By Ashley Robinson Long before morning traffic reaches Florida’s highways, paving crews are already at work. Hot asphalt moves from production plants to waiting trucks, milling machines remove damaged pavement and rollers create a smooth new surface before the road reopens. The same process takes place on airport runways, residential streets, commercial parking lots and major interstate projects.
Florida’s heat, heavy rainfall, coastal conditions and constant traffic place unusual pressure on paved surfaces. A leading asphalt company must therefore offer more than ordinary paving. It needs dependable production plants, experienced crews, quality-control laboratories and a strong understanding of Florida Department of Transportation requirements.
Here are the top five asphalt companies in Florida.
1. Preferred Materials
- Florida headquarters: Lutz, Florida
Parent company: CRH
Main service areas: North, Central, West and Southwest Florida
Best known for: Large asphalt-production network and complete paving services
Preferred Materials is one of Florida’s largest suppliers of asphalt and construction materials. The company operates 12 asphalt plants, along with numerous ready-mix concrete plants and quality-control laboratories.
Its asphalt operations cover major markets including Jacksonville, Orlando, Lakeland, Tampa Bay, Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples. This wide plant network allows the company to supply fresh asphalt to projects without transporting it over excessive distances.
Preferred Materials handles highway improvements, commercial parking areas, residential developments and industrial projects. Its construction division can provide a complete service covering material production, delivery, paving and site coordination.
The company also develops asphalt mixtures for particular traffic conditions and project specifications. Daily testing at its accredited laboratories helps maintain consistency in strength, durability and surface performance.
As part of CRH, Preferred Materials has access to the resources of one of North America’s largest building-materials businesses. Its production capacity, regional coverage and ability to manage large public and private projects earn it the leading position.
2. Hubbard Construction Company
- Headquarters: Winter Park, Florida
Main service areas: Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa and Lakeland
Best known for: Major highway, airport and heavy civil projects
Hubbard Construction has operated in Florida for more than a century. It is one of the state’s most experienced road-building and asphalt-paving companies.
The company provides asphalt production, milling, resurfacing, road construction, site development and design-build services. Its projects range from local street improvements to complex interstate, airport and railway infrastructure.
Hubbard supports its work through several regional operations. These include Orlando Paving Company, Atlantic Coast Asphalt in Jacksonville, Tampa Pavement Constructors and Lakeland Paving. The company also maintains asphalt-production facilities serving these markets.
Its ability to coordinate asphalt manufacturing, heavy equipment, engineering and project management makes Hubbard particularly suitable for technically demanding contracts. It regularly works with government agencies, transportation authorities, developers and commercial customers.
Hubbard also operates recycling and material-recovery services. Reclaimed asphalt pavement can be processed and reused in new mixtures, reducing the demand for virgin materials while keeping old pavement out of landfills.
3. Ajax Paving Industries of Florida
- Headquarters: North Venice, Florida
Main service areas: Southwest Florida, Tampa Bay and Central Florida
Best known for: Roads, airport runways and large infrastructure projects
Ajax Paving Industries of Florida has been building roads in the state since 1981. The company has expanded from a small regional operation into a major asphalt producer and heavy civil contractor.
Ajax operates several asphalt plants across Southwest and Central Florida. Its service territory covers approximately 18 counties and stretches from areas north of Tampa to Naples. It also has operations in Fort Myers, Venice, Tampa and Lake Wales.
The company provides asphalt manufacturing, roadway construction, concrete paving, milling, resurfacing and site-development services. It has completed work on highways, local roads, subdivisions, parking areas, raceways and airport runways.
Airport paving is one of Ajax’s strongest capabilities. Runway projects require accurate material production, carefully planned construction stages and strict surface tolerances. Work often needs to be completed during short closures so airport operations can resume safely.
Ajax also recycles old asphalt and concrete into materials that can be used in future construction. Its substantial plant network, experienced workforce and long record with Florida transportation projects make it one of the state’s leading asphalt contractors.
4. CWR Contracting
- Headquarters: Tallahassee, Florida
Main service areas: North Florida, Northwest Florida and selected Central Florida markets
Best known for: Highway construction, resurfacing and site development
CWR Contracting, legally known on many contracts as C.W. Roberts Contracting, has served Florida since 1976. It is particularly well established in the northern and northwestern parts of the state.
The company operates strategically located asphalt plants and provides highway construction, paving, earthwork, drainage, site preparation and infrastructure-development services. Its customers include the Florida Department of Transportation, counties, municipalities, airports and private developers.
CWR is capable of managing both small resurfacing assignments and large transportation contracts. Its teams handle the entire process, including asphalt production, material testing, road-base preparation, paving and final surface work.
The company’s experience with airfields is another important advantage. Airport projects require strong quality control and careful coordination because even small surface defects may affect aircraft safety.
CWR’s Tallahassee headquarters and regional operations give it valuable knowledge of North Florida’s public infrastructure requirements and construction conditions.
5. Ranger Construction Industries
- Headquarters: West Palm Beach, Florida
Main service areas: Central and South Florida
Best known for: Asphalt production, road construction and full-depth reclamation
Ranger Construction Industries is a leading road-building and asphalt-production contractor serving Central and South Florida. Its position in West Palm Beach gives the company strong access to some of the state’s busiest and fastest-growing counties.
Ranger operates asphalt plants serving areas such as West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce, Orlando and surrounding markets. It supplies hot-mix asphalt to its own paving operations as well as contractors purchasing material directly from the plant.
The company constructs and resurfaces highways, municipal roads, commercial sites and residential developments. Its services include milling, grading, drainage, earthwork, paving and site preparation.
Ranger also performs full-depth reclamation. In this process, worn pavement and portions of the existing base are recycled in place to create a stronger foundation. It can reduce trucking, material waste and construction time on suitable projects.
Its asphalt-production capability and long experience with public road contracts make Ranger a dependable option for major projects across Central and South Florida.
How to Choose an Asphalt Company
The right contractor depends on the size and technical requirements of the project. Before awarding a contract, customers should check:
- Experience with comparable projects
- Distance from the company’s asphalt plant
- FDOT qualifications and required licences
- Material-testing and quality-control procedures
- Drainage and base-repair capabilities
- Warranty terms and maintenance recommendations
- Traffic-control and project scheduling plans
- Insurance and workplace safety record
A lower paving quote may exclude base repairs, drainage improvements, striping or traffic control. Customers should compare the complete scope of work instead of relying only on the price per square foot.
Conclusion
Preferred Materials takes the leading position because of its large production network and wide Florida coverage. Hubbard Construction stands out for complex highways, airports and civil infrastructure. Ajax Paving is a major force across Southwest and Central Florida, while CWR Contracting has a particularly strong presence in North Florida. Ranger Construction completes the list with dependable asphalt production and road-building capabilities across Central and South Florida.