ER2 IMAGE GROUP - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Education
- Senior Print Manager
For Adam Wagner the devil is in the details; he loves paying attention to the little things on the job to be sure the big things get done just right. Two of his strongest attributes in business are his great memory and his organizational skills, something that are extremely helpful in his job as a senior print technician. Adam loves putting his skills to use and keeping the large machinery he uses on the job in working order.
Alan considers his strongest attribute at work to be his standing as a total team player… and that carries over into real life! Alan has also been on the same 12" softball team since 1987. As a lifelong fan of the Cubs, it's no surprise that Alan is able to stick it out for the long haul. He also said he has a creative gene in his family running back to his grandfather, who earned money as a street musician and mural painter in Argentina as a child. Art is in the bloodline for one of our great graphic designers, as is loyalty.
Being the youngest of the three Schellerer children, Alan was able to get an early start in business at the age of 12. Don't call it little brother syndrome; Alan was working full time by the age of 19 and has been building strong relationships with customers since. Alan tries to make sure he's always thinking outside of the box when working on projects. "I'm outgoing and I always want to be learning new things," he said of his quest to interject something fresh into work.
When he's not working with ER2 clients, Alan plays music, watches the Chicago Bears and spends some quality time with his wife and three children.
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant
- Manager
As the first lady of ER2, Carla has been raising our management team here for nearly 40 years. Over the past two-plus decades here, Carla has enjoyed watching the business expand and her three boys grow into their roles. While she said there are many challenges to the work, this is the life her and Gary envisioned when they started the company.
Carla works to ensure daily jobs are completed and said it's been great working with the many managers at ER2. "I keep in tune to all the employees, down to our maintenance guy," she said. "I've been criticized of being too much of a Mom at work. I try to keep things businesslike but this is really a challenge for me." After 20-plus years, Carla said she is finally getting a handle on it.
Variety is the spice of life and is also Dan's favorite part of work here at ER2. "Whether it's from a client at the United Center, or a small plumbing business down the street, I'm always presented with new challenges," Dan said. No matter what we throw at him, Dan loves doing it. Whether that means running small print jobs, holding vinyl or, as he puts it, "getting up from my computer and doing things," Dan is game. Fitting in with ER2's philosophy of innovation, Dan loves technology. While he likes going out, he said you can usually find him at home playing video games, watching a movie or checking out an MMA fight.
To Donna, a bad day is still a day nonetheless. This positive, sunny attitude helps her with her work at ER2, where she enjoys getting to know coworkers and customers on a daily basis. This also helps her excel on the job, as she tries to stay unstressed and knows how to prioritize her tasks at hand. While Donna said she's afraid of heights, she considers her greatest adventures to be zip lining in Hawaii and partially climbing Mount Rainier in Washington State. We all wish we could stay fearless and positive like Donna!
Gary was working in the Finance industry when he got bitten by the wide-format bug. Soon, he was an account executive for multiple large printing companies, coordinating an average of 20+ installs a week. "I really didn't have a background in this industry," he said. "But I have certainly come to enjoy it."
Gary never knows what his day will be like when he arrives in the morning and he likes it that way. "The only constant is that each morning will bring more opportunities to help customers," he said. "A strong attention to detail helps me pull this off, but I couldn't deliver on my promises without the solid team of professionals I get to work with in the office, the shop and in the field."
By the way, Gary isa HUGE Chicago Bulls/Bears fan. Basketball of any kind is a joy to him. He will watch no matter what team is playing. Speaking of joy, Gary loves spending time with his two boys, Caiden and Bennett. He also enjoys serving at his church with his wife, Liz. They work with the young people, specifically junior and high school students.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- President
- Vice President
What else could Gary say to his dad when, at 18 years old, he told him "Son, we are going into business together"? Ever since, Gary and the rest of the Schellerer family have been dedicated to the world of signs, printing out approximately a half million square feet per year at ER2. "I love taking a concept and blowing it up to crazy large sizes," Gary said. "I also enjoy participating in an industry that has such potential for creativity. Every day we are presented with a different creative challenge."
Wondering what the deal with the "tornado" nickname is? Clearly, you still need to be introduced to Gary. "I constantly stay in motion. I'm not happy unless I am in the middle of a dozen projects," he said. Always willing to listen to the demands of clients, Gary is 100% dedicated to ensuring customer happiness at ER2.
Head of the family and head of the company, Gary R. Schellerer started ER2 in 1991 after stopping in a small vinyl shop off Michigan Avenue in Chicago. "I was extremely impressed with the concept and saw a great deal of opportunity in this type of operation," he said. "It just seemed to fit the bill for everything important to me in a business."
Gary's perseverance has kept him and ER2 innovating and running strong for more than two decades. Now, he enjoys running the business with his wife and sons Gary, Mark and Alan. While he finds it challenging to be the boss of his kids sometimes, he jokes that his position allows him some payback for their teen years.
I live to work and that's just the way I'm wired.
I went to graduate school for project management, so I definitely have the mindset to serve as the ultimate communicator between the client and all of our departments here at ER2 Image Group, from design to fabrication. When you're on-site as much as I am for surveys and walkthroughs, you've got a front-row view to ensure how smoothly things are going during installation.
Heather expertly tracks the growth and performance of ER2 Image Group. With a Bachelor's in Communication and a Master's in Education, she shatters the typical "number crunching accountant" stereotype. She and her husband, Jason, have a 14-year-old son named Ean and two dogs - one named Scooby and one named Javy. As you may have guessed from the name "Javy" to honor a certain former Cub, Heather is a HUGE Cubs fan. She used to have season tickets and lived about a minute's walk away from Wrigley for five years. She loves all four major Chicago sports and also holds a special place in her heart for her Boilermakers.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director of National Sales
Jason Dillas is our Director of National Sales and has a strong background in helping design, plan, and execute custom interiors. Jason worked in India for two years, where he worked in graphics and printing and got a feel for true quality. In his own words, he "lives and breathes" interior design. His strongest attribute is his love of conversation. Everyone has a story and he wants to know it, allowing him to connect with just about anyone.
When Jason isn't hard at work he loves spending time with his wife and four children, planning his next travel adventure, watching the Cardinals, and telling telemarketers NO.
Job Titles:
- Graphic Designer / Technology Consultant
As a guy who loves keeping up with the latest in technology, Joel fits in extremely well here at ER2. Even before he started here, Joel worked in the signage industry for eight years doing essentially everything, including sales, design, print, production and installation. He truly enjoys the versatility the job offers and how it is constantly challenging him to be creative. "I grew up surrounded by art and computers," Joel said. "I learned how to put the two together in high school and the rest is history." Fun Fact: Joel studied martial arts for more than five years and has a black belt in Kenpo Karate. Do NOT mess with Joel!
Education: Bachelor's Degree in Graphic Design from Benedictine University
Mark, one of the three Schellerer sons who works at ER2, said his favorite part of the job is dealing with new, unique challenges every day. Well, his personal life isn't far off. Mark was an all-state middle linebacker in high school, has previously worked as a ski lift operator in Colorado and enjoys playing guitar and snowboarding. At work, Mark aspires to provide good customer service and solutions. His mortal enemies? As a die-hard Chicago Bears fan, Mark has one word for you: "Cheeseheads."
Matt has been working in the large format printing and signage industry for the past 12 years and in that time said he has learned every aspect of working in a shop. Although he started this line of work for a paycheck, his creative side took over and he has really enjoyed bringing customer ideas to life. Matt still loves seeing the process, from screen to the final product, unfold. He's a Midwesterner to the core, rooting for the Chicago Bears and University of Michigan Football team and is a huge baseball fan. He was actually at the game where Barry Bonds hit his 70 th homer (steroids and all). When he's not working, you can find Matt golfing, grilling or hanging with his Boston Terrier Ralphie.
Matthew didn't choose the signage industry; it chose him. "Everyone needs to advertise," he said. One thing our Director of Purchasing loves about working at ER2 is getting the chance to work with everyone else here, as well as the customer. Seeing the labor of co-workers and him come together to help serve ER2 customers is a great feeling for Matthew. Some fun facts… well, he's got plenty! He's a successful club and event DJ for more than a decade, practices Tai Chi and Kung-fu and produces his own music.
A firm believer that each new day brings new things to learn and new problems to solve, Michele is a dedicated team player who prides herself on keeping customers happy. She loves the ever-evolving nature of design and the limitless ways it can be communicated depending on the situation.
When she's not at ER2, you'll probably find Michele spending quality time with friends and family. She and her husband, Manny, have two boys, Max (22) and Michael (19), plus two pooches, Champ (13) and Molly (2).
Michelle is a multi-tasker. Her duties include taking customer orders as well as purchasing materials, monitoring stock levels and placing inventory orders. She loves learning more about the services we offer and our wide range of capabilities. Michelle likes to work hard and push herself. It shows because she happily crushes any task that comes her way.
Michelle doesn't have much time for travel, but when she does, her first choice of destination is Mexico. Being born in Massachusetts might have something to do with that.
Neil has been in the design industry for over 12 Years. He has degrees in both Fine Arts and Advertising & Design. His training and experience have made him an essential part of our design team here at ER2. Although Neil's true passion began with a paintbrush, he now expresses his creativity through a keyboard and a mouse. Outside of the office Neil enjoys riding his motorcycle and popping off a few rounds at the local shooting range. Guns and Motorcycles….Nice!
While most of Nick's free time is taken up by playing and training for volleyball games, he has been landing aces in the sign industry for years. Before starting with ER2, Nick worked at another signage shop during his teenage years. Now, he said his strongest skill at work is "multi-multitasking" the chaos of the signage industry.
This is what Nick was meant to do, as he learned the industry from his father when he was young. "I got into art at an early age, and when he brought me to work at the sign company I learned you could create graphics on the computer," Nick said. "The rest is history in the making."
If you're talking about wrapping vehicles at ER2, Patrick has you covered. Our 3m-certified production manager has been working on vehicle wraps for years, even before his time here. He loves that his job at ER2 offers him something different every day, which he carries through with his positive attitude and versatility. A fun fact about Patrick: He's competed in swimming competitions in Australia, Hawaii, London, Bahamas and Moscow. Now, he's swimming with the big fishes at ER2.
Job Titles:
- VP of Business Development / Director of National Sales
Ronnie is a great fit for our installation team, as he loves doing anything hands-on! As no day or project is ever the same here at ER2, Ronnie has mastered the ability to "think on his feet" while providing quality work on every job. In his free time he rides BMX bikes, works on cars and takes care of his two dogs, Frankie and Nora. He also loves to take it easy occasionally and sample microbreweries and vineyards with his wife, Jill. Of course, this is all scheduled around when the DA BEARS will be playing!
A quick thinker and client pleaser, Scott is an ideal project manager. He uses his 10+ years of experience to produce consistently great end results. His ability to think on his feet also comes in handy as he manages his full house. He and his wife, Kelly, have two amazing kids (MacKenzie and Cale), two cats (Kirby and Abby) and a dog (Luna). Scott is a massive Blackhawks fan, he follows F1 racing and he enjoys cooking and traveling.