QPR ShopWorx

Our Newest Addition to the QPR ShopWorx Line…

Towner Magill — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:06:56 +0000

QPR ShopWorx has grown by leaps and bounds over the last couple years, adding dozens of new products and a plethora of new customers since we started the program. However, we would be nothing without our unparalleled customer service, and that’s why our latest addition to the ShopWorx line is not a product but another person! Today we would like to welcome and introduce you to Erik Hazell, the newest member of the ShopWorx team. Erik started with us just a little over a week ago as part of Inside Sales here at QPR, and is already one of the main voices you’ll hear when you call our toll free number.

Erik grew up in Lakeland, Florida, and recently moved to the Atlanta area with his lovely new bride, Lauren. He comes to us with several years of inside sales experience in the construction industry, primarily working with contractors in helping them to get the right equipment and supplies for their work. Erik enjoys soccer and baseball, and is excited about living in Atlanta after spending the majority of his life in Central Florida. He and his wife both enjoy hiking and the outdoors, and are also avid Florida Gator fans, which may or may not play well here in the Atlanta area!

A Warm QPR ShopWorx Welcome to Erik Hazell!

Feel free to call Erik for technical assistance, quotes, product questions, or just to welcome him to the team at our toll-free number, 1-877-874-5389. Although new on the job, he has a wealth of experience in working with people in the construction industry who need the right products at the right price and on time, and he is ready to help you do the same!

QPR ShopWorx Represents at the PSATS Annual Conference

Matt Scalice — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:29:54 +0000

This week myself and Sean Harbison, who represent much of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, were exhibitors at the 2012 Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors Annual Conference. The show was a blast, and there were tons of familiar faces with us in Hershey, PA this week. Many thanks to those who came by the booth and checked out some of our newer products. It sounds like everyone who knows QPR for high performance cold mix asphalt is excited to learn about our ShopWorx line!

Hunting Down New Products at the 2012 Hardware Show

Kevin Dye — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:22:16 +0000

Here at QPR ShopWorx, we are constantly looking for potential new products to add to our line. This is done in a variety of ways, including suggestions from you, the customer. In fact, our home page includes a box where you can suggest new products for us to carry. If there is something you have difficulty finding, or finding a decent price on, we want to know! This week, we attended the 2012 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas in an effort to find some innovative new products that can benefit all of our customers. As the manager of our RoadShop product line, I am responsible for the retail side of our business at Lowe’s Home Improvement. The RoadShop product line makes up “everything you need for streets, driveways, and parking lots,” and we are always looking for new products to bring to the retail consumer. The same is true for our ShopWorx line, which is why our ShopWorx Program Manager and I walked the miles of booth space in an effort to find new products for you.

With over 2,500 exhibitors in attendance, 100,000+ products, and over 25,000 more attendees the Hardware Show is easily the largest trade show I’ve ever attended. The show itself announced that this year’s selection included more new products than had ever been in show history, which is what made it so appealing. We had the opportunity to explore potential new products for the ShopWorx line in Personal Protective Equipment, Work Tools, and Traffic Control. Time will tell which products will make the cut, and which will not. We often look to our best customers and partners to sample new offerings and give us feedback. Let us know if you would like to be a ShopWorx product tester!!

ShopWorx Program Manager Towner Magill "trying on new PPE Options" at the National Hardware Show this week

On a side note, our new catalog is out and we are excited for you to see it! Please visit our website to request a free copy of the latest catalog. Just give us your address and we’ll mail it out to you ASAP! You can also subscribe to our blog updates on our homepage.

National Work Zone Awareness Week

Towner Magill — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:03:36 +0000

At some point this week, all us will most likely travel through a work zone while driving to work, school, church, or other places. With infrastructure improvements being made in nearly every community, both drivers and those working on our roads and bridges continue to be at a high risk of danger in work zones. Each of us as drivers need to be aware and safe while driving through work zones, but those working in dangerous areas have a responsibility to warn drivers, be visible, and provide proper warning and traffic control. That’s why April 23-27 is National Work Zone Awareness Week.

Each year in April, National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) is held to bring national attention to motorist and worker safety and mobility issues in work zones. Since 1999, the Federal Highway Administration has worked with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) to coordinate and sponsor the event. Over the years other transportation partners have joined the effort to support NWZAW. In addition to a National event conducted each year, many States host their own NWZAW events. You can find out more information on NWZAW and events held in your state here at the FHWA website. NWZAW is in its tenth year, and Tracy Scriba with FHWA gives a great rundown of the progress of the movement so far in this article at the FHWA website.

QPR ShopWorx is a great resource for construction crews and their need to remain safe in work zones. Please visit our website for more information on traffic control or personal protective equipment. Or, feel free to contact your QPR representative with questions.

This weekend whether you are going out to dinner with friends and family, driving to work, or taking an out of town vacation, be sure to make extra effort to be careful and aware when driving in work zones across the country. The people out there working hard to improve your roads will thank you – and so will their families!

Take a Step in the Environmentally Friendly Direction with Our Biodegradable Solvent!

Brian Coulston — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:08:43 +0000

Anyone who has worked with or near asphalt is very familiar with the buildup that asphalt and other tars cause on tools, equipment, and vehicles. I travel all over Florida and see it everywhere on jobsites across the state. Each time I’m talking with a paving crew or municipal department on the job I always ask what they use for cleaning asphalt off everything. I’m surprised at how often people are still saying they use diesel for this, although it seems like more and more of them are whispering it to me and ashamed to admit it. There are more reasons why than you’d think.

Diesel fuel has been used for many years as a cost effective solution for removing asphalt residue from tools, equipment, and vehicles. However, in recent years the rising cost of diesel fuel and the EPA’s increasing regulations on VOCs has many in the asphalt industry asking, “Is diesel fuel the best solution?”

There are a large amount of non-beneficial characteristics of diesel fuel, including:

Low flashpoint – Diesel fuel has a very low flashpoint. This is extremely dangerous in the asphalt industry where heat is used in nearly every application. Running your asphalt too hot or the simple spark from your shovel hitting the bed of your truck can cause ignition.
Environmental Hazard – Diesel is a relatively light fuel, allowing it to float on water. This characteristic makes diesel very detrimental to animals living on land and the surface of water. Diesel coats the feathers of birds, obstructing their ability to fly and stay warm. The fuel will irritate the eyes and skin of aquatic animals, and diesel will kill animals and humans should it be accidently ingested.
Inhaling VOCs – Will cause headaches, breathing problems, nausea, dizziness and burning of eyes.

We’re out to spread the word that QPR has an effective solution to take the place of your unfriendly diesel fuel.

Many state and local governments are actively searching for a solution to leave a smaller ecological footprint. Fortunately, those working in the asphalt industry now have an environmental friendly alternative for cleaning tools and equipment: QPR Biodegradable Solvent will effectively keep work tools, equipment and other surfaces clean and free of buildup from asphalt and other tars.

Our Biodegradable Solvent is sold in 55 gallon drums

Beneficial characteristics of QPR Biodegradable Solvent:

Environmentally safe and completely biodegradable.
High flashpoint (450F) Compared to Diesel (144F).
Ready to use, no dilution needed and use of special equipment is not necessary.
Slow evaporation rate, stays on tools and equipment longer. Increasing effectiveness and decreasing use.
Made from Earth-friendly renewable resources.

Take control of your ecological footprint and health. Make QPR Biodegradable Solvent your solution for keeping work tools, equipment and other surfaces clean and free of buildup from asphalt and other tars.

Interested in seeing what QPR Biodegradable Solvent can do for you? Visit our website to find a local QPR Representative and ask for your FREE gallon sample of QPR Biodegradable Solvent today!

QPR Disposacones are now MUTCD Compliant

Towner Magill — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:49:12 +0000

Many people are not familiar with QPR’s Disposacone sold in the ShopWorx line. For many contractors, the idea of using a disposable cone doesn’t sound too cost-effective. But for many contractors doing small asphalt repairs or sealing driveways and parking lots, disposable cones are a convenient way for you to protect the work you’ve done while moving onto the next job at the same time. While sealer is drying, keeping traffic off asphalt is essential to preserving the look that property owners want to get. Contractors have a variety of ways of doing this, but often have to leave their cones on site for a day or more which forces them to come back to retrieve property and could lead to cones being stolen. Disposacones were developed because there was a need for a temporary barricade that wouldn’t blow away in the wind, cost effective enough to be left onsite while you went off to new projects.

Disposacones are easy to use, and can be left for property owners to discard!

Now, QPR ShopWorx Disposacones have been approved under Section 6 of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which is the standard for signs, signals, and pavement markings in the United States and administered by the Federal Highway Administration.

At 18 inches in height and engineered in the widely recognized fluorescent safety orange color, Disposacone offers compact size for easy storage and access in all vehicle types plus the high visibility you expect from traffic control devices. In fact, 25 Disposacones can easily fit under most car seats and are obviously a great alternative to traditional cones for the right users. When used with QPR ShopWorx’s caution tape, Disposacones can insure that your work is preserved after you leave the jobsite.

For those who have a need for more traditional traffic cones, QPR ShopWorx stocks an entire line of cones, channelizers, and drums with a variety of sizes, shapes, and reflectability. Please visit the Traffic Control section of our website for more details.

Introducing Our New Stencil Line

Matt Scalice — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:03:37 +0000

We’ve heard from numerous contractors over the years how difficult it is to find high-quality, reasonably priced stencils for roadway and parking lot marking. We are proud to announce that we have now partnered with CH Hanson, a leader in the marking industry for over 14o years, to provide some great options for our customers at great prices. With ADA regulations ever-changing, parking lot owners need to make sure their markings are up to standard. And of course, if a property owner is going to seal over a lot for aesthetic purposes, new markings will have to be done and are a great way to make a recently sealed parking lot really pop!

Our commercial grade roadway stencils are made from 1/8″ low-density polyethylene, so they are built for long life and repetitive daily use. They cannot be damaged by paint or solvents, and will lay flat for the best quality painting. Whether you need letters, numbers, or a variety of roadway marking symbols or characters, we have an option for you. We currently offer both an alphabet and numeric kit of stencils, along with many other commonly used parking lot stencils. And of course if you’re looking for something you don’t see on our website or in our catalog, just ask! We can get it.

In addition to our commercial grade stencils, we can also provide interested customers with industrial strength brass stencil sets. Our brass stencils are made of durable 28 gauge brass for long lasting service, and there is a full range of characters and sizes available for use. Brass stencils can be special quoted and ordered directly from the factory.

The season for parking lot maintenance and beautification is back, and we’re here to help! That’s why this spring and summer we are offering 20% off your first order of any of our commercial grade stencils when you mention this blog post! Don’t miss out on this special offer – call today!

Take Advantage of Spring Promotions on PPE Workwear!

Towner Magill — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 11:44:07 +0000

In case you haven’t noticed, a milder winter has led to warmer weather showing up sooner this year. Spring back to work in 2012 and take advantage of our FREE Igloo Cooler promotion! Offer valid until June 30, 2012 or while supplies last. Limit 5 per customer.

Get a FREE 5 gallon Igloo cooler for the truck with a $150 purchase of PPE workwear
Get a FREE 10 gallon Igloo cooler for the truck with a $200 purchase of PPE workwear

West Chester Gloves added to ShopWorx line!

We are excited to announce that we are now stocking West Chester safety gloves! Known around the industry for high quality hand protection, we are pleased to offer several varieties of gloves that also include high visibility options. Check out our entire line of hand protection at our website!

Stay tuned to our ShopWorx blog for more exciting product announcements and specials!

QPR’s Tack Coat is Holding Maryland Together

Zach Lovett — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:44:02 +0000

Most people familiar with using hot mix asphalt for paving or repair of pavement are familiar with the use of tack coat. A tack coat is a very light application of asphaltic emulsion or asphalt binder to an existing pavement surface or between layers of hot mix asphalt. Asphalt tack coat is used to ensure a good bond:

Between the existing pavement surface and the new hot mix asphalt overlay, including planed surfaces.
Between the layers of each lift of hot mix asphalt.
At any vertical surfaces that the new hot mix asphalt will be placed against (curbs, gutters, and construction joints).

DOT workers in Charlotte, NC apply tack coat to a pothole before repair

Tack coats should be applied uniformly across the entire pavement surface and result in more than about 90% surface coverage. In order for this uniformity to be consistently achieved, all aspects of the application must be considered and carefully controlled. Specific aspects are:

the condition of the pavement surface receiving the tack coat
the application rate
type of tack coat according to standard DOT specifications

QPR currently produces two types of tack coat. In the Baltimore, Maryland area and surrounding towns, our tack coat is taking over. More and more plants and paving crews are stocking and using QPR’s Tack2O and RC Tack. In large highway paving applications tack is typically applied in bulk by a specific truck, but for many contractors in smaller applications 5 gallon pails are an effective way to create a good bond without spending money on expensive equipment.

QPR’s Tack2O is a cationic emulsified or water based product which works great in warm temperatures and is friendlier for the environment. It is slow setting which increases the time between application and paving and also allows for greater workability. Its low viscosity helps to fill cracks and grooves in the existing pavement. Tack2O is less sensitive to high humidity that parts of the country can experience during the summer months. It can also be used as a driveway sealer and performs quite well in that role. During the green movement of the last several years any products containing an oil base are slowly being phased out which is why QPR and our partner Hammaker East materials developed an eco friendly product. QPR and our partners are committed to environmental sustainability through smarter technologies.

RC Tack is a premium rapid cure asphalt cutback. It is an oil based product which is better suited for cooler temperatures and will not freeze or “stiffen up”. It is usable year round and will cure rapidly once applied. Like the Tack2O, this product can also be used as driveway sealer.

QPR ShopWorx's Tack20 emulsified tack coat

QPR ShopWorx's RC Tack, an oil based tack coat

With any product that is new to the market the real test comes from the end users and in this case the response has been great.

“QPR has produced a great product, from the packaging to the quality of the material inside each pail they have really come out with a top notch tack coat.” – Scott Croney, Independence Construction Materials.

“I have used QPR’s tack on several of my jobs and it has performed above my expectations in every case. The material never separates and pours out of the pail with no issues every time.” – Jerry Johnson, Johnson Brothers Paving

Contact your QPR representative today for more information on our tack coat. We have options for resale as well, should you want to sell tack coat at your asphalt plant. Call today!

ShopWorx Makes a Splash at World of Asphalt

Ben Steed — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:26:35 +0000

Watch this video on YouTube.

This week several members of the QPR team were in attendance at the 2012 World of Asphalt. We were able to speak with contractors and public works officials from across the country and all over the world. Not only was it a great opportunity to see many current customers and meet with potential new ones, but it was a great experience to learn from people with such diverse backgrounds.

QPR Booth at World of Asphalt 2012