Small Business Today Magazine NOV 2014 EXHIBIT NETWORK | Page 8

EDITORIALFEATURE

Kathleen and Lenny Maartens

Exhibit Network –
Exhibit Network is “25 Years Young” and still on the go!”
Photo by Gwen Juarez Photography.

It’s Family Values that Keep Them
Scooting Along and Growing Strong

By Barbara R. Davis

A

s the old adage goes, “Word of mouth is one of the best
forms of advertising,” and that rings so true with Exhibit
Network that they haven’t had a salesperson in years! It is
the quality of their work, the care in which they give their
clients, and their family values that set them apart. They never
look at exhibitors with dollar signs in their eyes and it is not uncommon for them to offer help to anyone who needs it on the
show floor. Exhibit Network has had its ups and its downs but
has weathered through those times to become the great success
they are now. They are celebrating their 25th year in business,
scooting along and growing strong!

6 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ NOVEMBER 2014 ]

Here is how it all began:

Kathleen Maartens grew up in a small town in Western Pennsylvania as one of eight children. Her father worked at the PPG
factory for 43 years and her mother was a full-time homemaker.
Immediately after graduating from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Psychology, Kathleen moved to Houston to
begin her career. Realizing she needed more business education,
Kathleen went back to college in Houston and took courses in
accounting, business law, management, and real estate. Eventually acquiring her real estate license, Kathleen began working for
a property management company in Spring, Texas. Money was