In an industry where communication breakdowns, vague quotes and inconsistent crews can sometimes cause a headache, Sommerset Paving Companies, LLC offers something different. The Michigan-based contractor has built its reputation on clear communication, consistent quality, and a culture that values people as much as pavement.
Louise Pernicano didn’t set out to run a paving company. Before founding Sommerset Paving in 2009, she was traveling the country in the skincare import business. But a frustrating experience trying to repave her own driveway changed her direction.
From Frustrated Customer to Industry Challenger
“I called three different contractors. One said, ‘This isn’t the economy to fix your driveway,’ which I thought was strange. Another just never gave me a quote. The third wrote it out in pencil on notebook paper,” she recalled. “I thought to myself, ‘Well, I could do this better and become like the anti-contractor contractor.’”
What began as a sealcoating business quickly evolved. Struggling to find subcontractors who met her standards, Pernicano bought her own paver, roller, dump truck, and skid steer within the first year. She built the website herself, answered every call, and made sure her crews were clean, consistent, and professional — because image and customer comfort mattered, especially to her residential clients.
Sommerset Paving is now a fully woman-owned and family-run business based in Michigan, offering commercial, residential, and municipal paving work — including MDOT highway projects and federal government contracts. Still, it runs more like a close-knit team than a large-scale contractor.
Careful Work with a Personal Touch
Sommerset Paving is especially known for its precision work on municipal pathways — projects that require a different kind of skill and patience than highway paving. They also happen to be the teams’ favorite projects to work on.
One example is the Merriman Parkway Path in Livonia, Michigan — a twisting shared-use trail designed for walkers, cyclists, and even the occasional dog on a leash. It’s the kind of job Sommerset embraces not just for the technical challenge, but for the community impact.
Projects like that stick with the crew long after the last roller passes through. “Why sit in muddy puddles when you can relax on well-tended grass and admire the path you built?” the company’s website notes.
Happy Crews, Strong Culture
That sense of pride – and a bit of fun – is all part of the company culture.
“We actually call ourselves Happy Paving,” Pernicano said. “They spray a smiley face on a lot of first layers of pavement. It’s obviously an intense business, but they like to have a good time as much as they can in such a dangerous occupation.”
That culture extends beyond morale. Pernicano’s approach to management includes things like company-paid CDL training, no-interest loans for cars or legal help, and refusing to schedule Sunday work. “Getting them back home, and safely, is the main thing,” she said.
Her background in education and business sales also helped shape the way Sommerset communicates with customers. She’s passionate about educating buyers — no matter who they hire in the end. “Educating consumers has always been really important to me,” she said. “Whether someone picks us or not, as long as our website or meeting provides logical information so they can make the best choice.”
That philosophy is especially important in a state like Michigan, where asphalt paving is unlicensed and pricing can vary wildly. “There’s a lot of bait and switching,” she explained. “We like to say, ‘Buy nice, not twice.’”
Today, Pernicano’s sons help lead the company — one heading MDOT operations, the other managing Sommerset’s newest expansion: a road milling division. “That’s been our biggest leap since we joined MDOT about six years ago,” she said. “It’s almost like having another business within your business.”
While many companies chase bigger numbers, Sommerset is focused on sustainable, values-driven growth. Pernicano hopes to mentor smaller paving and concrete firms, especially those looking to build the same reputation for quality and communication.
And though she’s aware she stands out in the industry, Pernicano doesn’t let it define her. “People think it’s really unusual that it’s owned by a woman and it didn’t come from my father or husband or a boyfriend,” she said. “I don’t try to act like a man. I’m a lady and I don’t try to be anything other than what I am.”
What started as a personal project has become something much bigger — a place where people take pride in their work, customers are educated and respected, and paving is treated as both a craft and a legacy.
“Was it my dream to own a bunch of paving equipment? I don't know,” she said. “But I really enjoy that we provide a nice life for not only employees but their families too.”
