Forty Under 40: Mark Evans

Mark Evans’ career began on the sales floor of a Walmart store, and he now manages mechanical projects for the construction of multi-million dollar hotels and apartments across the nation.

After five years working in retail, Evans was offered an outside sales job in hardware; he then held project management positions in residential construction, commercial development and architecture. Evans built custom and spec homes for a time, then helped manage the concrete project (50,000 cubic yards of polished concrete) for Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville.

In 2011, when Brad Smith of Kimbel Mechanical Systems Inc. called him, looking for an experienced project manager for large-scale housing projects, all paths converged for Evans. KMS was growing rapidly and Evans was drawn to the inherent challenges and, most importantly, the integrity he observed in leadership.

“Their main focus is integrity, always doing the right thing,” Evans said. “Brad (now the company’s CEO) will always do the right thing, even when it’s detrimental to himself. He and (founder and former CEO) Rob Kimbel both do that, and their values have shaped where I am now.”

Kimbel Mechanical is now the state’s largest mechanical contractor. Evans worked his way up, excelling through every department. He’s known for attention to detail and professionalism. Increasingly, he is shifting focus toward mentoring new project managers.

The escalation of his career has mirrored the region’s growth, he said.

“When I was young, there wasn’t much to Northwest Arkansas,” Evans admits. “At Kimbel, the sky’s the limit now.”