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/84102
By Chris Long, Editor, International Door & Operator Industry MANUFACTURERSCORNER NORTHWEST DOOR... ... Yes We Can! I recently visited the home offi ce and manufacturing facilities of Northwest Door located in beautiful Tacoma, Washington. When I entered the striking building, I was greeted by Rachelle Wilson, the granddaughter of Steve DeWitt, CEO/Owner, and daughter of Scott Wilson, Manufacturer Sales Manager and former IDA director. Steve and Scott along with Scott DeWitt, Vice President/Owner, and Jeff Hohman, President, joined me later for a visit to talk about the company. 40 Before our visit, the two Scott's led me on a tour of their impressive manufacturing plant. As I walked through the 288,000 square foot building, not only was I drawn to the various pieces of production equipment and systems, but also to the people. Having had the opportunity to tour a number of manufacturing plants, I would rank the Tacoma facilities among the top. The plant and the people of Northwest Door reminded me again of how very fortunate our industry is to have the quality of personnel and production capabilities to serve dealers and their customers. One of the fi rst images I recall seeing was the Mission Statement International Door & Operator Industry™ of Northwest Door which is simple, precise and powerful, "Yes We Can." The statement is reproduced in two foot high letters on the main wall of their customer service department. When I asked about the statement, Steve stated, "If we focus on helping our customers to be successful in their business, we will be successful in ours." The company's roots actually go back to when it was a garage door installation business operating under the name, Crawford Door. This is a point that was stressed during our visit. Having begun as a door dealer, the core values and respect for this segment of our industry is an integral part of the company's core values today. Continued on page 42