100th Anniversary
Overhead Door Company of Toledo is excited to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of our parent corporation, Overhead Door Company!
Overhead Door Company History
In 1921, our founder, C.G. Johnson, invented and patented the “upward-lifting” overhead garage door. Before his invention, garages had side panel doors that needed twice as much space to open. His sectional overhead door was revolutionary as it opened up and out of the way, which allowed for more room around the entrance of the garage.
To promote his new invention, Johnson drove to fairs and exhibits with a prototype door attached to his Model T vehicle. Johnson created a network of distributors with the help of clever marketing techniques, such as consumer coupons and bulletin boards in different communities. Five years later, he gave the industry another useful piece of technology to help those who couldn’t lift their doors manually: he invented the first electric garage door opener.
The original factory was a two-story, 1,000-sq.-ft. building in Detroit with a production capacity of one door per day. In 1924, the factory moved to Hartford City, Indiana, and built a new plant with 200,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space.
Garage Door Expert and Industry Leader Since 1921
Johnson’s two inventions laid the foundation for Overhead Door Company™ to be an industry leader in garage doors and garage door accessories. His overhead garage door brand quickly gained a reputation for quality, service and integrity. As an official distributor of Overhead Door Company™, we are pleased to continue Johnson’s tradition of being your garage door installation and service expert in Toledo, Ohio, and the surrounding areas.