“If potential customers were going to spend extra money, they wanted to see the product hands-on,†says Jamon. Then there was the issue of credibility. As a service provider, The Garage Door Co. didn’t need a storefront. But when it came to sales, some potential customers sniffed, “‘Are you a legitimate company or are you just working out of your basement?’†Jamon recalls.
Building and stocking a garage door showroom was out of the company’s financial reach so, in 2007, The Garage Door Co. forged an alliance with Salt Lake City-based Martin Garage Doors, an established manufacturer. “They sell doors all over the world, but we would be their one dealer here in Georgia,†says Taj. As part of the arrangement, Martin Garage Doors would build and stock a showroom for The Garage Door Co. so long as the Jones brothers made them their preferred vendor. Since the competition did not have showrooms, The Garage Door Co. had a serious edge. Jamon says thanks to the showroom, “customers could see the safety features on our doors, they could see the quality of the materials, and they understood the difference.â€
While most of its business has been in the residential space, The Garage Door Co. is looking to expand into industrial and commercial markets. And while The Garage Door Co. has focused so far on the Southeast, the Jones brothers plan to slowly spread its presence.
“Eventually, the world is going to know about us,†says Jamon. One garage door at a time.
This article originally appeared in the June 2010 issue of Black Enterprise magazine.