After graduating from Purdue University Kokomo, Brian Imbler and a friend from school struck out on their own - they founded CSI Electronics, an engineering support computer that provides electronics prototype development services to a broad range of domestic corporations as well as overseas. Imbler managed it from birth to a highly profitable, multi-million dollar corporation. Responsibilities included the creation and implementation of all employee-training programs, corporate communication infrastructure, facilities design, sales and marketing, quality assurance, as well as financing and legal issues.
In fall 1999, they decided to sell the successful company, and assisted the new owner in becoming the first Indiana corporation to be ISO 9000 certified with the new 2001 format. Says Imbler, "When you create something and spend nine years developing it, it almost feels like a child in a way. I'm happy to report that this child is in very good hands. We'll just have to overlook the fact he is a Penn State graduate."
Since the sale of CSI, Imbler has been spending time with his wife, Stephanie, and their three children, Stephen, Brandon, and Michael, and pursuing a career as an actor/writer. "My wife works very hard full-time with our children," he says, "while I have been training with various acting coaches in New York, Los Angeles, and here in the Midwest." He also has been gathering experience with regional television commercial and independent film work in agencies in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Chicago, appearing in numerous regional commercials, industrial films, and independent films.
"If I've learned one thing in life," Imbler says, "it's that you will never succeed if you don't try. In a nutshell, we are taking life on day at a time; I have no idea what tomorrow holds." Then he adds with a smile, "But after living day-to-day on the whim of owning our company, we're at least somewhat used to it by now."
This was originally written for the Distinguished Technology Alumni Awards in 2003.