Trey McFarlin is a country boy at heart.

He was born in the Dallas suburb of McKinney, long before it emerged into the sprawling cityscape that it is today. His father had a small family medical practice there, the family attended First Baptist Church and knew just about everyone. Their house backed up to five acres, and exploring those woods as a kid set the tone for the life he longed to live.

“We had a creek that ran beside the house, so we’d catch frogs, run from snakes. It was the good life. That’s probably what instilled in me the longing for country living,” Trey said.

Imagine his delight, then, to serve today as the Area Sales Manager for the Sulphur Springs office. The friendly, tight-knit community in Northeast Texas offers Trey the peace of mind and pace of life that suits him perfectly. Even his wife Courtney has noted his uptick in happiness since commuting to the small town halfway between DFW and Texarkana every morning.

“When you watch Friday Night Lights or one of those high school football movies where everyone’s at a local coffee shop gossiping or talking about the game, that’s Sulphur Springs. I like being around laid-back folks that take a little time before they speak. Life is more enjoyable when you are not having to scramble and fight to get things done throughout the day,” Trey said.

Trey’s recent transfer – and subsequent happiness – have less to do with an arbitrary move, and more to do with an organization that has supported his career and promoted him from within. For Trey, it’s not about being paid or even promoted. It’s about being valued.

When employees see an opportunity to grow professionally within their organization, morale boosts. In many ways, Trey is a perfect representative of Datamax Philosophy #5: “To provide an environment in which employees have the opportunity to achieve a career path with stability.” 

Trey’s heart was in territory sales.

He was working at Nebraska Furniture Mart, his first sales gig, when Lee Wise found Trey’s LinkedIn account. After noticing the view, he connected the dots to Datamax and took a peek.

“When I looked into Datamax, I said ‘I’ll be danged. The website is friendly enough that I can see open positions they are hiring for’…I had been trying to get into territory sales after befriending vendor reps (at Nebraska Furniture Mart). (Then sales Manager) James Clem called after I fired off my application, I met with him, did the interview process, and that was it.”

Trey worked as a Business Process Consultant for 9 months, before VP of Sales Clay Mills called him into his office that August.

Trey’s heart was in production, too.

Trey had just sold a production unit alongside the production specialist at the time, and he grew a liking to the process.

“Just the depth. How much as a production specialist you dig in with a customer, dig into their day in and day out of applications, what they were printing, what they wanted to bring in that they couldn’t. That’s what I wanted.”

When the opportunity arose to get into the production side of the business, Trey didn’t even hesitate. He ran with it.

Trey’s heart has been in management since day one.

What prompted him to seek out the role as an Area Sales Manager?

“I wanted it from day one. I like to coach. It’s something the good Lord put into me. I like to help others achieve their goals,” Trey said. “If they are, I feel like I’m achieving mine.”

Being able to work for other great sales managers (like Linda Narcho), he says he wants to do for his team now what others have done for him. But how did this all shake out?

“I actually went to Clay when there was an opening. I was nervous as heck, but I closed the door and said I wanted to put my name out there as a manager." It wasn't too long after that the opportunity came for him to manage the Sulphur Springs office.

But Trey’s a Country Boy at Heart.

And so it goes. Driving into Sulphur Springs each morning, he avoids traffic. Throughout his workday, he avoids the hustle and bustle, consults with customers and the tight-knit residents of Sulphur Springs, and savors a pace that suits him well.

But this is all more about leadership support than it is the preferred pace of life.

“Clay has become a father-type figure to me because he saw something in me and has supported me. Having this role now means all the difference to me. It shows they value me as a person and as an employee,” Trey said.

It’s also more about an organization that takes pride in supporting their own and helping carve a career path with stability.

“I wish there was a way to convey to other reps what a great company we work for. Datamax rewards those who want to work. If you want to work, you want to support your family and grow yourself as an individual, Datamax is the place to be,” he said.