This article appeared in the May/June 2023 issue of MiMfg Magazine. Read the full issue and find past issues online.

Facility cleaning and maintenance are a must for any industry, and MMA’s new partnership with GDI Integrated Facility Services makes it easier for members to access a wide range of these services. Through this partnership, MMA members can obtain a 10 percent discount for maintenance and technical building services, which may also reduce the need for businesses to hire multiple vendors for these purposes.

Founded in 1926, GDI offers janitorial services, equipment cleaning, food plant sanitation, HVAC maintenance, air quality monitoring, disaster recovery, grounds maintenance and more for businesses of all sizes and types.

Developing an understanding of the challenges and potential solutions facing any particular business is key to developing long-lasting relationships, says Michael Cadotte, GDI Vice President of Safety and Quality. GDI has served one of its clients for 113 years in some way, shape or form, and it has assisted a global automotive manufacturer since World War II.

GDI offers janitorial services, equipment cleaning, food plant sanitation, HVAC maintenance, air quality monitoring, disaster recovery, grounds maintenance and more for businesses of all sizes and types.

See nalett@mimfg.org.

Notably, standards for food sanitation have expanded over the past couple of decades, and GDI has been able to keep pace with the market evolution to help food plants meet these requirements. The company services about 100 food plants in North America every night, Cadotte says, with services that can include disassembling, microbiologically cleaning and reassembling equipment.

Headquartered in Southfield and Montreal, GDI is the primary entity for these services but it is also the parent company for three branches:

• Ainsworth: GDI’s mechanical, electrical, plumbing and HVAC arm, which designs, installs and maintains these systems for public and private companies and municipalities
• Superior Solutions: GDI’s chemical line
• Modern Solutions: GDI’s franchise-based entity for commercial cleaning

Cadotte says that years ago, he used to playfully say that their industry wasn’t “rocket science,” but advancements in technology have changed his perspective.

“Now we’re deploying auto-mated robotic floor-cleaning machines all over the place. We program them and they run on their own,” he says, adding that the technology also includes carpet extractors, food plant cleaning technology and UV sanitation. “It’s just amazing what the equipment and the chemicals can do.”

Technology advancements also allow them to monitor clients’ indoor air quality, signs of COVID-19 and HVAC systems remotely from their own headquarters — helping to further ensure the safety of the clients’ buildings and their occupants.

“It’s like having your own building engineer without having to have one on site,” Cadotte says.

GDI maintains strong bonds with their clients and the comm-unity through environmental protection efforts, community partnerships and equity and inclusion principles. One of their partnerships, for instance, is with Contract Direct in Southfield, a Women-owned Business Enterprise (WBE). GDI has also planted thousands of trees, aims to use green-certified chemicals, is planning to gradually replace all the vehicles in their fleet with hybrid or electric vehicles, and has a dedicated and active Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Committee.

See nalett@mimfg.org.