As the owner of a company that was founded by his grandfather, passed on to him from his father and will one day be run by his children, Saul Harrison takes very seriously his responsibility to uphold the family name and operate Harrison Brothers Paving with integrity.

So even though it has been a respected leader in the industry for more than 60 years and continues to earn high marks for its work, Harrison Brothers goes into each project with something to prove.

 “We’re only as good as the last job we installed,” Harrison says. “It’s nice that people leave us great reviews, but those are in the past. Each new driveway we work on has to be done the same way. I understand there are a lot of contractors in the Delaware Valley, so we try to go a step further than anyone else and give every job our full, undivided attention.

 “We were built on that promise. It’s a family business—my last name is the name of the company and we take pride in that. Customers know when they call us what they’re getting.”

Harrison Brothers offers a variety of residential and commercial paving services throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, with a heavy focus on asphalt driveways. In addition to the values of the company, Harrison also learned the ins and outs of paving from his dad and grandfather.

“I grew up around the business,” he says. “On Saturdays, most kids went and played sports; my brothers and I ran backhoes. In high school, most kids got to go to the Shore in the summertime, but I worked for my dad. I went from the last man on the totem pole to having my own crew underneath me, and then I had two crews underneath me and eventually I started running the company.

 “I’ve always loved building things and making driveways. This is not a job; I really enjoy what I do.”

Harrison Brothers is known for completing its jobs on time and on budget, from private roads to courtyards. But its main area of expertise in the residential sector is asphalt driveways.

Harrison notes there are many benefits to choosing asphalt over concrete for a driveway, including the fact that asphalt is 100 percent recyclable, is just as durable as concrete and is less expensive to install. On top of that, the maintenance costs for asphalt are much more manageable and can be handled by the homeowners them- selves at a fraction of the cost of concrete.

 “There is no comparison between the price of asphalt and the price of concrete; asphalt is hands down cheaper,” he says. “Just look at all the miles of roads in the United States paved with asphalt.”

The company also specializes in tar and chip driveways, a surface combining layers of asphalt with layers of stone. It is a low-cost alternative to asphalt but does not last as long and is not as forgiving.

 “We’re one of the few contractors left who still do tar and chip,” Harrison says. “The advantage is not so much the price as the look. For example, homes in New Hope or Chadds Ford want that country look; they don’t want to see a black driveway. So they tend to go with the English or French Tudor style and it has a real, soft country look to it.”

Harrison Brothers offers asphalt stamping around the edges of the driveway to act as an accent piece, along with repairs, sealcoating and crack filling. It is one of the few companies in this area to do heated driveways as well, for those customers who are sick and tired of shoveling snow.

 “We lay an electric grid underneath the driveway and you don’t have to plow it,” Harrison says. “If it freezes at night, it will turn on and melt the snow or ice on your driveway. The homeowners don’t even need to salt or anything.”

No matter what the job, Harrison Brothers stands by all of its work, provides a two-year warranty and will immediately rectify the issue in the rare case when a problem arises.

Harrison has also ensured that the company is committed to being as eco-friendly as possible. Harrison Brothers has a milling machine it uses before repaving a surface, so the asphalt can be reused and have less of an impact on the environment. He also brought in all new machinery five years ago to lower the emission rates.

 “We revamped our whole way of installing asphalt driveways to be softer on the environment,” he says. “We’re experimenting with new methods and new technologies with an eye on the future. I’m glad to be part of that movement in this area.”

The next generation is especially important to Harrison because he has five children: four boys and one girl. He will be proud to one day turn the family business over to one or more of them.

“My two oldest sons, Arthur and Saul, come out with me during the summer when they’re off from school,” he says. “We’re going strong now and I can see a great future coming with them.” 

Harrison Brothers Paving
Yardley, Pa. | (215) 949-6979
HarrisonBrothersPaving.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 19, Issue 9 (March 2019). 
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