What’s in a name? An immigrant success story and a glimpse into the darker side of the past.

Frank Augello Sr. immigrated to Canada from Italy more than half a century ago. After working for a few years at a couple of large construction and paving companies, he decided to open his own business.

Why did he choose to name it Walton Paving?

“My grandfather came from Italy. It was hard for Italians to get work here. If he named the company after our last name, not a lot of people wanted to hire him,” says Frank Augello Jr., who handles sales and estimating.

“He named it after one of his kids’ (my dad’s) favorite television shows – The Waltons.”

“I founded Walton Paving in 1973 with six employees – myself, my two older brothers and three hired employees,” Frank Sr. says.

“Fast forward to 2021, we have 18 hard-working crew members that are like family, consisting of some employees who have worked for us for more than 40 years,” he adds.

Equipment

“There have been many family members working for Walton Paving through the years, such as my great uncles and cousins, but as of now it is just my grandfather, father, uncle and I,” Frank Jr. says.

Eight Mack tri-axle dump trucks form the backbone of the company. Three Ford F450s and a Dodge 3500 are used to haul smaller equipment from job to job.

“We have four triaxle Tag-A-Long air brake trailers and five small Tag-A-Long trailers to haul smaller equipment,” says John Augello, Frank Sr.’s son, who has been running the company for the past 10 years after working more than 25 years on sites..

“We use heavy weight compaction equipment, which includes vibratory rollers, road rollers, pneumatic tired rollers and smooth asphalt rollers. We also have excavators, skid steer loaders, blades and asphalt pavers. They all come in a variety of sizes depending on the use.”

The Bolton, Ont., company offers residential, commercial, and industrial paving. “We also perform interlocking and concrete work. We do all kinds of jobs such as subdivisions, roads, gas stations, parking lots, driveways, sports courts and more,” says Frank Jr.

 “Every piece of equipment we have is owned, which includes every truck, trailer and (piece of) machinery,” John adds. “Walton Paving has an in-house mechanic who works six days a week in our shop. He keeps our equipment and vehicles up to date and well maintained,” he adds.

Equipment breakdowns due to the heavy workload are always a challenge. “There is always something that needs to be fixed. We keep equipment up to date, so it is ready to go, and complies with the law regarding safety,” John says.

Maintenance

Keeping everything maintained also means less downtime. “You always want a back-up plan in case something breaks down. Having extra equipment ready makes everything run a lot smoother,” John adds.

Walton Paving will be getting its first automatic truck soon. “We bought it because of the benefits we’ve heard from others, such as no need to shift gears, it is better for longer hauls, improved fuel economy and safety,” Frank Jr. says.

What about acquiring an electric vehicle? “Yes, if an electric truck could do the mileage in one day and perform the same way, we would love to try it. It would be great for the environment if all trucks were electric,” Frank Jr. adds.

He is keen on following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father.

“Seeing the business expand over the years has made my grandfather very happy and proud. This is a business he started with very little money, equipment, and clients,” Frank Jr. adds. “The company has gone full circle where clients have called me for services after hiring my grandfather years ago.”