Mary has been in the tradeshow industry for over 40 years. Directly out of high school, Mary went to work for her father’s tradeshow company while attending college night classes. Mary was an office manager who spent a lot of time supervising on the tradeshow floor, where she learned the ins and outs of the tradeshow industry. She eventually took over the family business and ran the company successfully for over 20 years.

In May 2015, Mary ran into Rick, Carl, and Larry at the National Restaurant Association Show. She approached them and mentioned she was looking for another tradeshow company for a merger. Rick responded, “We’ve been waitin’ for ya.” Six months later, Mary merged her business with Lakeshore Exhibit Services.

Mary quickly outgrew her cubicle at Lakeshore and when Carl retired, Rick asked Mary to become a salesperson. Initially, Mary was not pleased with the idea because she disliked the mentality of most salespeople and she didn’t want to adapt it. It took some convincing but Mary eventually transitioned to sales while maintaining her friendly, caring, and honest approach to the tradeshow industry. She is an atypical salesperson who really cares about her clients, which she proved her first year by doubling her sales. The majority of the Mary’s clients have been with her for years and she has loved helping and watching them grow over time. Mary loves Lakeshore Exhibit Services so much that she comes into the office every day. She says, “I don’t have to be here. I can work from home, but I love to be here.”