Update: Three Years of Leadership & Growth
Since his promotion to Senior Vice President in 2023, Matt Andrews has played a central role in expanding Highmark TechSystems’ position as a leader in advanced modular exhibit systems, engineered event environments, and semi-permanent structural solutions.
Over the years, Highmark has:
- Executed projects across 45 states & 5 countries
- Expanded its presence in outdoor modular structures and pavilions
- Increased adoption of semi-permanent structural solutions for long-term installations
- Supported 1000’s of large-scale activations in industries such as construction, sports, manufacturing, and corporate environments
Expanding Modular & Semi-Permanent Solutions
Under Andrews’s leadership, Highmark has seen increased demand for outdoor modular structures and long-duration installations that bridge the gap between temporary and permanent builds.
Highmark’s engineered systems, including Modular Wall Systems, Double Deck Structures, and Outdoor Pavilions, support large-scale trade shows, sporting events, corporate activations, and semi-permanent environments across the country. These solutions provide durable, weather-resilient alternatives to conventional tenting and single-use builds, while maintaining the flexibility inherent in modular construction.
This growth reflects a broader industry shift: brands are investing in reusable structural inventories that can scale, reconfigure, and evolve across multiple activations. Andrews continues to champion that shift, ensuring Highmark’s systems deliver both structural integrity and long-term strategic value.
Sustainability Embedded in Structural Design
Sustainability remains a foundational principle of Highmark’s engineering philosophy. Highmark designs proprietary modular systems specifically for long-term reuse and reconfiguration, reducing waste across the events industry while preserving creative flexibility.
Key initiatives include:
- Structural components produced with approximately 80% recycled or reclaimed aluminum and steel
- Responsible recycling of acrylics, foams, and additional materials
- Reclaimed machine coolants and operational efficiencies within the Fort Wayne, Indiana manufacturing facility
- A robust rental program that offsets thousands of pounds of material waste annually
- Central U.S. logistics that reduce transportation-related carbon impact
Because rental and reusable systems represent over 70% Highmark’s projects, sustainability is embedded in the company’s core business model.
Looking Ahead
As the demand for modular exhibit systems, semi-permanent structures, and reusable engineered environments continues to grow, Andrews remains focused on innovation that supports both operational excellence and environmental responsibility.
“The modular structures industry is evolving,” he notes. “Clients are investing in flexible systems that serve multiple markets and multiple activations. When you design for reuse, durability, and performance, you create long-term value for both brands and the industry.”
Three years into his role as Senior Vice President, Matt Andrews continues to guide Highmark TechSystems with a forward-looking vision: one grounded in structural performance, sustainable engineering, and lasting partnerships.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 21, 2023, Ft. Wayne, IN. Debbie Parrott, the President/CEO and owner of Highmark Tech Systems, is thrilled to announce the promotion of Matt Andrews to Senior Vice President. Over the past fourteen years, his leadership throughout the company has been focused on sales, marketing, and revenue growth but has grown with the business to help fuel product development initiatives and market expansion. That growth has also led Matt to gain a deep appreciation for the range of skills represented by all the company’s departments and to help drive organizational and operational efficiencies that have been instrumental in Highmark’s success.
“No one knows Highmark’s product and market to the degree Matt Andrews does,” comments Debbie. “With that and a deep commitment to the best possible service for our customers and a constant commitment to continuous improvement for our operations, Matt has naturally grown into the senior vice president role. He has earned the respect of the entire Highmark team, and they look to him to bring home the wants and needs of the marketplace and to provide direction on Highmark solutions and advancements that enable us to continue making our customers happy, our company proud, and to have some fun along the way.”
During his time at Highmark, Matt has embodied the importance of face-to-face marketing by connecting in person with exhibit and event designers and production experts at their facilities or activations or on site as he conducts pre-event site surveys or oversees smooth installation. This hands-on, face-to-face approach has enabled Matt to develop strong relationships with exhibit and event agency customers and key partners providing certification, installation and dismantle, transportation, and beyond. These relationships inform Matt’s recommendations to Highmark’s Innovation Team on new product development and product improvement initiatives to best serve the marketplace.
Highmark’s outdoor line of products is a perfect case in point. After years of requests Matt received from customers asking to put Highmark’s indoor ExpoDeck outside (which is a no-no), Highmark developed an outdoor deck product in 2017 that could be used for outdoor festivals, sporting events, tradeshows, road shows, and more. “It’s incredibly gratifying for Highmark to have produced as many as eleven outdoor projects at the recent CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023, giving top brands an impressive alternative to tented, weather-dependent outdoor displays. Our structures occupied the outdoor space at that show at nearly every turn. The exhibit partners we worked with and the end brands on display were incredible,” reflects Matt. But make no mistake: even though the popularity of the outdoor line gets big attention, Matt keeps supplying intelligence for the refinement of Highmark’s legacy indoor exhibit and event products.
A graduate of Purdue University, Matt has also completed an executive sales management program at the University of Chicago’s Booth Business School.
“My education, previous career paths, and life experiences have guided me to this position. The technical nature of a BS from Purdue, working in construction, attending events, friends, and family all have contributed to my feeling that I was built for this position at this time in this place. Highmark is a fabulous organization helmed by Debbie ethically, responsibly, with empathy, and with good old-fashioned guts. We’re not too corporate, we’re very creative, we’re honest and fair, and we’re a lot of fun. I feel lucky to be a part of Highmark and am excited about our future.”
“Matt puts his blood, sweat, and tears into his work. He loves this industry and loves Highmark. What more could a company want out of a key leader?” says Debbie.
About Highmark TechSystems
For over 20 years, Highmark has been America’s trusted supplier of advanced modular exhibit systems and structural solutions, available for purchase or rent, meeting all industry-standard codes. Highmark’s proprietary products are known for design versatility, weight and installation efficiencies, and ease of use. For more information about Highmark’s indoor and outdoor solutions and services, please visit highmarktech.com
