Our Company

The Total Door story began in the 1950s, when founders Leon and Christine Yulkowski created the first American mortise lock designed specifically for levers. It was a revolutionary design that became the industry standard, and it is still widely used today. The Yulkowskis’ first company, General Lock, grew rapidly until it was purchased by Schlage in 1972.

After the sale of General Lock, the Yulkowskis used their unique approach to create an entirely new kind of door. Instead of using a collection of separate parts from dozens of different manufacturers, the Yulkowskis looked at each door opening as a unified system. They designed custom components, all engineered to work together and factory installed. This strategy led to the creation of Total Door—and the creation of an entirely new category of opening systems.

Today, Total Door markets its complete door opening system through a select, nationwide network of independent distributors. Only factory-trained installers are authorized to install and service Total Door systems. The company’s distributors are supported by its excellent service department, as well as a team of factory regional managers. Total Door’s manufacturing facility and corporate headquarters are located in Waterford, Michigan.