“My story is a little bit like the American dream.”
Dan Watkins had a fresh broadcasting degree and a steady software sales job, but the dream was always to own his own business. He headed to Michigan to learn from his uncle, who had a company repairing and replacing garage doors. “I came back and put an ad in the Yellow Pages… that’s how long I’ve been around,” Dan laughs. “I worked crazy hours and was just about going to kill myself to make sure I was successful.”
Twelve years into a business venture that did prove prosperous, Dan reached out to his sister, who was still in Michigan, to offer her a job in management. She said yes, and moved to the south with her husband and children, starting a wave of Watkins family members migrating south and joining the team at All 4 Seasons Garage.
“We cleared out Michigan and moved to Atlanta,” Dan says. “We have a lot of years in the rearview mirror and we’ve continued to grow.”
Family is the common denominator at All 4 Seasons Garage, not only by being family owned and operated, but also by treating customers like their own kin. “If you need a repair and you need it same-day, we’re going to do everything we can to get out there and take care of it, especially if your car is stuck in the garage,” Dan says. “If it’s an emergency, we’ll prioritize getting out to you. If it’s not, we’ll fit into your schedule.”
The business is based in the Atlanta area, but Dan and his team are regularly in Middle Tennessee helping to beautify home exteriors and repair garage doors who have gone astray.
“We do anything with a garage door or garage door opener,” Dan explains. “We repair them, we replace them, we can frame in a carport and make it a garage. We do some different framing things to get your garage door operable and looking the best that it can.”
Whether you’ve woken up one morning and your opener is acting up, you’ve accidentally pulled up too far in the driveway and dinged the door, or you’re just ready for a modern cosmetic upgrade, Dan’s team is poised to help.
When Dan started in the business 25 years ago, there weren’t many options as far as designs and colors when it came to garage doors. But over the years, he’s watched trends evolve to make the door more of a focal point.
“The carriage doors came about, and that became a big trend that has continued,” Dan shares. “You’ll see more glass garage doors in restaurants, and people are putting those in their backyard to open out to a pool or patio area. Trends may change a little bit, but those have really stayed.”
Dan describes a garage door replacement as the number one home upgrade to offer a return on the investment in both comfort and price for a multitude of reasons. It’s not strictly a cosmetic swap that impacts curb appeal. The team replaces all hardware from tracks to roller, hinges, and springs that wear out and become noisy over time, meaning you can say goodbye to that squeaky shriek that often serves as a welcome home or a wave goodbye.
Your garage door is also a powerful tool for regulating temperatures and, in turn, lowering energy costs in your home. Builder grade garage doors don’t often come insulated or with steel on the backside, impacting temperature control and overall durability.
“It’s the biggest opening in your home, so energy efficiency is huge,” Dan says. “Your door can keep the good air inside and the bad air outside whether it’s summer or winter. You can feel the temperature impact not only in the garage, but in the rooms above or next to the garage as well, and also in your wallet when energy bills rear their monthly heads."
Beyond design, new smart technology is now available allowing garage doors to be opened and closed using mobile phones, so you’ll never have to climb out of bed to double check or have a Home Alone moment fearing your door is open while on vacation.
4SeasonsGarages.com