A Overhead Door Company of Huntsville™ staff member talking to customers about the history of overhead Garage door company and offering a garage door service. A man and a woman are eagerly listening.

A trusted brand. A trusted history.

Sharing the name, logo, and trademark with the Overhead Door™ Brand.

About Overhead Door Company of Huntsville/North Alabama™

The only authorized Overhead Door™ Brand Distributor in North Alabama.

Always going the extra mile to deliver the innovation and service our customers need.

Our Story

ABOUT US

OUR TEAM

WHAT WE DO

The Overhead Door™ Difference

For an incomparable garage door service experience

Since 1921, The Overhead Door™ Corporation has designed, built, and installed the best garage doors in the business. As part of the Overhead Door™ network of trusted dealers, we’re committed to the same service that’s made the Overhead Door™ the symbol industry of excellence.

We are proud to call ourselves a local distributor of The Genuine. The Original. Overhead Door Company™. It’s an honor to share the Overhead Door™ name, logo, trademark, and commitment to quality and service with 450+ distributors worldwide.

The History of the Garage Door and Opener

100 years ago, The Overhead Door Corporation created the garage door industry.

Overhead Door™ is the lone innovator in the overhead door business. In 1921, we were the first to patent and sell the first overhead door. In 1927, we were the first to patent and sell an automated overhead door opener.

Today the Overhead Door Corporation, based in Dallas, Texas, is recognized as a leading single-source manufacturer of integrated door and operator systems for industrial, commercial and residential applications. The company’s extensive product line encompasses residential garage doors and openers; commercial operators; rolling service and sectional doors for commercial and industrial applications; high-speed traffic doors; security grilles and closures for a variety of retail and commercial uses.

In total, Overhead Door Corporation and its operating divisions provide the most extensive selection of door systems and related products backed by the leading brand names in North America.

The 1920s: The birth of the home garage

At the end of the 1800s, cars appeared and slowly began replacing the horse and buggy.

By the end of the early 1900s, thanks to Henry Ford, cars became more and more affordable to the masses. Storage for these cars became a problem. Garages began to slowly appear. In fact, the term garage first appeared in the English dictionary in 1902, a derivative of the French term “garer,” which means cover or shelter.

On Aug. 1, Owen L. Dautrick, a superintendent at a Detroit lumber company in 1920, applies for a U.S. patent for an “invention relating to garage doors, and has special reference to that type of building door which is bodily raised and placed in a horizontal overhead position.”

The patent application identifies Dautrick as the “inventor” and C.G. Johnson as a “witness” to the application.

Man working on sketch of garage door. About the founder of the Overhead Door Company.

Dautrick Johnson Mfg. Co. is set up at 5065 Rohns Avenue in Detroit to manufacture and sell overhead doors to be used on garages and other buildings. The original factory in 1921 was a two-story, 1,000-sq.-ft. barn in Detroit with a production capacity of one hand-built door per day.

On Oct. 16, 1922, Owen L. Dautrick, C.G. Johnson, and Arthur Kraska apply for a U.S. patent for “certain new and useful improvements in overhead doors.” It identifies all three as the “inventor,” while Forest McKee is a witness.

Three Old White Garage Doors from 1921. About tge history in the garage door industry. This was what the original garage doors looked like.

C.G. Johnson changed the course of the garage door’s place in our history. After acquiring a patent, Johnson took this invention and traveled across the Midwest with a small prototype mounted to the back of his Model T, promoting and sharing at county fairs and countless small towns, all while signing up distributors. Johnson and his wife, Flora, hit the road at the beginning of 1923. Johnson was ahead of his time by using sales tactics such as customer coupons and bulletins to share the news about his innovative garage door while creating customer awareness.

America was ready for the message and the product being shared. Our founder, C.G. Johnson, was a true innovator and clever entrepreneur. He recognized the problem of his day and came up with the most ingenious solution: The Original Overhead Door. Johnson then leveraged these innovations into a business and a brand that quickly gained a reputation for quality, service and integrity. He was so successful that he could not build and install overhead doors for such a large area. Instead, he franchised the territorial rights to manufacture and sell the doors to independent operators across the country.

In 1923 the headquarters were moved to Hartford City and they incorporated the business in Indiana. These inventions created the foundation for C.G. Johnson’s well-respected enterprise that would be known as The Overhead Door Corporation.

Old Vintage Car carrying an Overhead Door Company Sample. On the side of the old car the words Overhead Door appear. This is about the history of the first garage door company and how they made their sales around the world.

In April 1924, the 200,000-square-foot facility was completed and Overhead Door moved its primary manufacturing operation from Detroit to Hartford City.

During the first few years at Hartford City, Johnson made constant improvements to his overhead door: adding new hinges, rollers, a channel track, and a patented wedge closure system to create a weather-tight seal.

Old Pink Garage Door showing a little of the history of the Original Overhead Door Company doors.

In 1926, Johnson invented the first electric garage door opener with Herbert Cady Blodgett and together they formed the Door Control Company in Hartford City, Indiana, later adopting the name Overhead Door Company of Hartford City.

An Old Vintage Baby Blue Car. These cars needed a place to be parked.

The "Father" of the Garage Door Industry

Johnson is credited with inventing the first upward-acting overhead garage door in 1921 and the garage door opener in 1926. His concept was both elegant and functional and only required a simple demonstration to sell it. Some would describe C.G. Johnson as the “father” of the garage door industry. Almost 100 years later, the Overhead Door™ brand is continuing the innovative legacy set forth by Johnson.

The original blueprint of the first garage door in 1921. The patent became part of the History of the Overhead Door Company that we know today. This drawing is about the history of the Overhead Door Company and who signed the original patent.

Your Leading Garage Door Experts in Metro Huntsville

The Genuine. The Original. Overhead Door™. Since 1921.

As the only local authorized Overhead Door Company™ distributor in North Alabama, we offer only the best garage door repair and service with the products you want and the safety you need.

Keeping your family and your home security is always first in our minds. All of our technicians are full-time employees of Overhead Door Company of Huntsville/North Alabama™ – Never a subcontractor!

Two kids playing the guitar in a garage. One child is of color the other white. The children are happy and smiling. Their age is 10.

What We Do

The Overhead Door Company of Huntsville/North Alabama™ is committed to bringing you the best in garage door services in the Metro Huntsville areas.

We're proud to offer

Impression Fiberglass Collection® Garage Door by the Overhead Door Company - Color is of cherry wood. The home is dark brown brick.

Residential

Troubleshooting DIY, Garage Door Repairs, Services, and Accessories

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Rolling Sheet Doors from the Overhead Door Company of Huntsville

Commercial

Garage Door Repairs, Services, and Accessories

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Loading Dock

Equipment and Repairs

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We have the door to fit your style, your budget, and your needs.

Whether you need a stylish new garage door for your home, a more energy-efficient commercial door for your business, or a well-integrated door system for your industrial application, Overhead Door™ has the products to keep you up and running.

We have a long history of servicing garage doors in North Alabama, including Huntsville, Athens, Madison, Decatur, Harvest, Hazel Green, Meridianville, Gurley, Toney, and the surrounding metro areas.

Residential

Commercial