Road to Frankfurt. Meet the GBPA2020’s outstanding PTC showcases: GIBSON’S CLEANERS (Canada)

CINET’s Global Best Practices Awards Program is advancing at a fast pace, towards the Final in Frankfurt, during Texcare International (June, 22nd, 2020). For the coming period, we will present you week by week, the most outstanding PTC showcases that have joined GBPA2020.

GIBSON’S CLEANERS. A continuous focus on excellent customer service

Gibson’s is recognized by its customers as the most responsive and highest performing dry cleaners in the Greater Toronto Area. Gibson’s service concept is grounded in its values of thoughtfulness, accountability, and responsiveness.

Gibson’s is an international leader in the dry cleaning and fabricare industry. The company continues to anticipate the needs of the current and future customers to offer the most responsive and superior customer service experience. Last year, Gibson’s leadership team created a three-year strategic plan and aligned on business goals. With this top of mind, the leadership team is currently implementing key business objectives. Examples include launching a pick-up and delivery mobile app for customers on the go, offering customers the option to have no plastic on their order, partnering with non-for-profit organizations like Dress for Success, and organizing team education and training sessions. Gibson’s continues to build on its business model through expanding its B2B services, providing cleaning services for fashion rental companies and private social clubs. Over the next year Gibson’s will focus on enhancing its digital strategy to capture customers by creating unique campaigns related to specific service offerings (wedding dresses, alterations, etc.).

Serving the modern consumer

For over 90 years, Gibson’s has been part of the west end of Toronto. To the locals, the name Gibson’s means so much more than quality dry cleaning. It represents an involved and responsible community member that is incredibly committed to giving back to the neighbourhood. Whether it is collecting and cleaning prom attire for students in need, distributing clothes to the homeless, or fundraising for a summer camp for children with cancer, local initiatives can count on Gibson’s to play its part.

Gibson’s has three Gibson’s locations, operates two Gibson’s routes, and white labels for two other local cleaners in the Greater Toronto Area where customers can make use of a wide range of services. However, it is not only modern services that make up Gibson’s resume: they also offer shirt laundry service, cleaning of formal wear, wedding gowns, leather, suede, bedding, carpets, draperies and even al kinds of handbags. As befits a Canadian dry cleaner, another special service goes under the name of ‘Hockey Clean’. As the name suggests, the process sanitizes hockey gear and gets rid of the hockey smell. In addition to the dry cleaning of pretty much any kind of material, Gibson’s employs talented seamstresses, for whom no alteration or repair is too much trouble.

Gibson’s was the first dry cleaning company in its region using a fully automated barcoding system, a technology that can track garments in the process based on unique barcodes. The innovation does not stop there; for sorting and packaging, the company uses an automated system that is integrated with the SPOT POS System, which also includes a system for invoicing, the possibility to view the history of garments per customer, and the production of reports for the Production, Accounting and Marketing departments.

Fully automated operation

Educated, happy and safe employees

The fact that Gibson’s gets to present awards for 5, 10, 15 & 20 years of service, should say enough about how the company takes care of its employees. Another award is the “Presidents Award”, presented annually to a team member for thoughtful and exceptional service. Through a weekly communication program, every manager is kept up to date. Managers are also asked to write semi annual self-evaluation performance reviews and to participate in the annual goal setting. Thereby, they are encouraged to follow courses that contribute to their personal or professional growth, paid for by the company. Gibson’s offers several training programs; next to an Orientation Training Program, there are a Customer Service Representation program and workshops. Employees of the plant follow a Production Training Program and in addition there is the opportunity to take part in the Ontario Environmental Dry Cleaning Certification Program and the DLI Dry Cleaning Certification Program.

Another important training is the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) training. Equally as important is the WHMIS compliance, and there is more in place to ensure the safety of the employees. The company has a Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) and there are four team members with First Aid Certification. Every month the JHSC has a meeting and conducts audits at the plant and stores. Furthermore, there is a board for communication on Team Health and Safety Issues. Plant employees also receive an annual Safety Shdresoe Allowance.

Best service delivered by happy employees

Responsible community member

Gibson’s is a community leader through its partnerships with several non for profits in the Toronto area. For many years Gibson’s has been a significant supporter and helped to organize the McConnell Classic, a golf tournament which raises money for Camp Oochigeas – a camp for kids with cancer. The tournament has raised over one million dollars for the camp and sent over than 450 kids to camp. Exclusive partnership with “Dress for Success” – a well-known charity in the Toronto area – to collect gently used office wear to those in need. The company is also involved in an entrepreneurship program partnership with local schools to educate high school students on business education.

Gibson’s works with Extox, a certified provider of clear solutions for all waste disposal and dry cleaning supply needs to handle its recycling of waste.  Extox receives the waste at its facility and tests the waste to determine which process will be the most effective. The dry cleaning waste is sorted into three categories; solid waste, wastewater and filters. Filters are cleaned and processed within our facility using dedicated equipment. The wastewater is blended for energy recovery. The solid waste is physically separated allowing so that the maximum amount of residual solvent is recycled and the non-processable waste to incineration. This physical process provides a ratio of 80% liquids and 20% solids and semi-solids. The 80% liquids are blended and then shipped for energy recovery.

GIBSON’S has won the Overall Best Practices Award  at the The Canadian Best Practices Awards 2019, that took place in Toronto (Oct, 5th) 2019. The company  was invited at the GBPA2020 Final in Frankfurt.

Gibson’s Cleaners team, celebrating the performance of winning the Canadian Overall Best Practices Award together with Peter Wennekes (on the left), President/CEO of CINET and Sidney Chelskey (2nd on the left), Executive Director of CFA.

JOIN GBPA2020

Are you a retail textile cleaner? Or do you represent an industrial laundry? Does your company meet the best practices criteria? Showcase it among the best PTC companies worldwide by joining the GBPA2020. What’s in it for you?

  • Free Publicity for all the participants in the World of PTC (Book 7)
  • Personal exchange with likewise companies around the world for new ideas to new market area’s and business models.
  • The (World) PTC stage is yours! The chance (for the 40 selected finalists) to deliver a presentation in front of the International Jury and the international audience in Frankfurt, Germany on June, 20th, 2020 (during Texcare International 2020).
  • Massive PR which you can use in order to increase the turnover
Massive PR exposure globally for the Global Best Practices Awards 2018 participating companies

The application process doesn’t require any fee and there are 2 ways in which you can apply:

  1. Directly, via CINET Secretariat
  2. Via The National Pre-selection

Applying via CINET Secretariat.

Fill-in the reply form for the GBPAP2020 competition which corresponds to your company’s profile: the reply form for the Retail Textile Cleaning (RTC) companies (download here!) or the reply form for the Industrial Textile Services companies (download here!). Once filled-in, the form will have to be submitted to CINET Secretariat (cinet@cinet-online.com) until the 1st of March, 2020.

Applying via The National Pre-selections.

Is there any Pre-selection event in your country/region? Keep an eye on the E-news section of the CINET website, get the form, fill it in and join the National Pre-selection in your country! The winners of the National Awards will be automatically nominated for the GBPAP2020 Final in Frankfurt and invited to come over to pitch their company!

Note: All the nominees from National Preselections are automatically submitted for the Global Awards Program, entering in the first selection of the International GBPA2020 Jury.

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