The Strength Behind the Door
FINDOOR Industrial Inc. brings its revolutionary product to the U.S.
FINDOOR Industrial Inc. (FINDOOR) began in Finland in 1989 with a logging company run by the Jaara brothers. According to the company’s origin story on the FINDOOR website, after constructing a new shop building, the Jaaras couldn’t find the type of garage door they were looking for—so they decided to create one.
Afterward, truck drivers who visited the shop were so impressed with the door, they ended up requesting ones for themselves. Eventually, the demand for the door was so high, the family quit the logging business to manufacture doors full time.
As Ross Fredrickson, sales manager, explains, that story has been a narrative the company has seen again and again, especially now as FINDOOR expands into the United States. “There are buildings that have been sitting open without a door on them because the owners haven’t found the right door. But when I show a customer this door, they realize FINDOOR has the door they’ve been looking for,” Fredrickson says. In early 2018, FINDOOR, which has now manufactured and installed more than 37,000 doors across Europe, made its debut in Canada.
In just one year, the company has had remarkable growth and interest in its highly unique doors. Before bringing FINDOOR to North America, the team did preliminary research and determined the numbers it would like to see in the first year of business. “In just eight months we had 20 times the sales we had hoped to achieve,” Fredrickson says. “That’s the kind of interest we’ve seen.”
In fact, by spring 2019, the company will have its first factory in Canada up and running to meet the high demand for FINDOOR products in North America. In addition, the doors are now being introduced into the U.S.—specifically in Minnesota and Wisconsin. These two states were chosen because their colder climate, which is similar to Finland’s, is a great match for FINDOOR’s energy-efficient, weather-resistant products.
A Different Kind of Door
Fredrickson describes FINDOOR’s products as “revolutionary” and unlike most doors currently being offered in the U.S. What began as a simple shop door in 1989 has evolved into a door that can withstand harsh, demanding conditions with almost no maintenance. According to FINDOOR, the doors are secure, easy-to-use, functional, and their thermal efficiency and weather-tight qualities are among the best in the marketplace.
The doors are ideal for the cold climates of Finland, Canada and the northern United States as well as other locations with harsh weather. FINDOOR products can be found on car washes, barns, fire stations, airport buildings and fabrication plants.
“Our doors are great for very demanding circumstances, such as car wash locations and other high-moisture environments where standard doors rust very quickly,” Fredrickson says.
Perhaps the most unique characteristic of the folding door is its engineering and design: it folds to the side as opposed to overhead. This design allows the door to operate day after day with minimal maintenance. The construction also means the door is durable and long-lasting; a customer could expect to have a door that lasts well over 30 years. As Fredrickson explains, FINDOOR recommends that its customers add a small drop of oil to their door once or twice a year. When the team has followed up with their customers who act on this advice five, 10, 15 or even 20 years down the road, the customers say their doors still work perfectly.
Another aspect that makes FINDOOR’s folding door different is its low headroom. While many garage doors require 12 inches of headroom, this one can operate with as little as 5 inches, allowing more space for maneuvering large machinery in and out of a building. The door, while heavy-duty and durable in construction, is also designed so that it can be manually opened and closed with ease. FINDOOR also offers the option of equipping it with a wireless remote control that can open or shut up to four doors simultaneously.
Sisu: Grit and Integrity
It’s not just FINDOOR’s revolutionary doors that have brought the company success. In addition to crafting a quality product, FINDOOR is also dedicated to ensuring its customers are happy with their specific doors. The FINDOOR team starts by sitting down with customers to discuss and evaluate their exact needs. FINDOOR then not only manufactures the door precisely to the specifications of each customer, it also personally handles the installation and follow-up.
FINDOOR’s dedication to its customers can be seen in how the company consistently checks in with them to ensure their doors continue working properly and that they are still satisfied with the product—not only immediately after installation, but years and decades down the road. Fredrickson shares one hypothetical outcome, “If we were to see customers in the grocery store, we wouldn’t be ashamed to see them. They’d still be happy to have our door for their building.”
Fredrickson explains that the culture of FINDOOR can be traced to the company’s Finnish roots. “There is a word in Finnish, ‘sisu,’ that doesn’t have a direct translation into English. The closest definition is the word ‘grit’ with a mixture of integrity.”
It’s this grit and integrity that drives the FINDOOR team, especially now as the company grows, expands and introduces its products into a new market. “There is so much determination and so much integrity that we put into each job,” Fredrickson says. “The goal is not only to get the job done, but to get each job done perfectly.”
In looking to the future of FINDOOR, Fredrickson certainly sees opportunities for expansion into other areas of the U.S. Still, the focus remains on the customer. For right now, he says, “the goal is to serve each person the best we can.”
Fredrickson adds, “FINDOOR is about persevering and sticking to it. That’s the strength behind the door.”