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Today, IMA is celebrating 35 years of business. Now more than ever, it’s a feat to reach a milestone anniversary like this one. It says that IMA has stood the test of time; we learned to change and adapt and continue to offer top-tier services.
As we commemorate this occasion, we’re also reflecting on IMA’s history and looking to the future ahead of us with some help from IMA’s founders, leaders, and employees.
What does IMA do?
Inventory Management Analysis, or IMA, is an industry-leading Material Master data management solution provider. We specialize in data cleansing and governance, inventory optimization, spend analysis, and strategic procurement services. Since its founding, IMA has supported manufacturing and asset-intensive organizations worldwide to improve data quality and reduce costs associated with maintenance, repairs, and operations. IMA helps organizations turn their Material Master into world class data.
How did IMA start?
IMA was founded in 1989 by married couple, Jim and Judy Calvert, but the company was a dream for a while before that. Jim had been “working on the concept for years” while continuing a job in the sales industry. His experience in the field led him to see the need for data management solutions.
“The company where I was Sales Manager wanted me to be their Canadian National Sales Manager,” Jim told us. “But after discussing it with my family, I decided to follow my dream of entrepreneurship instead. Judy quit her job, and Carolyn Bond, who worked with Judy, became our first employee.”
Judy and Carolyn manually built the first IMA Master Data Library for the clients Jim secured–including large companies with locations around the world. They also had help from Jim and Judy’s daughter, Charlene.
As Charlene remembers it, “When I started with IMA, I was in high school. At one point, it was just my mom, Carolyn Bond, and myself working out of the garage of our house. We had to do everything manually back then.”
The small team worked hard and, before long, they proved that IMA’s mission–to provide companies with clean, usable Material Master data–was necessary. So necessary that their small team in the garage couldn’t keep up with demand anymore.
Growing the business
Slowly, IMA expanded. More clients signed on, including many large companies from around the world, and IMA’s staff grew to manage the additional work. They also moved from the Calvert’s garage into their first office in 1991. 1 Library Lane, Tillsonburg, Ontario became IMA’s home until the team outgrew that space and moved into 55 Brock Street in 2006. (IMA made a final move to a larger office in 2010, where we remained until 2020 when the company went remote.)
Even with IMA’s growth and expanded clientele, Jim remembers that prospective clients were sometimes uncertain about IMA’s abilities due to the small size of the organization. In those cases, like one in 2002 with a global company, IMA focused on showing our skill through hard work.
“[They] wanted a unified maintenance spare parts catalog for all [their] divisions. Due to their concerns about our size, I proposed completing as many locations as possible using the corporate item number system we created before they selected a corporate supplier. Ultimately, IMA was chosen as [their] global supplier. Since then, [they have] remained a client, and we introduced the Catalog Management service across their divisions.”
The hard work paid off and IMA made a name for itself in the industry as a reliable leader.
From service to software
Growing meant keeping up with technology, too. Companies transitioned to using electronic data and it was essential that IMA made the move along with them.
Technology became a major focus–especially in 2012 when the company found new leadership in Charlene Freeman and Troy Miller.
While Charlene had been involved from the beginning, Troy joined the company in 2012 and soon became the Vice President and then Chief Operations Officer as well. Troy brought with him an impressive background of industry experience and innovation.
He remembers the office being a “welcoming and collaborative environment” from the start. But he also recalls the challenges they faced with bringing IMA into the future.
“IMA was an excellent service-based company that had been successful in its field for 25 years at that point. What we had to figure out was how to turn it into a software-focused organization without degrading the quality of service provided.”
Over the next few years, more focus was placed on developing tools to make data cleansing and governance faster, more efficient, and seamlessly integrated with the customer’s workflow. Through it all, quality service remained one of IMA’s core values.
IMA as a family business
IMA has meant a lot to many people. For Jim Calvert, “[t]he most rewarding aspect has been turning a dream into reality and providing a better quality of life for my family.” Not only did Jim found and grow the company with his wife, but in 2012, they sold IMA to their daughter, Charlene Freeman.
By that point, Charlene had worked just about every position at IMA and knew more than anyone the goals and values of the company. How could she not, when she had grown up beside it? Stepping up as CEO and President meant Charlene could take everything she learned and maintain the heart of the company as she brought IMA into its next chapter.
“It’s been incredible to watch [Charlene] transform IMA into a global leader in the market,” Jim added. “It’s a great honor to see her passion and management skills take IMA to unimaginable heights. Her investment in upgrading our software has set IMA apart from the competition.”
Talking to Charlene, it’s impossible to not see the passion that Jim is so proud of. Though her first thought is not on technology–it’s on the people who make IMA possible.
“Looking at where we are now,” Charlene told us. “I know that our success isn't just about numbers or strategies; it's about the incredible team we've built. Our employees, each bringing their own dedication and expertise, have been the heartbeat of this journey. They've turned challenges into opportunities and have made IMA more than just a business—it's a family.”
The next generation
IMA’s transition to internally developing software marked the start of a new era in the company.
In 2015, IMA introduced a dedicated development team. They worked on improvements for IMA’s existing system and, in 2020, introduced a brand new, one-of-a-kind software solution: uManage Pro.
“The technology we’ve developed is leading the industry,” COO Troy Miller shared proudly. “It’s a solution that appeals to single manufacturing sites as well as the largest Fortune 100 corporations.”
With uManage Pro, IMA is once again changing the game and looking forward to the future of data management. And we’re not content to simply rest on our laurels. Our team is continually updating and advancing uManage Pro to take advantage of the latest and greatest technologies.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how we adapt emerging technologies like AI into our solution,” Troy added. “Already, we’re developing services for our customers that were inconceivable just a few years ago.”
CEO Charlene Freeman expects the software to “become the leading AI-assisted data cleansing and governance tool in the market.”
Employees at the heart
As we celebrate IMA’s 35 years of success, we can’t forget about the employees who made IMA what it is today. From Carolyn Bond, the very first employee who still works at IMA today, to the co-op students who spend a semester with us, employees drive the company toward the future.
IMA employees have also formed lifelong friendships, mentored one another into new roles, and shared good times along the way.
Ethan, a co-op student turned employee, remembered how surprised and pleased he was by his supervisors and co-workers when he first started: “They were checking that I was taking my breaks and getting away from my computer, something that was not allowed at a previous remote job.”
Other employees we spoke to agreed, repeatedly calling the environment “welcoming” and praising the effort to make sure everyone has a healthy work-life balance.
IMA brings that balance to the front of mind with different events throughout the year, from the annual holiday party to employee appreciation events to simple lunch-and-learn video calls.
“I always look forward to our company holiday party,” Kaya Smith told us. “Since IMA operates remotely, we don’t often get the chance to gather in person. It’s always a highlight to see the team together, enjoying each other's company.”
Amidst the fun, IMA employees also have opportunities to learn and grow in the company. IMA tries to always nurture talent and help employees meet their goals.
Terry Beaurone recalls when he was asked to start leading customer meetings: “The first few were extremely nerve wracking, but [being asked to lead] demonstrated confidence in my ability to navigate the task. Plus it gave me excellent exposure to something new, allowing me to grow.”
To the future!
IMA is proud to celebrate 35 years in business and looks forward to many more years of success with our amazing crew of employees. While we can’t know exactly what the future holds for us, we expect great things!
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