into heavy/highway construction and positioned the firm as a highly reputable public works contractor in both New York and Pennsylvania.

In 1982, the third generation stepped up and in a relatively short period of time dramatically increased the capabilities, volume and assets of the Blades' companies. Robert U. Blades Jr., P.E. is President. In 1997-8 he served as President of the New York State Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America.

Christopher L. Blades is Vice President in charge of materials. Chris is currently President of the New York Materials Association. Lynn W. Blades is Secretary/Treasurer and manages the administrative affairs of the firm. Lee J. Cook, BS CE is Vice President responsible for all construction activities and Patrick J. Barry, P.E. Vice President, heads up Blades' Bridge Department.

All construction related activities are performed under the A.L. Blades & Sons, Inc. banner. During the construction season, Blades employs over 250 well-qualified and highly motivated employees. Construction offices and repair facilities are located in Hornell, Corning and Belmont. Bituminous concrete, polymer modified asphalt and aggregates are manufactured and distributed by Blades Construction Products Corp. BCP Corp operates blacktop plants in Hornell (2), Cuba, Bath and Belmont. A mined rock quarry which produces a wide variety of approved aggregates is located in Bath, New York. Sand and gravel products are produced in their Howard, New York facility.

Today, A.L. Blades & Sons, Inc. is recognized as a general contractor and construction material manufacturer noted for its competence, innovation and quality workmanship. Its success is evidenced by literally hundreds of projects ranging from site development to asphalt paving, from bridge rehabs to total replacements.

Blades' fleet of hard rubber tired asphalt distributors in the mid 1920's
800-gallon Etnyne tanks mounted on White trucks developed in conjunction with Archie L. Blades