Success doesn’t grow overnight—it’s built piece by piece like a fine-tuned machine. But when it’s built into something real, it doesn’t rust. The gears continually turn while the dream is still alive.
IMI Performance Products, based in Whittier, California, creates high-performance starter motors for industrial, racing, and agricultural machinery. Jack Isom founded the company and continues as a family-run operation, led by my grandfather, Jack Isom, and my father. Although it’s a small business, it has grown exponentially. When they work together, they are nothing short of a powerhouse and get things done.
For an exciting way to get a closer look at the gears of a small but mighty business, I interviewed my father and grandfather to gain a better understanding of the industry, as well as to see if readers might be interested in participating in this kind of business.
I began by interviewing my grandpa, first over the phone, to ask what IMI Performance Products specializes in. According to the founder, Jack Isom, IMI Performance Products specializes in unique starter applications. “We make starters… for which not only performance is most essential, but reliability.” Isom explained, then added, “We’ve designed starters for the gas mining industry and GSE (ground support equipment) for the airline industry, which is used worldwide. Then, of course, we design starters for performance vehicles, as well as for off-road and racing, marine applications—both gas and diesel—and, of course, for the agricultural industry, including tractors. We design starters for gas and diesel engines that are no longer available.”
Curious about the business, I continued to interview my grandfather, asking him how IMI Performance Products came into being. “I was working with my brother, who had a small business, maybe 20 or so employees.” He continued, “He asked me to go to work for him, and I did. What I noticed about the business was that whenever we sold products to some of his clients, they didn’t work properly. The Denso products had fewer returns, very few returns. And I kept asking both myself and people around me, ‘Why?’ And they said, ‘Because it’s a better design. Denso doesn’t design a starter to fit everything.’ And so I said, ‘Why don’t I do that?’ So I went to a friend who worked for Carroll Shelby, a friend since we were boys, so I asked him if he could do some machinery for me, and he said, ‘Yeah,’ and that idea was born.”
I then continued interviewing my grandfather about what had inspired him to start the business. He began to say he wanted to build a new concept – better yet, a better idea – for starter motors.
I asked my grandfather if he ever imagined the company would grow into what it is today. He admitted, “Probably not. In two ways, I thought it wouldn’t have gotten anywhere, but I also thought it could be better.” He went on to share one of his many achievements: securing a U.S. Patent through the company, a milestone that had a lasting impact on innovation.
Diving into the business, I asked what it means to make an “honest product” in this industry. He continued to tell me, “Partly the way I was raised by my dad: you never do things ‘half-way’. You do things 100%, if not 101%.”
I continued to interrogate him further about the industry, asking how the company ensures the quality and integrity of what it offers. He told me honestly, “We don’t just dream this stuff up. It takes time to figure these things out; there’s a lot of mathematics involved. It’s important to know that it’s a lot of things.”
I continued to ask my grandfather about what sets your products apart from others in the industry. He replied, “We test our product before starting. We listen, we evaluate.”
I asked my grandfather about the products IMI sells, asking, “How do you test or guarantee the quality of the machinery you produce?” He confidently replied, “Each product is tested individually before it’s put into a box.”
I asked my grandfather about the basis of business – what does “performance” mean to you when it comes to the work you do? He replied with: “Something that exceeds both the expectations of whatever product it is that is currently being offered in terms of reliability and performance, to be sure.”
I looked forward to asking him the next question I had in mind: “How do you define success—not just in business, but in life?” He thought for a second about how to respond. He broke the silence and responded with, “Being honest, respected. Loved by your family!”
Speaking of family, I asked my grandfather about running a family business and whether it brings everyone closer together. He grinned and proceeded to respond with, “It does! It definitely makes you more dependent on one another.”
Being in this industry means you get hands-on experience with a wide range of vehicles, from common to uncommon. I asked my grandpa, with this in mind, “Have there been any vehicles that were exciting to work on?”
Excited, he told me, “Oh my, yes! Yes, indeed. All of them are special and exciting. Some more so than others, like the guy in South Carolina who built a competitive tractor and discovered he couldn’t start the engine once completed. He had contacted several companies beforehand and was unable to come up with a solution, and someone recommended us, IMI Performance. It took a couple of times to come up with a starter that fit and start his tractor. Not only did we do it, but the guy won a national championship. We have even done starters for NASCAR. We’ve had engineers from well-respected companies visit our facility and request that we design a starter to replace one that is used on a particular piece of equipment, which appears to experience poor performance and/or reduced reliability. That’s what we do. I’ve a phrase that I use here at the shop often, ‘We make chicken soup out of chicken poop.'”
What does “IMI” mean in IMI Performance?
“When the company first began, there were three of us, three equal partners. There was myself, Jack Isom, my brother, Patrick Isom, and the third partner, Frank Montgomery. First letter of each of our last names.”
I asked him, “Did you have to learn everything on your own or did someone mentor you along the way?”
“I was not schooled much beyond High School, a couple of semesters in college, and some in the US Navy. An engineering background would have been beneficial, but I’ve listened to and learned from knowledgeable people within the industry and probably annoyed a lot of people with my constant questions.”
“What is the most important lesson the industry has taught you?”
“Don’t assume that everyone with whom you do business is honest. Please know that 99% of the folks we do business with are pretty much good people, but there is always a dirtbag lying about. Someone who will take advantage of you in the blink of an eye. Be cautious.”
I asked my grandpa, curious, “What’s it been like building this company with your son?”
He told me, “In a single word: successful. I mentioned that I had two partners. Neither one of them had the desire to really want to make the business a long-lasting success. My son has that special desire. It’s not something that you can teach. You either have it, or you don’t. He has it.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to build something with their own hands or start their own business?
I’d like to share with you something my dad used to tell me often as I was growing up. He would say, ‘Son, find a job you like, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.’ As you proceed to grow older, you begin to learn there’s more truth to that statement than not.
After I interviewed my grandfather, my attention shifted to my father.
I initiated the interview very straightforwardly, “Do you think it’s harder today to keep things honest in business? Why or why not?”
“Harder today?” he replied, thinking carefully before answering. “No, I don’t think it’s harder to have an honest business. I believe we are rewarded through our customers, customer service, and mindful of the customer’s needs as opposed to wants.”
“Looking back, is there anything you’d do differently for this company?”
He took a minute before replying. “Looking back, I believe we should have had our website up sooner, rather than later.”
“What advice would you give to someone who wants to build something with their own hands or start their own business?”
“I believe you do what you like, enjoy what you do, and you will never have a ‘job’. If you believe in something, with hard work and dedication, that would translate into being rewarded.” He replied with a grin.
“Have there been any major innovations or changes in the machinery world since you started? How did you adapt?”
“Machining has become rather commonplace within our automotive industry, and automation does help with saving time. Time is money,” he responded authoritatively.
“What were some of the first machines or tools you worked on?”
“I briefly worked on lathes and mills before transitioning to this business,” he replied curtly.
“How did you find your first customers or projects?” I replied, taking notes.
“We initially found our customers through needs – customers build motors that necessitate more strength and/or RPM to initiate or start, that’s where we come in. Horsepower, compression, and timing of a motor will dictate what the customer needs.”
“Have you ever had to make a tough decision to protect the integrity of your product or brand?” I questioned him.
“Tough decisions are made all of the time, whether it’s a time crunch for a customer or a need to go outside our ‘comfort zone’ to take care of a customer.”
I grinned as I asked the question, “What’s it been like building the company with your father?”
“Building a company, working on a company with my father is a unique, a gift, lucky.”
I concluded the article with, “What does success look like to you, beyond just profit or sales?”
He smiled. “I have always wondered what success actually is – but when I come home, to my family each and every night, knowing that I am taking care of them, that is success to me.”
The gears that my family built decades ago are still turning today – with nothing but devotion, hard work, honesty, and love.
For those reading, if you have a dream, act on it. Even if it’s with family, take action. With family, it’s possibly even more worthwhile. You have the opportunity to lead not only with your head, but also with your heart, to make a meaningful difference. Your dream has the potential to become stronger than you ever imagined. A dream is still a living thing—what matters is the actions you are willing to take to achieve it. Thank you, Grandpa! Thank you, Dad! I love you so much!
