In this episode of Lifted: The Garage Door Podcast, I sat down with Thomas Holly of Hollywood Garage Doors, a long-time garage door professional serving the Chattanooga, Tennessee and North Georgia area.
Thomas has spent more than 35 years in the garage door industry, and his story is a great example of how many successful companies in this trade actually start. Not with a big investment or fancy marketing plan, but with experience, reputation, and a willingness to work.
Like a lot of people in the trades, Thomas didn’t jump straight into owning a business. He started working for a commercial door company as a welder and fabricator, learning the technical side of the industry first. Over time he began doing residential garage door work on the side while still working a full-time job.
What began as a simple Craigslist side hustle slowly grew into a steady stream of calls.
As more customers found him and referrals started stacking up, the demand became impossible to ignore. Eventually the garage door work was bringing in more income than his regular job. In 2016 he made the decision to go all in and turn Hollywood Garage Doors into a full-time business.
One of the most interesting parts of Thomas’s story is how intentionally he kept his company lean while growing. Instead of taking on large amounts of debt or trying to look bigger than he was, he focused on building a solid reputation and expanding gradually.
His first service truck was a beat-up Dodge Dakota and a used ladder, and the business initially operated out of his home garage. Over time, as the workload increased, the company expanded naturally with additional technicians, installation crews, and a warehouse space.
That approach allowed the business to grow without putting unnecessary financial pressure on the company.
During the conversation we also talked about something that often gets overlooked in today’s marketing conversations: real-world networking and community involvement.
Thomas explained that a large portion of his company’s work still comes from referrals, relationships, and local visibility rather than expensive advertising campaigns. He stays active in the community through sponsorships, local events, parades, and networking groups like BNI.
As he put it during the interview:
“Every Wednesday I sit down with 32 sales reps for an hour.”
Those weekly meetings have turned into real jobs. In fact, Thomas mentioned that one recent BNI referral resulted in a $16,000 project.
We also discussed the ongoing debate many contractors have about digital marketing. While Thomas has experimented with things like Google Ads and other marketing efforts, his experience has been mixed. In his market, word of mouth and strong local reputation still outperform many paid marketing channels.
That doesn’t mean he ignores technology, though.
One of the more recent improvements to his business has been implementing a CRM system called Jobber, which has helped streamline scheduling, quoting, job tracking, and customer follow-ups. It also automatically requests reviews from customers after jobs are completed, which has helped steadily grow the company’s online presence.
Another topic we covered was how much garage door technology itself has changed over the decades.
Thomas started working in the era of basic mechanical operators and simple systems. Today’s equipment includes smartphone connectivity, cameras, app controls, and much more advanced electronics. For long-time technicians like Thomas, the evolution of the products themselves has been one of the biggest shifts in the industry.
We also talked about some of the realities of running a service business.
Garage door companies don’t always work a normal schedule. When a spring breaks or a customer is locked in or out of their garage, the call often comes early in the morning or late at night. Thomas shared a story about getting a call at 6:15 in the morning on a Saturday, heading out in the rain to help a family whose daughter needed to get to an important exam.
Those moments are part of the job.
And that leads to one of the biggest takeaways from this episode: running a garage door business isn’t easy.
As Thomas put it:
“If you want to own your own business, get ready to decide which 80 hours of the week you’re going to work.”
But for those who are willing to put in the time, build relationships, and deliver real service to their customers, it can also be incredibly rewarding.
Thomas’s story is a reminder that some of the most successful companies in this industry weren’t built overnight. They were built job by job, customer by customer, and reputation by reputation.
If you run a garage door company, are thinking about starting one, or just enjoy hearing how real businesses grow in this trade, this episode is packed with practical insight.
Connect with Hollywood Garage Doors
Serving Chattanooga, Tennessee and North Georgia
Website: https://hollywoodgaragedoors.com
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