Made in the Shade is pleased to extend a war
m welcome to Michael and Catherine Mason as new members of the Made in the Shade Family of owners. Their passion for serving the community and their drive to be entrepreneurs provide the perfect foundation to become highly successful as Made in the Shade Owners.
Professional background
Michael was born and raised in Tyler, Texas, and attended Baylor University. He graduated with a BBA in Management and Marketing. After graduating, Michael’s professional career began as a Landman in the oil and gas industry for 8 years. While he enjoyed success, he always had a passion for serving the community which is what brought him to join the Abilene Police Department in 2017. Starting off as a Patrol Officer, he climbed the ranks to become a Detective in the Homicide and Major Crimes unit until leaving the force.
Catherine “Cat” Mason was born and raised in Abilene, Texas, and attended Abilene Christian University where she earned a BS in Criminal Justice. Cat worked for the Department of Family and Protective Services before joining the Police Department in Abilene in 2015 where she served as a patrol officer and detective in the cybercrimes unit and ended her career there as a night-shift Patrol Sergeant.
Soon after leaving the force, they realized that they both shared a passion for re-creating spaces. Together they renovated homes, staged rooms, designed and built furniture, bred goldendoodles, and opened a vacation property.
What hobbies/interests do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Michael is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys hunting, fishing, and playing golf. I spend my free time working out, reading books, completing projects, and spending time outdoors with family.
Tell us about your family and their interests.
Michael and I crossed paths in 2017 while working together on patrol and had an instant connection. We got married in 2018, and had our son, McCoy, in November of 2019 and our daughter, Molly Jo, in May of 2021.
In our downtime we enjoy being outdoors with our kids, attending Texas Rangers baseball games, and going to the rodeo. Our family is centered around our faith, and we strive to put God first in all we do.
What appealed to you about the Made in the Shade opportunity?
Our journey with Made in the Shade started as customers. The experience of buying custom window fashions fascinated us and sparked the desire to become a part of Made in the Shade. Seamless consultation, excellent customer service, and superior products 
are things that they provide their customers. We knew that we could do the same.
Through prayer and patience, God began to open doors for us to move to Tyler, Michael’s hometown. The move brought us closer to family but also allowed the opportunity to bring a quality business to a hometown we know and love. Through helping others create and a love of the process, our new business will bring financial success and a great return on our investment.
We recognized that Made in the Shade was still a young company that has been growing steadily for 20 years. We wanted to contribute to the continued growth of the organization while building our own new business. Most of all, we loved the family culture at Made in the Shade as opposed to the corporate feel at others we considered.
What is your best MITS contact number and business email?
Ph: (903)-395-6487
E-mail: masons@mitsetx.com
