CLIPPINGS: SPECIAL EDITION

© 2002 Door & Access Systems
Publish Date: Fall 2002
Author: Tom Wadsworth
Pages 26-27


CLIPPINGS
SPECIAL EDITION

For this Special Edition of Clippings, we bring to center stage several recent developments that should interest everyone in our industry, both dealers and manufacturers.

As these stories illustrate, Clippings gives us insight into how the mainstream media is presenting our products. These brief synopses are sometimes entertaining, but more importantly, savvy garage door professionals will detect important trends that will help you successfully sell, design, or supplement your products today and tomorrow.

Our Clippings in this issue come from the U.S.A., the United Kingdom, Scotland, and New Zealand, and they appeared in such notable sources as USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, and the Associated Press.

More Clippings can be found in their usual location on page 50. If you haven't been reading this regular department in our magazine, you should be.

Read 'em and reap.



Garages: The Next American Fascination

Source: USA Today, 07/19/2002
Article: Cool Doors, Custom Designs: Garages are an Eye-Opener
Author: Maria Puente

This USA Today story declares that garages are "the next infatuation for American homeowners, and not a moment too soon for a country that could fairly be described as a vast wasteland of ugly garages."

With today's larger garages that usually face the street, "Bulky, boring garages make our houses look bad (and cheap)," says Puente, the reporter.

"If you look at the average suburban subdivision, all you see is an endless succession of blank, white, paneled garage doors," says architect Glenn Fong, who recently renovated his own garage in Arlington, Va., with cedar-finished carriage-house garage doors.

Citing the June issue of House & Garden magazine, Puente says, "There's no doubt that garage awareness is growing." Designer Doors of River Falls, Wis., a leader in the carriage house door market is reported to have increased sales from $600,000 in 1996 to more than $10 million in 2001.

These new doors are said to be an easy way "to make the house look $10,000 to $15,000 more expensive than it actually is."

A Florida architect, who spoke at last year's Home Builders' Show, reports that interest in garage design is growing; many people now want a spectacular garage with their spectacular house. Five years ago, he says, there just weren't many people who cared.

Some wealthy people want "garage Mahals" with high-end exteriors for their high-end cars, says Puente.

The article discusses a new art book, "Garage: Reinventing the Place We Park." Author Kira Obolensky says the garage is the final frontier of American home designers and increasingly the object of respect. (See our related story on page 28.)

Editor's Note: Not bad when USA Today (circulation 2.3 million) preaches our gospel of better-looking garages. Copies of that article could be a great sales tool. To order back issues, call USA Today at 1-800-872-0001.



Whirlpool Enters the Garage

Source: Wall Street Journal, et al., 08/12/2002
Article: Help for Hopeless Garages
Author: Not Available

In October, Whirlpool will introduce Gladiator GarageWorks, a range of appliances and devices intended to minimize clutter in garages. Whirlpool offered a sneak peak at the new products at the National Hardware Show in Chicago in August.

The products are a system of modules to unclutter and organize the garage. Whirlpool, with $10-plus billion in worldwide sales, will initially sell the line at Lowe's, although they are also "looking at new distribution partners." Once the products start selling well, plans are to introduce additional models each quarter.

Editor's Note: Looking for "new distribution partners," eh?



Garage Door: The Convenience of a New Generation

Source: Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland), 06/18/2002
Article: Doorway to Heaven
Author: Not Available

Praising the advantages of a garage door, this article comes from Scotland, a country where detached garages, one-piece doors, and manually operated doors are slowly being phased out.

Consider these statements: "Home maintenance and improvements specialists Homesmart advise that the first place to start to reclaim the use of your garage is with the doors. Homesmart's garage division manager, John Barnett, says that he despairs of seeing otherwise nice homes with rusty and vulnerable garage doors."

"For anyone willing to take their two major investments of car and property seriously, the garage ought to be given a lot of attention."

"Not only does a well-maintained garage add to the value and salability of most homes, it can bring down car insurance premiums and lessen accidental scratches or vandalism."

Editor's Note: The trend toward upscale garage doors is spreading around the world. Are you still focusing on selling low-end, low-profit doors?



America's Messiest Garage

Source: PR Newswire, 07/08/2002
Article: Who Has America's Messiest Garage?
Author: Lissa Antes


Rust-Oleum, maker of EpoxyShield Garage Floor Coating, recently held a national contest in search of "America's Messiest Garage."

Their press release cites a national survey of 1,011 adults, saying that 95 percent of Americans use their garage for storage. The study says "more than half wish their garages were in better shape," and "91 percent say they're more likely to buy a home if the garage is clean and well maintained."

The winner of the contest, which ended Aug. 31, will receive a $5,000 professional garage makeover including other products purchased from Home Depot. Twenty-five semifinalists will receive the EpoxyShield product. Rust-Oleum says a do-it-yourselfer can apply EpoxyShield for under $70.

Editor's Note: Hmm … Interesting way to draw attention to the garage. Increased focus on garage beauty increases the value of our products.



CAPTION: Garage Doors in the Spotlight: USA Today splashed this two-page feature story on garage doors and garages in their July 19, 2002, issue (p. 7D). Copyright 2002, USA TODAY. Reprinted with Permission.

CAPTION: Bigger and Better: This photo, from Garage: Reinventing The Place We Work by Kira Obolensky, illustrates the American trend toward "garage Mahals." Photo by Robert Perron. Reprinted with permission from The Taunton Press.

CAPTION: Wood is Back: A large portion of the garage doors in Taunton's Garage book are wooden, many with the old-world carriage-house look. Photo by John Fulker. Reprinted with permission from The Taunton Press.