“When our clients work with us, they see the difference,” says President Rick Hasebein. His teams are specially trained to work with the company’s high-quality materials.

Rick Hasebein, President of Sable Asphalt & Concrete, started the business in 1988.

The folks at Sable Asphalt & Concrete of Akron, Ohio, like to say the company is known for quality, consistency and customer service. The owner-operated company, founded in 1988 and incorporated in 1990, provides parking lot sealcoating, asphalt paving, patching and overlay, crack filling, line striping, resurfacing and commercial concrete paving to customers throughout northeastern Ohio.

On the surface, Sable Asphalt & Concrete might seem like other paving service providers, but looks can be deceiving. Let’s start with Rick Hasebein, President of Sable Asphalt & Concrete. He has lived a double life for decades—by day, he was a high-tech executive. At night, he was a paving professional known for quality and consistency.

“I guess I’m not like other people in the industry,” Rick says, with a laugh. “I was in high tech before starting Sable. I worked for Oracle and other big names for over 30 years.” But Rick wasn’t a stereotypical IT executive. “I love working with my hands and being outside, but most importantly, I love people. There’s nothing better than delivering a great result for a client.”

Rick started Sable Asphalt & Concrete as a modest side gig with a client-first approach. “We had a new baby,” says Rick. “There’s something about a new baby that pushes you to follow your dreams. So, I got a pickup truck and a barrel and went to work.”

Yet Rick didn’t want to leave IT. “I enjoyed my career, so I made working two jobs work.” Rick explains that during the construction season—20 to 30 weeks in Ohio, depending on the weather—he would go to the office, work all day, come home, get changed and leave again to sealcoat asphalt. He continued this double life, finally leaving Oracle in 2017 to fully focus on his own business.

Early Success

Rick describes a slow, strategic approach to growing his business. “We still earn most of our work through referrals,” Rick says. “There have been a few times when I cold-called a client, but thankfully, that time is over.”

One such call happened in the early 1990s, when Rick walked into a car dealership with a parking lot in need of repairs. “I introduced myself to the owner and asked if he was interested in coating and repairing the lot.” The owner said no. “I was hearing him explain why he didn’t think it was a good idea. So, I offered him a deal. I said, ‘If your sales don’t increase over the next 30 days, you don’t have to pay me anything. But if sales increase, I expect you to pay me in 30 days.’ ” The client accepted the offer.

Rick was paid, of course. “The dealership went from selling 75 cars a month to over 100. Not only did he pay us within 30 days, but every time he opened a new dealership, he called us to do the lot,” Rick says. “We’ve been working with each other for 25 years now, and he has eight dealerships and over 1 million square feet of blacktop that we service for him. That’s the result of using high-quality products and excellent customer service.”

A large property management firm based in Chicago offered another early win. “In the early 2000s, this company had 110 apartment complexes in Ohio, many of which needed parking lot repairs,” Rick says. He wasn’t sure they could win the project, though. “I put myself in the client’s shoes, and I broke down the cost to show the client exactly what the project would cost compared to the rent they would collect. Eventually, we won the work and were proud to provide their paving services for several years.”

Growth Built on Quality

Since the early 2000s, the company experienced a consistent growth year over year. By the mid-2000s, the Sable Asphalt & Concrete client roster included Applebee’s, Target, Walmart, Taco Bell, Midas, Hilton and LongHorn Steakhouse, and many more.

Rick attributes his company’s success to its personalized, hands-on approach and high-quality materials. “Once clients work with us, they see the difference,” Rick says. “We invest in high-quality products, engineer our mixes and train our team how to apply them successfully. Our coatings will last three to four years on average, compared to the industry average of 12 months. People in this industry can be so profit-driven that they skimp on the materials. We don’t do that. We want products to last.”

While Rick won’t divulge his company’s mix designs, he will say that they use only federal-specified products that prolong pavement life and reduce overall costs. “We regularly get reviews that say, ‘You provided the best quality of service’ or ‘We’ll be using you again in the future.’ ”

Rick will share one of his secrets to success: his people. “We really take the time to hire guys who have the same eye for quality as I do,” he says. “We train them on how to use and lay our products.” Rick explains that because they invest so much in their employees, many of them stay for years. “Our average employee has been with us for over a decade. Right now, we have whole families, including five brothers, who work for us. They do a great job because they get what we’re about.”

Customer Service

Rick is passionate about building client relationships that last. “On our website, you’ll see that we guarantee the best product,” Rick says. “But, you’ll also see our promise to our clients—we have competitive pricing and work delivered on schedule, we provide an experienced team that is dedicated to quality workmanship, and we stand behind our work, equipment and materials.”

Rick explains that a project with a national fast-food chain illustrates his client-focused approach. “The regional VP of operations called us in mid-September and requested that all 12 locations be sealed and line striped by October,” Rick says. “We were also told that we could only work Sunday mornings from 6 a.m. to noon. In the end, we successfully sealed and line striped 12 locations in two cities with six trips and two crews. Thanks to clear communication, organization and scheduling, we were able to complete this project on time.”

Maybe it’s the materials, communication, professionals or history of success that has led nearly 3,350 clients to choose Sable Asphalt & Concrete. “I am happy,” says Rick. “Quality, customer service, and building relationships is the Sable Asphalt difference.”