Dwayne Miller, owner of Dura Designs LLC, a custom kennel and deck railing business in New Paris, Indiana, says his business started with building dog kennel systems in 2016.
In 2020, the business grew, and Miller was faced with lots of challenges, including a national pet shortage.
“I couldn’t keep up with the demand as folks wanted to reinvest into their pet facility businesses and build better pet facilities,” Miller says.
Miller also built an aluminum railing during that time. He enjoyed doing the work and thought it could be something he could add to his business to diversify a little bit. He also built a cable railing using stainless steel cable paired with powder-coated aluminum posts on the deck of his home, which many people liked and commented positively about. This prompted him to offer that style of railing as well.
“Fast forward to today, and our aluminum railing panels are welded top and bottom for better durability,” Miller says. “They are also powder-coated after-weld for a very durable product with a huge variety in colors available as far as cable railings goes.”
Miller says it’s a strong, sturdy railing, but less than ideal with small children in your household, as it is a climbing magnet.
“When it’s a second-story deck, it’s just not recommendable with small children.”
When asked how a railing can improve a project, Miller says, “Typically, a railing is the last thing to go on, but it makes the deck look complete. A railing with the right color will not only accent your deck but also your entire house! On a side note, when a deck or patio is more than 30 inches from ground level, a railing is required to pass code.”
Concerning customer satisfaction, Miller states, “It’s high on my list, as a happy client is typically happy to pass along contact info to a friend who needs similar work done. It’s also because I just like having clients feel like they received their money’s worth when they have us design a project for them.”
Dura Designs also offers general aluminum fabrication as well as production-type welding.
Feel free to contact Miller with questions on how they can help you with your next project. Dura Designs can be reached at (574) 364-0411, or email Miller at duradesigns88@gmail.com.
