Roots of the Chappell Door Company began in an old barn near Pleasure Ridge Park, Kentucky. Robert Chappell made the first door with material he bought from the Mengel Door Company when that company moved its plant out of Louisville. Robert used 6" thick press boards and turnbuckles for the glue press. He applied the glue to the material with paint rollers and brushes. He then trimmed the doors to size with a “Skil” saw. The first doors made were sold to a residential builder in Louisville. Robert’s son-in law, Bill Spennigan, who lived in Detroit, Michigan, used his money, along with Robert’s time and experience and together they formed the Chappell Door Company in 1955. The two men rented a small building in Louisville. Their equipment consisted of a Dewalt saw, a Sears table saw, a bench saw for trimming doors to size, a hand router for cutting lites, a glue mixer, press boards and turnbuckles for the press. In August 1955, they made the first door at the new location.