Forty Under 40: Tyler Garman

A younger generation is now at the helm of The RoArk Group and Tyler Garman’s description of his job reflects that.

“I regulate the funkiness,” he said.

Tyler Garman’s father Ron Garman and uncle Don Garman retired in 2006, handing over the printing company his grandfather Dean Garman began in 1974.

“Funkiness” probably wasn’t a word his elders used when talking about trouble-shooting, but while Garman’s words are more hip, his approach is old school.

As the third generation of his family to run the business — which has grown to the largest provider of visual communications in Northwest Arkansas — Garman’s advice to other upwardly mobile-types may sound surprising: There are no shortcuts.

Dean Garman was a farmer and a drill sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps and passed along a strong work ethic with words and deeds to his sons and grandson. Tyler Garman earned a degree in computer information systems from the University of Arkansas in 2000 and immediately set about modernizing the company’s technology and helping diversify its printing offerings into trade show services. As vice president of operations, he also coordinated the company move across Rogers from 13th to 35th Street in 2002.