In Episode 10 of Lifted: The Garage Door Podcast, I sat down with Michael Barrett, owner of Access Garage Door Sales & Service in Greenville, South Carolina, to talk about what it really looks like to step into ownership of an established garage door company and start building the next phase of growth.
Michael’s background in the industry is a little different than most owners. Before buying Access Garage Door Sales & Service, he spent nearly a decade working inside a rapidly expanding garage door company that grew across multiple markets through acquisitions. That experience gave him a front-row seat to how garage door companies scale, how deals come together, and what buyers are actually looking for when evaluating a business.
We get into the process of finding and purchasing a company, what due diligence looks like from the buyer’s side, and the realities that show up once the paperwork is signed. Michael talks openly about stepping into an existing team, building trust with technicians who have been there for years, and making sure the culture stays strong while the business continues to grow.
One of the more interesting parts of the conversation revolves around something many owners overlook: the long-term value of a clean customer database. The company Michael purchased had more than 17,000 past customers recorded in their system, which created a huge opportunity to reconnect with homeowners and generate repeat work without relying solely on new leads.
We also spend time talking about marketing and visibility in a competitive market like Greenville. Michael shares some of the ideas he’s working on right now, including newsletters, simple outbound customer outreach, and local branding strategies that keep the company connected to the community.
Another topic that came up was something many garage door owners have been dealing with lately: questionable Google Maps listings and lead-generation companies that appear in local search results. Michael has been actively looking into several of these listings in his market and shares what he’s found and how it affects legitimate local companies trying to compete online.
Overall, this conversation is a practical look at the ownership side of the garage door industry—buying companies, building trust with your team, maintaining a strong reputation, and finding smart ways to grow without losing what made the business successful in the first place.
If you run a garage door company and want to improve how customers find you online, I work directly with owners across the country on SEO strategies built specifically for this industry. You can learn more at GarageDoorSEOExperts.com.