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The Fimbel Family

Your concept. Your specs. Our mission.

With almost 100 years of manufacturing and engineering excellence, our four-generation family business has been arecognized leader and innovator in the garage door industry. Our family is the world’s oldest manufacturer of sectionalgarage doors that is still owned and operated by the founding family. Today our three-section garage door logo representsthe previous generations, and the colors, font, and the letter “F” pull from the classic Fimbel Architectural Doors logos.

Since our humble beginnings in Hillside, NJ, when we started producing doors for The Overhead Door Company, to our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities today, Fimbel Architectural Door has earned a reputation for quality and design excellence. Whether your needs are residential or commercial, carriage style or modern design, historic restoration or new application, we can create the perfect garage door experience for you.

We will design and build your door using low-maintenance, energy-efficient materials, manufactured in a sustainable way. We graciously recognize that safety and quality begin with each one of our team members and choose to work with partners that share our values and ambitions for quality, safety, and customer satisfaction. Our “family” extends to our team, partners, community and customers; we arewho we are today because of them.

We look forward to our family working with your family to create something truly special.

Milestones In Fimbel History

1924

Edward Fimbel Sr., the owner of a millwork company in Irvington, N.J., signs an agreement with Overhead Door Corporation to manufacture, distribute, and install sectional garage doors in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and southern New York. The company is incorporated as Overhead Door Co., Inc. and soon moves to Hillside, N.J. — starting operations out of a new 6,000-sq.-ft. factory.

1938

Edward’s son Paul becomes a licensed professional engineer in New Jersey and New Hampshire and joins the company as a plant superintendent while the company triples the size of its Hillside factory.

1946

Edward Fimbel Jr., also a mechanical engineer, begins working in the factory after serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

1951

The company opens a second factory in Nashua, N.H., and Paul takes over manufacturing and distribution of wood garage doors in New England.

1967

Overhead Door Co., Inc. and Overhead Door Corporation terminate their agreement, and the company is renamed Fimbel Door Corporation (FDC). It then forms a joint venture with Baker-Aldor-Jones of Hialeah, Fla., and commences production of aluminum, steel, and fiberglass doors in part of Fimbel’s new 142,000-sq.-ft. factory in Whitehouse, N.J.

1970-1974

Fimbel purchases Better Bilt Door Co. of Egg Harbor City, N.J. Fimbel acquires the assets of the manufacturer of Powerlift residential operators, begins using a 1/2-HP motor, and begins production in Whitehouse. Edward Fimbel III joins FDC as sales manager. Fimbel and Baker-Aldor-Jones part ways, and Fimbel expands production to aluminum, steel, and fiberglass doors.

1975

The Hillside factory is acquired by the state of New Jersey for the construction of I-78. Company operations are moved to Whitehouse.

1980

Fimbel introduces the Iso-Dor line of laminated insulated doors and makes large 4”-thick insulated 16-gauge steel doors with 2-HP Powerlift operators for GM’s Saturn plant in Tennessee and hundreds of 15-gauge typhoon-proof doors for the U.S. Navy in Guam. Exports spread to Europe, the Middle East, and elsewhere. Michael and Carl, Paul’s sons, join their father at the Nashua plant.

1984

Edward Fimbel Sr. dies at the age of 94, and Edward Jr. becomes president of the FDC.

1990

The Powerlift Division builds a new 62,000-sq.-ft. factory in McAdoo, Pa.

1991

Fimbel acquires and sets up an automated roll-forming line to manufacture foamed-in-place residential and commercial insulated steel doors.

1992

Fimbel ceases manufacturing Powerlift residential operators due to government-mandated changes to UL 325.

1993

Michael and Carl Fimbel start Fimbel Paunet Corporation (a garage door sales and installation company) in Nashua and soon move operations to Merrimack, N.H.

2003

Amarr acquires most of Fimbel’s steel door production assets and continues producing in Whitehouse and McAdoo. FDC retains the wood, aluminum, and fiberglass operations.

2004

Edward Fimbel III launches Fimbel Architectural Door Specialties (FADS) to make custom doors, including carriage-style doors and a unique commercial line, in Whitehouse.

2005

Amarr moves production out of the McAdoo factory. Fimbel and FADS move back into the building and prepare to produce steel, aluminum, and wood doors.

2007

Amarr ceases production in New Jersey and moves its production equipment to Kansas, retaining 25% of the Whitehouse factory as a distribution center.

2012-2014

Fimbel ADS is granted four patents focusing on superior overlay construction and utilizing computer-controlled machinery to carve a design into a solid sheet, which offers the look of multi-piece construction without structural drawbacks or design limitations.

2013

Michael retires. Carl and his two sons Jon and Andrew assume ownership of Fimbel Paunet Corporation in Merrimack.

2014

Erin, Edward Fimbel III’s daughter, becomes president of Fimbel ADS, which begins the fourth generation of Fimbel leadership.

2015

Paul dies at the age of 101 after 75 years in the door industry.

2018

A Fimbel custom Presidential door with prism glass is featured on the Tribeca firehouse shown in the Ghostbusters films. Fimbel has been the sole provider for the Fire Department of the City of New York for nearly 75 years.

2019

The “Fimbel One Tree Planted” partnership is formed. For every purchase of a Fimbel door, a tree is planted somewhere in the world to offset their carbon footprint and contribute to reforestation efforts. Erin promotes Bill Rasely to vice president and launches the continuous improvement initiative “Operational Excellence.”

2020

A logo redesign blends four generations of tradition, innovation, and the highest quality products and service in the industry. The company introduces Fimbel trucks and shifts all shipping and logistics internally to ensure on-time delivery and provide a white-glove customer experience. Increased focus on customer service extends with enhancements to the showroom, doors, and company literature.

2024 - Beyond

Fimbel ADS celebrates its 100th anniversary. The Fimbels have manufactured garage doors for more than nine decades, which makes Fimbel ADS the world’s oldest manufacturer of sectional garage doors still owned and operated by a founding family. Bill Rasely is promoted to President. Erin Fimbel becomes CEO and announces a new century of sustainable innovation. They will continue to sell doors coast to coast and community to community with a commitment to quality and customer service

The Last Garage Door You’ll Ever Need Starts with the Right Dealer.

Locate an authorized Fimbel dealer to experience enduring performance, timeless design, and personalized support.