From a garage and a bedroom office, A Plus now has 17 locations and nearly 100 employees
Carrie Kelsch is the owner of A Plus Garage Doors. She started her business in 2005 out of her house, using an extra bedroom for her office and most of the garage for products. By 2010, a 1,500-square-foot detached garage was built in Kelsch’s back yard and the company was moved out of the bedroom into its own space.
A Plus Garage Doors is currently one of the most successful garage door companies in Utah, delivering the highest standards of quality products. Its lineup focuses on new garage doors, springs, cables, openers and remotes. Her goal was to be the best residential service provider in the industry. As her business grew, she began hiring technicians, support representatives and other team members.
Kelsch and her company continue to make 100 percent customer satisfaction their priority. They focus on creating lasting relationships with their clients to keep them happy for years to come. Under her leadership, A Plus Garage Doors has become an award-winning, multi-million-dollar home service company.
A Plus Garage Doors has been honored with multiple awards, including Best in State, Inc. 5000, Fastest 50, Best Company to Work For and many others.
“For the first eight years in business, I didn’t know the SBA existed beyond the SBA loans,” said Kelsh.
After being introduced to the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), an official SBA resource partner, she mentioned that she realized “what a great untapped resource SBA can be. They have helped me with research from learning my competition and industry standards, to product development research. But one of the things that meant the most to me and touched my heart, was during the pandemic, when all the big banks were only assisting big corporate companies to get their PPP loans. I was frustrated and had been put on the back burner by the multiple banks that I had banking relationships with. Then Bryce (Hansen) with the SBDC reached out to me to check in and see what they could do to help me through the hard times. They not only introduced me to a bank that immediately started working on our PPP loan but the SBDC walked me through all the requirements and showed me how to get our EIDL. I have turned to the SBA for multiple resources and I’m grateful for everything they have done and continue to do.”
Kelsch currently has more than 97 employees and has 17 locations throughout Utah. In 2020, she made connections and lasting relationships with the SBDC, as they were able to connect her with the resources needed to weather the pandemic and its economic impact. She was able to keep all of her employees and kept moving forward since, thanks to the help the SBDC was able to give her when getting PPP and an EIDL loan during the pandemic.
Carrie Kelsch is a prime example of leadership in Utah. Her ambitious vision, tenacity and leadership have made A Plus Garage Doors what it is today. When Kelsch heard of her winning the award, she said, “There are so many amazingly accomplished women business owners in Utah, so to be nominated, even to be considered as one of the top, is beyond an honor.”