The Story Behind Garage Door Doctor

 

Welcome to our page! I'm your host Shannon McKellar.

 

I come from a family of garage door installers. It’s in our blood — quite literally.

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One of my earliest memories involving garage doors goes back to when I was about four years old. Dad was loading up his ute with doors for work the next day when I somehow managed to get a metal splinter in my eye. Yes, it’s still there.

 

Some little boys develop the train or Superman special interest. I got the garage door special interest. Or perhaps it was the piece of metal in my eye that set me on this path — the beginning of my very own superhero origin story!

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Where It All Began

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Our family story in the garage door industry began back in the 1980s, when my late father, Peter McKellar, started working with garage doors. He was trained by the legend himself, Terry Bingham from Gold Coast Door Service, and gained invaluable experience working alongside established companies such as Superior Roller Doors.

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Dad was a proud, hardworking family man — stubborn at times, but always determined. He was rarely sitting still and was constantly renovating, building, fixing or working on something.

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In March 2000, the ABN for Garage Door Doctor (Qld) Pty Ltd was registered, with my amazing mum, Ann, by Dad’s side, managing the administration and accounts — all while raising five children.

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Along the way, Dad also influenced my uncle, Bruce Turnwald, sparking a little healthy family rivalry that continues to this day. Love ya, Uncle Bruce!

 

Dad continued building his experience and reputation, working with Universal Garage Doors Nerang as well as household names such as Steel-Line and B&D.

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The Family Trade

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Our family then made the move to hot and humid Cairns, Queensland, where Dad joined forces with North Qld Door Specialists.

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By the age of 16, I was already working alongside Dad. Together, we installed Hufcor operable walls in Hope Vale, completed roller door works on the Telstra building in Townsville, and even installed shutters on Australian Navy ships.

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I graduated from school in 2008 and immediately joined the family trade, operating out of my Holden Rodeo at the time.

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From 2010 to 2017, I operated as a sole trader under the name Express Garage Doors, subcontracting my services to companies including Centurion, Steel-Line Brisbane, Stoddarts Qld and Harris Doors.

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Dad continued his own journey in the industry, working for Noosa Garage Doors before eventually joining Centurion. He worked as an installer, then a service technician, and after tragically having his leg crushed in a car accident, he adapted once again and became a truck driver.

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Carrying on Dad’s Legacy

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When Dad passed away from cancer in May 2017, I took on ownership of Garage Door Doctor (Qld) Pty Ltd.

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Since then, I have worked tirelessly not only to honour Dad’s legacy, but also to challenge myself to learn every aspect of the industry I possibly can.

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What started with garage doors has continued to grow, with our services expanding into gate automation, gate motors and aluminium shutters.

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We have built the trust of our community the old-fashioned way — through hard work, reliability and word of mouth.

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Over the years, we have secured large service contracts with body corporates and real estate agencies, worked alongside insurers during recovery efforts, and partnered with reputable builders on projects throughout South East Queensland.

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In 2024, I was fortunate enough to retire my beautiful wife, Jaime, from her previous career so she could join me in the business. She now focuses on our business development and plays an important role in helping us shape the future of Garage Door Doctor.

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Looking Towards the Future

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Our focus now is on taking the business to the next level.

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We are working towards obtaining the additional qualifications required to undertake larger-scale projects, including commercial and industrial-sized doors.

 

We are also looking to expand our team, continue developing our capabilities and, perhaps most importantly, help educate and inspire the next generation of garage door installers.

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What began with my Dad in the 1980s has grown into something much bigger than a trade.

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It’s a family legacy.

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It’s a business built on hard work, experience and trust.

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And for me, it all started with a four-year-old, a garage door, a metal splinter in the eye — and possibly the strangest

superhero origin story in the industry.

 

Cheers to you Dad!

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