President and Co-Founder | Midwest Mobility Solutions, Troy |
Employees: 220 | Revenue: $30M | Wayne State University
A legacy of entrepreneurism and the lure of being his own boss encouraged Nash Khami to launch what was to become Midwest Mobility Solutions in 2009 with Matthew Sharrak, his nephew and co-“30 in Their Thirties” honoree. “My father, both of my brothers, and a few of my sisters and their husbands are entrepreneurs, so the spirit was instilled in me from a very young age,” Khami says.
A self-described technology geek, Khami began repairing pagers, computers, and phones at his brother’s AT&T store before getting his own location to manage while still in college. The company ranks as the largest AT&T-authorized retailer in the state and is planning to grow to more than 40 stores in Michigan and Ohio this year. “We always prided ourselves on going above and beyond in the remodeling of our stores or making it right for our customers,” Khami says. “We tried to stand out in AT&T’s eyes.”
While Sharrak oversees the company’s six district managers, presides over sales calls, and drives company culture, Khami works behind the scenes. “I oversee all the accounting, financials, and reporting,” he says. “I negotiate new leases with landlords and general contractors — anything to do with opening a new store. We have a dynamic where he takes care of his things and I take care of mine. That’s what makes us so successful — we don’t have one person trying to do it all.”
As MMS’s geographic presence has grown, so has its need for employees. Khami admits that finding the right workers can often be one of the hardest parts of the job. “The key is not always necessarily getting the best person, but getting the right personality that you can mold and shape and hopefully get to do the things that you want them to do for your customers.”
