Family Heritage
FIVE GENERATIONS IN THE GARAGE DOOR BUSINESS
A Brief History of the Marsted Family’s Involvement In the Garage Door Industry
George C. Marsted was born in Flekkefjord, Norway in 1883 and came to the United States in 1901. For a number of years Mr. Marsted worked as a general contractor in Verona, New Jersey. Mr. Marsted established the Overhead Door Company of New York in 1924 after becoming associated with C. G. Johnson, founder of the Overhead Door Corporation. The Overhead Door Company of New York manufactured and distributed sectional doors under license from the Overhead Door Corporation. The manufacturing plant was originally located in Canastota, New York and moved to Cortland, New York in 1928. George was joined by his sons Paul C. Marsted and G. Allan Marsted.
In 1931, Paul Marsted was asked by his father to go to New Haven Connecticut to cut ties with a distributor there. Paul decided it was best to remain in Connecticut to build a strong distribution base for future business when the depression ended. Paul founded the Overhead Door Company of Orange, CT and was responsible for getting other Overhead Door distributorships up and running. He was an industry icon who mentored many successful garage door dealers until his death in 1989.
In 1952 G. Allan Marsted entered into an agreement with Mr. George Ray to purchase the “stock in trade” of his distributorship. At that time the “Overhead Door Sales Company” became the Cortland County distributor of the Overhead Door Company of New York. As sales grew, Allan began doing business as the “Overhead Door Sales Company” and in 1953 he expanded his territory into Tompkins County.
Having remained active in overseeing the operation of the factory Allan was chosen to manage the operation following his father’s death in 1956. For the next 15 years he divided his time between the manufacturing plant and his distributorship. In 1964 Allan guided the Overhead Door Company of New York through an acquisition by the Overhead Door Corporation. At this time, the Marsted family had distributed Overhead Door™ brand doors across New York and New England for forty years. Numerous Overhead Door distributorships in the Northeast were “set up” or “sponsored” by the Marsted Family. Upon the Overhead Door Corporation’s acquisition of the manufacturing plant, Allan was elected to the corporation’s Board of Director’s and also served them as a Vice President well past his retirement from the factory in 1969.
Leaving the factory in capable hands, Allan devoted his full attention to his distributorship. His son Garry had joined the organization in 1966 as Vice President and Treasurer ensuring the company’s future as a third generation family business. Allan began acquiring a number of other distributorships in New York, including Syracuse (1969) and Binghamton (1972) which remain valuable divisions of the Overhead Door Company of Cortland, Inc. What started in 1952 as a four-employee operation in Cortland County has grown into an organization with three offices and over thirty employees serving all of Central New York.
Following Allan’s retirement in 1990, ownership of the company was passed to his son Garry. Garry was joined by his son Greg in 1988, and daughter Victoria in 1993. As we approach the 100 year anniversary of our family’s start in the overhead garage door business, we are quite proud to have the fifth generation already in training with the addition of Kacie McLyman in 2014, John Henry Clark in 2016, and Geoffrey Marsted in 2018.
Original Location of the Overhead Door Company of New York – 1924
The building in Canastota, NY was rented by George Marsted for manufacturing sectional garage doors under license from the Overhead Door Corp. The building was an old onion warehouse with one desk in the office on right. George Marsted and his Hudson car in front.
Our First Truck – August 1925
Overhead Door Company of New York’s first truck. Rebuilt from an old 1915 Ford touring car out of a farm lot in Cazenovia, NY. Paul Marsted used the truck as an installation truck as well as for social transportation after work.
Factory to Move to Cortland, NY – 1927/1928
In 1927, George Marsted decided to move the manufacturing plant to Cortland, NY. In the winter of 1927-1928 the entire workings of the operation were moved by freight cars. George Marsted would ship the equipment and materials out of Canastota and Paul Marsted would receive them in Cortland.
Inside the Cortland, NY Factory – 1928
Shown here is the inside of the Overhead Door Company of New York manufacturing plant on Huntington Street in Cortland, NY in the Summer of 1928. G. Allan Marsted is leaning on some sections. Over his left shoulder is George Marsted. Over George’s left shoulder is Paul Marsted.
Overhead Door Company of New York, Huntington Street, Cortland, NY- 1928
George Marsted had said that Cortland’s central location and railroad facilities met his requirements most satisfactorily. The plant had railcar service directly out of the back door of the building. William Laurian was the superintendent of the plant.
Old Home Week Parade – August 1928
Old home week parade on Church Street, Cortland, NY. The invention of the upward acting sectional garage door was only seven years old at this point and many people had never seen how the door works. Working doors were displayed whenever possible and were often mounted on the back of automobiles. For an occasion such as a parade, the Marsteds displayed a working garage door on a parade float. The parade float built by G. Allan Marsted and Paul C. Marsted.
World War II – 1943
During World War II, many factories shifted gears to manufacture goods to support the fight. The Overhead Door Company of New York built doors for ship lockers. Here you can see doors being built from spruce frames and hardboard panels. G. Allan Marsted is standing at the desk.
New Manufacturing Plant – 1948
As the garage door business grew, more space was needed. In 1948 the Overhead Door Company of New York moved to a newly constructed manufacturing plant on Tompkins Street in Cortland, NY.
Inside the Overhead Door Company of New York Manufacturing Plant – July 1948
Tompkins Street, Cortland, NY.
Aerial View – 1958
An aerial view of the Overhead Door Company of New York on Tompkins Street, Cortland, NY (1958). The building is now part of the State University of New York College at Cortland.
Overhead Door Co. of New York acquired by the Overhead Door Corporation – 1964
G. Allan Marsted, executive vice president of Overhead Door Co. of New York, Inc. of Cortland, and Paul W. McKee, president of Overhead Door Corporation of Hartford City, Inc., announced today that all business and substantially all of the assets of the Cortland company, including its name, have been acquired by the Indianan company.
New Plant on Route 281 Begins Production- 1968
The manufacturing plant on Tompkins Street was acquired by the State University of New York College at Cortland. The new facility on Route 281 has about 40% more floor space than the former factory.
Route 281 Plant Personnel
This photo shows some of the personnel at the new plant on Route 281, Cortland, NY. Shown in the photo is: Duane Abbott, Dana Morgan, David Siedenburg, Christine Canestaro, Ralph Marks, Donald Abbott, Jr., Nina Field, Christine Darling, Oscar Taylor, Phyllis Field, Harriet Betts, Marilyn Lansing, Ruth Contento, Donna Gree, and Leslie “Les” Court.
New Building for Cortland Overhead Door Sales, Inc. – 1968
A new building was built for Cortland Overhead Door Sales, Inc. No manufacturing would take place in this building. This company was for the sales, service, and installation of the doors being manufactured by the Overhead Door Corp. In 1969 the company name changed to Overhead Door Company of Cortland, Inc. The company still operates out of this building today.
