International Door & Operator Industry

SEP-OCT 2013

Garage door industry magazine for garage door dealers, garage door manufacturers, garage door distributors, garage door installers, loading docks, garage door operators and openers, gates, and tools for the door industry.

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DOORDEALERDIALOG (continued from page 21) other end of the scale you have some who aren't there and you would never see them. In some cases, you aren't even allowed to know whose house you are in." Van Buren recalled one property that required nondisclosure agreements and only designated personnel were permitted to pass through the security gate. Anyone not on the designated personnel list would be escorted to the guard house and treated with some degree of hospitality until the job was completed. Van Buren remembered those restrictions very well, because one of his young daughters at the time was a guest in that guard house, located just inside of the guarded perimeter of Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch. The unique segment of the market comprised of some of the world's most famous names is just part of the community that Van Buren serves. He doesn't get animated when talking about it, but recognizes it is a part of the market that his business must serve diligently. "Santa Barbara generally doesn't hit the peaks or the valley's, economically speaking," Van Buren explained. "We have some ups and downs, but not like a lot of other markets. But, the last recession hit us hard. We hit the bottom on that one, and that high-end portion of the Santa Barbara market was critical to our survival." Quality and Professionalism Remain Key While it might go without saying, one doesn't do business with the likes of Hollywood celebrities, sports superstars and CEOs whose idea of airport security is having a safe parking space for a Gulfstream G650, without having a reputation for quality work that is performed by professional technicians. "All of my employees are key employees," Van Buren stated emphatically. "I've got people with me who were here when I bought the business. When the economy took a big downturn, I didn't have anyone I could afford to lose. I didn't have the option of downsizing. So, we tapped into some of that capital we had built up over the good years and it looks like things are starting to get a little better, so we all made it, but we did it together. I don't have any dead weight here." It's that professionalism and focus on quality that forms every belief Van Buren has about his business, customer service and the outlook for the door industry's future. Continued on page 25 (From the left) Don Van Buren with Cliff Walkush, Gate and Commercial Service Technician; Ryan Lewis, Door Technician; and Francisco Palacios, Lead Door Installer. Van Buren said "All my people are key people…we don't have any dead weight here." 22 22 International Door & Operator Industryª International Door & Operator Industryª

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