Blog

2025: Year in Review

Blog 43, December 2025

By: Joe Zgrabik
Account Executive, Thomas Associates

In life, the only constant is change. So it was that 2025 was another year filled with changes. Luckily, in our industry, when one door closes … well, that same door is sure to open again, soon, and automatically.

As always, we began the year with Inspector Certification renewal testing, for the second year using MyAAADM.com, our online certification testing portal. January also marked the beginning of the first full year for our new safety chief, as Marcus Keenan was named Certification Chair at the end of the previous year. Marcus is well-known in the industry as a three-decade veteran who currently serves as codes and product compliance manager for STANLEY Access Technologies.

Q1 closed out with another successful National Automatic Door Day, with the theme “Everyday Magic.” It was accompanied by a typically whimsical social media campaign highlighting the transformative effect that automatic door “magic” has on all of us. Whether giving us a fleeting sense of possessing the power of “the Force,” taking us back to childhood witch and wizard costumes or conjuring up a favorite student of Hogwarts, the simple act of opening a door hands-free is a fast reminder of the magic all around us.

In May, AAADM joined PASS, the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools. It is a nationwide organization that brings together representatives from education, public safety, and industry to promote effective use of proven security practices in K-12 school environments. As automatic doors balance accessibility and safety, our industry is uniquely positioned to support PASS’s mission of creating secure, inclusive learning environments.

Also in the spring, we bid farewell to AAADM president and automatic door industry veteran Dave Timmerman, who called it a career and retired to the American southwest. At the same time, we welcomed our new president, Paul Durgin.

Paul currently serves as a senior technical specialist in automatics at dormakaba USA, Inc., and has been a longtime leader within AAADM, previously serving as vice president. Paul has been in the industry for more than two decades and is well known for his work in promoting compliance, advancing automated door technologies, and representing AAADM in forums such as the U.S. Access Board’s educational initiatives. As a vocal advocate for certification renewal and technician training, his technical leadership has helped raise the bar for performance and safety. As his presidency began, his stated goals were to ensure AAADM standards remain strong, its inspectors well trained, and the industry focused on safety and innovation.

In the summer, we added the IBC (International Building Code) Adoption Tracker to our website. It is updated with a complete list of states that have adopted IBC 1105.1.1, the mandate we championed for a decade that recommends public entrances (in facilities that meet specific occupant load thresholds) must have at least one door that is either a full power-operated door or a low-energy power-operated door.

In the fall, we marked the 80th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)— and that the automatic door industry has been around since day one to help make workplaces more accessible for everyone, regardless of ability.

Along the way, we also highlighted how automatic doors help the healthcare industry remain secure and hygienic, keep foodservice operating efficiently, and help people with disabilities remain independent all across the globe.

All in all, it was another successful year. Here’s looking ahead to 2026.

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