Spartan Profiles: Mark MacManus
NEW HORIZONS
IT training has grown meteorically as an industry the past decade. New Horizons, founded in 1982, has emerged as the world’s largest independent IT training company. Its first and largest franchise lies in Michigan, spearheaded by Mark MacManus, Jr., ’89, owner, president and CEO since 1992.
“Our first year we had revenues of $500,000,” recalls MacManus from his headquarters in Livonia. “Last year it was $30 million. The growth has been phenomenal.”
Mark boasts seven locations, including one in East Lansing. “All our IT training was delivered in the classroom until 1999,” he notes. “In 2000 we adopted an online learning component and today’s it’s 10 percent of our business. The way people consume our services is changing.” His courses are for the general user of programs like Word, Excel and Power Point—in fact, New Horizons is now a certified Microsoft education center—and for IT professionals who are network engineers, application developers or internet connectivity specialists.
“The average person uses only 10 percent of the capacity of a software program,” he notes. “After taking our courses, they find many new shortcuts that can save a ton of time.”
A native of Mt. Pleasant, Mark chose MSU over Michigan. “I was brainwashed,” he admits. “My parents met at MSU, and my two sisters both graduated from State. I’ve gone to home football games since age six.” He majored in marketing and especially loved a Study Abroad semester in London. “That was the best thing I did,” he says. “I got a ton out of it.”
Named to Crain’s Detroit Business’ “40 Under 40” list in 1998, Mark is not ready to rest on his laurels. His company just introduced a series of professional development training products, a way to leverage the company’s reputation in another new, largely unorganized market. “These courses are a complement to our product line,” he says. “They have been received exceptionally well.”