During high school Mark Stanley began working for Mitchell Lumber after school and during vacations. He was a hard worker and assumed increased responsibilities. After graduation from the University of Wisconsin, he was offered a position with the company, but he decided to pursue a career on Wall Street. With the birth of his second child, Mark wanted to spend more time with his family. He and his wife decided that they wanted to raise their children in a rural environment, so they moved back to his home town. Ellen Stone felt that Mark had the potential to run the company after her retirement.