WO M E N O F A S P H A LT
Meet a Woman of Asphalt: Superior Asphalt’s Danielle Sands
Danielle Sands is the CFO at Superior Asphalt Inc., Grand Rapids, Michigan. BY SANDY LENDER
A
lthough Danielle Sands grew up sharing the construction business with her father, she joined the asphalt industry when she began her career with Superior Asphalt Inc., Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1999. Since then, the company has grown and her expertise in aggregates and asphalt has grown alongside the company owner, Jeff Kresnak. Sands is now the chief financial officer for Superior Asphalt and she took some time to share with readers her experiences as a Woman of Asphalt.
AsphaltPro: What was the catalyst for joining the industry? Danielle Sands: My father owned his own excavation company. I grew up riding in a dump truck in the summer and plow truck in the winter. I would pack a laundry basket with all the things I needed in the morning and would return when he came home. Sometimes for lunch, sometimes not until 32 | FEBRUARY 2022
dinner. When I was looking for employment in 1999, Jeff was using a placement agency to find an accountant and business manager. The rest is history. Jeff and I have been on an adventure together. He has been a real influence on me throughout the years. He saw the potential I had. He understood my strengths and abilities and knew exactly how I could complement the company; He gave me the opportunity to grow within the company. When I joined the company, we were a lay down only company and I was the entire administrative staff. We were a $4MM company with approximately 25 employees.
AsphaltPro: What part of your education relates best to the career track you’re on and to the post of CFO? Danielle Sands: I received my Associates in Business Management and my Bachelor’s of Applied Science in Accounting in 1994 from Lake Superior State University.
AsphaltPro: What are some of the day-today responsibilities that you most enjoy as the CFO for Superior Asphalt? Danielle Sands: Superior Asphalt is the $50MM company that still operates as a small business. We are able to make quick management decisions and steer the ship without the lag of many levels of management. I enjoy interacting with the crews every day as well as the mundane business tasks. This helps us keep a pulse on the needs of our most valuable resource—people. AsphaltPro: Why did you choose to become an executive in finance? What about that position is most rewarding to you? Danielle Sands: I love business and the day-to-day operations and inner workings of the company. It has been most rewarding to work alongside Jeff Kresnak, owner and president, and Rick Browley, CEO, as Superior Asphalt has grown to a $50MM company that employs 145 people. The people are the
