Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/1039904
16 BBB MAGAZINE Who's Who Special Edition A certain dragon-heavy HBO epic would have you think otherwise, but the phrase "winter is coming" doesn't always have to be cause for alarm. Just ask Stan Summers, Winnipeg's reigning Garage Door King. The onset of snow signals an uptick in opportunities to cement his status as garage repair royalty. "The busiest time for this industry is the winter," says Summers, who takes a 24/7 approach to customer service. An industry veteran of more than 20 years, Summers has made a name for himself providing same-day service to commercial and residential clients throughout Winnipeg and rural Manitoba. He offers a full slate of services — from fixing high-tension springs and broken motors to new installations and full replacement of doors that have been damaged or driven into. Having Better Business Bureau accreditation assures customers that Garage Door Kings is a company they can trust, and Summers is there when they need him, responding to evening and weekend calls at no extra charge. Not surprisingly, most of his customers are pretty relieved to hear back from him, since their needs tend to be of the "urgent" variety. "I go to a lot places where they've called other companies and get an answering machine, and when they get me they've finally got a human being on the phone and they've got someone who will come out in the evening, when everybody else is closed at 4:30 p.m.," he says. "It's more the commercial [clients] who are calling you at 2 a.m., whereas the residential [clients] will call you at 6 p.m. or 7 p.m., when they get home and find their garage door is broken." During the winter, garages serve an obvious function— keeping vehicles warm and tools and equipment safe and secure. But a well- maintained garage door can also improve a home's curb appeal. Though he still encounters his share of old- school tilt doors, the industry has come a long way from when his father and uncle plied the same trade decades ago — back when it was common for garage door openers to trigger the neighbour's door halfway down the block. "There are a lot more styles and a lot more colours," he says. "And the technology has improved, because now you're starting to be able to run your garage door from your cell phone." In addition to residential work, Summers services fire exits and storefronts, along with the rolling, sliding and security doors found in shopping malls and fire or police stations. He has a team of sub-contractors to help with installations, and while his year-round availability keeps him hopping, he says most days, it's good to be king. "You're dealing with the public and you get to travel quite a bit," he says, noting his constant criss-crossing of the city allows him ample opportunity to stop in at home to see his newborn daughter, Shyla. "You get to go to a lot of different places, and meet with a lot of different people. You get to see a lot of what's going on in the world." ❙ Learn more at thedoorking.ca THE GARAGE DOOR KINGS The Royal Treatment GARAGE DOOR SPECIALIST PROVIDES SERVICE 24/7 Garage door specialist Stan Summers is ready to roll 24/7. Photo by Darcy Finley