Door company answers when opportunity knocks

rlE DOORS, headquartered in ESouth El Monte, Ca., has acquired the assets of Strait Door & Plywood Corp., Chino, Ca., another company to fall victim to a depressed market.

Ironically, the president of DE Doors, Paul Wheeler, 45, began his career in 1954 stacking doors for the manufacturing firm run by Charles Strait, Sr. With Strait Door for 17 years, he worked his way up to being one of the company's highest paid salesmen. When Strait Door merged with Bellwood, they began to concentrate on selling in the MidWest and East, making Wheeler expendable.

"I thought the world had come to an end," said Wheeler, "I went around to the competitors looking for a job but I didn't feel right about them."

Encouraged by his Western customers to start his own company, Wheeler in l97l leased a small building from his old employer. With little business experience, he began Diversified Enterprises. Over the years, as the company grew from a wholesaler into a manufacturer as well, customers shortened the name to "DE" whenever they placed an order.

"Everyone is always trying to figure out whose initials they are," Wheeler says.

When Strait Door relocated to Chino in 1977 , DE Doors moved into the 14 small, tin-roofed warehouse type buildings that it had occupied. The company which employs about 100 people and produces nearly 1,000 doors a day, has sales annually between $8 and $10 million. Wheeler predicts the acquisition of the Strait Door manufacturing facility will double his company's annual sales within a year.

In explaining the troubles of Strait Door and the possible reason why the door industry is so fiercely competitive, Wheeler says, "The margin of profit is so slim in this industry, it doesn't leave you with much room for a decline."

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When Strait Door found a marked decrease in demand due to the housing slump, Charles "Chuck" Strait, Jr., 34, son of the founder, attempted to lead the firm back into wholesaling and to find a market in home centers/remodeling. Again he discovered supply exceeded demand, while established wholesalers like DE Doors held on to their "repeat" business.

Story at a Glance

DE Doors acquires Strait Door & Plywood expecls to dou. ble annual sales . . . plans to pursue volume markets.

Strait Door had been in business for 33 years before it was forced into Chapter ll bankruptcy. Wheeler saw the opportunity to acquire Strait's facilities as a way to broaden his company's line of doors and speed service by sending the products factory direct.

"If someone had to take over, DE Doors was my choice since both Paul (Wheeler) and I have the same philosophy because we had the same teacher-my father," saYs "Chuck" Strait, Jr., now executive vice president for DE Doors. Wheeler plans to keep the Strait name as a trademark and to consult with Charles Strait, Sr., now 7l and retired from the business for five years.

Back in the same office he occupied when his company worked out of South El Monte, "Chuck" Strait, Jr. has initiated an estimating department for DE Doors to bid on large volume jobs. Both he and Wheeler feel that the abilitY to manufacture 4300 doors a daY, with the acquisition of Strait's facility,

FOUNDER and pres. ol growth-oriented DE Doors, will allow DE Doors to compete in the large volume residential and commercial markets. good com-

"It opens up a whole new world for us," states Wheeler.

Hector Gamboa employed by Strait Door for 29 years worked side by side with Wheeler at a framing table when they first started. Now he is employed by DE Doors as a production scheduler. "Paul had been trying to get me to come to work for him for years but I didn't feel right about leaving Strait. He kept telling Chuck he was going to get me." Gamboa says he was hurt when Strait Door went under but he is optimistic about working for his new employer.

Wheeler says his function as president is "keeping people happy." He deals with his employees the way he advises his salesmen to deal with their customers, "Treat them the way you want to be treated."

From the beginning of his company, it s been Wheeler's credo not to try to be number one or two, or to be concerned with the competition, but to do the best job possible.

He says, "Give customers quality and service with a petitive price."

After nearly thirty years in the business, Wheeler feels the merchandising of doors hasn't changed much. "It's hard to glamor up a door. We rely on repeat business and making it a pleasure for customers to do business with us."

DE Doors has 17 millwork items including windows, mouldings, and jambs. They feel the key to their continued success will be a diversified product line and pursuing all levels of the market. Wheeler feels the demand for doors will swing open when the market improves sometime next spring.

"We're building on today-not tomorrow's economy. That way when it does rebound, we'll be better off," says Wheeler.

In the next few years, if all goes well, Wheeler plans to tear down his unsightly collection of little warehouses and erect a new large building that will be more efficient.