Forty Under 40: Brad Jones

Brad Jones, 31, not only got to fulfill his dream. He got to do it with a friend.

The Greenwood native graduated in 1993 from the University of Arkansas with a degree in finance. After four years at JB Hunt, Jones joined Stribling Packaging, where he worked as a sales representative for Patrick Sbarra.

Because of the volume of marketing and design work they were doing for Wal-Mart vendors, the two decided last September to break off on their own and focus on that segment. The result is a company that by year’s end expects to reach $1.5 million in gross sales.

“Being a principal owner in my own business has always been my main goal, and pursuing that goal with my mentor and friend has most definitely been the highlight of my career,” Jones said.

Jones, formerly a logistics manger for J.B. Hunt’s northeast region, said he did not expect to spend his entire career in shipping while studying finance in college. His day-to-day duties now include managing accounts, handling invoices and monitoring productivity.

Jones said his company’s goal is to keep evolving and ultimately master the science of supply chain logistics. A member of the First Baptist Church of Bentonville, he enjoys golf and makes a mean vegetarian dish with angle hair pasta and zucchinis.