TROY — Now celebrating its 60th year in business, Clopay Corporation is the largest manufacturer and marketer of residential and commercial garage doors and rolling steel doors in North America.

Clopay entered the garage door business in 1964 with the purchase of Baker-Aldor-Jones of Hialeah, Florida, and the purchase in 1969 of Francis Products in Russia, Ohio.

Today, Clopay’s products are sold under the Clopay, Cornell, Cookson, Ideal Door and Holmes brands through a network of over 3,000 independent door dealers and retail home center chains.

A Year of Growth and Recognition

Clopay had a strong year in 2023 and continued to make significant investments in new product development and manufacturing, as well as the local community.

“Last year, we expanded our residential garage door design portfolio with five new models. These earned Clopay a ‘Best of Design’ award by online home improvement platform Houzz, and the doors got national visibility on the HGTV series ‘Rock the Block’ and ‘Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge,’ as well as on The Southern Living Magazine Idea House,” said Clopay President Vic Weldon.

A new commercial product designed for emergency response use in the education, hospitality, and hospital industries won the Gold award in the Fire and Life Safety category from Security Today’s New Product of the Year Awards.

In October, Clopay announced a $30 million investment in infrastructure and equipment at its Troy plant. The project will bring over 54 new jobs and advanced manufacturing equipment while adding 100,000 square feet to the site’s existing 1.23 million square foot building. Construction is scheduled to be completed by mid-year 2024.

Giving Back to Our Community

“At Clopay, every employee has a vested interest not only in the success of our business but also the success of the community. We promote this value by hosting employee events during the year to support local families through charities including Toys for Tots, the Dragonfly Foundation, and the Salvation Army,” Weldon said.

One of the more visible projects Clopay sponsors is Habitat for Humanity of Miami and Shelby Counties. Since 2020, Clopay has provided over $250,000 in funding and donated doors to two separate builds for first-time homeowners in Sidney, Ohio.

“Habitat is a natural fit for Clopay to give back not only financially, but by donating our products as well. Our local communities have backed us for years by providing amazing employees and overall support. Since the doors came directly from our Ohio manufacturing facilities in Russia and Troy, it gives our associates an opportunity to showcase their work and give back to their neighbors in a unique way,” added Weldon.

Finding the Career of a Lifetime

At a time when manufacturers are struggling to attract and keep quality employees, Allie Cordonnier’s 58 years working for Clopay stand out as an inspiration. Allie started at Clopay on May 24, 1965, the day after he graduated from high school and was employee number 12. He began as a track assembler and worked his way up through positions including shipping, delivering doors, as a foreman, and material handler.

On Sept. 5, 2023 Allie worked his last shift and officially retired from the job of his lifetime, celebrating with a send-off luncheon from co-workers and executives, as well as an in-person proclamation declaring “Allie Cordonnier Day” from Troy Mayor Robin Oda.

“Allie’s seen a lot of changes. He is a pillar of reliability and has vast knowledge of the garage door manufacturing industry,” said Brian Homan, Clopay’s director of manufacturing. “He is an all-around dedicated employee and great ambassador for our company. He is a man of his word and a testament of our employees’ dedication to our company.”

“Our associates are the essential ingredient to our success as an organization and we are proud to recognize them for their hard work and dedication throughout their career,” Weldon said. Clopay hosts a recognition dinner to induct associates with 20 years of service into its Pioneer Club. There are currently 460 members, 25 of whom joined in 2023. The number of names on the ‘Pioneer wall’ is a testament to the long-term career paths available at Clopay.

Clopay’s commitment to innovation extends beyond the production line. It includes training, promotion from within the company, tuition reimbursement, and as of 2023, on-site health and wellness. Clopay recently partnered with Wilson Health to open the Clopay Cares Clinic at the Troy campus to give associates convenient access to urgent and routine medical care during the workday. “It is a new era in manufacturing and Clopay is helping to lead the way,” said Weldon.

As Clopay continues to grow, the company is actively seeking great people to hire for open positions in the organization. Interested candidates can view current job openings and apply directly at clopaydoor.com.