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Market Builder also building itself up
E.V. family-run company constructs bigger facility in Mesa
Publication: East Valley Tribune; Date: June 3, 2007
By Tony Natale
Fifteen years ago, Keith and Peggy Lawson sat side-by-side in their cramped office at their home in Mesa, trying not to bump into each other.
“We needed more work space,” said Keith, who with his wife had just started a direct mailing and marketing company called, The Market Builder.
At the time, the Lawsons had 10 clients and no employees other than themselves.
Today, they have more than 150 clients, 20 employees, including two other members of the Lawson family — Paul Lawson, 27, their son and Brian Lawson, Keith’s brother — and they recently celebrated a ground-breaking ceremony in Mesa at the site of their new, two-story, 24,000-square foot office building at the southwest corner of Higley and Ingram roads.
“Yes, we’ve come a long way,” said Peggy Lawson.
The upward movement, in space and revenue, for the Lawsons began after three years of crowded workspace in their spare-bedroom-turnedoffice in Mesa.
They moved their operations to a 2,000-square foot office in Tempe at University and Price roads and then, 10 years ago, moved again to their current headquarters in a combined 5,000-square foot office and processing plant at 40 N. Sunway Drive in Gilbert.
“We’re still bumping into each other,” said Keith Lawson, who said he is eagerly awaiting construction to begin on their building in Mesa, which they expect to move into next November.
They plan to use about 18,000-square feet of space for their company’s operations and rent out the remainder, he said. In addition, the firm expects to hire additional sales and marketing staff to handle their growing business.
“We’re heading back to Mesa,” said his wife, who quickly points out that all of the Lawsons, although they’ve worked throughout the Valley, have lived in Mesa ever since moving here from Milwaukee, Wis.
The family made Mesa their permanent home after years of visiting Keith Lawson’s parents, Ray and Sylvia Lawson, natives of Calgary, Canada who proudly call themselves snowbirds and who, both in their 80s, still help their children and grandchild at the Gilbert office.
Keith and Peggy Lawson had worked for direct mailing companies for many years in Milwaukee before deciding to use their skills and experience to start their own firm serving the Valley.
Their first customer was the former First Interstate Bank, now Wells Fargo, which sent printed checks to bank customers via The Market Builder.
Back then, the methods used were somewhat primitive compared with today’s hightech approach to direct mail and marketing, Lawson said.
“Things began to change around 1995 when the U.S. Postal Service began using software and computers to process mail,” said Keith Lawson. “We jumped into the changing high-technical world.”
Today, about 80 percent of their company’s business involves printed mailings and 20 percent computer e-mails sent to their customers’ customers or potential customers. In the next 10 years, however, Keith Lawson expects things to change even more.
“I expect technical improvements to change our business to 20 percent printed paper mailings and 80 percent emails via the Internet,” Lawson said.
His company processes about one million mailings, including printed letters, magazines, coupons and other marketing items, a month. Their ink-jet printer handles an average of 50,000 letters-an-hour.
Besides direct mailing to buyers and potential buyers, The Market Builder also analyzes markets, surveys prospective markets and offers dozens of other options to give their customers a closer and clearer look at the buying public.
“We focus on developing oneto-one relationships with our customers and their buyers using data collected through technology,” Lawson said. “And we blend traditional print and electronic marketing strategies.”
One of the company’s biggest selling points is the recent increase in the cost of postage, said Lawson.
“By using software programs and data bases, we’re able to sort and make the distribution of direct mailings more efficient and, as a result, less costly when it comes to postage,” he said.
He said there are many direct mailing companies in the Valley, but few that offer as many services as The Market Builder, Inc.
“We’re a one-stop shop,” he said.
Among the direct mailings are letters, brochures, press releases, newsletters and notices about upcoming events such as trade shows, conferences, demonstrations, grand openings, road shows and workshops.
E-mail marketing includes sending news reports, links to articles, news releases, case studies, brochures and newsletters.
The Lawsons, who have more than 30 years experience in the direct marketing industry, received many awards, including the Arizona Direct Marketing Life Time Achievement Award. Some of their customers include the Universal Technical Institute, Arizona Highways Magazine, TV Channel 8, Shamrock Foods, Salt River Project, United Food Bank, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Arizona and Qwest.
The Lawson family
Company: The Market Builder, a direct mailing and marketing company at 40 N. Sunway Drive, Gilbert.
Founders and family owners:
Keith and Peggy Lawson; son Paul Lawson, 27, is chief of production and Keith’s brother, Brian Lawson, is general manager
Home: Family resides in Mesa
Key Achievements: Keith and Peggy Lawson started a direct mailing company in their Mesa home in 1992 with 10 customers. Three years later they moved to larger quarters in Tempe and 10 years ago relocated to an even larger office in Gilbert, their current headquarters. The company plans to relocate in November into their new, two story, 24,000-square foot building at the southwest corner of Higley and Ingram Roads. Their company has steadily grown and today has more than 150 customers, including dozens of major companies and organizations based in the Valley.
Philosophy for Success: “Do more for your customers than your competitors. Help your clients find a solution to their marketing problems. Create a one-on-one dialogue with your customers.” — The Lawson Family Information: (480) 707-0444 or www.themarketbuilder.com
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