G&L GROUP NAMED ONE OF CANADA'S BEST MANAGED COMPANIES

Source: The National Post

One night in March, 2009, sometime around midnight, G&L’s phone rang. It wasn’t surprising that someone was calling so late, because it was still winter and one of G&L’s companies, Draglam Salt, which specializes in bulk salt, is open 24/7. What was surprising was that the caller was from Canada Blooms, the country’s largest flower and garden festival, hosted in Toronto.

Due to an unexpected glitch, they were in desperate need of 300 tonnes of quality sand or they would not be able to put together a display for the show. The G&L employee who answered the call quickly came up with a solution: Toronto Redi-Mix, a G&L Group company and one of Ontario’s largest independent ready-mix producers, had sand. “Around 3 a.m., I got a call from someone at Landscape Ontario asking if I could help them out,” says Pat Lamanna, G&L’s senior vice-president. “But our staff had already taken care of it and arranged for a driver to get them the sand.”

When Lamanna says his company’s greatest strength is that everyone in it, from the owners to the frontline workers, is passionate about what they do and go the extra mile, he is not exaggerating. “We do all kinds of incentive-type things and try to foster the culture, but it’s not about that. It’s just genuine,” he says. “I think what has developed this culture is that we’re grounded in who we are, naturally. If we screw up, we own it and we seriously try to help each other fix it.”

Since 1970, when Joe Lamanna and his wife Lucy, Pat Lamanna’s parents, started G&L with only one truck to deliver concrete and stone, the company has grown into multiple companies with more than 20 locations across Ontario. These include Brock Aggregates, Earthco Soil Mixtures and Draglam Waste & Recycling, which provides waste management and waste removal services in the GTA.

Together, the G&L Group of Companies has served a wide array of customers in the landscape and construction sector. In 2013, the company was signed on by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to supply shotcrete for the Toronto-York Subway extension project.

“Our quality-control team developed a customized concrete mix for the tunnel,” says Lamanna. “We’re very proud of that.”

The company also supplied all the soil for Toronto’s waterfront renewal project. “Soil is not so simple these days,” says Lamanna. “Everything has to be tested and meet specifications. The waterfront wasn’t easy because we had three different levels of government to satisfy, and each level has their own specifications. So we worked with them all and designed soil mixes to meet their requirements.”

Despite a thriving construction sector in the province, “We’re very careful with everything we do, whether it’s extending credit to customers or purchasing assets and equipment, but we’re not afraid to make investments because we have the confidence in our vision,” Lamanna says. “We’re in a good market in Canada and it allows us to grow — so long as you have the right people. We could not have done what we’ve done without our people.”

G&L Group Named as One of Canada’s Best Managed Companies

Concord, ON – March 9, 2016 – G&L Group was named one of Canada's Best Managed Companies in 2015 for excellence in business performance. The Best Managed program recognizes Canadian-owned and managed companies with revenues over $10 million demonstrating strategy, capability and commitment to achieve sustainable growth.

"Best Managed companies embrace innovation, seize opportunities and inspire talent. They really set the bar high," said Peter Brown, Partner, Deloitte and Co-Leader, Canada's Best Managed Companies program.

As GTA's major construction material supplier of over 45 years, G&L Group holds true to its corporate vision to serve clients with a passion for excellence and a commitment to customer satisfaction. The family-owned and operated firm relies on a solid industry network to deliver ready mix concrete, aggregates, soil, salt, and waste services to their clients across the construction, contracting and landscaping sectors. A forward-thinking approach of acquiring strategically located manufacturing sites, depots and receiving docks throughout Southern Ontario, together with a passion for innovation, have been pivotal in positioning G&L Group as an industry leader.

Established in 1993, Canada's Best Managed Companies is one of the country's leading business awards programs recognizing Canadian-owned and managed companies that have implemented world-class business practices and created value in innovative ways. Applicants are evaluated by an independent judging panel on overall business performance, including leadership, strategy, core competencies, cross-functional collaboration throughout organization, and talent.

G&L Group is especially grateful to its employees for this achievement. Pat Lamanna, Senior Vice President, notes, "We're in a good market in Canada and it allows us to grow – so long as you have the right people. We're so thrilled to be recognized as a winner of this prestigious award. We could not have done what we've done without our people."

"CIBC congratulates G&L Group on being named one of Canada's Best Managed Companies – a reflection of its strong leadership, sound business planning and focus on growth," said Jon Hountalas, Executive Vice-President, Business and Corporate Banking, CIBC. "We're proud to celebrate this outstanding achievement and applaud the entire team for their contributions to the Canadian marketplace."

2015 winners of the Canada's Best Managed Companies award, along with Requalified, Gold Standard, Gold Requalified winners and Platinum Club members will be honoured at the annual Canada's Best Managed Companies gala in Toronto on April 12, 2016. On the same date, the Best Managed symposium will address leading-edge business issues that are key to the success of today's business leaders.

The Best Managed program is sponsored by Deloitte, CIBC, National Post, Smith School of Business and MacKay CEO Forums.

About Canada's Best Managed Companies

Canada's Best Managed Companies continues to be the mark of excellence for Canadian-owned and managed companies with revenues over $10 million. Every year since the launch of the program in 1993, hundreds of entrepreneurial companies have competed for this designation in a rigorous and independent process that evaluates their management skills and practices. The awards are granted on five levels:

1) Best Managed winner (one of the new winners selected each year);
2) Requalified winner (award recipients that have re-applied and successfully retained their Best Managed designation for two additional years, subject to annual operational and financial review);
3) Gold Standard winner (After three consecutive years of maintaining their Best Managed status, these winners have demonstrated their commitment to the program and successfully retained their award for their 4th consecutive year);
4) Gold Standard requalified winner (Award recipients that have applied and successfully retained their Gold Standard designation for two additional years, subject to annual operational and financial review);
5) Platinum Club member (Winners have maintained their Best Managed status for seven years or more).

Program sponsors are Deloitte, CIBC, National Post, Smith School of Business and MacKay CEO Forums. For further information, visit www.bestmanagedcompanies.ca.

About G&L Group

For over 40 years, G&L Group has proudly provided quality products and services to the construction, landscaping and contracting industries that build communities from the ground up. Through its Group of Companies, including Toronto Redi-Mix, Brock Aggregates, Earthco Soil Mixtures, Draglam Salt, and Draglam Waste & Recycling, G&L is proud to be a part of the roads that take you to work, the playgrounds your children love and the places you call home. Together, these companies form the GTA's premiere source for quality products, innovative solutions and exceptional service.

Today, with over 250 employees and growing, G&L Group's head office and central dispatch is located on Bowes Rd., Concord, with several depots and manufacturing facilities across southern Ontario.

G&L Group Presents Landscape Ontario's Disco-themed Awards of Excellence

The G&L Group is proud to have been presenting sponsor of Landscape Ontario’s Awards of Excellence held on Tuesday, January 12, 2016. Draglam Salt and Earthco Soil Mixtures had co-sponsored the event in past years but a refreshed one-stop-shop campaign encouraged landscape suppliers and contractors to look to G&L Group, not just for salt and soil, but for all their supply needs. A new corporate video highlighting G&L Group’s offering of soil, salt, waste bin services, ready-mix concrete and aggregates was well received by the crowd of over 650 attendees.

A custom hashtag was created to encourage social posts for a chance to win one week at a three-bedroom condo in Mont Tremblant, Quebec. In order to enter, guests were asked to post event photos to Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #GandLOdisco.

The overwhelming response to the social media contest was better than anticipated and G&L Group will continue the social media dialogue for weeks to come. Follow us on Instagram (@GandLgroup) and Twitter (@GandLgroup) to join the conversation and search #GandLOdisco to see all the fantastic entries from our contest.

Congratulations to all of the Awards of Excellence winners.

Click here to view the corporate video and on-stage appearance at the 2016 Awards of Excellence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZirjA5Qm1ds&feature=youtu.be

Toy Mountain Success

Thank you for helping us drive the holiday cheer this season. Over 300 toys were collected for CTV’s Toy Mountain in support of Salvation Army, providing children across Ontario with their own little Christmas miracle. We are happy to give back to our communities and were excited to donate our toys live on CTV.

We would like to extend a special thanks to the G&L Group employees, our customers and suppliers for their generous donations. Sincerest thanks to our partners who collected toys on our behalf, including Landscape Ontario, Progressive Waste Solutions, LafargeHolcim and The Brand Factory.

To view us on CTV’s Toy Mountain Finale, click on the link below:
http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/toy-mountain

(The video appears on the right side column named “2015 Toy Mountain Finale” and G&L Group’s donation appears at 7:07.)

Wishing you all the best in 2016.