While in high school, Mark Watson started working at CDS Office Technologies, the office equipment, printing and copying business founded by his father, Jay Watson, in 1971. Mark came back to the family business after graduating from University of Illinois in 1987 and has been there ever since.
Mark saw CDS diversify in the 1990s to include information technology and computers, which is now the majority of the firm’s business. CDS sells and supports various IT products and provides cybersecurity support for businesses. It continues to sell and service all types of office equipment, including copiers, printers and phone systems. CDS now has 10 offices, including one in Fort Myers, Florida, where Mark and his family spend time during the winter.
Jay passed away in 2025, and Mark continues to run and grow the family business.
Where were you born and raised, and what was your first job?
I was born and raised in Springfield. My first job was at CDS at 16 years of age. While I was at the University of Illinois, I worked summers for my dad at CDS. When I graduated college in 1987, I was a sales rep – did that for a few years, then became sales manager. I eventually took over all of the branch offices. Ten years ago, I really started taking over everything and purchased the business from my dad about three years ago.
Did you always picture yourself being involved in the family business?
I believe so. My father was involved until he passed away, and I think I’ll always be involved in some capacity. We have two boys, and they work in the business. One of them, in particular, is being groomed to take my spot.
My dad was the founder of our company, and he’s the one who really had to endure the hardship for the small business in those early years. When I came into the business it was a totally different situation than when it was founded in 1971. I was 6 years old then.
My dad was a really good guy who wanted to learn and was not afraid to take some risks.
What challenges did CDS face when diversifying into IT and computers?
The world was changing at that point, and we were evolving as it changed. For example, around 1980 we started selling electronic typewriters like the IBM Selectric – the typewriter with the rotating ball on it. Then typewriters came along that had memory, and we became the No. 1 seller of one such product through the 1980s.
That evolved into screen-based word processing at the end of the 1980s, and that’s when the PC came along. So, in an effort to stay in the word processing business, we started selling computers and software. That led to networking around 1995, and shortly after that, Microsoft came out with Windows. That’s kind of where we sit today.
The challenge was transforming from the typewriter world into the PC world. Luckily, our copier business was strong and thriving; it allowed us to make decisions and learn as we went along without the jeopardy of going out of business.
What is the new wave that businesses like yours need to ride to stay successful?
The thing that’s creating the most fear in the business world is the potential to be ransomed or hacked. The cybersecurity element continues to be a big part of everything we do because businesses have a legitimate reason to be fearful of what’s going on. The global ransom and hacking epidemic is like organized crime. That element continues to create a lot of interest, and that’s where our company can step in and assist businesses with those potential problems. We can put them in a scenario where, hopefully, they’re not going to have that problem occur.
What challenges and opportunities does AI present for modern business owners?
You could take 10 different business owners in the industry and get 10 different answers to that question. It’s certainly a tool that’s in play, and we are being asked by our customers how they can utilize it. We utilize AI in both our sales and service entities at CDS. AI is here to stay, and we all just have to figure out how best to use it. It’s not a cure-all. It’s not perfect. It makes mistakes, and people need to make sure that what they are getting from AI is accurate. We still need a human component to manage AI.
Will we ever reach a point where there is too much technology in the workplace?
It seems like, in our world, we always find ways to overdo everything. Hopefully, that will not be the case, but it’s certainly possible.
How important is community involvement for a business like CDS?
Our customers live in the communities that we support, and we live and have offices in those same communities. It’s nice to give back because it impacts and helps people in those communities.
PHOTO COURTESY MARK WATSON
What advice would you give to young people who are entering the workforce?
They need to stay in their lane and learn more about what they are doing. Your value only increases with experience. The more you learn, the more experience you gain, the more value you have for your business or employer. So, try to gain as much experience as you can because your worth will continue to go up if you do.
What may people be surprised to learn about you?
I’m a fiercely competitive person, but that’s the game we play in our business. It’s a very competitive landscape, and you either compete or you lose. It’s easier to handle things when you win, but there’s a lot to be learned when you lose and make improvements because of that.
This article appears in August SBJ 2026.