History

Updated: 09/29/2004 08:51
History

History:

    Quality Images started back in 1987 when Joe Portas retired from the daily grind of '8 to 5' and was looking for a way to use his talents and his time. He was recruited to make a number of custom furniture pieces for friends. Thinking that this would be a good way to keep busy and to make a little money, Joe started a small in home business called Quality Images. The company prospered, but in a way that left little time for home activities and travel. Then, after the purchase of a new sports car, QI took a different turn. Mary and he fell in love with their new 1991 Red "A" Miata named "KNOBzilla". They became active with the local Miata Club and enjoyed the life style of a 'Peak to Peak' club member. On one of the clubs runs, a member saw Joe's custom laser engraved gearshift knob and requested one of his own! "Knobmeister" division was born! Then another knob was made for another member. Then another, an on it went! People from other clubs found out that he could customize their gearshift knobs as well as make new ones from scratch. Name badges for clubs then followed! Internet service was introduced with this web site about the same time [This update you are reading is the first major revision in well over five years!] Well, word spread around the sports car community and now Joe does a wide variety of products for not just Miatas, MR2's and JEEPS but many other cars both mundane and exotic!
    A few years ago the pair bought a computer driven embroidery machine "Amy" and the fabric branch was born. VisorGloves and KnobGloves were the direct result of that purchase!
    Word of mouth has lead the company to do many other custom products from judge's gavels to Glass Christmas ornaments. His Universal Systems Laser Engraver is busy 17 hours a day seven days a week! He has been much busier now than he ever was working at a "regular job". Joe never thought that he would have customers on every continent except Antarctica! His and Mary's vacations now evolve around attending trade shows, national and international events! They celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary while attending the International Miata Event in Bruges Belgium!

Be advised .... Quality Images is not a big operation with lots of employees. It's just Joe and Mary! So if they do not respond immediately to emails and phone calls, it's probably that they are enjoying their favorite pastime traveling or doing some home chore! [Sometimes they need to do domestic duties! Can't work ALL the time!]

We have always thought we should be known as "Knobmeister Heavy Industries"! [Will attach smoke stacks to our roof in the near future!]

WE MOVED!
We really love the new location with spectacular views of Pike's Peak and the Rocky Mountain Front Range!

Our new address is:

    KNOBmeister
    3595 Gray Circle
    Elbert, CO USA 80106-9652