Overhead Door of Washington, D.C.

For over 40 years, Overhead Door of Washington, D.C. (Overhead Door) has been building longstanding relationships with customers and fellow businesses throughout the region.

“My partner and company president Louis Rehak started Overhead Door in 1973,” shares Robert “Willie” B. White, vice president of Overhead Door. “Our very first customer was Jack Bates Construction. They were a customer then and they’re a customer now nearly four decades later. We’ve worked hard to develop personal relationships and to ensure that our customers are successful; it’s all helped us grow and succeed over the last 40 years.”

Willie says the Maryland-based company’s first priority has always been making a special connection with customers. “Louis actually started out as my customer,” he explains. “I was in banking and we eventually became friends. Once we got to know each other we decided we could do well as a team, so I joined forces with Louis at Overhead Door, which was a small company at the time.”

Willie and Louis have grown Overhead Door substantially since its founding, strengthening their relationship and beyond. “Through it all, we’ve remained good friends and our families as well,” shares Willie.

While Willie and Louis own- and -operate the Washington D.C. Overhead Door, the company spans a large portion of the Mid Atlantic with various locations from Harrisburg, Pa., to Richmond, Va. “All of the locations are owned by our parent company, Mid Atlantic Door Group Inc. (Mid Atlantic Door),” notes Willie.

Overhead Door stems from a long line of industry-leading innovation initiated by its parent company. Mid Atlantic Door invented the first upward-acting garage door in 1921 and the first electric garage door opener in 1926 and Overhead Door has continued this tradition of quality craftsmanship, reliability and customer service.

Willie and Louis’s division serves the entire state of Maryland from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area to Montgomery County, Charles County, Calvert County, Prince George’s County and St. Mary’s County. “Our division stays within our market in order to provide the best service and warrantee coverage available,” notes Willie. “It’s pretty simple -if we sell it- we want to ensure quality and back the product up with a solid warrantee.”

An In-house Advantage

One of the ways Overhead Door controls quality is through self performing professional commercial and high-end residential door construction, installations, repairs and retrofits. “We’re primarily doing commercial installations, repairs and construction, but we also have a high-end residential division,” adds Willie. “Our residential division provides a range of solutions for homeowners and we have the same focus on quality as our commercial division, ensuring customers are happy with every product, every day.”

Overhead Door provides everything from rolling doors to sectional industrial-grade doors, accessories and garage door openers to lifts and levers. “We sell heavy duty Rytec doors with specially engineered industrial capacities because commercial garage doors have to endure more wear and tear than residential doors,” reveals Willie.

Fully backing every product it sells, the company also provides full-service repair and maintenance. Overhead Door’s technicians are fully trained and kept up-to-date on the newest products and repair techniques. “Any technician we send out on a job is an employee of the company, not a subcontractor,” adds Willie.

The company’s customer-first approach and in-house quality guarantee has won Overhead Door notable clients. “We’ve done work for the National’s Stadium in Washington, D.C.,” shares Willie. “We’ve also done a great deal of service work for the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and numerous fire departments throughout the state.”

Despite a reputation as solid as the commercial doors it sells, Willie says Overhead Door has faced some economic challenges in recent years. “We’ve had to work hard every day to keep busy lately,” he reveals. “We have 200 employees and 200 families relying on us to perform. With the uncertainties of today’s economy and the lack of consistency and understanding in business with our government I often wonder what will be the next tax or regulation coming down the road.”

Yet Overhead Door has managed to ride the economic waves, standing the test of time for nearly 40 years. “We’re having our annual company meeting in December but this year it will be an even bigger celebration to mark our 40 year anniversary,” details Willie.

Willie and Louis continue to grow Overhead Door, making room for the next generation. “My son, daughter and son-in-law are involved in the company and they’re focused on helping us grow,” shares Willie.

“We also have employees who’ve been with us for 25 years and they want to see us succeed,” says Willie. “We’re always looking for more opportunities and I think we’ll continue on a path of calculated growth like we’ve experienced thus far.” For 40 years, Overhead Door of Washington, D.C., has provided customer-first service, building longstanding relationships and a trusted reputation.