History

Andy Sparks bought a portion of the Michigan Township Services in 1991 and renamed it to Imperial Municipal Services, commonly called IMS. Formerly, the company resided by the Grand River before moving to its present location in Rockford.

Andy retired in 1998, providing Doug Hopkins—already working as a building official, inspector, and plan reviewer—and his wife, Nancy Hopkins, the opportunity to purchase the business. Doug and his wife successfully ran the business until it was time for retirement.

In 2022, Doug Hopkins retired and the original owner Andy’s son, Rick Sparks purchased the business from him. Rick had already been working with Doug as an inspector for over 5 years, after being in the building industry for over 40 years.

IMS has continued to grow and maintain a positive presence among the many communities we service in Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, and Montcalm Counties. We issue permits, perform inspections, and assist with the understanding of building codes when needed.

Besides building inspections, IMS provides zoning administration for select townships.