Garaga is turning 40 in 2023

April 3, 2023

Garaga, a Canadian family-owned company founded in 1983 by Michel Gendreau, is celebrating its 40th anniversary of steady growth this year. Starting with 5 employees and 1 plant in 1983, the company grew to 165 employees and 2 plants in 2003, and now to 1200 employees and 4 plants in 2023.

Have you heard of Garaga? Perhaps not, because one of the Gendreau’s core values is humility. However, this homegrown company has been the Canadian leader in the manufacture and distribution of garage door systems for quite some time now.

It is also the first and only Canadian garage door manufacturer to have expanded into the US market by acquiring American manufacturers: the first plant in 2018, in Ponca City, Oklahoma, and the second in September 2022, in Bemidji, Minnesota.

The company officially turned 40 on March 31, 2023.

It was done without fanfare, passing on heartfelt thanks to their employees and their dealer and reseller networks across Canada and the United States, as twin brothers Maxime and Martin Gendreau, Garaga's co-presidents since 2018, and their father, Michel Gendreau, the company's founder, are fond of doing.

"March 2023 is very special because it is the month when Garaga celebrates its 40th anniversary! This important milestone in our history is time to reflect on the past years and be grateful and thankful for every one of our employees and dealers. We often hear that The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This is truly a thought that we live by as our teams and our networks are growing at top speed every year," says Maxime Gendreau.

This is why it is essential to recruit the best talent in many areas of expertise such as finance and accounting, engineering and production, customer service, marketing and sales, computer technology as well as human resources. When you experience as much growth as Garaga has over the past 40 years, and particularly in the last 10 years, these skilled teammates are essential.

Growth, but not at all costs.

"My father has always been someone who thinks big while having a great sense of responsibility. My brother and I are very much in line with that vision. Growth must be driven by rational and well-thought-out decisions, not only by relying on feelings and intuition. We have employees and families that depend on our choices and investments. We never forget them in the equation. The people who bring their talent and history to help our company grow can and will always be able to count on Garaga's financial health and sound risk management," adds Martin Gendreau.

How well do you know Garaga? Here are 14 highlights in its history:

• Do you think interest rates are high? Just imagine! They ranged from 18% to 22% in 1983, when Michel Gendreau bought Garaga when he was only 26 years old.
• In 1986, Garaga won the prestigious Mercuriades New Business Trophy ahead of another famous candidate, the Cirque du Soleil.
• From 1983 to 2003, Garaga's headquarters had 2 moves and 3 expansions.
• In 1990, Garaga bought a hardware factory. This allowed the company to establish high-quality standards and a rapid supply.
• The Montreal Distribution Center opened in 1990.
• The year 1991 was a key moment: Garaga was awarded a contract to supply 42 km (26 mi.) of garage door panels for the thermal reinforcement of the vaults of the world's largest dam, Manic-5. This contract accelerated the implementation of processes to standardize Garaga’s methods and increase its production rate.
• These processes also allowed Garaga, in 1992, to become the 1^st garage door manufacturer in North America to obtain ISO-9001 certification.
• In 1995, the company acquired a plant in Barrie, Ontario. In 2006, this plant was expanded by 30,000 sq. ft. to add production lines.
• In 1996, the Garaga Experts network was launched, recognizing our dealers and resellers as certified specialists.
• In 2003, GaragaNet, a cutting-edge extranet for dealers, was launched. It includes a product configurator, an online ordering, quoting, and tracking system, an eLearning center and a news feed to share all the news.
• In 2018, Mid-America Door in Ponca City, OK was acquired.
• Also in 2018, Martin and Maxime Gendreau officially take over as co-presidents. They had held various strategic positions since completing their studies in 2004. Let's not forget that they participated in their first IDA, a "trade show" when they were less than 10 years old. In short, they were born in the garage door business!
• In 2022, North Central Door, in Bemidji, MN, was acquired.
• So at the end of March 2023, Garaga is:
  • 4 plants:
    • Saint-Georges, QC (148,000 sq. ft.)
    • Barrie, ON (115,000 sq. ft.)
    • Ponca City, OK (180,000 sq. ft.)
    • Bemidji, MN (105,000 sq. ft.)
  • 1200 employees, 845 of which in Canada
  • A family-owned business that continues to grow thanks to the passion and professionalism of its employees and dealers!

See the big picture

When asked if they are growing the business in order to sell it, the Gendreau twins are unanimous and quick to respond: "Garaga is a family business and that will not change! Our family is expanding but our head office will remain in Canada".

"In Canada, we are the leader with a significant market share. In the United States, however, there is a lot of opportunity. Our acquisitions in the United States will allow us to strengthen our position in the American market and thus continue our growth. Access to these new distribution networks will make it easier to export Garaga products made in Canada since these products are complementary to our US plants" concludes Maxime Gendreau.

Does this story appeal to you and would you like to bring your unique touch to our growth? We hope so! Garaga is going places and is looking for talented people like you.

To learn more about Garaga, read about our history.