By Rita L. Sherwood
What’s an Air Force veteran to do after working in the aerospace defense industry in Boston when he wants to move to our beautiful beaches? Well, why not open a shutters and garage door company?
That’s exactly what Wayne Bernheisel and his wife Jennifer did back in 2011, and the rest is history.
With his background in construction and in owning his own business, Wayne saw the potential of growing the garage door side of the business, and loved the idea. That combination 10 years later has led to employing 23 people.
Wayne says his mission is “to help people live life beautifully secure.” He says that most people’s assets are their homes or businesses, and at Overhead Door, they strive to protect those assets, make them secure and also add curb appeal.
Their products range from hurricane shutters and garage doors for the home to commercial grade sheet doors for storage units and large rolling steel doors for the commercial customer. They are the local distributor for Overhead Door Corporation, the oldest manufacturer of doors in the country, as they’ve been in business for 100 years. They are also growing by adding gates and access control products to install, meaning they can be opened by a remote control or a code.
And what’s a typical day for their staff? They do it all from getting the install guys out the door every morning, making sure they’re loaded up for installs, problem solving if something goes wrong, posting jobs, hiring people, quoting jobs, running sales calls, and, of course, filling in when someone is away. Wayne’s role is president of the company and that includes sales, scheduling and community outreach.
He says their company truly is a team effort with his wife Jennifer, as they both are involved in the day-to-day operations of the business. Some of her responsibilities include HR, permitting, purchasing, marketing and advertising. She also volunteers at the Church on Bayshore in Niceville, has served on the personnel committee and has helped out with the building project.
Wayne is committed to community involvement as well and, since 2011, has served in the Destin Rotary Club, and was Sergeant at Arms last year. He also served as the chairman of the TecMEN group for a year and vice-chair prior to that, which is part of the Okaloosa Economic Development Council. Wayne volunteers at the Church on Bayshore having served as a Life Group leader in the past and serving on the Stewardship Committee. Wayne says he strives to maintain good relationships with his clients, as reputation is everything. He’s also a member of the Walton County, Bay county, Niceville and Destin Chambers of Commerce.
Wayne and Jennifer are thrilled that their first granddaughter, Josie, 20 months, has made the move to Miramar Beach with their oldest daughter and son-in-law. They also have another daughter and son in law who live in Navarre. When not working, they like to spend time with family boating, or cruising for vacation.
Check out all the products and services they offer at destinoverheaddoor.com or call 850-269-3246.
