Our Story
Started by a man who spent 30 years in roofing before picking up a paver. Built into a national QSR contractor by his grandson. No shortcuts in either generation.
“My grandfather built this company after 30 years in roofing. I started working beside him at 14. Everything I know about this trade, I learned from him — and I run this company the same way he did.”
— Mr. Worden, Owner
Industry Recognition
Pavement Magazine Top 75
Recognized in four separate contractor categories — one of the highest distinctions in the national paving industry.
Best of Houzz
Multiple years. Awarded by the Houzz community based on client reviews, service quality, and project documentation.
2026 Top Contractor Nominee
Nominated for the 2026 Pavement Magazine Top Contractor Award — an industry-wide recognition of sustained excellence.
The Real History
Our founder — Mr. Worden's grandfather — spent more than 30 years running a roofing company before making the move to asphalt paving. By the time he picked up a paver, he already knew what it meant to work in the heat, meet a deadline, and stand behind a job. That foundation never left the company.
After three decades in roofing, the founder launched J. Worden & Sons Asphalt Paving. The work ethic was the same, the trade was different. The company built its reputation one job at a time — from Motels, Virginia all the way out to Virginia Beach — earning trust through quality work and zero shortcuts.
The company became a highly respected name across the coastal Virginia corridor. Residential driveways, commercial lots, local businesses — the founder's reputation for doing the job right the first time spread entirely by word of mouth across the region.
Mr. Worden started working alongside his grandfather at fourteen years old. Not watching — working. Learning to grade, to read a mat, to run a crew, to estimate a job. Everything he knows about paving, he learned hands-on from the man who built the company.
The company lands its first KFC franchise paving contract in Virginia. The standard is different at the national franchise level — tight tolerances, brand-compliant documentation, zero margin for rework. Worden & Sons delivers, and the relationship grows.
Word spreads through the KFC franchise network. Contracts follow in North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Michigan. The Worden name becomes a known quantity in national QSR paving — a contractor that shows up, meets spec, and doesn't create problems for the operator.
KFC selects Worden & Sons to assist with ground-up new store construction under a national new build program. This is not maintenance or resurfacing — it's building new fast-food sites from the ground up, civil through finish. The program runs through the end of 2023.
Mr. Worden's grandfather passes away in 2015. He built the company from nothing — from a roofing career into an asphalt legacy that reached from Virginia Beach to Michigan. The business he started, and the standard he held, live on in every job the company takes.
Mr. Worden takes over leadership of the company his grandfather built. He had been working in it for over twenty years at that point. The transition was not about changing the company — it was about carrying it forward. Same standards. Same name. Same promise.
Since the pandemic the company has continued expanding its national footprint — Carolina, Minnesota, Michigan, Texas, Kansas, Kansas City, Iowa, Missouri, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia, and others. New KFC store built ground-up in Texas. Store remodels across ten-plus states. Every project backed by verified photo documentation in Dropbox and Google Photos.
The work has been recognized nationally. Pavement Magazine Top 75 Contractors — in four separate categories. Best of Houzz, multiple years. And a nomination for the 2026 Pavement Magazine Top Contractor Award. These aren't self-reported — they're industry-verified recognitions of a track record built over decades.
The company is active in private commercial paving and actively pursuing the next phase of QSR fast food builds and civil work. The documentation exists — photos, contracts, completed projects across more than ten states. The legacy is not marketing. It's the record.
Projects That Tell the Story
Verified work. Real projects. The documentation exists — photos, records, completed jobs across more than ten states.
Virginia Beach Corridor — Early Era
Where the Reputation Was Built.
The company's early years were defined by the coastal Virginia corridor — from Motels, VA to Virginia Beach. Commercial lots, residential driveways, local businesses. No advertising. The reputation spread by word of mouth from job sites where the work spoke for itself.
KFC National Franchise Program — Virginia to Michigan
Earning the National Trust.
What started as a single KFC contract in Virginia grew into a multi-state franchise program spanning Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Michigan. KFC franchise operators require precise documentation, brand-standard ADA compliance, and zero rework. Worden & Sons became the contractor operators specifically requested.
KFC New QSR Build Program
Ground-Up. Start to Finish.
Selected by KFC to assist with ground-up new store construction under their national new build program. Not maintenance — new site builds, civil through finish. The program ran from around 2016 through end of 2023. Every project documented with verified photos and records.
New KFC Build — Texas
New Build. New State. Same Standard.
A ground-up KFC new store construction in Texas — one of several projects the company completed in the state post-pandemic. Site work, paving, and civil scope handled start to finish. Part of the company's expanded national QSR footprint that now includes Texas and extends across the South and Midwest.
Multi-State KFC Remodel Program
Ten States. One Standard.
Store remodels across Texas, Kansas, Kansas City, Michigan, Iowa, Missouri, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia, and others since the pandemic. Each project fully documented in Dropbox and Google Photos. The scale of this program is what earned the Pavement Magazine Top 75 recognition in four categories.
The People
The Founder
Est. 1984 · In Memoriam
Spent 30 years in roofing before founding J. Worden & Sons. Built the company's reputation from Virginia Beach to Chester by doing the work right, every time. Passed away in 2015. The standard he set has never been lowered.
Mr. Worden
Owner · Since 2016
Started working alongside his grandfather at age 14. Took over the company in 2016. Has led KFC franchise paving programs across Virginia, NC, GA, FL, MI, TX, and more — including ground-up new store builds and multi-state remodel programs. Pavement Magazine Top 75 recognized. Still on job sites.
How We Work
Show Up
We answer the phone. We're on site when we say. Showing up — on time, prepared, and ready — is the baseline. We set it higher.
Build It Right
Commercial-grade specs on every job. We don't cut base depth because no one will see it. The sub-grade is where the job is really won or lost.
Stand Behind It
If something isn't right, we fix it. No debate, no charge. Our name is on the work — and we protect it.
Document Everything
Every major project is backed by photos and records. We have a Dropbox and a Google Photos archive that proves the work. That's not common in this industry. It should be.