Family is everything to this business. Nestled in the community of Capitol Heights, MD, you can probably find the mother-father-daughter trio pulling together a grand expo for the latest Amazon event or discussing new architectural ideas for their customers’ trade shows. 21st Century Expo Group specializes in exhibit management, display sales, and provides marketing assistance for some of the largest businesses in the world. Their expo work can be noted back to creating expo/trade-show displays for Google, Facebook, and Toyota just to name a few.
Founder and President, Rayford McFarland, is responsible for the company’s business development, sales/marketing, and event services/development. In addition, he is responsible for maintaining quality control of services and client relationships. His experience includes serving as the Chairman of the Board of the Washington Convention and Tourism Corporation representing the hospitality industry for Washington, DC. Along with the company’s Vice President and CFO Leslie McFarland, he is responsible for the overall internal administration of as required to insure fiscal stability and growth, personnel management and sound operational practices.
After spending 8 years with Robert Price Exhibit Service, Mr. McFarland decided to launch his own firm and founded 21st Century Expo Group, Inc. in 1991 in Prince George’s County. The 21st Century Expo Group, Inc. (21st CEG) is the oldest African-American owned and operated General Service Contractor (GSC) in the US in its industry. 21st Century has served national associations, corporations, government agencies and universities throughout the United
States. Their services include: exposition decoration service, corporate display design and management services, exposition marketing and management, special event design and production, shipping and warehouse storage services.
21st Century is also a two-time previous borrower with FSC First. When speaking with the owner of the expo group, Ray McFarland, he said, “This most recent loan package is the third one that we’ve gotten from FSC First.” He continues, “And I tip my hat to management and leadership [at FSC] for continuing to support us.”With their new warehouse location photographed above, the business is now able to not only store more equipment than ever before, but they are able to provide more working space for their growing team. “I am at a point in life where I now have to focus on supporting my community,” says McFarland. “Our confidence in being able to go from 10,000 ft. to 40,000 ft. is really based on the work that FSC has done with us.”
