May 2017

We’re proud of our plant, and the lean operation we built from the ground up. We successfully adopted single-piece part flow when we moved into a new building in 2010, and have continuously improved our operations to respond to customers as quickly as possible. Read the complete piece here:

http://www.thefabricator.com/article/shopmanagement/a-case-study-in-lean-manufacturing-opening-the-door-to-single-piece-flow

Last year, we made a commitment to you: To make a product that you could represent with pride; to listen to your insights and ensure communication is a two-way street; and to have your back without fail. This year, we are proud to introduce the Total Door Advisory Council. Inaugural members of the council are René Bouchard, Smoot Associates; Jeff Addis, Mayo Associates; Mark Sorrenti, Connection Network Agencies; and Gary Deter, Architectural Door Consultants. They will be contacting various sales reps across North America to get feedback on how Total Door Systems can support their efforts – anything from product improvements to new sales techniques to helpful technology. Total Door will convene the company’s first advisory council meeting in June in Detroit.

The move is part of Total Door Systems’ broader commitment to customer and sales representative satisfaction.

The Council gives sales reps insider access to the continuous improvement efforts of Total Door, and gives the company direct insights that drive that process forward.

We look forward to continuing the conversation. Please feel free to send your thoughts and insights to us at sales@totaldoor.com. We have your back.

Gary Ray sees every door as a combination of science and art. As Product Improvement, Design and Testing Engineer for Total Door, Gary works to ensure that every door system meets sets of rigorous standards as well as the exacting requirements of the architect’s vision.

Each and every Total Door system can be customized and crafted for any opening or installation, sometimes in as few as 10 days. Yet, they have to be designed to use the same standardized parts as every other door.

That’s a challenge Gary likes taking on – it’s one of the things that make his job at Total Door enjoyable, he said. More than that, he knows that he gets to work with an expert team that creates a sense of family in the office and the factory. He likes the fact that everyone is committed to building great doors that bring the customer’s vision to life – including helping him drive product improvements through every step of the manufacturing process and setup rigorous testing procedures that ensure Total Door Systems meet or exceed stringent regulatory requirements.

Gary is deeply engaged with the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association, the sole organization accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to develop and maintain performance standards for architectural hardware, to stay up to date with the industry and new trends.

Gary, an inventor in his own right with a list of patents to his name, is now working on a next-generation door that will do for high-end architectural projects what it did for the local grocery store. It’s all part of his and the company’s drive to give customers the best experience possible.