Don Daseke

Don Daseke (born 1940/1941) is an American businessman, and the CEO, chairman and founder of the transportation company, Daseke Inc.[1][2] Since the foundation of Daseke, Inc. he has helped to grow the company from $30 million in revenue in 2009 to an over $1.6 billion in 2018.[3] In February 2017 Daseke became publicly listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange with the ticker symbol DSKE.[4][5]

Don R. Daseke
Born1940/1941 (age 79–80)[1]
NationalityAmerican
Alma materDePauw University
OccupationBusinessman
Years active1963-current
Known forCEO, Daseke Inc.
Spouse(s)Barbara Elliot Daseke
Children3

Previously, Daseke held various positions at IBM and founded the companies Walden Residential Properties, BigFatWow! Inc., Sage Telecom and East Teak International Inc.[6][7][8]

Early life and education

Daseke graduated from DePauw University in 1961 with a degree in economics. He then attended the University of Chicago School of Business and received his MBA and CPA in 1963.[9][10]

Career

Daseke began his career with Arthur Andersen as an auditor.[11] He then moved to IBM and held roles in sales and finance.[6] In 1972, he founded the company Walden Residential Properties. During his tenure as CEO with the company he helped to grow it from 6,000 units to 42,000 units and oversaw its IPO in 1994.[12][6] The company was sold for $1.7 billion in 2000.[13]

Daseke served as a founding chairman for Sage Telecom beginning in 1998.[14] Daseke founded the company BigFatWow, a shopping mall internet kiosk operator in 1999. The company ceased operations in 2002.[15][16] In 2006, Daseke purchased the East Teak Trading Group and founded East Teak International, Inc., a teak and hardwood importer.[8]

In 2008, Daseke purchased the trucking company Smokey Point Distributing, the first company of Daseke Inc.[17][18] By 2013, the company had a revenue of $205 million, up from $30 million in 2009.[17] In January 2014, under Daseke, the company had merged six trucking company subsidiaries that focused on the transportation of flatbed and specialized cargo.[19] In 2014, Daseke was named an Entrepreneur of the Year for the Southwestern Region by Ernst & Young.[17] By 2015, three more companies were acquired by the company and Daseke had grown the company to 3,000 employees with a projected revenue of $750 million and nine subsidiaries.[6][20] In 2017, Daseke acquired seven companies, making them the leading consolidator and largest flatbed and specialized company in North America.[21] Daseke's efforts growing the company didn't go unnoticed, Don Daseke was named The Accidental Trucker[5] and Daseke was the public company honoree for the 2017 Dallas Business Journal Outstanding Director Awards.[22] In December 2018, Don Daseke was selected for the 2018 Horatio Alger Award for his lifetime achievements and commitment to his local community.[23][24][25]

Daseke has also served as a chairman at Sage Telecom Inc., Mirage Systems Inc., Priority Flowers Inc., ApartmentMatching.com, Netier Technologies Inc. and Liquid Motors Inc.[7][1]

References
  1. "Executive Profile Don R. Daseke". Bloomberg Business. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  2. Walker, Sydni (November 25, 2015). "Entrepreneur Don Daseke". Addison Magazine. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  3. Hennessy, Daniel. "Hennessy Capital LLC" (PDF). Hennessy Capital LLC. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  4. Phillips, Erica. "Trucking Company Daseke's Shares Start Trading on Nasdaq". The Wall Street Journal. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  5. "The Accidental Trucker". D Magazine. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  6. Hethcock, Bill (October 9, 2015). "Meet DFW's 18-Wheeling and Dealing Powerhouse That Tops Our Middle Market 50". Dallas Business Journal. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  7. "High Tech CEO Don Daseke '61 Explains How Ideas are Transformed Into Success". Depauw University. February 14, 2001. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  8. "Private Investment Group Buys East Teak Trading Group". Trade Only Today. April 20, 2006. Archived from the original on March 27, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  9. "Don Daseke '61 Receives McDermond Medal for Excellence in Entrepreneurship". DePauw University. May 6, 2015. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  10. "Alumni Connections No. 14 September 2005". The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. September 2005. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  11. "High-Tech CEO Don Daseke '61 Returns to Alma Mater to Share Secrets of Success". DePauw University. February 10, 2001. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  12. Tessler, Joelle (May 9, 1997). "Walden Residential Agrees to Acquire Drever Partners". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  13. "Olympus Completes $1.7 Bln Acquisition of Walden Residential". Commercial Real Estate Direct. March 1, 2000. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  14. Bounds, Jeff (December 29, 2002). "Houlihan Credited With Sage's Success". Dallas Business Journal. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  15. Ryan, Nancy (January 22, 2001). "Internet Access at Malls Earns a Big, Fat 'Wow'". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  16. Bounds, Jeff (April 14, 2002). "Unhappy Ending for BigFatWow". Dallas Business Journal. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  17. Bounds, Jeff; Nielsen, Karen; Perez, Christine; Vosburgh, Glenda (August 2014). "Entrepreneurs of the Year 2014". D Magazine. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  18. Cassidy, William (October 10, 2014). "Heavy-haul Vision Drives Trucking Growth For Daseke". The Journal of Commerce. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  19. Sakelaris, Nicholas (January 16, 2014). "Why CNG Doesn't Work For Daseke's Trucking Empire". Dallas Business Journal. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  20. Buxbaum, Peter (August 13, 2015). "Daseke Adds Hornady Transportation in Flatbed Trucking Merger". Global Trade Magazine. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  21. Editorial, Reuters. "Exclusive: Major U.S. trucking firm Daseke buys three firms". reuters.com. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  22. https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2017/11/07/daseke-board-acquisition.html
  23. "Texas Transportation Executive and Renowned Philanthropist Don R. Daseke to Receive 2018 Horatio Alger Award – Horatio Alger Association". horatioalger.org. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  24. Inc., Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. "Texas Transportation Executive and Renowned Philanthropist Don R. Daseke to Receive 2018 Horatio Alger Award". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  25. "Horatio Alger Association Raises More Than $15 Million in Support of Scholarship Programs at the 71st Annual Horatio Alger Awards". marketwatch.com. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
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