Imperial Services Update - was Re: Imperial Services - long read warning in effect.

[Steve Charette <stevec@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

To roughly paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of my death, lunacy,
abductions by aliens, commitment to an institution, etc. are greatly
exaggerated.

Short Update:
We have moved to our new 12,000 sq. ft. facility in Mayville, MI.  We
have had to re-organize and invest in other business interests to
enable us to continue doing what we like, which is building old Mopar
parts.  We are currently developing a new marketing strategy that will
make replacement parts more readily available, but will ultimately
result in our departure from retail sales.  We plan to offer "special
order" parts, i.e. those not stocked by our WD/Dealer network (such as
ratio adapters and pushbutton conversions) on eBay as they become
available.  We will continue to take and fill orders until this
transition takes place.  Web sales are still being discussed.

Anyway, we're still here, albeit harder to reach than in the past.
And the work we've done the last two years ensures we won't go the way
of The Paddock, Hardens, or Crane Cams.

I can be reached personally at steve (at) promerican (dot) com,
although I don't sit at the screen awaiting the "You've Got Mail"
alarm.  I generally get to e-mail every 2-3 days, so please be
patient.

Long Update:
It's been a long time since I've had time to take part in list
discussions.  Following the decline of Imperial Services business in
2007 it became apparent that I would have to make some changes, or
close the doors and find a job (a financial consultant actually made
that recommendation - he was summarily dismissed).

All this took place just as my divorce was becoming final, and since
Imperial Services was based from my home, I negotiated to keep the
house.  Of course, that was right before the mortgage market dried up
and the value (which I had just negotiated at an all-time high) of the
house dropped like a rock.  At the risk of making this way too long to
read, we decided to move the business, sell the house, and get
involved in additional business opportunities to help finance the
Imperial Services business.

Fast forward to February 2011.  We're on our way to our new shop (30
miles away), and I manage to miss the bottom step into the garage (the
same steps I've been traveling for 19 years) , breaking my left leg
and tearing ligaments in my left ankle.  Having plumped up to a nice
round 300 lbs, recovery has been a bugger.  #1 daughter Melissa is
expecting and not wanting to commute in the snow, so we just decided
to work from voice mail rather than train a new phone person.  As Herb
mentioned, it hasn't worked the best.

Fast forward again to today.  I'm hobbling around fairly well, and
we're trying to catch up from brisk sales of Imperial and SpliSeal
products with a shop full of trainees.  Production is starting to move
along nicely, but we realize we're still not doing a good job of
customer service.  We've tentatively decided to get out of the retail
business, and let a stocking dealer network provide stock parts on a
timely basis.  Special Order parts (parts the dealers don't stock or
custom stuff) are still being discussed, but we're leaning toward
putting completed components on eBay and let the market set the price.

We're looking to make the switchover sometime before Carlisle
(beginning of July).  As stated above, we will take and fill orders
until the switchover.

The changes will; 1) ensure our survival until things pick up, 2)
serve our customers better, and, 3) allow me time to play with my cars
- time I have not had since leaving my job in 2002 to run Imperial
Services full time.  We will still be manning the Schumacher Creative
Services booth with Mike Schumacher at Carlisle and the Mopar
Nationals, and look forward to getting out and around with the cars
before too long.

On a more personal note, we've sold off the old Imperials, and are
actually making plans to get some of this other stuff on the road - we
now have the '62 Wagon, a '64 Sport Fury (future race car), a '64 Fury
driver, the '64 Savoy long term project, as well as the '68 Barracuda,
a '68 Fury VIP, and a few others.  Now that I have room to work on
these, I am carving out blocks of time to get things done.  The
"marital" home is finally sold, and the 100 year old farmhouse we've
been remodelling is getting close to inhabitable.

We're sponsoring the "Peace, Love, and Sunflowers" Cruise at the
Mayville Sunflower Festival July 30th, if you're in driving distance
please join us - we're hoping for an overwhelming Mopar presence.
Watch our website (www.promerican.com) or www.mayvillesunflowerfestival.com
for details.

Thanks for your support and patience over the years - without the
'62-65 community we probably would have abandoned this a long time
ago.  Hope to see you out there before long...

Steve Charette
Promerican Corporation/
Imperial Services/SpliSeal




On May 17, 10:42 pm, Jay <shelby_...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>  
> I just ordered a motor mount from these guys...hope I don't get the run around...
>  
> Jay
>
> --- On Tue, 5/17/11, Herb <zephyr9...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> From: Herb <zephyr9...@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Imperial Services
> To: "1962to1965mopars" <1962to1965mopars@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Received: Tuesday, May 17, 2011, 10:19 PM
>
> #yiv293691862 v\00003a* {}
>
> Is there anyone on this list know or live close to Steve Charette with Imperial services?  This July it will be One Year that I have been waiting for the correct cable for the pushbutton conversion he did for me.  My 63 Fury with a 6.1 has been done and sitting waiting for the cable. 
>  
> If they answer the phone (I know I make jokes) they say O YA we will have it next week.  Weeks go by and nuthin, then I call leave messages with no call back.  Even said to call me collect, No Call Back.  Can anyone help me on here?
>  
>  
>
>  Herb
>  
> 1956 Plymouth Belvedere 361 4-Sale
> 1959 Coronet 326 Poly
> 1961 Belvedere Custom Suburban 318 Poly
> 1962 Dodge Dart 225 Slant Six  4-Sale
> 1963 Fury 2D/HT 6.1L
> 1963 Sport Fury Convertible 361
> 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst 440
> 1999 Durango SLT 5.9L
> 2008 SRT-8 Magnum 6.1L
> St. Louis, MO.
>  http://1962to1965mopar.ornocar.com/mmo42009.html
>
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