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History of Dillard Door


Dillard Door's proud heritage spans six decades .....

Photo of Mr. John Dillard Sr.

<<< John Dillard Sr. - like many Americans after World War II - was focused on new endeavors.

Photo of Southern Glass building




In the 1940s >>>
Mr. Dillard's Southern Glass company at 556 Madison Ave. forged its first connection with the door industry - representing Crawford Door Co. - a manufacturer of sectional overhead doors.




Photo of trade show display



<<< In the 1950's, the new Dillard Door division of Southern Glass began operation. The company added to its product line: Pella, ModernFold, and Slide-View doors.









Photo of workman with door
<<< In addition to representing door manufacturers, Dillard Door began building custom industrial doors for special applications, such as "double-acting" doors .....

Photo of 2 workers with overhead door


...... and overhead one-piece doors >>>











Photo of Doors Inc sign


<<< In the late 1950's to early 1960's, the company was known as Doors Inc., and represented the Windsor Door Co.









Photo of John Dillard Jr.

In 1964, John W. Dillard Jr. joined the firm, taking charge of manufacturing. >>>

Soon , the owners formed J. W. Dillard & Co. - which continued manufacturing - and also represented the North American Door Corporation, a major manufacturer of coiling doors.

In 1974, the company name was changed to Dillard Door and Specialty Co. - which discontinued manufacturing, to concentrate on representing North American Door Co. and Atlas Door Corp.



Photo of automatic pedestrian door

<<< In 1981, Dillard Door formed its Advanced Automated Entrances division, and began its association with Horton Automatics - a major manufacturer of automatic pedestrian doors.



Photo of automatic vehicle gate





Dillard Door also began installing and servicing automatic vehicle gates. >>>







Photo of building at 788 East Street.
As the company's reputation for excellence grew, other manufacturers began to market their products in Memphis thru Dillard Door - now located at 788 East Street >>>




Photo of swipe card device Photo of Closed Circuit TV (CCTV)camera
In the 1990's, Advanced Automated Entrances was sold, and in 1998 Entrance Control Systems division was formed to specialize in automatic gate systems, access controls, and closed-circuit TV cameras.





Photo of Chris Bird
<<< In October 2002, the Dillard family sold their company to Chris W. Bird, and it's name was changed to Dillard Door & Security.

Photo of truck with new logo

















Photo of Fedex Forum

Today, Chris Bird and his team at Dillard Door and Entrance Control continue the fine tradition of service excellence and integrity that the Mid-South has come to expect from the Dillard name.






Dillard Door customers include:
  • Retail stores
  • Apartment buildings
  • Churches and schools
  • Government facilities
  • Non-profit organizations
  • Manufacturing plants and warehouses
  • Office building owners and managers



788 East Street Memphis, TN 38104
901-775-2143

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