An accomplished World War ll pilot, Ralph Bradley and his wife Sophia moved in 1947 from Pueblo, Colorado to the “big city” to become the first distributor of one-piece aluminum garage doors in Chicago. They went on to manufacture custom wood doors under the Chieftain brand name. These beautiful custom redwood garage doors continue to operate in many homes throughout Chicago and the suburbs today.
In 1968 Ralph formed a partnership with Raynor Manufacturing Company, the industry leader in the manufacturing of residential and commercial garage doors. In 1970 he moved the business from Glenview to Northfield, and the company has enjoyed the last 48 years as a partner in Northfield.
Over the years, they have expanded their product line beyond garage doors and garage door openers to include driveway gates, residential alarm systems, and parking controls. Their parking control division began in 1968 with a handful of locations in the metropolitan area and has grown to service over 2000 parking facilities from parking garages to condominiums, sporting arenas, factories, and more.
Today, Raynor Door is proud to be a third generation family business with Ralph Jr. and John Bradley as the owners and their children John Jr., Brian, and Kelly as an integral part of the success of the business. Throughout the Bradley’s long history in Northfield, they have participated in the local Chambers of Commerce, the Lion’s Club, and many non-for-profit ventures that over the past 48 years have woven the company into the very fabric of what makes up the community of Northfield. Visit them at 1653 Winnetka Road or online at www.raynordoor.com .