Schweiss Doors Designs Sleek Glass Hydraulic Door for Special Hangar Project

HECTOR, Minn., June 3, 2025 – It is a special thing to have a private airstrip in your

backyard. Don Smith Jr. knew he wanted a similarly special hangar on his Pennsylvania

property to go along with it. An average hangar with a simple door just wouldn’t be

enough for what Smith had in mind.

“We wanted to have something that was nice to look at and fun to hang out in,” Smith

says. “When it’s your backyard, you want it to look pretty good.”

Don Smith Jr.’s new hangar at his property in Pennsylvania is a unique structure with its glass covered Schweiss Doors hydraulic door, painted green to match the roof and window trim of the building.

Smith’s hangar, which also stores a luxury car or two at times, is 44 feet wide, 34 feet

deep and 12 feet high. Built with precast concrete walls, red brick and grey stone

veneer, it has a green metal roof and window trim. Inside, the steel roof trusses contrast

against the wood vaulted ceiling. The exposed brick walls are adorned with photos of

planes. Throughout the space there are bright metal accessories including a small bar

and seating area.

These design choices alone are enough for the hangar to stand out, but it has another

sleek aesthetic feature – a glass-covered hydraulic door from Schweiss Doors,

measuring 41 feet, 3 inches by 9 feet. It’s the perfect frame to showcase Smith’s plan,

cars and hangar interior.

The hangar with its Schweiss Door is a stylish home for some stylish vehicles, including one of Don’s planes. It also has a fun bar and seating area in the back.

including one of Don’s planes. It also has a fun bar and seating area in the back.

“Everyone that has been in the hangar is just blown away by the Schweiss door,” Smith

says. “It is very cool.”

As a pilot, Smith was aware of Schweiss Doors prior to building his hangar. He had

seen Schweiss advertisements in various aviation publications and knew of some

hangars that were fitted with large Schweiss doors. When he went online to do some

research, he came across Schweiss’ hydraulic door.

“That is what I wanted for a small one-piece steel frame door that opens by swinging out

and up in one smooth movement using roust wrap-around top hinges,” Smith says. “The

door is powered by Schweiss Doors’ power pump unit and hydraulic cylinders.

The glass covered Schweiss Doors hydraulic door brings natural light into the hangar brightening the space. It is also a wonderful way to showcase Don's plane and car.

Smith’s hangar was built by a crew from Conewago Enterprises Inc. of Hanover, Pa.,

the family construction company Smith heads up as president and CEO. Conewago

Enterprises also installed the Schweiss door, a process Smith says went smoothly.

“When there were questions that needed to be resolved, Smith said the installers were

able to call Schweiss Doors and get the help they needed.

“When we had a couple of things to troubleshoot, the Schweiss guys were prefect,”

Smith says. “They got right on it. We called them up and they helped immediately.”

Don Smith’s designer hangar was built after he got approval to open a private field airport on his property. He also has hangars at airports in Pennsylvania and Colorado. The hangar in Colorado has a Schweiss bifold door, a fact Don only learned after ordering his hydraulic door for his new hangar.

In an intriguing twist of fate, it was during the process of ordering his hydraulic hangar

door, Smith found out he already owned a door from Schweiss. A hangar he owns in

Colorado happens to have a Schweiss bifold door. The team at Schweiss Doors was

able to help Smith update that door with improved safety features.

“Schweiss Doors had all the information available,” Smith says. “Once phone call, done.

The parts were shipped out to me. Unbelievable.”

Smith says his experience with Schweiss Doors has been great and he’d be happy to

recommend Schweiss to anyone.

About Schweiss Doors

Schweiss Doors is the premier manufacturer of hydraulic and bifold liftstrap doors.

Doors are custom made to any size for any type of new or existing building for

architects and builders determined to do amazing things with their buildings, including

the doors. Schweiss also offers a cable to liftstrap conversion package. For more

information, visit www.bifold.com.