New Member Profile: Imagetech Services
Imagetech Services. Helping with the most difficult permits.
In 1999, over the course of a few months, Mitch Chemers conducted an informal survey of managers and owners of the busiest sign companies he knew. He asked, “What are the biggest hassles about running your shop?” Employees and cash flow were always at the top, with permit hassles usually next. Mitch found it curious that permits, a relatively minor step that generates little profit, could rise to such a disproportionate level of frustration. What others saw as pure frustration, Mitch saw as an opportunity to offer value.
Currently, Mitch Chemers of Imagetech Services is known as someone who “gets things done at city hall.” Sticking with his core competency of only working on difficult projects, Mitch uses the power of persuasion and creative presentations to reduce stress for sign companies and their customers. Sign companies should be able to give their customers good news and they shouldn’t be distracted from selling, fabricating, and installing. Mitch is driven by supporting those needs and takes pride in providing accurate research, exhibits that get results, and a record of winning all of his variances.
Mitch started in 1988 working in sign installation, fabrication, design, management, and sign supply distribution. Despite his passion for building things, Mitch felt the call to do the work no one else wanted to do. Soon after launching Imagetech in 2004, he figured out through careful listening that project managers wanted more professionalism from their runners. Regular updates and problem solving in the field were just as important to them as quick turnarounds. The days of sending the owner’s retired dad to run permits were fading. Permitting had become too important.
After building an effective team of runners, Imagetech experienced rapid growth along with growing pains. So they created PermitWiz to handle standard permitting. This freed Mitch to spend more of his time dealing with tricky projects all over California, many of them remotely. Working closely with architects, developers, property owners, attorneys, and city staff, Mitch’s daily work consisted of high profile projects, sign programs, and dealing with unfair treatment from cities. All of these skills were applicable to the work he did while serving on the CSA Board of Directors for a few years. Ultimately, the PermitWiz portion of the business that handled standard permits was sold.
Imagetech regrouped later and began again with its attention focused on what it does best – solving permit issues. This allows sign companies to focus on what they do best – signs. Going forward, Mitch and Imagetech will continue to take the stress off of contractors, and hand projects back when the frustrating work is done!
Mitch Chemers is proud to still be in the sign industry after 26 years, proud to again be part of CSA, and looks forward to a great future… for as long as population densities grow, ordinances get more restrictive, and bureaucracies keep making red tape.
Just don’t be surprised when Mitch asks your opinions about the sign industry! Give him a call or visit: www.SignBump.com
About CSA Team
CSA’s Executive Director, Roy Flahive, has worked within the sign industry for more than 50 years. He served an apprenticeship in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), owned his own sign company for almost 30 years and he is well-known and highly respected in the sign industry, having served on numerous boards, including those of the International Sign Association (ISA), San Diego Area Lighting Advisory Council, Arizona Sign Association, Western States Sign Council, San Diego Mayors Sign Code Task Force, and UL’s Industry Advisory Committee. Notably, Flahive has twice been elected President (Chairman of the Board) of CSA and has served over 30 years on that board.
Cheryl Flahive, CSA’s Director of Member Services, has worked within the sign industry for over 33 years; twenty of those years, as vice president of a sign company in southern California. She has served in various administrative roles, from finance to project management, and is dedicated to helping CSA members at all levels.
The CSA Communications Committee, made up of committed industry leaders, works in a behind the scenes capacity, to keep CSA members educated and informed.