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Precision Garage Door is the Top Small Tampa Bay Workplace of 2021

Precision Garage Door of Tampa Bay ranked No. 1 in the small business category this year.
 
Precision Garage Door of Tampa Bay ranked No. 1 among small business for Top Workplaces. Pictured is Bryson Bohr (left) and Bryan Stewart (back center); and Carlos Morales (right) working in the training room on March 4. | [DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times]
Precision Garage Door of Tampa Bay ranked No. 1 among small business for Top Workplaces. Pictured is Bryson Bohr (left) and Bryan Stewart (back center); and Carlos Morales (right) working in the training room on March 4. | [DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times] [ DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times ]
Published March 26, 2021|Updated March 26, 2021

CLEARWATER — Michele Ferris knew she was working for the right company after Hurricane Irma.

Precision Garage Door of Tampa Bay had heard of a woman whose home was damaged in the storm. Her husband had recently died from cancer, and she underwent a kidney transplant. Despite her door “basically falling off her home,” she wasn’t able to attend to it. Precision helped fit her with a new door for free through their community outreach program.

“To be a part of seeing how that happened, you just know you’re at the right place,” said Michele Ferris, garage door sales manager.

Robert Trotter transports a garage door opener at Precision Garage Door of Tampa Bay while putting together the next day's orders at the company's warehouse in March. | [Douglas R. Clifford | Times]
Robert Trotter transports a garage door opener at Precision Garage Door of Tampa Bay while putting together the next day's orders at the company's warehouse in March. | [Douglas R. Clifford | Times] [ DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times ]

Precision ranked No. 1 among small businesses in this year’s Top Workplaces lineup, shooting up from its No. 21 rank just three years ago.

Read more: Tampa Bay’s top small workplaces in 2021

Founded in 2007, the home repair company helps customers improve what it calls “America’s new front door.” The Clearwater-based firm has eight locations around Tampa Bay and employs 83 people. Precision also received the special “Doers” award, given to companies that “do things efficiently and well.”

The company’s ethos, it said in the Top Workplaces survey, is to serve the community. That means taking care of employees so they can take care of customers.

“They’re always looking for ways to make our job better and easier,” Ferris said.

Ferris joined the company six years ago after retiring from a 22-year corporate career. She was looking to transition to something less stressful, and her husband, who works in garage door manufacturing, said he heard good things about Precision’s culture.

Much of what the company’s employees enjoy about their job is how management treats them.

“I get excited every morning to wake up and go to work. The leaders of Precision have created an amazing culture and environment for me to come to work and enjoy my day-to-day life working with them,” one employee said.

Read more: Employees at PostcardMania enjoy a culture of openness, flexibility, fun

Another said the owners and managers go “above and beyond what any employer would ever do to make sure their employees feel valued and are taken care of.”

Some of that attitude is reflected in small gestures for staff. During the summer, Precision provides fans to help with Florida’s oppressive heat. On sunny days, they hand out umbrellas so the employees and homeowner have shade to stand in while discussing the job. And now the company has a motorized showroom to help homeowners see the garage doors up close before making a purchase.

“When they can get a good sense of what door is going to be installed, they’re going to be happier,” Ferris said.

The company also has competitive benefits. Precision offers full medical coverage, dental, disability and vision coverage, as well as a retirement account for full-time employees. It contributes to its employees flexible spending accounts.

One of the draws for employees is the company’s community involvement. Precision has an “Opening Doors” program that gives out garage doors to those in need, such as the door for the woman whose home was damaged by Hurricane Irma.

Their recipients have included former firefighters, veterans and paramedics.

Read more: Here’s how our Top Workplaces survey was conducted

Business has picked up during the pandemic, too, as those who are able to work from home spend more time taking stock of their surroundings. Despite the uptick in business, there hasn’t been a significant delay in how quickly new jobs are completed.

“We live here, we work here. We’re looking to do better,” Ferris said. “You lose that when you work for a really big company.”

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Precision Garage Door of Tampa Bay specializes in garage door repair and replacement in and around Tampa Bay.

Employees: 90

Locations: Clearwater

Website: precisiontampabay.com

EMPLOYEE COMMENTS

“My management and coworkers are amazing. This place to me is home, and (I) wouldn’t change anything.”

“I love my job because they encourage me to be the best I can be. And they give me all the tools I need to accomplish that. I owe everything to this job and my managers who got me where I am today. I truly love my job. And can’t think of ever working anywhere else.”

“I am genuinely valued as an important part of this family. Well compensated with a flexible schedule.”