Applied Imagination Inc. owners Ken Robie, Bev Robie, and Steve Stuart look to retire as they end their chapter of almost three and a half decades of service to the Bowling Green community.

The dream of Applied Imagination started out as weekly Wednesday night parties between the three owners back in 1989, when the three thought, what if they created their own business?

“Myself and Steve Stuart started the business. We used to get together with friends every Wednesday night, and we thought, ‘let’s start a business.’ So that is where it started.” Ken Robie said.

From there, the first product was a turbine engine program.

“I used to work at National Flight Services at Toledo Express Airport. The way they were doing engine maintenance, they had a Texas instrument calculator. They would feed in different pressures and temperatures in the engine and then figure out what was wrong with it. We thought there was a way better way on the computer with graphs. That was our first thing we sold on every continent besides Antarctica. We did not have a lot of customers, but we got seed money to get us going.” Ken Robie said.

Since then, the industry of technology has changed drastically over the 34 years that Applied Imagination has called Bowling Green home, even outdating the computer software Windows.

“It has changed so much that it was even before Windows and the internet. Back when we started, there were bulletin boards, and you used your modem to dial up. At that time, it was all a mystery for everyone; now everyone and their brother know how to do everything when it comes to technology.” Ken Robie said:

One of their big concerns when the three decided to begin their retirement was who would be able to take over and help the customers who have been so loyal for 34 years. That would be decided as PC Net Techs, with already established locations in Fostoria and North Canton, looks to expand to Bowling Green.

Now as the three look towards their plans for retirement, they are not done yet finishing out all orders that were placed through Dec, 1 before they get into old hobbies with their new free time.

“I have loved woodworking over the years, purchasing one piece of equipment at a time. I would like to get more into that. Right now, I have orders for three rocking horses from my grandchildren, so that will be my start. Steve and I are ham radio operators, so we might get back into that, not sure really, just taking it easy and catching up on home repair tasks that have been neglected over the last 34 years.” Ken Robie said.