A natural salesman and compassionate leader, Josh Gruenberg makes the business of owning and operating a garage door sales and repair business sound like a never-ending adventure – and a lot of hard work. As the owner of PS Garage Doors, with locations in Grand Forks, Devils Lake and now Rugby, Gruenberg has a clear focus: Continue to develop the business and open additional branches to give employees an opportunity to grow with the company.
“I was able to grow in my prior roles and I want to give other hard-working, talented people that same chance,” Gruenberg shared.
In fact, two years into his role as general manager of PS Garage Doors, Gruenberg was invited by the company’s founder, Jim Satrom, to take over the 42-year-old business. “Jim wanted PS Garage Doors to be passed on to someone who wanted to run it like a family business for another 40 years and then pass it along to someone else willing to give it the same care and attention,” Gruenberg said.
Bremer provides loans and deposit accounts for both the operating company as well as the real estate holding company, in addition to handling the employee 401(k) for PS Garage Doors. Gruenberg remembers vividly meeting with three different banks – one of which was Bremer – when he was looking for a banking partner as he prepared to acquire PS Garage Doors in 2018.
“Things just felt right at Bremer. I could see the excitement in Eric’s eyes for me and for the potential of this business. It was clear that Bremer cared, and I didn’t feel that at the other banks where the main focus was on the interest rate. At Bremer, it was about the relationship,” Gruenberg said.
Bremer banker Eric Scheffer remembers that moment, too. “I could see Josh’s strong business acumen from the start. He has a real ability to sniff out a deal, and he values a banking partner who helps him ensure that the details are all in place,” he said.
Gruenberg and Scheffer – and other members of the Bremer team – interact multiple times each week, reviewing potential investments and discussing near-term opportunities and long-term strategy. “I trust Eric and Bremer to do what is right,“ Gruenberg said. “Bremer knows my work ethic and my team’s work ethic and as a result, Eric gives us honest, informed advice that helps our business grow.”
While Gruenberg searches for a candidate to help at the new Rugby PS Garage Doors location, he’s running it himself. And it’s brought him full circle: The building he purchased for PS Garage Doors sits right next door to the Dairy Queen he worked at in high school. Reflecting on his career, Gruenberg recalls his lack of understanding of the value of financial savings back in his DQ days. “I didn’t see the value of investing in a 401(k) until I was in my mid-20s, so it’s important to me to offer a match to encourage employees to put money aside,” he shared. Every one of PS Garage Doors’ 31 employees is eligible for up to a 2.5% employer 401(k) match. And no employees have been furloughed or laid off at any point during the pandemic.
Gruenberg has worked to maintain the family-like culture at PS Garage Doors – a culture where his door is always open, for work or personal matters, for every member of the team. “They have 24/7 access to me on my cell phone and we really enjoy spending time together, inside and outside of work,” Gruenberg said. “I’m very fortunate to have the team that I do. This company runs the way it does because of them.”
When it comes to Bremer’s role in PS Garage Doors’ success, Gruenberg is effusive. “Bremer has been there from the moment I said I wanted to buy PS Garage Doors to the financing of the building I bought most recently in Rugby,” he shared. “Bremer has been behind me 100% of the way in every adventure I’ve taken on. It’s been a fantastic journey and I have recommended Bremer to many other small businesses.”
Gruenberg is always on the go and doesn’t sleep more than four hours a night because his mind is always racing with ideas. We are excited to see the next great adventure he has in mind for himself and his dedicated team at PS Garage Doors.