Ata Salem is senior technician at Ace’s Garage Door Repair & Installation, a Diamond Certified company. He can be reached at (888) 725-6139 or by email.
Ata Salem: On Track for Success
By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter
HAYWARD — Soon after trying his hand as a garage door technician, Ata Salem knew he was on the right track. “Before getting into garage door work, I was doing new construction work in Jerusalem,” he recounts. “Over there, all the buildings are made of concrete and steel, which are very difficult materials to work with. My brother had started a garage door service business in the U.S., so I decided to come check it out. I liked it right away—in particular, I appreciated the fact that it was a lot less physically demanding than construction. After apprenticing with my brother for five years, I got my garage door contractor’s license, and today I continue to work at Ace’s Garage Door Repair & Installation as senior technician.”
Ata says his favorite part of garage door work is the opportunity to solve problems. “I like coming up with solutions for challenging situations. For example, I recently had a customer whose door would only open partway due to a chimney that was obstructing the track. With a little ingenuity, I was able to design a vertical track that allowed for more clearance. That made the customer really happy, which was a very satisfying feeling for me.”
A resident of San Mateo (where he lives with his wife, Deana, and their daughter), Ata spends his time outside of work on a variety of active pastimes. “I enjoy sports like basketball and football, whether I’m watching them on TV or playing them with friends,” he details. “I’m also a big foodie, so I enjoy trying new restaurants.” Additionally, Ata likes spending time with his family. “I have a lot of relatives who live in the area—between my mom’s side and my dad’s side, it’s a pretty big community.”
In regard to a professional philosophy, Ata espouses the importance of fulfilling expectations. “As a professional, you need to do what you say you’re going to do,” he affirms. “That’s the key to success, but it’s also where a lot of companies fail. It starts with setting realistic expectations—after all, the job has to be doable. Then you just follow through with those expectations. If you’re able to accomplish that, you’ll have happy customers.”
When asked the first thing he’d do if he were to retire tomorrow, Ata says he’d head to the beach. “I love beaches. Whenever I go on vacation, it’s usually to somewhere like San Diego or Miami. If I were to retire, I’d probably plan an extended stay at a beachside resort.”
Ask Me Anything!
Q: What’s your favorite restaurant?
A: Hillstone in San Francisco.
Q: What are your favorite sports teams?
A: The Golden State Warriors, the San Francisco 49ers, the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco Giants.
Q: Do you collect anything?
A: I collect video games.
Q: Are you an early bird or a night owl?
A: Both. I don’t like to sleep—it feels like I’m wasting time.
Q: What’s your favorite thing to eat for dessert?
A: Anything chocolate.
