I’m an entrepreneur, a home service/DIY expert, and the founder of A1 Garage Door Service, a $100M+ home service business. Founded in 2007, A1 Garage Door Service has grown to be a leader in the home-service industry.
Company: A1 Garage Door Service
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company
Tommy Mello: I’m an entrepreneur, a home service/DIY expert, and the founder of A1 Garage Door Service, a $100M+ home service business. Founded in 2007, A1 Garage Door Service has grown to be a leader in the home-service industry.
A NATIONAL LEADER
Founded by owner and CEO Tommy Mello in 2007, A1 Garage Door Service has been established as a national leader in the garage door service and sales industry. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, A1 Garage Door Service employs more than 350 team members in more than 30 markets across the country.
As a family-owned business, our technicians and installers live in the communities they serve, providing a localized feel to our services. These team members undergo extensive training with the best in the industry to learn all aspects of garage door sales and repair, as well as how to provide a superior customer experience.
We offer only the highest-quality parts with the best warranties to ensure your garage door will continue working efficiently and effectively.
We treat every client like family and are committed to helping you make the right decision for you and your home. That includes accurate estimates and consultation, as we help you diagnose the heart of the problem and find a long-term solution. When you choose A1, you have a friend in the garage door business.
OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Our vision, mission and core values guide our day-to-day operations, long-term strategy and approach to customer service.
Mission
Amazing customer experiences,
1 neighborhood at a time.
Vision
To become North America’s largest and most trusted garage door company.
Core Values
A: Always Improving
1: Aspire to Be No. 1
G: Growth
A: Attitude
R: Respect
A: Accountability
G: Gratitude
E: Ethics
What were the most significant challenges you faced during the scaling process, and how did you overcome them?
Tommy Mello: Scaling A1 Garage Door Service was an incredible journey, but it came with significant challenges. One of the biggest hurdles was maintaining quality control as we expanded into new markets. When you’re growing rapidly, it’s easy for the customer experience to suffer, which can hurt your reputation. To overcome this, we developed robust training programs for every technician and team member, ensuring that our standards were met across the board, no matter where we were operating. We also created systems that could scale with us, focusing on repeatable processes that ensured consistency.
Another challenge was hiring and retaining top talent. In a service-based business, your team is your greatest asset. Initially, we struggled to find people who shared the same passion and dedication. To solve this, we started focusing heavily on our company culture—making A1 a place where employees felt valued and invested in our success. We created incentive programs and opportunities for growth within the company, which has helped us build a loyal team that’s eager to grow with us.
Lastly, cash flow management was tricky during the scaling phase. It’s a common issue—growth eats cash. We had to ensure that we had the financial flexibility to invest in our expansion without jeopardizing the stability of our operations. By focusing on strategic financial planning, we managed to secure the capital needed for growth while keeping a strong foundation under us.
In the end, overcoming these challenges required a combination of process innovation, a strong culture, and financial discipline. Scaling isn’t just about growing fast; it’s about growing smart and making sure your business can support that growth long-term.
How did you ensure that your company culture remained intact as your business expanded?
Tommy Mello: Maintaining company culture during rapid growth is one of the toughest challenges, but it’s also crucial. As we scaled A1 Garage Door Service, I made it a priority to ensure our culture stayed intact because I knew that it was the foundation of everything we do.
The first step was to define and communicate our core values clearly. We built our culture around values like growth, accountability, respect, and gratitude. These weren’t just words on a wall; they became part of our everyday operations. Every employee knows what we stand for, and that consistency helped maintain our identity as we added new people and new locations.
Next, we focused on hiring for cultural fit. During the interview process, it wasn’t just about skills; it was about attitude and alignment with our values. We wanted people who believed in what A1 was doing and who were excited about being part of something bigger. This helped us build teams who were not only talented but also deeply connected to our mission and vision.
We also invested in leadership development. As you expand, you can’t personally touch every part of the business like you once did. So we made sure to train our managers and leaders to be culture carriers. They became the custodians of our values, ensuring that no matter how big we got, the culture remained the same in every office, with every new hire.
We kept an open line of communication. Whether through all-hands meetings, regular feedback loops, or team-building events, we made sure every employee felt heard and appreciated. Transparency and communication have been key in making sure everyone feels like they’re part of the same journey, no matter how large we grow.
At the end of the day, the best way to keep your culture intact is by living it every day and making it a non-negotiable part of your business. Growth doesn’t have to dilute your identity if you make sure culture is woven into everything you do.
What strategies did you employ to maintain quality and customer satisfaction while scaling rapidly?
Tommy Mello: Scaling quickly without letting quality slip was like balancing on a tightrope. One of the first things we did was embrace process-driven growth. But instead of just focusing on rigid systems, we made sure our processes were flexible enough to accommodate local nuances while still delivering consistent service. We approached every new market as its own community, allowing our team members to tailor their service while sticking to our core principles.
We also prioritized hands-on leadership during the scaling phase. I made it a point to visit new locations personally, meet with local teams, and ensure that the A1 culture was being translated correctly. This wasn’t about micromanaging—it was about leading by example and making sure the foundation we built didn’t get lost in the shuffle.
In terms of customer satisfaction, we always believed in going the extra mile. That’s why we introduced what I call the ‘wow factor.’ For every job, we asked ourselves, ‘What can we do to go beyond just solving the problem?’ Sometimes it was as simple as explaining how the garage door system works to the homeowner, other times it meant a follow-up call days later to check in. These small touches helped us build relationships that lasted, even as we scaled.
And finally, we understood that scaling requires continuous learning. We didn’t have all the answers at first, and we made mistakes along the way. But we were always quick to adapt, always looking at what worked and what didn’t, and adjusting our approach in real-time. That willingness to be agile helped us maintain both quality and customer trust, even as we grew rapidly.
Can you share a specific turning point that was crucial for your business’s successful scaling?
Tommy Mello: A huge turning point for A1 Garage Door Service came when we shifted from being a local business to a data-driven, scalable operation. This happened when we invested in technology and analytics. I remember sitting down and realizing that if we were going to grow into multiple markets, we couldn’t rely on intuition alone—we needed data to drive our decisions.
We started tracking everything—service times, customer satisfaction, technician performance—and used that information to streamline our operations. We implemented a customer relationship management (CRM) system that allowed us to automate scheduling, follow-ups, and track our customer interactions on a larger scale. It was like flipping a switch: suddenly, we had real-time visibility into every aspect of the business, which allowed us to move faster and make smarter decisions.
This technological investment wasn’t just about improving efficiency; it gave us the confidence to expand into new markets, knowing we had the infrastructure to maintain our standards. That was the game-changer. It wasn’t about growing just for the sake of it—it was about growing in a way that ensured we’d deliver the same quality and experience no matter where we went.
It was at this point that I realized scaling wasn’t just about having more people or more trucks—it was about building systems that could grow with us. That shift in mindset—from being a hands-on, local operator to creating a scalable, tech-enabled business—was the most crucial turning point for us.
How did you manage the financial aspects of scaling, particularly in securing funding and maintaining cash flow?
Tommy Mello: Managing the financial side of scaling was probably one of the most challenging aspects. In the early days, I was bootstrapping, so every dollar counted, and cash flow was tight. As we started expanding, I realized that if we didn’t manage our finances wisely, growth could actually sink us instead of elevate us.
One key strategy was focusing on cash flow discipline. Instead of just chasing revenue, I made sure we had strong margins and kept a close eye on our operational costs. We developed a system where we tracked cash flow daily—knowing exactly what was coming in and going out. That allowed us to make quick decisions and avoid any financial blind spots. You can’t scale if you run out of cash.
When it came to securing funding, I initially avoided taking on too much debt. I relied on strategic reinvestment—reinvesting profits back into the business instead of pulling money out. As we grew, though, I knew we needed more capital to take things to the next level. That’s when we started working with financial institutions, but I was careful not to over-leverage ourselves. We focused on smart debt—taking out loans or securing funding that had clear returns tied to it, like investing in new trucks, technology, or expanding our service areas where we had a proven demand.
I also developed strong relationships with our vendors, which gave us favorable payment terms. This was a game changer for maintaining liquidity. For instance, instead of paying upfront for materials, we worked out deals that allowed us to delay payments, which helped us keep cash in the business longer.
I also surrounded myself with financial advisors who had experience in scaling businesses. I wasn’t afraid to admit what I didn’t know, and their expertise helped me avoid common pitfalls. It’s critical to have people who understand the financial side of growth, not just the operational side.
So, the approach was twofold: maintaining cash flow discipline and being strategic with outside funding. This combination allowed us to grow sustainably without overextending ourselves financially.