ASHLAND — Bob Habeger said he has always liked Ashland.
The president of Wayne Door said Ashland reminds him of where he grew up.
It’s a solid community with good people and strong infrastructure, he said. Not to mention, in Habeger’s eyes, it’s business friendly, which is an asset as his business just expanded to include a location in town.
Wayne Door’s new building at 1949 Claremont Ave. celebrated its grand opening Monday afternoon with a ribbon cutting. The company was founded in 1973 and Habeger came aboard in 2007, taking over in 2017.
Habeger said it used to be known as Wayne Garage Door Sale & Services, but changed the name a couple years back in an effort not to pigeonhole itself. That’s important, he said, because the Dover-based business focuses on more than just garage doors.
It works on operators, access control, security cameras — the list goes on, according to Habeger.
Wayne Door’s website bills the business as “Northeast Ohio’s most complete one-stop shop for residential and commercial garage doors, entry doors, windows and more.”
The company serves Dover, Canton, Wooster and surrounding areas, according to its website.
Local focus
The ribbon cutting for its new Ashland location was hosted by the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce. The event included remarks from Habeger, along with state Rep. Melanie Miller and Chamber of Commerce president Amy Daubenspeck.
Miller presented Wayne Door with a proclamation from the House of Representatives. She said lawmakers see economic development and workforce development as the state’s backbone, and view celebrating local businesses as important.
As for Habeger, he said he looks forward to expanding Wayne Door’s residential market into Ashland. Expanding that market, though, requires local focus.
Habeger said Ashland’s Wayne Door location has Ashland residents running the show and plans to hire from the area in the future.
“We don’t just want to be in the community,” Habeger said. “We want to be part of it.”