Forty Under 40: Mitchell Mawby

Mitchell Mawby never intended to work for the family business, planning instead to go into commercial real estate. His agreement with his dad was that he’d find success elsewhere and only join the business if the opportunity arose. Unbeknownst to his father, in 2013 the company’s sales manager recruited Mawby, then 21, to take his place, training him for a year.

“It gave me a completely different appreciation for what we had,” Mawby said. “And I felt a sense of responsibility to participate in the future evolution of the company.”

Seeing the deep partnerships with customers attracted Mawby to the business. 

“I fell in love with that, and I’m still in love with that,” he said. 

After graduating in 2014 from the University of Arkansas in business administration and marketing with an economics minor, he joined the family business.

Mawby has since worked with his father and brother to continue building relationships with their 800 to 1,000 local clients through their services and products. He’s guided the 38-year-old company sustainably into the ever-evolving digital age, from a copier/printer provider to an all-encompassing technology provider.

“Historically, the third generation is destined to fail in a business, but failure is not an option,” he said.

Not afraid of risk, he and his brother recently moved into leadership roles, driving revenues and profits and growing the team. Extremely intentional, Mawby prioritizes relationships, putting others first and “seeking harmony versus balance.”

He’s involved with 25 area organizations, including many nonprofits. His relationships through Vistage, a CEO/executive leadership group, are invaluable.

After work, Mawby relaxes with family at the lake, beach or on the golf course.