For centuries, the only material used for building (and also building garage doors) in this country was plain old wood. Not because wood possessed any great qualities as an insulator or a weather-proof material, but just because that was the only thing available. Construction and builders did what they could with what they had, growing and changing from the original barn-door double-door style carriage house design to the more modern folding, retracting door that we are all familiar with in this day and age.
The company first credited with creating the kind of garage door modern Americans are familiar with is Overhead Door Corporation. Other companies known to have made significant contributions to the business include Wayne-Dalton, Clopay Building Products, Stanley, and others. These early starters are not the only companies in the game, and some of the older, more staid companies are being outstripped by younger, more adaptable companies.
Some companies that originally made garage door parts branched out and became exclusively garage door opener companies. These groups have made leaps and bounds in progress towards higher-technology door openers and features. Liftmaster and Craftsman, for example, have figured out many cool new features, including safety precautions, automatic lights, battery back-ups, and quieter motors.