(BBB)
Growing a company and building a culture
For Jon Russell, co-owning Precision Garage Door of Maine was never part of a master plan—it all started with family. “I actually got into the garage door business because my uncle snatched me off the couch one day to work at his garage door business. So, I started at a very young age,” he recalled.
That early exposure set him on a path that would eventually lead to entrepreneurship.
In 2001, Russell joined Precision Garage Door Service, a franchise garage door repair and installation company with locations throughout the United States. “At the time, Precision didn't do commercial at all, and they wanted to get into that side of the business, and hired me,” he said.
In February 2025, Russell and his business partners launched Precision Garage Door of Maine. “We picked the entire state of Maine because it's sparsely populated,” Russell said. “So, it took most of the state to get it to a population that we could open a franchise here.” Russell serves as chief operating officer and co-owner.
While the company handles both commercial and residential jobs, Russell said that most of their work is residential, providing repair services, new garage doors, and garage door openers. The company’s technicians handle everything from broken springs and worn cables to damaged panels, rollers, and openers.
When a customer is interested in installing a new garage door, a technician brings a mobile showroom to their residence, complete with working openers, color samples, and a design screen to visualize how new doors will look on their homes. “We show you the garage door opener, you can hear how loud it is or how quiet it is, and you can design a door with our door designer,” Russell said.
Russell works in the management side of the business, but he remains hands-on with customer service and personally calls anyone who leaves a disappointing review. “Anytime I get lower than four stars, I'm on the phone with a customer,” he said. “Because that means we failed you.”
He brings that same caring mindset to managing his employees. Upon starting Precision Garage Door of Portland, Russell developed a thoughtful hiring process designed to support younger workers. “You only need a few things with the younger generation,” he said. “They need to know a plan, they need a path to become proficient, and they need to know how to move up.” During interviews, candidates are asked to write down three personal goals. “If somebody can't give you three things that they're wanting to do, then there's no point in hiring them,” Russell noted. “We're a goal-driven company.”
That focus carries through to how employees are trained and compensated at Precision. For many employees, he added, “they’re not live to work, they’re work to live,” so flexibility and growth opportunities are key to retention.
Although Russell is based in Memphis, Tennessee, he spends much of his time in Maine overseeing the business. He was drawn to the state’s beauty and close-knit communities. “It’s very scenic, especially by the coast,” he said. “The people are super nice.”
Precision Garage Doors of Portland, Maine has been an Accredited Member of the Better Business Bureau since 2024. For more information about Precision Garage Doors of Portland, Maine, check out their BBB Profile. To learn more about BBB and read more stories like this, visit Behind the Business Stories with BBB in Eastern MA, ME, RI & VT.
As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service, or business.