Continental Girbau, Inc. recently held a two-day celebration marking its 20th year in business. Formed in 1995 as Girbau S.A.’s North American subsidiary, Continental has grown to become an industry-leading provider of on-premise, vended and industrial laundry solutions, according to Continental President Mike Floyd.
More than 150 business partners, staff, distributors, community officials and friends participated in the company’s anniversary celebration in Oshkosh, Wis., on September 23-24. The celebration’s events included an open house and tour of Continental’s headquarters, followed by a presentation and reception at the Experimental Aircraft Association Air Venture Museum. Keynote speakers included Floyd; Mercé Girbau, co-CEO, Girbau S.A.; Brian Wallace, president and CEO, Coin Laundry Association; John Casper, president and CEO, Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce; and John Riddle, senior vice president, LG Home Appliances.
“The formation of Continental came before I joined Girbau S.A.,” Girbau said. “But I know it took a lot of negotiation between my father, Santi Carol, Len Kafer and Mike Floyd. My father wanted to establish distribution in the United States. Today, Continental accounts for 25 percent of Girbau’s total sales.”
Floyd went on to describe the challenges and joys involved with helping launch a company from scratch and thanked Continental’s business partners, staff, parent company and distributors for their support and help along the way. The company’s six original employees were also recognized for 20 years of service. Five of the six still work for the company, while one has since retired.
“I remember the first day at Continental,” Floyd recalled. “I sat on the floor of a vacant office building and wondered what I’d gotten myself into.” Continental, according to Floyd, grew quickly into an industry leader and, over the years, introduced multiple products, brands and divisions.
Representing the CLA, Wallace thanked Continental for its years of service – noting the work of Floyd and Continental Vice President Joel Jorgensen. Floyd served the CLA for a decade as a board member and chairman; Jorgensen currently serves as the organization’s treasurer-elect.
Representing the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, Casper similarly praised Continental for its service to the Oshkosh community, and Floyd for his tenure as a Chamber board member.
Lastly, Riddle spoke on behalf of LG Electronics. As the U.S. provider of LG commercial laundry equipment, “Continental is a trusted and dependable partner,” Riddle said.
The celebration continued throughout the second day with a group tour of Lambeau Field and the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in Green Bay, Wis., along with a golf outing in Green Lake, Wis. A riverside tailgate party at the Best Western Premier Waterfront Hotel in Oshkosh culminated the event.
Since 1995, Continental has grown quickly – expanding product offerings; serving new niche markets; establishing new brands, divisions and subsidiaries; investing in facility expansions and additions; expanding its professional distributor network; and continuing its commitment to environment, community, service and quality.
In two decades, revenue has grown substantially. Similarly, so has the company’s product offerings. Altogether, Continental provides 90 individual laundry products engineered for a variety of unique laundry systems.
Locally, the company supports organizations in need; partners with and supports Oshkosh area hotels, restaurants, printers, photographers and schools; and owns and runs a local business – the Express Laundry Center, which is a full-service, card- and coin-operated, high-speed laundry.
The company’s success, according to Floyd, is the simple result of committed hard work and the development and nurturing of personal relationships.
