There aren’t many of us that have been alive for 95 years, and there aren’t many companies that can claim that either. But Overhead Door Company is an exception! 2016 marks the 95th anniversary for Overhead Door Company. An impressive feat! Let’s take a look through the history of this great company!
1921 — C.G. Johnson recognizes the need for an efficient way to house the vehicles indoors and out of the elements without using side-opening panel doors. Johnson invented the upward-acting overhead garage door.
1921 — Overhead Door Company formed in Detroit Michigan. Johnson and Detroit attorney Forest McKee form the company.
1923 — First demonstration of the upward-acting overhead garage door at the New York Automobile Show.
1923 — Johnson built a miniature prototype of the garage door on the back of his Model T. Johnson and his wife traveled from one county fair to the next all across the Midwest in order to market his product. His efforts were successful and resulted in the need to franchise the territorial rights to manufacture and sell the doors to independent operators across the country.
1924 — Headquarters moved to Hartford City, Indiana where Johnson worked to constantly improved his overhead door: adding new hinges, rollers, a channel track and patented wedge closure system to create a weather tight seal.
1926 — Company introduces the first electric garage door opener for commercial doors
1930s — Begin using Overhead Door’s ribbon logo and we haven’t stopped using it since!
1935 — C.G. Johnson dies, Forest McKee becomes company president.
1950 — Electric garage door opener available for residential customers.
1956 — The company establishes TODCO, acronym for The Overhead Door Company
1960s — Overhead Door Company begins to buy its franchised facilities and operations. Generating sales over $50 million.
1964 — Firm becomes publicly traded.
1965 — Business was thriving, needed a larger city for headquarters. HQ moved from Hartford City, Indiana to Dallas, Texas.
1970 — Firm acquires Horton Automatics, manufacturer and developer of the first automatic sliding pedestrian doors in America.
1980s — Overhead Door Company aims to diversify its portfolio and offer more product lines, acquires businesses of varying expertise.
1985 — Changed name to Dallas Corporation to reflect the focus on more than just garage doors.
1989 — Appears that Dallas took on too many ventures over the past couple years. Company taken private again and name is returned to Overhead Door Company to reemphasize the focal point of garage doors. This also helps company take advantage of widely-recognized name.
1994 — Overhead acquires Genie Company.
1996 — Sanwa Shutter Corporation acquires Overhead Door.
2000s — Overhead has plans to expand globally.
2000 — Sanwa restructures operations within Overhead Door. Hartford City, Ind. plant closed after being there for almost 80 years.
2003 — Sanwa Shutter purchases the European Novoform Group
2006 — Firm relocates headquarters to Lewisville, Texas.
Today Overhead Door is one of the most well-recognized names and brands within the garage door industry. We have 20 manufacturing plants and facilities throughout North America and sell our products across the world through more than 450 distributors. We have been around for 95 years and plan to be here for the next 100 or 200! For your garage door needs, call a company that has flourished through the test of time! Call Overhead Door of Garden City (620)275-4602 for all your garage door needs or contact us for a service appointment!
