Automatic Entrances of Wisconsin

Founding Story

“My wife and I bought a failing automatic door distributorship in 1976, and named it Automatic Entrances of WI. The early years were very tight, but we persevered and expanded the business by bringing in a salesman, Jay Walt, in 1978. We grew the business with two guiding principles. First, ‘Service feeds sales…which feeds service.’ Second, ‘Treat the customer the way you would expect if you were the customer.’

The business grew slowly and responsibly, and we learned from our miscues. The rewarding aspects of adhering to these philosophies are the quality jobs we now provide for our 50 employees and the collaborative work environment shared by all. In fact, several of our managers have been with us for more than 15, 20, and even 30+ years!”

— Bill Holcomb, Founder & Owner (1976 – 2024)

Why Cobalt

“As we looked ahead, we realized that many of our long-term employees were like family, and we had to look out for them. We also considered what our legacy would be. As we considered moving on, our legacy had to be respected. Typical buyers would have stripped the company to reduce costs while theoretically boosting their ROI. The arrival of Cobalt into the marketplace offered a respectful approach to the culture we had fostered, and their commitment to the employees that built our business matched our wishes. Cobalt also offered high level assistance to meet the ever-changing demands of today’s workplace. With Cobalt’s vision, resources, and commitment to the future, we feel confident our legacy is secure!”

— Bill Holcomb, Founder & Owner (1976 – 2024) and Jay Walt, President & CEO (1979 – Today)