Build Interior Design Awards 2017

Build 2017 Interior Design Awards 34 pstate Door Inc. is a custom hardwood door manufacturer, who pride themselves on their ability to work with any request pertaining to high-end wood doors. Rob explains that he did not begin his career in this industry; he attended college to study Accounting. However, even in this field his focus was on the construction and manufacturing industries. He began Upstate Door in 2001 when he realized that doors were his passion, and he has not looked back. “Upstate Door began in a small building over 15 years ago. We moved to our current site in Warsaw, NY in 2003 where we began to enjoy increased success. We eventually needed more space for production. In 2011, we purchased a second site in Castile, NY, which has allowed us to expand the business even further. Since our inception, one of our main focuses has been on manageable growth; our sales have only dipped in 2009, which was a difficult time for the industry on the whole.” Rob explains that the company completes all processes relating to the production of their custom doors from beginning to end, which allows them to fully understand and implement their clients’ vision. “Our focus on our geographic area also helps us to better service our clients. We are predominantly a North Eastern American company, and our focus is on working within a 12-hour radius of our sites. This allows for us to have employee representation within the field which enhances the experience of our customers. We deliver our own products with our own trucks and drivers so that we ensure their safe delivery, which we would not be able to do if we offered our services further afield. “Our approach to our work is to qualify and truly understand the needs of our customers. As we are dealing with luxury homes, we do not consider price as a deciding factor in our designs, instead focusing on the best architectural solution available. We produce detailed drawings to ensure that our customers truly understand what we are suggesting as a solution, and we walk them through every stage of the process.” Rob believes that Upstate Door is perfectly sized to be able to deal with the wide variety of projects they receive; they are big enough to be able to undertake large jobs, and small enough to keep their focus on their specific product offerings. “We have the ability to take the complicated and make it simple for our clients. We have made sure that we are experts in a tight area, which means that we do daily what other companies may only do every once in a while; we are the ideal choice for our clients as we are well versed in providing fine door solutions. “One of our key differentiators is that we accommodate people who call up with questions, and make sure that they are able to speak to a person who will be able to deal with them in specific terms about their order. We pride ourselves on our communication with customers and our turnaround time. We aim to deliver within a 4-6 week lead time.” The overall mission of Upstate Door Inc. revolves around their values of creating distinctive solutions, remaining enthusiastic, learning and growing in the business consistently and encouraging collaboration. Rob believes that by adhering to these values, his company will remain successful in the market, and he focuses strongly on these when interviewing those who wish to work at the company. “We always make sure that we conduct a minimum of two interviews with those who wish to work at Upstate Door, in order to be able to ensure that they will align with the values of the company. As far as we are concerned, values will trump ability and past history as we understand that if people do not follow your values, they will create challenges within the company, which we want to avoid. “Looking to the future, one of our main goals is to be featured in Window and Door Magazine’s Top 100 Manufacturers, as we believe that this will be a great advertisement of the quality that we are able to produce. We also plan to keep growing at a manageable pace while making sure that we adhere to our values and keep enjoying the business, and building on the foundation that we have laid. “Ideally we would like to develop 50-75 key partners going forward, to help us achieve these aims. We would like to ensure those around us to realize that we offer the right solution for their custom door needs. I recognize that my company is on a journey, hopefully, this will involve continuing the development of our second manufacturing site where we will continue to grow. I am still a young owner, and I know that our future holds the opportunity for a large amount of growth and development. I am very excited by how promising this looks; I cannot wait to continue this journey with Upstate Door.” Best for Bespoke Door Solutions - New York Founded in 2001, Upstate Door specializes in creating fine door solutions for the most discerning buyer. By mixing an industry-leading product with personalized service, Upstate Door is able to take the vision of any client and make it a reality; Rob Fontaine, President and Owner, told us more. U Company: Upstate Door Inc Name: Rob Fontaine Email: [email protected] Web Address: www.upstatedoor.com Address: 26 Industrial Street, Warsaw, NY 14569 Telephone: (800) 570-8283