For 20 years, Jennifer Niles has been part of Tucson Asphalt Contractors, stepping into the role of President and CEO in 2022. She leads Arizona’s leading asphalt company with a clear vision: deliver exceptional service to customers while creating a secure and progressive workplace for her team.
Tucson Asphalt provides a wide range of services—including asphalt paving and patching, seal coating, crack sealing, fog sealing, and concrete work—and has earned a stellar reputation with 80% of its calls coming from referrals or repeat customers.
That level of trust is rooted in the company’s Corporate Core Beliefs & Values, which emphasize teamwork, safety, integrity, continuous improvement, and giving back to the community.
But leadership hasn’t come without challenges. When Tucson Asphalt transitioned to a 100% employee-owned company in 2020, management changes and the creation of a new board of directors brought both opportunities and growing pains. Recognizing the need to align her team and sharpen their collective vision, Jennifer turned to 3 Pillars Performance Group for executive coaching in early 2025.
Working closely with Troy Jacobson, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of 3 Pillars, Jennifer first brought together 25 leaders across all levels — from field Foremen up to executive management — for coaching and team building. The process was eye-opening, giving everyone—from field teams to sales—a stronger voice and building a culture of openness and better communication.
Together, with Troy’s guidance, the leadership team is developing a clear five-year vision and establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success. Jennifer describes the experience as “very emotional and very rewarding,” noting how much progress she’s seen in her team’s ability to engage, communicate, and lead with confidence.
“Think of us as a brand-new company when we first started working with Troy,” Jennifer reflects. “The transition to being employee-owned was like starting over. Troy gave us the tools to build stronger communication, alignment, and vision. It’s really fast-tracked us as a team.”
Jennifer credits the recommendation of Lori Escalante of Escalante Concrete Construction for connecting her to 3 Pillars, and she now encourages other business leaders to seek out executive coaching when faced with challenges in alignment, communication, or vision.
“If you have any hesitation about processes or vision for your company, executive coaching is the way to go. Troy has gone above and beyond to help us—and it’s made all the difference.”
With Jennifer’s leadership and a stronger, more unified team, Tucson Asphalt Contractors is paving not just roads, but the way forward for employee-owned companies in Southern Arizona.