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.
Over the past six years, I have moved up from an Assembler on the Oven Line to a Machine Operator, and most recently, a Brake Press Operator. When production was slow one day this year, our lead, Gary, asked for volunteers to help a neighboring company, Titan Air. We were working four, nine-hour days, with four hours on Fridays, whereas Titan employees were working five, 10-hour days, plus Saturdays — you could say they were pretty busy. I volunteered, and so did my coworker, Sam. We helped them in the assembly of Air Make-Up Units (AMUs). Every so often, some of our welders went over to help out as well. Not only was it cool to see other processes and ways of doing things, it was cool to see how the AMUs we use on our own paint booths get made. I’m glad we were able to help out another company, and they were more than accommodating. They did an excellent job at making us feel important and included. They even invited us to their company golf outing and gave us Titan Air baseball caps for helping out.
In an effort to minimize the increasing labor gap in manufacturing careers, GFS partnered with area high schools to begin a welding mentorship program. It didn’t take long for GFS welders Tim Urness and Corey Olson to jump on the opportunity to give back to the community and provide local high school students with an opportunity to learn from and work alongside industry professionals.
Both Tim and Corey began at GFS as Welder Is with little experience in the field. Today, both work as Welder IIIs and share many years of experience with GFS. Tim and Corey shared the skills and knowledge they have accumulated over the years with the next generation of welders — Tim at Osseo-Fairchild High School, and Corey at Alma-Center High School. They spent a semester alongside both schools’ welding students, giving them industry skills and experience beyond what the traditional classroom can provide.
“Seeing students open up and become willing to learn and adjust to new techniques I was teaching them was really neat,” said Corey. “I have enjoyed everything about my career in welding, and being able to pass my skills on to eager students was a rewarding experience.”
“My advice to students on their journey toward a career in welding is to go to college and get all the education you possibly can,” Tim said. “They should also research and explore all types of welding-related career opportunities before settling on one.”
When I started at GFS more than 10 years ago, I worked with my boss at the time to kick off a lead management program. He not only encouraged the growth of the company and our department, but also encouraged my own growth and success. I really enjoyed the marketing aspect of my job, and GFS recognized that, so they sent me back to school to get my bachelor’s degree in marketing. Along with my background in sales, it gave me an opportunity to move into the marketing department as the marketing sales coordinator.
GFS was flexible with my schedule when I went back to school, and they also helped pay for my education. They truly value growth and continuous improvement. Outside of schooling, GFS has encouraged me to participate in industry network events, such as the Manufacturers Alliance, to learn how others in the industry grow and improve. Currently, as the marketing manager, I continue to embrace the value of improvement and encourage my team the same way. Whether that’s self-education, conferences, industry trade shows, or going back to school.
Growing up, I was always the kid in the neighborhood that others would come to when their bike broke. I am a carbon copy of my dad — not quite Tim the Tool Man, but if it’s broken, I can fix it.
Improvement is making things better, but it can also increase workload, at least temporarily. I see that here at GFS. Everything gets done, but someone has to do the work. A lot of that falls on our maintenance department. We recently completed all of the wiring for our intercom system. We installed 50 speakers on the manufacturing floor and in the storm shelter rooms. It’s a great improvement, but we had to put a lot of time and effort into it.
Before coming to GFS, I worked on a lot of different types of equipment, but never with steel manufacturing equipment, such as turrets and press brakes. Eight years ago, I never imagined I’d be playing an electrician at work, but it was a great learning experience. It was a whole new way of doing things, and it has helped at home for sure.
Discover the technical advancements that have heightened the importance of the prep area
