A shiny black buggy sits in the forecourt of J&A Overhead Door Inc., as if ready for a spin in the surrounding countryside. 

The carriage — also the  company logo — is a nod to the Amish roots of CHI, the premium-quality door manufacturer J&A represents.

Owned and operated by Jay and Amy Yoder, the Delmar, Del., dealership continues a family tradition that Jay remembers affectionately from childhood. “I started helping my brother, Leon, on job sites when I was about 11 years old,” he said, recalling the business Leon eventually sold in 2000. “Those are some of my favorite memories,” added the Snow Hill native with a smile.

Today, homeowners and developers alike can count on getting the same honest, second-to-none sales, installation and service that established the family as the leading provider of overhead doors on the Eastern Shore in the early 1980s.

“Small enough to serve you” is J&A’s motto. And that sums up their philosophy. “Overhead doors are what we know — and that’s what we specialize in,” said Amy, who makes sure the office runs smoothly. That means you can rely on Jay, Amy and the team of expert installers to give your project every bit of the attention it requires. 

“I’ve been working with Jay and Amy for about five years now and am still struck by their total focus on quality and service. Anyone can sell doors based on price. J&A Overhead Door decided early on to take a different path and give their customers the best value possible. It’s been a pleasure to work with them. It’s always good to work with professionals,” said Merle Miller of CHI.

Whether for home or industry, CHI’s solid core, durable doors — each with a lifetime guarantee — come in a wide variety of styles that can be custom-tailored to your taste and needs. You can choose from a selection of raised-panel designs, finishes, traditional or streamlined hardware, and numerous glass inserts. Exteriors come in fiberglass, wood and pre-finished steel. The doors are energy efficient and the long-lasting rollers assure years of consistent, operation.

You don’t need a new home to benefit from J&A’s services. “In today’s economy, lots of people are buying and retrofitting older homes,” said Amy. And, with the latest Renworks computer program, you can see exactly how each design will look on your building. 

Let the results speak for themselves. “J&A installs all of our overhead doors. They do a fantastic job each and every time,” said Dawn Barrett, vice president of Country Builders Inc. of Dover, a leading erector of pole buildings on Delmarva. “We strive for complete customer satisfaction on every pole building that we build. Team effort with J&A helps us to accomplish this.”

The enthusiastic endorsement of customers like Barrett has echoed throughout Delmarva to make J&A consistently among the top five CHI distributors in the whole Northeast region of the United States. With characteristic modesty Jay said, “I hoped and prayed that we’d be successful, but that has been overwhelming.”
It looks like the family tradition will continue for at least another generation. At any moment, Jay and Amy’s fresh-faced kids may come bursting out of their neat-as-a-pin home on the property, ready to lend a hand with loading an order — or pop a wheelie on a whim. Home-schooled by Jay’s mother, Bernice, Jason, 14; 7-year-old Austin and their sister, Ashley, 13, reflect the same honest-to-goodness character that their parents embody both at work and at play. 

Like his father, Jason’s an award-winning, radio-controlled model airplane enthusiast and this summer has been an installation apprentice, as he accompanies Jay on the jobsites. Amy gets valuable help with office work from Ashley, whose sweet voice has been recognized by the likes of Dean Hopper of The Hoppers Southern Gospel Group. She even recorded her first gospel album, “Just Ask,” at the Hopper studio in N.C. To hear a sample of her singing, click “New Album” on her Web site at www.gracevalleyministry.com, where you can also book her for a church function or other event. Young Austin’s the early-bird who’s often up at the crack of dawn to help his dad load the truck for the day’s orders. His infectious personality brightens the day of everyone around him.

This Christian family works together as a team to operate a company that serves customers with the utmost integrity. “God has blessed me with a loyal community and clientele, a job I love, and a family I love even more,” said Jay.

When you’re in need of the best quality door from a company who knows how important your family or business is to you, too…compare the options and the verdict is obviously J&A Overhead Door!

J&A Overhead Door Inc., 16937 Whitesville Rd., Delmar, Del.,
302-846-9915 or 1-800-693-9915,
www.jnaohd.com