Best of Flagstaff 2024, AZ Daily Sun
Written by Gail G. Collins
We count on emergency services. If our home is threatened, we need the fire station to respond immediately. If someone we love is involved in a car accident, we need a paramedic. If swift transport is required, sometimes, only a helicopter can make the vital transfer. But who do emergency services rely on when their access is shut down by weather, power outages or equipment failures?
Loren Vickers Overhead Door answers the call and has been providing commercial and residential services since 1976. “A lot of fire stations and Guardian Air depend on us to respond immediately for problems with doors or hangars because others are depending on them,” said owner Carter Vickers. “We pride ourselves on being there within an hour. We get consistent feedback on our ability to serve them and make adjustments to serve them faster in emergency response situations.”
If your home’s garage door is broken or needs replacing, you need help in a hurry, too. Overhead Door has it covered with in-stock options to keep your home secure and weather tight. A couple of years ago, a customer on Old Munds Highway needed a door right away, which required the Vickers team to plow two to three feet of snow to enable installation. “We do anything to get the job done,” he assured. “We work on anything from golf cart shed doors to locomotive yard doors. There is nothing too big or too small.”
Read more: A family legacy wins best garage door company for Loren Vickers Overhead DoorOverhead Door covers all of Arizona with a focus in the northern region, where the business is located. In fact, they have the only true showroom in Flagstaff, affording better services on site quickly for clients. They also retain the only master certified technician in Arizona with training in all facets of commercial applications, and their reach extends even to remote areas. Kudos to Loren Vickers Overhead Door for winning top honors for Best Garage Door Company.
Carter Vickers is the youngest of six siblings, and as is typical in family-owned businesses, everyone has worked for father Loren and received a wealth of training. After earning a structural engineering degree and some professional experience, Carter returned to the business in 2018 when his father became seriously ill. “It was a hard time, filling his shoes,” he shared. “Dad had always been present for us as kids and is widely known in the industry. He created a good balance, and I was really lucky. He built up a good foundation, and I want to carry on his legacy.” Carter has a family and the same goals to provide for them.
There are challenges to achieving that balance. “Working for yourself, you don’t make your own hours; your customers make them for you,” he said. Carter has expanded the business and enjoys projects, utilizing his engineering firm, Sirius Structures, with seven licensed professional engineers. “You see the team’s successes and growing the name.”
Overhead Door services include: residential sales, fabrication and installation of garage doors, opener set-up, repair and maintenance as well as commercial door and gate systems and service.
The company sets itself apart with its ready, on-site service and competent staff logging 20+ years. Their good retention is owed to training and competitive benefits. “It’s not a job, it’s a career, where techs can grow as a journeyman and apprentice with benefits and retirement plans.”
Carter feels their long term presence positions them better against the competition. And weather? “We’re used to it. Phoenix companies claim they’re local, but they go home when a foot of snow falls.”
Overhead Door makes a big push to donate significantly and support the Cancer Society. When Loren was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma, he benefitted as the third person in the country to receive special immunotherapy that saved his life. The family believes that giving comes back to you.
“A big thank you for allowing us to be in your community for 49 years,” said Carter. “Flagstaff is the best place to have a business if your name is Vickers.” BestofFLG24