Our History !
Michael
Scalf Sr began working in photography and filed a
business license for Mike's Photo & Design in
Houston
,
Texas
, on September 11, 1980.
Mr. Scalf operated a part time business out of
his home doing weddings and some portraits while working
a salaried job full time.
A new business license was filed on April 4, 1988
to change the name of the business to Mike Scalf
Photography.
Mr.
Scalf's college degree and work was in Mechanical
engineering where his salary jobs were in the oil field
equipment manufacturing business.
He was a Mechanical Engineering designer and in 1979 was subsequently
promoted to department manager with as many as 40
individuals reporting to him while being responsible for
an annual budget of more than one million dollars.
He was also responsible for creating and
implementing operational procedures and policies for the
corporation.
He
also worked assisting the company’s commercial
photographer from November 1978 through February 1982. In 1982, he was hired by another company as
their department supervisor while also being responsible for
all commercial photography
He signed a lease in the Clear Lake Area of
Houston
on a 1200 square foot storefront studio and completely remodeled
the facility himself. He officially opened for
business on September 1, 1988 with the studio being
incorporated on December 20, 1991.
Upon outgrowing the first studio, he leased
another space within the same shopping center with 2100
square feet and moved there on October 1, 1993. He
occupied that location until March 1, 1999 when he
moved to a 3000 square feet studio at
17066 Highway 3. Michael also designed and completely performed
the build out of this location.
The
first store front studio grossed only $ 45,000.00 in
1988. The studio more than doubled their gross sales in
1989 and added a part time employee. The studio again
more than doubled their sales in 1990 and added another
part time employee. In 1991 their gross sales grew
another 50% and they placed one of their part time
employee's on full time status. He continued an
annual steady growth pattern while employing, in addition
to he and his wife, two full time and one or two part time employees.
He annually grossed at or above $500,000 a year. On August 27, 2004
Michael sold the studio to
another studio owner,
Dean Grimes
who owned Arrant Grimes Photography of Alvin, Texas. He
relocated his
Alvin
studio into the Clear
Lake
location. Michael worked with Mr.
Grimes until December 31, 2006 doing some photography, database
management, price list development and studio marketing along
with writing policies and procedures.
In
2007, Michael moved and relocated to Blanchard, OK, which
was outside of his non-compete limitations. There
he has rebuilt a home based photography business
specializing in location portraiture and commercial
photography. Also he is the Executive
Director of the Oklahoma Professional Photogrphers Association. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Photography and Business at the Oklahoma City Community College, OCCC.
During
the many various cycles of the studio transition, his
studio has evolved from a single photographer studio to
a multiple
contract photographers studio doing several weddings each
weekend and then returning full circle to the single
photographer studio. Consequently, he can provide a
realistic perspective of the pros and cons of the
various challenges, hurdles and pitfalls you may
encounter regardless what your studio size may be.
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