December 13, 2002 - St. Paul, Minnesota - The GCS Division of Ecolab Inc. today announced its 'Business Excellence Initiative' (BEI), a set of organizational and systems improvements designed to further enhance GCS's field organization and strengthen its focus on service.
Organizational improvements include the creation of a new National Business Center in Indianapolis to support field operations, staffed with dedicated specialists who will provide nationwide call center customer service, parts purchasing and distribution, warranty administration, accounting and other administrative support. "Our new organizational design will free up field managers from administrative duties so they can totally focus on delivering service excellence," said Kurt Lieberman, GCS Vice President/General Manager.
GCS continues to add more and better-trained technicians to its nationwide workforce. According to Rita Garcia, GCS Vice President of Operations, "GCS has the most highly trained Technician workforce in the industry. We continue to add certified Technicians to enable us to deliver the highest service levels and meet our growth objectives." Currently over 270 GCS Technicians are certified by CFESA, the standard bearer in the commercial food equipment service industry, including over 100 with CFESA Master certification.
System improvements will also result in faster parts delivery. With an integrated inventory of over 70,000 different kitchen equipment parts from over 400 manufacturers worth over $30 million, GCS has the most inventory and best parts capability in the industry. All GCS locations will have direct access on a single platform to parts inventory system-wide?from service vehicles to national, regional and local distribution centers. Customers can make one call to GCS from anywhere in the U.S. and receive next-day delivery? even for hard-to-find parts.
"We see GCS as a major source of growth," said Doug Baker, Ecolab President/COO. "By focusing on consistent, high quality customer service, GCS will grow by exceeding the high expectations our customers have come to expect from Ecolab."
"Kitchen equipment repair is a tremendous opportunity for Ecolab. These improvements enable us to strengthen our industry leadership and more easily expand our business," said Lieberman.
The GCS Division of Ecolab, Inc. is the leading provider of service and parts to the U.S. commercial food equipment industry. With worldwide sales exceeding $3 billion, Ecolab is the leading global developer and marketer of premium cleaning, sanitizing, pest elimination, maintenance and repair products and services for the hospitality, institutional and industrial markets. Ecolab shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the Pacific Exchange under the symbol ECL. Ecolab news releases and other investor information are available on the Internet at http://www.ecolab.com.
Contact: Mike Bernstein
(651) 293-4280
mike.bernstein@ecolab.com