Ten Years Ago: Holmes Introduces the “Carriage House” Door

© 2006 Door & Access Systems Publish Date: Winter 2006 Author: Tom Wadsworth Page 74

Ten Years Ago

Holmes Introduces the “Carriage House” Door

In early 1996, Holmes Garage Door of Auburn, Wash., a division of Holmes-Hally Industries of Los Angeles, Calif., introduced the “Carriage House” garage door. They described the door as “a sectional upward acting door that simulates historic swing-type doors used in the early automobile shelters.” The doors were made by placing hand-crafted wood overlays on flush wood sections.

Update: In 1997, Holmes-Hally was purchased by Clopay. Today, the Holmes Garage Door line still includes the “Carriage House” wood door.

Industry Pioneer “Bud” Truman Dies

On Feb. 7, 1996, Robert “Bud” Truman died at age 73, after 50 notable years in the garage door business.

In 1947, his door career began in Long Beach, Calif., when Truman joined Stevens-Thuet as plant manager of a new aluminum garage door company. At Stevens-Thuet, Truman designed and built one-piece counterweight doors until 1960.

He then teamed up with Phil Reveats to form Liteline, a one-piece aluminum garage door manufacturer in Torrance, Calif. Here, he designed a new aluminum I-Beam configuration that was stronger and lighter.

In 1964, Liteline dissolved, and Truman joined Baker Aldor Jones of Hialeah, Fla., serving as general manager for its Cerritos, Calif., plant. In that same year, however, Clopay Corporation of Cincinnati purchased Baker Aldor Jones, marking Clopay's entry into the garage door business. Clopay then tabbed Truman to become sales manager.

After nearly 20 years with Clopay, Truman resigned in 1982 to open a distribution center for Lodi Door, a garage door manufacturer in Lodi, Calif. Lodi Door was later purchased by Overhead Door. In 1989, Truman retired from Lodi Door and then worked with his son, Mike, at Truman Door Systems, a door dealer in Orange County, Calif.

Bud Truman also served on the board of directors of both the Far Western Garage Door Association and the California Operator and Door Association.