Editorial Contacts
Jim Austin - 715-323-3588
Managing Director, Targeted Content Inc.
Mike Schweiss - 507-426-8273
Owner, Schweiss Doors
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Images (from left): Buboltz1.jpg; Buboltz2.jpg; Buboltz3.jpg; Buboltz4.jpg; Buboltz5.jpg; Buboltz6.jpg (Photo captions available at end of release.)
Former airline pilot chooses Schweiss Doors for home
One hydraulic pump operates door and staircase in Minnesota lake home
FAIRFAX, Minn., March 7, 2017 – Just when you think you’ve seen it all, another customer comes to Schweiss Doors with a unique request.
Gene Buboltz of Cold Spring, Minn., was looking for two unique hydraulic applications for his lake home. One door is disguised as a wall, allowing him to drive his ATV into the lower level, where he also stores his jet skis. This room also serves as a rec room and a place to store his flying memorabilia. The hydraulic door measures 4-feet, 6-inches wide by 6-feet, 7 inches tall.
Buboltz also came up with the idea of using a door system as a staircase in his garage. Schweiss Doors engineered a hydraulic lifting staircase from his garage up to the attic. The staircase folds up automatically, up and out of the way to allow for additional parking space in the garage. The staircase “door” is 3 feet wide and 10-feet, 4-inches tall.
Both can be operated with remote openers.
“What I really like is that I can run both from one pump,” Buboltz says. “I think it was the first system Schweiss engineered that ran off of one pump. The speed of the cylinders gets them up quickly. There’s no wiggle or shimmy, they are built very rugged and trouble-free. I’ve seen a lot of other doors and I don’t think you’ll find a stronger door in the industry. They were delivered perfectly and put up on time as promised.”
Buboltz grew up on a farm in Hector, Minn., and started flying while attending St. Cloud State College. He eventually picked up his ratings and accepted a job flying for St. Cloud Aviation, including at a Canadian branch where he spent a couple years flying floatplanes and a Rockwell Shrike Aero Commander from their distributorship. The Shrike was the same plane that renowned World War II Spitfire jock and USAF test pilot Bob Hoover flew after the war. In it, Hoover performed his signature deadstick (no engine) routine of loop, roll, 180-degree turn, landing and taxi to air show centers.
Buboltz’s early experience led him to a job flying passengers. He gained his instructor rating teaching floatplane flying along with sales work for the Rockwell distributorship. His next career steps were flying for Bemidji Airlines and Republic, which was bought out by Northwest, and the regional carrier Pinnacle, where he retired in 2006 flying Bombardier 50-seat turbojet CFJ200s and SF Saab 340s, racking up 22,000 hours in the air. Most of his flying these days is in his 1946 Ercoupe.
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.
Photo Captions:
Photo 1
Gene Buboltz of Cold Spring, Minn., stands beside the hydraulic basement door located on the backside of his lake home. The custom 4-foot, 6-inch x 6-foot, 7-inch hydraulic door is unnoticeable when closed.
Photo 2
This classy hydraulic wall-door is unnoticeable when closed because the outside door trim matches a seamless finish to the house’s exterior.
Photo 3
Originally this hydraulic door was installed to expand garage space for ATVs, lawnmowers and other equipment. Since then Buboltz remodeled the basement level room to make it a rec room and a place to display items from his flying career.
Photo 4
Buboltz stands beside the only access to his attic. Use of a Schweiss engineered lifting staircase opens and closes the staircase to give him additional space inside his garage.
Photo 5
The hydraulic operated lifting staircase is 3-feet wide x 10-feet, 4-inches long from floor to ceiling.
Photo 6
When fully retracted, the Schweiss Doors hydraulic operated staircase tucks neatly into the ceiling.