Hinkle Contracting: EPDs in brief

Who Hinkle is and what they sell

Hinkle Contracting is a vertically integrated materials and construction player in Kentucky. The portfolio spans aggregates from company quarries, asphalt mixes produced at multiple plants, ready‑mix concrete, hauling, and paving services. Their site also surfaces an environmental posture under a Sustainability section, which is worth a skim for context (Hinkle Sustainability).

Across these lines, product varieties stack up quickly. Aggregate sizes and gradations run in the dozens. Asphalt recipes for different traffic levels and seasons add another set in the dozens. Ready‑mix designs for strengths and exposures can run into the hundreds across a full network. Exact SKU counts are not published, but the ranges are typical for an integrated regional producer.

Current EPD coverage

We could find a handful of product‑specific EPDs for asphalt mixtures attributed to Hinkle, aligned to the National Asphalt Pavement Association program. Those mix EPDs track the current PCR that expires March 31, 2027, which is when updates are due against the next rule set (NAPA Emerald Eco‑Label, 2024) (NAPA Emerald Eco‑Label, 2024).

For aggregates and ready‑mix concrete, we did not find public, product‑specific EPDs from Hinkle on the common North American operator registries as of December 24, 2025. That does not mean none exist internally, only that specifiers searching standard directories will not see them.

Why the gaps matter commercially

Two market drivers make coverage more than a checkbox. First, LEED v5 was ratified in 2025, and projects using it expect transparent, third‑party verified product data for materials decisions (USGBC, 2025) (USGBC, 2025). Second, Caltrans requires EPD submittals for hot‑mix asphalt and concrete on projects with bid dates starting February 1, 2025, a template many owners watch closely (Caltrans, 2025) (Caltrans, 2025). When an EPD is missing, teams must use conservative defaults that increase apparent carbon. That penalty nudges selection toward products with EPDs, all else equal.

Likely best sellers without EPDs

Aggregates are core revenue for any quarry operator. A 57 stone or dense‑graded base is a safe bet as a top mover in Kentucky. Without an aggregate EPD in public view, those SKUs can be disadvantaged on owner frameworks that score embodied carbon inputs at bid time or require documentation bundles for whole‑project accounting.

Ready‑mix is another hot spot. Mix designs used in paving, flatwork, and structural work are frequent submittals. Where Hinkle has concrete on the quote, a competing plant with published mix EPDs can look simpler to approve because the paperwork is already there.

Competitors Hinkle likely meets on bids

Hinkle’s competitive lane is regional. Depending on county and project type, they may see Rogers Group for like‑kind asphalt and aggregates, The Allen Company and Scotty’s Contracting and Stone across central and western Kentucky, and national aggregates names such as Vulcan Materials or Martin Marietta on larger packages. Many of these peers publish asphalt mix EPDs through the NAPA Emerald Eco‑Label, and a growing set of ready‑mix EPDs appear under NRMCA’s program each quarter. That means specifiers can often swap to a documented alternative if paperwork is a gating item.

Fastest paths to full coverage

Think practical and sequential, not academic.

1. Lock PCR choices per category. Asphalt follows the NAPA PCR. For ready‑mix, align to NRMCA program rules. For aggregates, pick a program operator with a clear EN 15804 path such as ASTM, UL, or SCS, so submittals feel familiar to DOTs and large owners.
2. Centralize data collection once. Pull one clean reference year for fuels, electricity, quarry blasts, crushing screens, moisture, recycled content, and transport legs. Good data in means fewer review loops later.
3. Publish in batches by plant. Start with your highest volume SKUs. Asphalt mix EPDs are typically the quickest win. Concrete and aggregates follow with the same master data skeleton. Renewals become routine rather than resets.

What good looks like for Hinkle in 90 days

A credible sprint would add visible EPDs for the top aggregate gradations at two or three flagship quarries, plus a published concrete EPD set for one or two ready‑mix plants. Asphalt coverage is already started, but refreshing any mixes that near the March 2027 PCR change removes risk on future bids (NAPA Emerald Eco‑Label, 2024). That footprint makes Hinkle straightforward to specify across roadway, commercial sitework, and small structural packages. It also reduces the back‑and‑forth that burns calendar days at submittal time.

Selection tips if you lead this internally

Pick an LCA partner that handles the heavy lifting of data wrangling across quarry, plants, and finance, not just modeling. The fastest teams make the collection ruthlessly efficient, then publish with your operator of choice. Aim for quality, completeness, and speed rather than a bargain. The time you save across operations usually dwarfs the fee once even one mid‑sized project lands.

Bottom line

Hinkle is a multi‑category materials supplier with broad SKUs and partial EPD coverage. The visible wins are in asphalt, and the near‑term upside sits in aggregates and ready‑mix. Close those gaps and they become easier to pick for LEED v5 projects and owner frameworks that score carbon. Miss them and a competitor with a similar mix but complete paperwork will keep showing up ahead in the spec. That is avoidable, and frankly straighforward to fix if the work is sequenced well.