HISTORY

In 1965 Much Binder (Pty) Limited was formed by Murray Stewart and Clifford Harris and established its first asphalt premix supply plant at Tableview Quarry. After successfully bidding for contracts such as the Cape Town City Council tender, it expanded its operations by the establishment of a plant at Peak Quarry in Eerste River. In 1969 the company changed its name to Much Asphalt (Pty) Limited and established a permanent branch in Port Elizabeth. In 1970 the company was awarded the largest single asphalt supply contract at the time for the supply of premix for the then Jan Smuts Airport. Soon thereafter it started operating tankers and tippers and established a permanent branch in East London.

In 1973 it secured a long-term supply agreement with the Port Elizabeth City Council, which remains in operation today. Lucrative and prestigious contracts were secured over the next 10 years of operation and in 1983 the company developed the first wet method bitumen rubber asphalt for trials on the N2 freeway culminating in the landmark decision to overlay an existing concrete section of the N2 with bitumen rubber asphalt in 1985.

In 1986 Murray and Roberts acquired 100% of the shareholding in the company and from that time to 1989 the company embarked on a quality assurance programme; constructed a central laboratory accredited by the SABS; and achieved ISO listing for three of its branches. In 1991 the company disposed of its transport division to Unitrans to focus on its asphalt operations. In 1994 it established a plant in Lusaka and successfully completed the Lusaka Southern Freeway.

In 1995 Much Asphalt became part of Colas South Africa and within this new structure regionalisation of its operating plants was implemented. Plants were established in Namibia and Zambia to supply specific contracts. In 1999 all Colas operations were structured under a single management structure and the following year the binder operation was disposed to Colas France and the paving operation was incorporated in Murray & Roberts Civils. This left only the premix operation within the company whereupon it reverted to its original name, Much Asphalt (Pty) Limited.