Our company began In 1961, as DURALUM AWNINGS, started by a visionary by the name of Ed Sorenson. Mr. Sorenson had started working in the then “new” aluminum awning industry just at the end of World War II. Aluminum had been hard to get during the War, but with its end, aluminum manufacturers were looking for new products. Mr. Sorenson built one of the first machines to make an aluminum awning pan. Up until that time all pans were made on a large hand brake. Built in his garage, the “pan machine” produced an improved version of the window awning, then a much sought after item used to reduce the amount of sunshine and heat entering through the mostly single-pane windows in those days.
From the small but successful start with Window Awnings, Mr. Sorenson built more machines and began to make a larger aluminum pan that could be used for Patios. Over the course of the next 30 years, his company grew to six branches stretching from Washington to San Diego and focused on the then growing Manufactured Housing market where his Patio Covers met the buyers need for shade at an affordable price.
With the recession of 1992 and the decline in the Manufactured Housing market, Mr. Sorenson sold what was left of Duralum Awnings, now down to just one branch in Sacramento and 5 employees, to Mr. Anson in 1992 and was reformed as Duralum Products, Inc. Mr. Anson moved the company into larger facilities just down the street in 1995. He still remembers wondering how they would ever use all that space…
Over the next 20+ years, Mr. Anson focused Duralum’s strengths toward the residential market. Growing slowly as internal funds would allow, more and more machines were built that made products to meet a demand from the more discerning residential customer. The end result is the gorgeous WeatherWood® line of Patio Products, emphasizing style and durability while providing a vast array of options and colors for the homeowner.
In 1998, Duralum expanded southward adding a new, but small, factory to service the larger Southern California market. Our Corona Branch has had three different addresses in almost 20 years, growing each time. Recently (2017) we added another manufacturing space and moved our insulated roof and wall to this new location as demand for our products and service continues to grow, Corona is more than well positioned for future growth.
The Sacramento Branch has been faithfully serving the Northern California contractor community since 1961. With the rebound from the recent housing downturn, Sacramento has continued to expand its operations into much of the Northwest and other States in the Western US. Recognizing a growing need for more space, Sacramento recently expanded in size in 2017, doubling its footprint size and better serve our customers in the Northern and Western parts of the US.
We recently (October 2017) added a branch in Las Vegas Nevada, in order to service that growing need for our products. This location will service all of Southern Nevada and western Arizona. Soon we will be adding other branches to serve contractors customers in various locations. Our goal is to have a Nationwide footprint over the next few years.
The People of Duralum has grown to over 100 employees over the past few years. As we expand, we will be seeking out more people.
Remember, “Duralum Is A Company Of People”. Our People are the finest in our industry.
