Quinton family still cleaning up

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This article was published 01/02/2011 (5605 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THEY may not know the first thing about airing dirty laundry, but after a century in the business, Quinton family members know a thing or two about how to clean it.

It was 100 years ago this year that a young Alex Quinton, fresh off the boat from England, launched Quinton Dye Works. In the many years since then, the company has undergone a series of business transformations — from garment dyeing to garment dry cleaning and pressing, to uniform, linen and floor mat cleaning and rentals.

It’s also experienced three different generations of Quintons at the helm, and survived some brutal economic recessions, the advent of permanent-press clothing, and a wave of corporate takeovers and buyouts.

Not all of the family’s escaped unscathed. In 2002, the best-known side of the business — its 16-store dry cleaning chain, was bought out by rival Perth Services Ltd.

But the other side of the family kept Quintex Services Ltd., the uniform and linen cleaning and rental business. And it’s now one of the dominant players in the southern Manitoba market.

So what’s the secret to the company’s success and longevity? The answer depends on whom you ask.

Ask the guy sitting in the president and CEO’s chair these days, David Quinton, and he’s quick to credit Quintex’s hard-working employees and loyal customers.

Ask one of his senior lieutenants, vice-president Janette Millar, and she’ll also credit Quinton and his we’re-all-one-big-family style of management.

On numerous occasions during an hour-long tour of Quintex’s sprawling 55,000-square-foot Nassau Street North plant on Monday, Quinton stopped to chat with smiling plant employees. He addressed them all by their first name.

“He knows everybody’s first name,” she says of Quintex’s 130 employees.

Ask a longtime Quintex customer like Murray Chevrolet CEO Dan Murray, who’s been using its uniform cleaning and rental services for more than 25 years, and he’ll say it’s also the way the company does business.

“They’re one of those suppliers that’s very customer-focused. If we have an issue, they get it resolved. We’ve just had great dealings with them over the years,” Murray said.

Longtime client Doug Harvey, Maxim Truck & Trailer CEO, said it’s all about values and corporate culture.

“I grew up with the family… and no generation was treated as if it had a silver spoon. They all had to work hard and they all understood the importance of working hard and treating your customers and employees well,” he said.

Quintex doesn’t have a ton of competitors — seven by Quinton’s count, and some of them are smaller operations. Only one — Canadian Linen & Uniform Services — competes with it in all three key areas of its business: uniforms, linens and floor mat cleaning and rentals.

But don’t assume Quintex has it easy these days. Quinton said the big industry players are still trying to gobble up the smaller operators or squeeze them out of the market. He said he fields four or five calls a year from competitors wanting to buy the company.

To stay competitive in an increasingly “cutthroat” business, Quintex has added new divisions in the last two years. First Aid Supplies sells, inspects and upgrades first-aid kits for its corporate customers, and Image Group provides embroidery services for customer uniforms and promotional wear.

Although none of David Quinton’s five children are currently waiting in the wings to take over the family business, he’s hoping that will change by the time he’s ready to retire.

“But I wouldn’t want to put anybody in that position if they don’t want to be there,” he added. “We’ve always told our kids to find a passion, not a destination.”

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca