Feature
CE NTENNIA L CE L E B R AT IO N
Overhead Door reaches 100th birthday ™
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he first Overhead Door™ opened in Detroit in 1921 — marking 100 years since its inventor, C.G. Johnson, created the modern-day convenience. The company has had a presence in Reading since the late 1930s. At the time, all distributors were corporately owned. Roy Owens, a native of the Pennsylvania Coal Region, purchased Overhead Door Company of Reading™ in 1965, making it independently owned for the first time. A graduate of Syracuse University with a degree in communications, and a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy Reserve, Roy settled in Lincoln Park with his growing family. He worked for Atlantic Richfield as manager of maintenance for its gas stations. In 1965, Roy called Overhead Door Company of Reading™ to get garage doors repaired and discovered the business was for sale. It’s been owned by the Owens family ever since. Roy firmly believed that honesty and work ethic were paramount to running a successful business. He strove to be fair and well respected by employees, customers and suppliers. And perhaps most importantly, he valued his relationship with the Berks County community.
Before
Due to the success of Overhead Door Company of Reading™, Roy was able to complete the purchase of Overhead Door Company of Lancaster™ in 1968. Growth in Reading and Lancaster continued through Roy’s retirement and the transfer of the business to his three sons, Bill, Dave and Bob, in 1988. Overhead Door Company of Chester and Delaware Counties™ was After 14 COMMERCE QUARTERLY WINTER 2022
