National Black Business Month Profile
Acclaimed inspirational author Shannon Adler once wrote, “Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.”
For three generations, Detroiters have shared stories about the Mays family and their legacy of service to the community through their thriving printing and design business. Founded by J. Caulton Mays in 1946, the company filled a necessary need, supplying churches with printed church bulletins, programs, and obituaries.
In 1996, during his 80th birthday celebration and the 50th anniversary of the business, J. Caulton Mays told the Michigan Chronicle, “I’ve been asked, ‘what’s the secret for being in business so long?’ he continued, “My answer is, there is no secret but there is a formula; Believe in yourself and in what you are doing, work hard to achieve your goals, be fair and honest by giving your customer what he’s paying for. Always remember, your customers are your greatest asset—for without customers, you won’t be in business long.”
It is a formula that has been passed down within the Mays family. While involved in the business from early on, 1985 marks the pivotal year that his son, James C. Mays, took over. He transformed a neighborhood print shop into a high-performance commercial printing powerhouse. Under his leadership, Mays earned the trust of Fortune 500 companies and Detroit’s most respected institutions.
Third-generation leader Elizabeth Mays is pioneering the next chapter as a Black female-owned multimedia firm. Elizabeth merges ink with digital innovation — expanding into web design, self-publishing, and memorial services for 600+ partners nationwide.
Starting out in her family business as a janitor at the tender age of 10, Elizabeth would accompany her father to the shop every morning at 6:30 am before school and sweep “every inch.” She later worked at the front desk, then the design department, and following college, earning a degree in Graphic Arts and Imaging from Western Michigan University, she began her ascent to leadership and ultimately CEO of Mays Printing. Elizabeth proudly asserts, “I definitely earned my seat.”
Being a part of a family business, Elizabeth explains, requires not just the ability and skill, but also the willingness to do the work.
She also recognized the importance of her family’s business when, in school at Paul Robeson Academy, her principal, Ray Johnson, would often call her out and celebrate her family’s entrepreneurial efforts. It helped her understand that she was a part of something to be proud of.
As CEO, her role is reminiscent of a quote that her grandfather gave in that 1996 interview: “Our motto is ‘Since 1946, we have been a part of your past, and we will be a part of your future.'”
Elizabeth illustrates the motto through the company’s historic work in creating obituaries for 80 years. “Mays has and always will be known for our memorial programs. We started in the black community in Paradise Valley, in Black Bottom, that also played a very direct impact on the access of what Black people were able to get their hands on because we [had to support] our own businesses. We weren’t allowed in [other] spaces. And my grandfather, when he started the family business, he just understood how you play an integral role in the community.”
For years, the company offered full-service memorial packages including design and printing for only $99, ensuring that Detroit families would be able to access the service and celebrate their departed loved ones.
She adds, “And you start by, if you can, start by offering the product or service that people get to receive from your hands to theirs. And memorial programs, and spiritual-based work, religious-based work was always our anchor, and it was our foundation. And doing programs was our way of paying homage to the impact that so many people had in our communities, right? Our grandmothers, our, you know, our aunts, our uncles, sometimes, you know, depending on the age, our children. So, offering that service gave us not only the ability to produce the work, but also left a lasting impact in homes and communities.”
According to WXYZ, “the third-generation company has handled the printed and online obituaries and legacy tributes for generations of family members and some of Detroit’s most notable including Civil Rights Legend Rosa Parks, Boxer Joe Louis and Temptation Dennis Edwards.”
With an eye on the future, Elizabeth notes that evolution comes naturally for Mays Printing. She notes that while Mays is known for a product that one can hold in their hands, the company has a history of design and more. “Our multimedia company has six divisions right now,” she explains. “Printing, of course, is our core. Our design division is focused on websites, illustration, and branding work. We also have a signage division where we’re doing large format printing for expos, events, conferences, galas. Our logistics division specifically moves dry goods that we produce or also supporting businesses with moving items at their need. While, our book and manufacturing division, which used to be our book publishing division, but now we’re really focusing on printing books, magazines, zines, catalogs, workbooks, textbooks, planners, coloring books of that sort. Finally, We have our web development division, which is all about web solutions. Websites, e-commerce platforms, things of that sort. So the multimedia spectrum is really hinting on diversifying.”
The growth of Mays Printing is evidenced by their over 600+ partners worldwide.
“You know, I really would have to probably give that as a testament to traveling. I do a lot of traveling. I attend conferences and events, workshops, visiting family, being very curious all the time. So a lot of the relationships that have been built is through the connections of my travel or either through my affiliated work,” Elizabeth serves as the Co-President of the Detroit and Toledo chapters of the American Institute of Graphic Arts.
As a third-generation leader of her family’s business, a succession plan is never far from Elizabeth’s mind. “I am kindly grooming consciously and unconsciously certain individuals in my family, specifically nieces and cousins. It’s always great when they have an interest. So, preparing the 4th generation, to be honest, kind of reminds me of this saying where sometimes I don’t want to dream too big because I want to be surprised by what God can do.”
Elizabeth notes that the family business, and similarly, its legacy is bigger than a brick-and-mortar business. “The way that people talk about [Mays] whether it’s my grandfather or my father, they say the same thing, with different words with the same feeling. And it’s just so beautiful because my roots are not necessarily just the work that we do. And I’m even getting a little emotional talking about it right now. It’s not even just about the work that we do. It’s about the people that we are.”
