Founders Frederick Lomax and Linda McCallum, husband and wife, live in the Pacific Northwest with their two huge Anatolian Shepherd dogs, Strider and Zoe. Classy Custom was initially inspired by a small favor asked by long time friend, Linda Evans. She asked Fred if he would help her install a pet door for her cat. He of course agreed.

She showed him where she wanted it placed, hidden behind a table. He looked around her environment while he was working, remembering the many pieces of beautiful furniture he had designed and built for her, and asked her if he could redesign the front of the pet door. She agreed.

When he returned with it's now Country French decorative frame, she said, "If I had known how charming it could be, I would have put it in the front door." That night the dream of the Classy Custom Pet Portal™ was born. With Fred's gift of invention and wife, Linda's talent for design, they would invent an evolution in pet door design that would add style with patented improvements in utility.