The Right Door Every Time
Variety, product knowledge, customer service open the way for EJR Door Division
Every structure needs doors, and Eddie Reyes guides contractors and property owners through the maze of options to obtain and install the best doors for the job.
Reyes is Founder and Owner of EJR Door Division (EJR), a door supplier based in Whittier, California, serving all of the state and its neighbors.
EJR distributes door products made by some 25 manufacturers. The company offers expert guidance to customers in regards to what door products best meet the needs of the specific structure. This includes any exceptions to standard specifications or customized options requested by the customer.
The company features a wide array of hollow metal doors and frames, architectural-grade wood doors, aluminum doors and frames and finish hardware that are most commonly used for commercial interior or exterior applications. Some of the door manufacturers represented by EJR are Haley Brothers, Steelcraft, CURRIES, Ceco Door, DOORMERICA, Graham-Maiman Series wood doors and MARSHFIELD-ALGOMA. The hardware that Reyes provides includes specialized hinges, door closures, exit devices and locks from hardware manufacturers such as IVES, Yale locks, STANLEY, Schlage and PRECISION Hardware.
EJR welcomes customers to its 7,000-square-foot warehouse. “You walk in and it’s all organized and all ready to see,” Reyes says.
He believes that while much of the door business is increasingly online —and the physical viewing of doors and hardware has become mostly a thing of the past—he knows some of his customers still greatly appreciate coming to his showroom to actually see, touch and explore door products.
“Some may say we’re dinosaurs and that eventually all the processing of our business will be exclusively online,” Reyes adds, “but we’ve seen that our customers appreciate visiting the warehouse and having a person work with them to acquire the doors they need.”
EJR provides door products for a variety of structure types, but many of its products go into car dealerships and technology and medical facilities. Reyes says one car dealership needed 15 exterior and 30 interior doors. EJR was able to get the order expedited to meet the special needs of the dealership. In another case, a health care IT radiology facility contacted EJR needing specific protective doors. Reyes and his employees quickly investigated and then recommended and procured the doors most appropriate for the facility. Due to MRI scanning technology used at the facility, lead-lined doors were necessary in offices, with five doors in each room where the procedure was performed. EJR has earned repeat customer business because of its entry in this area and its knowledge of specialty products.
Open to Possibilities
Reyes credits his mother for getting him interested in the door products business, and equally important, teaching him the value of hard work. She worked at a hardware store and would occasionally recruit him for extra help in sorting and stocking the hardware. It was a way to make a little money for a 12-year-old; yet it opened the door for his future.
Years later, when he was applying for college, a job posting caught his eye instead. A company was seeking employees to work in the door business. He got hired and eventually decided to strike out on his own, creating EJR Door Division in 2006.
EJR tackles many big and small orders for doors and hardware even though it employs only five people. Reyes is quick to credit those five with great knowledge and experience to serve its customers. “Their hard work greatly attributes to our success,” he says.
The company’s size pays off for customers, Reyes says. EJR strives to treat every customer with personal service, whether they are buying one or 100 doors. The company size allows it to be flexible enough to prioritize in-person visits with customers. “We’re diligent in working with the customer from the time they place an order until after the doors are installed,” Reyes says “When people give us an order, we follow it up to get it right.”
EJR goes the extra mile by visiting the job site where its doors are to be installed. Reyes says his customers are appreciative to see EJR show up—and even offer to help install a door or hardware alongside the subcontractor.
This start-to-finish attitude makes EJR qualified to work closely in giving manufacturers helpful information about the installation and use of its products. Customers, in turn, benefit from this added value that EJR brings to the project, Reyes says.
“Some people don’t know what they’re looking for or what the possibilities are for extra hardware needed on doors, but we look at their specs and tell them how to achieve their goals.”
It’s the door hardware that has become more sophisticated and less understood by the typical contractor and constantly changing in the market, Reyes says. EJR fills the need by being a knowledgeable and resourceful link between the manufacturers and the contractors and property owners.
“We try to educate them about locks, materials, costs and so on,” he says.
That advantage, plus the commitment that EJR has for meeting construction timelines, has garnered the company praise for its customer service.
“Kaiser Permanente came to us because we cut down the time to get their doors in,” Reyes says. “In the case of Kaiser, we reduced the time of 16 weeks that another company told them to delivery in just seven weeks.”
Other customers include City of Hope National Medical Center, YogaWorks, Trader Joe’s, Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City, SIXTY Beverly Hills hotel, Hollywood Roosevelt hotel, Roosevelt Lofts, San Francisco VA Medical Center, and Chase and Wells Fargo banks.
Personalized Service Continues
Reyes has another side to him that—while his customers may not know it—further illustrates his ability to give personalized, helpful service. On both a personal level and as owner of EJR, Reyes has donated to numerous social, educational and charitable causes over the years.
His giving nature took shape when he volunteered several years and numerous hours to the coaching of youth football. As EJR took off and Reyes achieved success, he did not decrease, but rather increased his giving.
“People told me I was blessed to have a business, and I know I’m blessed to have the resources to help where I can and give back to the community,” he says.
Over the years, Reyes and EJR have made donations to local schools, youth football and cheerleading teams, and local Little League Baseball and Softball teams. They have also supported the Children’s Hospital of Orange County and are proud to support a health care organization that actively aids in children’s wellness research programs.
It’s clear that EJR opens doors of opportunity on both personal and professional levels.