Global Finishing Solutions® (GFS) is a vertical manufacturer, dedicated to developing high-quality paint booths and finishing environments for a wide variety of industries — including aerospace, automotive refinish and industrial businesses. GFS strives to meet the unique needs of every customer across the globe with pre-engineered and custom solutions for paint prep, application, curing and storage.
GFS’ Quality Management System is certified to ISO 9001:2015 by Smithers Quality Assessments, demonstrating GFS’ unwavering commitment to quality and dedication to delivering best-in-class products that are trusted by our customers.
Headquartered in Osseo, Wisconsin, GFS has an extensive history of providing the aerospace, automotive refinish and industrial finishing industries with exceptional equipment and services, helping businesses maximize productivity and achieve flawless finishes.
At GFS, we pride ourselves on being the leader in the finishing industry. Our continued success is made possible by our talented, hardworking employees. We aim to provide our employees with every opportunity to make an impact on the company. This is especially true for a company of our size and culture. Although a large, growing business — with more than 300 employees — our heart is rooted in small-town, homegrown values. To continue growing our business, we welcome you to join the GFS family.
We are focused on our family of exceptional employees. With a people-first approach and limitless opportunities, our people have every chance to flourish.
Never forgetting that business decisions impact people's lives, we infuse fairness and professionalism into all that we do.
Side by side, striving for shared goals, we align with people who share our core values and exceed our expertise.
With keen eyes and vast resources, we constantly think ahead to be better and go farther for long-term success.
We abide by unwavering standards of ethics and walk-the-talk principals. Our corporate culture is so steeped in character, it holds up even when the lights are off.
Global Finishing Solutions® (GFS) is proud to be represented by the finest distribution network in the paint booth and finishing equipment industry. Our experienced, dedicated distributors span throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and around the world. This expansive distribution network allows us the ability to provide consulting, training, installation, service, maintenance and parts and filters support on a local level to all of our customers.
GFS is a family-owned and operated company, focused on our family of exceptional employees. This “people first” approach has always led our success. With this foundation and limitless opportunities, our people have every chance to flourish.
Our commitment to “people first” works from the inside out. Never forgetting that business decisions impact people’s lives, we infuse fairness and professionalism into all that we do. The dignity and courtesy we extend to our family of employees carries on to our customers, business associates and vendors.
Side by side, striving for shared goals — we believe that’s how the best work gets done, and that’s why we treat business relationships as true partnerships. We align with people who share our core values and exceed our expertise. Working together, we all succeed.
We’ve built a corporate culture so steeped in character, it holds up even when the lights are off. In our core, we abide by unwavering standards of ethics and walk-the-talk principles. This is more than corporate speak; our integrity — who we are when the lights are off — is everything.
We are constantly planning, innovating and improving. We invest and reinvest to ensure the health and longevity of our company. With keen eyes and vast resources, we constantly think ahead to be better and go farther for long-term success.
“Working at GFS has allowed — and encouraged — me the flexibility of having a life outside of work, coach my kids in multiple sports, as well as being able to grow as a leader and a person.”
My husband, Brent, and I work for Global Finishing Solutions, and being active in our community is extremely important to both us. We work here, go to church here and raise our child here. The great thing about GFS is that they truly abide by the company core value of partnership. Not only do they encourage us to get involved in the community, they allow us the support and flexibility necessary to make it happen.
Through GFS’ employee-run committees, I am involved in many activities and fundraisers throughout the community. I serve on the We Care Committee — which raises funds for employees in times of need due to prolonged illness or natural disasters. I also serve on the Charitable Donations Committee — which provides monetary donations, scholarships and custom-made fire rings for community events, fundraisers, silent auctions and more.
GFS has supported me personally as well, allowing me the time and flexibility to participate in many community outreach initiatives, such as mentoring a local child with special needs. Brent also benefits from the flexibility, and is able to coach baseball in the summers.
GFS is the largest employer in the community, and they have done a great job of building and maintaining the bridge connecting us. For instance, GFS provided a $500 donation to purchase coats, snow pants and boots for local children in need of warm winter clothing. The donation was able to clothe all 47 children in need.
I love what I do internally at GFS, and I love what I get to do externally on behalf of GFS. If you can combine those two things, that’s partnership.
The supportive leadership I have had during my time at GFS has helped me grow as an individual and think outside the box, as well as given me the confidence to be comfortable in any situation. Being on the sales team can often be a delicate balance, but I see our team making the right decisions daily that reflect integrity and honesty — both for GFS and our customers. When I make purchases for myself, I look for the same traits that we practice every day at GFS. I’m honored to be a part of a team that truly cares about the customer and the products we provide.
I have found that honesty is the best policy and the best way to maintain accountability and trust. Even if difficult or awkward tasks arise, in my experience, honesty and directness build healthy working relationships. Everything falls together with ease. I always strive to have the right mindset, keep that honesty and honor our customers’ requirements, all while keeping the company’s best interest at heart. I am excited to come to work every day, to see what the day will bring and how I can use my skills to help us be successful. Integrity is a very important trait in my personal life, so it’s no wonder that I feel right at home at a company that also honors it.
A big part of accounting is ensuring the integrity of our processes and systems. Making sure we’re compliant with accounting principles and covering our customers, all while seeing the big picture for the company. I’m always open and honest, and I try to be professional about it. It’s not always the answer you want to hear, but I’m always honest.
Another part is giving credit where credit is due. I play a role, but it is our team as a whole that does amazing work. When you make a mistake, you own it and put steps in place to make sure it doesn’t happen again. We hold each other accountable and follow through on commitments.
“Improvement has been a part of my life since I started working. When I moved from the Mexico office to the Osseo office eight years ago, I adopted a mindset of improvement, but it wasn’t as strong as it is now. Whatever you are doing, you have to do it better every time. That’s what improvement means to me. It’s not just doing something because you need to do it. It’s doing something because you need to do it well. Every time I have a chance to improve, I go for it.
“I participated in a project to reduce damage to shipping containers. When there is damage to something we ship overseas, the freight is expensive. I was part of a cross-functional team that developed work instructions to help reduce damages. Since we did that, we haven’t had any damages reported on overseas shipments in the past three years. We have had good feedback from customers, and we haven’t had any issues since then.
“I am not afraid of change. As the head of my family, I’ve always talked to my kids about how women are part of a new age in which we need to work, and we need to get better. We have the same capability as men. We must succeed, no matter what. No matter what activity you do, you have to do the best you can.”
In 2014, I was diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma cancer, which had spread from my back to the lymph nodes of my arm. It required me to undergo chemotherapy treatment for one year, which isn’t always the easiest task when working a full-time job. I continued to work at GFS throughout the treatment, and GFS supported me every step of the way.
It wasn’t until after I was done with chemo that my surgeon made me realize how much the community within our company had helped me survive. He smiled and said to me, ‘Do you realize that you have done what most people can’t do? Complete treatment.’ Then one of the nurses told me it takes two things to get through treatment — a positive attitude and a strong support mechanism. I never looked at it like that. My family, friends and the support system that GFS provided me really helped me through.
I communicated with some of the people on the We Care Committee, and there were a handful of people who I didn’t work with day in and day out who would check on me often. Even Larry Will, our COO, would come and plow my driveways in the winter. Given a bad situation, the number of people who came out and showed themselves was an awesome feeling.
Not everyone has as strong of a support system like I did. When you stop and look, the network of support that GFS offers is pretty impressive. What the people here have done to support me and the GFS core value of family is unbeatable.
I love this photo of us all coming together, and it shows the kickoff of our internal We Care committee, which puts on different programs and fundraising efforts to help employees in times of need due to illness or natural disasters.
