Asphalt Paving Mixture and Block Manufacturing
Description
Establishments in the asphalt paving mixture and block manufacturing sector primarily focus on producing paving materials derived from purchased asphaltic substances. These facilities transform raw oil, coal, or petroleum products into high-quality binding agents essential for road and airfield construction. The core operational activity involves mixing, processing, and packaging these asphaltic materials into usable forms such as paving mixes, blocks, and paving products. Operators often include a wide range of entities, from small, locally owned plants that specialize in specific regional applications to large-scale industrial complexes integrated into major transportation networks. Many companies function as part of larger conglomerates that manage both manufacturing and construction divisions, ensuring seamless delivery of materials to project sites. The industry relies heavily on the continuous procurement of base oil and other additives to maintain product consistency. While some operations are specialized, many serve as critical suppliers in the broader petroleum products supply chain. The scale of these businesses varies significantly, with some capable of producing hundreds of thousands of tons annually, enabling them to support vast infrastructure projects across the nation. Their output directly impacts public safety and economic mobility by providing the foundation for durable transportation systems. Ultimately, these manufacturers play a pivotal role in the built environment by creating the solid ground upon which communities rely for travel and commerce.
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | Manufacturing 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Manufacturing sector comprises establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products. The assembling of component parts of manufactured products is considered manufacturing, except in cases where the activity is appropriately classified in Sector 23, Construction. Establishments in the Manufacturing sector are often described as plants, factories, or mills and characteristically use power-driven machines and material handling equipment. However, establishments that transform materials or substances into new products by hand or in the worker's home and those engaged in selling to the general public products made on the same premises from which they are sold, such as bakeries, candy stores, and custom tailors, may also be included in this sector. Manufacturing establishments may process materials or may contract with other establishments to process their materials for them. Both types of establishments are included in manufacturing. Selected industries in the Manufacturing sector are comprised solely of establishments that process materials for other establishments on a contract or fee basis. Beyond these dedicated contract manufacturing industries, establishments that process materials for other establishments are generally classified in the Manufacturing industry of the processed materials. The materials, substances, or components transformed by manufacturing establishments are raw materials that are products of agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, or quarrying as well as products of other manufacturing establishments. The materials used may be purchased directly from producers, obtained through customary trade channels, or secured without recourse to the market by transferring the product from one establishment to another, under the same ownership. The new product of a manufacturing establishment may be finished in the sense that it is ready for utilization or consumption, or it may be semi-finished to become an input for an establishment engaged in further manufacturing. For example, the product of the alumina refinery is the input used in the primary production of aluminum; primary aluminum is the input to an aluminum wire drawing plant; and aluminum wire is the input for a fabricated wire product manufacturing establishment. The subsectors in the Manufacturing sector generally reflect distinct production processes related to material inputs, production equipment, and employee skills. In the machinery area, where assembling is a key activity, parts and accessories for manufactured products are classified in the industry of the finished manufactured item when they are made for separate sale. For example, an attachment for a piece of metalworking machinery would be classified with metalworking machinery. However, component inputs from other manufacturing establishments are classified based on the production function of the component manufacturer. For example, electronic components are classified in Subsector 334, Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing, and stampings are classified in Subsector 332, Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing. Manufacturing establishments often perform one or more activities that are classified outside the Manufacturing sector of NAICS. For instance, almost all manufacturing has some captive research and development or administrative operations, such as accounting, payroll, or management. These captive services are treated the same as captive manufacturing activities. When the services are provided by separate establishments, they are classified in the NAICS sector where such services are primary, not in manufacturing. The boundaries of manufacturing and the other sectors of the classification system can be somewhat blurry. The establishments in the Manufacturing sector are engaged in the transformation of materials into new products. Their output is a new product. However, the definition of what constitutes a new product can be somewhat subjective. As clarification, the following activities are considered manufacturing in NAICS: <table width=100%><tr><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Milk bottling and pasteurizing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Water bottling and processing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fresh fish packaging (oyster<br/> shucking, fish filleting);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Apparel jobbing (assigning<br/> materials to contract<br/> factories or shops for<br/> fabrication or other contract<br/> operations) as well as<br/> contracting on materials<br/> owned by others;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Printing and related activities;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ready-mix concrete production;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Leather converting;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Grinding lenses to<br/> prescription;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Wood preserving;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Lapidary work for the trade;</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Electroplating, plating, metal<br/> heat treating, and<br/> polishing for the trade;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fabricating signs and<br/> advertising displays;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Rebuilding or remanufacturing<br/> machinery (i.e., automotive<br/> parts);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Making manufactured homes<br/> (i.e., mobile homes) or<br/> prefabricated buildings,<br/> whether or not assembling/<br/> erecting at the customers'<br/> site;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ship repair and renovation;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Machine shops; and</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Tire retreading.</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td></tr></table> Conversely, there are activities that are sometimes considered manufacturing, but which for NAICS are classified in another sector (i.e., not classified as manufacturing). They include: 1. Logging, classified in Sector 11, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, is considered a harvesting operation; 2. Beneficiating ores and other minerals, classified in Sector 21, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction, is considered part of the activity of mining; 3. Constructing structures, assembling prefabricated buildings, and fabricating at the construction site by contractors are classified in Sector 23, Construction; 4. Breaking bulk and reselling in smaller lots, including packaging, repackaging, or bottling products, such as liquors or chemicals; assembling and selling computers on a custom basis; sorting and reselling scrap; mixing and selling paints to customer order; and cutting metals to customer order for resale are classified in Sector 42, Wholesale Trade, or Sector 44-45, Retail Trade; and 5. Publishing and the combined activity of publishing and printing, classified in Sector 51, Information, transform information into a product for which the value to the consumer lies in the information content, not in the format in which it is distributed (i.e., the book or software compact disc). |
| 324 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 3-digit subsector | The Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing subsector is based on the transformation of crude petroleum and coal into usable products. The dominant process is petroleum refining that involves the separation of crude petroleum into component products through such techniques as cracking and distillation. In addition, this subsector includes establishments that primarily further process refined petroleum and coal products and produce products, such as asphalt coatings and petroleum lubricating oils. However, establishments that manufacture petrochemicals from refined petroleum are classified in Industry 32511, Petrochemical Manufacturing. |
| 3241 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 4-digit industry group | The Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing subsector is based on the transformation of crude petroleum and coal into usable products. The dominant process is petroleum refining that involves the separation of crude petroleum into component products through such techniques as cracking and distillation. In addition, this subsector includes establishments that primarily further process refined petroleum and coal products and produce products, such as asphalt coatings and petroleum lubricating oils. However, establishments that manufacture petrochemicals from refined petroleum are classified in Industry 32511, Petrochemical Manufacturing. |
| 32412 | Asphalt Paving, Roofing, and Saturated Materials Manufacturing 5-digit NAICS industry | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in (1) manufacturing asphalt and tar paving mixtures and blocks and roofing cements and coatings from purchased asphaltic materials and/or (2) saturating purchased mats and felts with asphalt or tar from purchased asphaltic materials. |
| 324121 | Asphalt Paving Mixture and Block Manufacturing 6-digit U.S. detail | Establishments in the asphalt paving mixture and block manufacturing sector primarily focus on producing paving materials derived from purchased asphaltic substances. These facilities transform raw oil, coal, or petroleum products into high-quality binding agents essential for road and airfield construction. The core operational activity involves mixing, processing, and packaging these asphaltic materials into usable forms such as paving mixes, blocks, and paving products. Operators often include a wide range of entities, from small, locally owned plants that specialize in specific regional applications to large-scale industrial complexes integrated into major transportation networks. Many companies function as part of larger conglomerates that manage both manufacturing and construction divisions, ensuring seamless delivery of materials to project sites. The industry relies heavily on the continuous procurement of base oil and other additives to maintain product consistency. While some operations are specialized, many serve as critical suppliers in the broader petroleum products supply chain. The scale of these businesses varies significantly, with some capable of producing hundreds of thousands of tons annually, enabling them to support vast infrastructure projects across the nation. Their output directly impacts public safety and economic mobility by providing the foundation for durable transportation systems. Ultimately, these manufacturers play a pivotal role in the built environment by creating the solid ground upon which communities rely for travel and commerce. |
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Classification References
- 01Establishments primarily engaged in refining crude petroleum and manufacturing asphalt and tar paving mixtures and blocks are classified in Industry 324110, Petroleum Refineries.
Index Items
Asphalt paving blocks made from purchased asphaltic materials
Asphalt paving mixtures made from purchased asphaltic materials
Asphalt road compounds made from purchased asphaltic materials
Blocks, asphalt paving, made from purchased asphaltic materials
Coal tar paving materials made from purchased coal tar
Paving blocks and mixtures made from purchased asphaltic materials
Tar and asphalt paving mixtures made from purchased asphaltic materials
How Item Can Help
The warehouse management system optimizes inventory of raw aggregates like asphalt and limestone while tracking batch-specific data to prevent cross-contamination of paving mix formulas.
Order management systems streamline the delivery of specific paving blocks and pavers by synchronizing production schedules with customer road project timelines for faster fulfillment.
Predictive analytics tools analyze market trends and historical production data to forecast demand for asphalt mixtures, enabling proactive adjustments to manufacturing capacity.
Item.com Tools
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 324121.
American National Association of Asphalt Pavers
A leading trade association representing asphalt pavers and paving contractors.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook
Government data page providing employment projections and skill requirements for asphalt pavers.
International Asphalt Pavers Association
A global non-profit organization focused on advancing the asphalt paving industry.
