Our Greatest Strength Has Always Been Our People
Ask anyone at IMI what’s behind our success and you’ll get the same answer.
Our people.
We've built a culture that empowers people to think differently, embrace change, and own the outcome. It's a pioneering spirit of more than 30 years that has challenged us to keep looking ahead instead of becoming comfortable with where we are, and it's been true since day one.
That mindset took root in 1995 when Mike Bieg, Joe Parise, and Tim Schaeffer founded IMI's first company, icon Mechanical, with a simple belief: there had to be a better way to deliver mechanical construction. They weren't interested in doing things the way they had always been done. They were builders, innovators, and problem-solvers who embraced difficult challenges with confidence, humility, and an unwavering commitment to doing things the right way.
That spirit became the foundation of what we now call, The IMI Way.
Innovation Has Always Been Part of Our DNA
Long before prefabrication, modularization, and Building Information Modeling (BIM) became industry standards, we embraced those capabilities because our team believed they represented the future of our industry. Those early decisions distinguished our company and laid the groundwork for the organization we are today.
As our customers' needs evolved, so did we. We expanded through iENG, eagle Controls, and iSuite, bringing together engineering, construction, controls, and shared services into a more integrated organization, one that today serves clients nationwide from locations throughout the Midwest and Southeast. Every decision was driven by the same objective: better serving our customers, strengthening our teams, and preparing IMI for what comes next.
Ownership Changed Our Structure, Not Our Mindset
One of the defining moments in our history came in 2020, when IMI became employee-owned through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). It wasn't simply a financial decision. It reinforced a spirit that had always been true here: ownership.
That instinct goes back to the beginning. Mike, Joe, and Tim built this company with what many of us affectionately describe as a "hold my beer" mentality. Not reckless confidence, but quiet determination. It was the willingness to take on projects others may have hesitated to pursue. It was a belief that preparation, innovation, teamwork, and hard work can solve problems that seem impossible.
That world-class fervor won't retire with our founders. Today, it belongs to every employee-owner. Everyone has the opportunity — and the responsibility — to think and act like owners, and to continuously improve the business. That mindset has created a culture where people don't simply complete tasks. They own outcomes.
A Culture Built on Accountability
You can see that mentality in our nationally recognized safety performance, the way we execute projects, and the relationships we've built with our customers. You can also see it in honors like being named the #1 Best Place to Work by the St. Louis Business Journal. That recognition belongs entirely to our employee-owners.
What stays with me after every jobsite walk and office visit isn't the finished work. It's the people who make it possible - in the field, in the shop, and in the office - and how much they care about one another and our customers.
The Values That Guide Every Decision
That care isn't an accident. It comes from four core values:
Win Together.
Do the Right Thing.
Bring Passion and Positivity.
Own the Outcome.
Those values, and the people who live them, are why I'm so confident about what comes next. Our ambition isn't to become the biggest, it's to be the most trusted and admired mechanical engineering and construction partner in the industries we serve.
Our history has prepared us. Our culture strengthens us. Our employee-owners inspire us. And our founders' mentality reminds us that every new challenge is another opportunity to build something better.
For 30 years, building better has started with people.
That won't change.
I believe our best work is still ahead of us.