Quality in Craftsmanship. Integrity in Partnership.

Ray Neisewander Sr., a master woodworker, and William Norberg, a garage door plant superintendent, meet on a train. Ray pitches Bill the idea of combining their talents and forming a partnership. Bill accepts the offer, and on Tuesday, October 17th, 1944, the Raynor Garage Door Manufacturing Company opens its doors in Quincy, Illinois.

Raynor Mfg. Co. makes the move to the small river town of Dixon, Illinois. Though Dixon only has a quarter of the population of Quincy, it grants strategic centrality between Chicago, Rockford, and other major cities. Bill also feels drawn to the quaint, peaceful nature of the town, stating “I just thought that it would be a good place to live.” Raynor’s corporate headquarters remain in Dixon to this day.

Raynor’s first two years in Dixon are tumultuous. Tension rises between the two partners, Ray and Bill, as the stresses of operating the new venture grow steadily. The conflict is finally settled when, on June 17th, 1948, Ray buys Bill’s shares in the company and becomes the sole owner of Raynor.

Over the next decade, Ray Sr. sets out to strengthen relationships inside and outside the company. Raynor begins hosting annual dealer conferences, and engineers Bill Wadsworth and Wendell Snell begin offering hands-on installation classes for installers. In 1957, Raynor capitalizes on the launches of the Russian Sputnik and the American Explorer I by releasing the Raynor Jet,a residential five-section flush door, the Jet’s“revolutionary Tri-Fab construction” combinedsteel, masonite and wood in its design.

Raynor expands, adding two more manufacturing plants and the Raynor Trucking Division to its arsenal by 1979. On the evening of October 26th, 1979, Ray Neisewander Sr., age 73, suffers a heart attack and passes in St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, Illinois. Two weeks after the funeral, his son, Ray Neisewander Jr., is named Raynor President and begins to feel the weight of the now 350-employee strong Raynor Mfg. Co. He laments, “Oh man, what a load I’ve got.”

The second generation Raynor family takes the company to new heights. Raynor launches the Decade residential door in 1980 with a 10-year warranty. At the same time, Raynor engineers are busy designing a revolutionary new commercial door named the “Tri-Core”, which debuts in 1984.

Ray Neisewander, Jr. expands the business by establishing distribution centers throughout the US and a fourth manufacturing plant in Dixon to house rolling steel commercial doors. In 1985, Raynor furnishes the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s “Gasoline Alley” with Raynor rolling steel doors as a marketing campaign. As a result, Ray Jr. gets wind of a chance to sponsor car #36 in the upcoming 1986 Indy 500. Raynor continues to sponsor cars in the Indy 500 until 1990.

Towards the end of the millennium, Raynor sets its sights on overseas markets and establishes dealers in more than 30 countries. As the global economy improves, Raynor becomes the leading exporter of US garage door products and builds a sixth plant in Dixon. In 1999, in a move led by Ray Jr.’s son, Ray Neisewander III, and Randell Renne, Raynor acquires Richards-Wilcox, a well-established insulated door manufacturing company in Canada.

Ray Neisewander, Jr. passes away on October 25th, 2013, having been known throughout the plants not just as a coworker, but as a friend. Despite the loss of Ray Jr., Ray III, now President and CEO of Raynor Worldwide, and the Raynor family continue to press onward, honoring Ray Jr.’s legacy of selfless service and sincere dedication.

Now under the leadership of Ray III and the third generation Raynor family, the company begins to make several bold steps forward. In October 2016, Raynor launches its new AspenSeries, a thermal efficient residential garage door line. Aspen remains a flagship Raynor product today.

On January 4th, 2021, Raynor announces its acquisition of ProDoor Systems, a garage door manufacturer based in Plainfield, Indiana. This pivotal acquisition gives Raynor Worldwide the ability to expand to new markets and diversify its product portfolio.

On September 9th, 2023 Raynor celebrates the grand opening of a 600,000 square foot facility in Dixon, substantially increasing Raynor’s warehouse space and manufacturing efficiency. Today, after over 75 years of values-driven service in the garage door industry, the Raynor family continues to strive for excellence as it welcomes its first fourth generation family members to the company.