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.
Issue link: https://idoi.epubxp.com/i/255259
24 International Door & Operator Industry™ Continued on page 27 24 International Door & Operator Industry™ we give a lot back to the community and the industry. It's a good environment for a family." Challenges and Opportunities Living in a resort town has its advantages, but it also has disadvantages. When asked what Coast Garage Door's greatest challenge might be, Jim Anderson responded quickly: "Finding quality employees. When you live and operate in a resort town, your talent pool is largely comprised of surfers. What that means is that when the surf is up, the surfng takes priority. It's hard to fnd people who put their jobs ahead of their passion for surfng." But, he has succeeded in accomplishing that. Lead installer Hank Sohler loves his job and considers it the perfect match for his talents. He shares the Anderson Family's goal to be the premier door company for the Northern Oregon and Southern Washington coasts. The company mission is to gain business through superior knowledge, excellent service and the desire to exceed customers' expectations. "I love my job and I love our customers," Sohler offers to a visitor. "I couldn't ask for a better place to be." Between Jim, Juan and Hank, they keep two trucks in the feld full time, and have one available for emergency service calls. The small, but effcient approach to the business was important to Coast Garage Door when things went bad for much of the country in 2008. "We were just as proftable during the recession as we were before," Linda Anderson explained. "We made up any losses in sales through service and retrofts. That's one of the nice things about being in a resort town. People continue to want to do things with their summer homes, so our fexibility and ability to change gears quickly and easily made it possible for us to maintain our level of proftability." She went on to say that the company made the decision to manage growth in such a manner as to keep the "family" in family business and not let the business control their world. Jim and Linda Anderson decided to balance their desire for growth with the need to maintain a family lifestyle. It also helps that Seaside is tucked away from some of the larger competitors that surround bigger markets in the Pacifc Northwest. "We work a territory about 150 miles north to south," said Jim Anderson. "We are somewhat isolated from the Portland market, but we still have competitors. We never speak poorly of them, and we frequently work with them when we feel they can help one of our customers. The bottom line is if you are willing to work hard, you create opportunities for DOORDEALERDIALOG (continued from page 23) 1/24/14 10:50 AM