Great Lakes Building Systems (GLBS) is celebrating 25 years in the fire security systems integration business this year. Backed by a strong succession plan and a continued focus on the quality service customers rely on, the locally owned, Elma-based company is well positioned to serve the community for decades to come.
It’s that consistency and unmatched service the company’s major clients like Moog, Golisano Childrens’ Hospital, Verizon and many of Western New York’s largest businesses keep coming back for.
“We have a guaranteed four-hour response time for all of our customers,” says John Wojdan, president and owner of GLBS. “Nobody out there has that. We do, and we pride ourselves on it.”
As a company that designs, installs, maintains and services complex fire and high-end security systems, that rapid response time can make all the difference in facilities like hospitals and schools.
The consistency also plays out through the company’s growing staff of 67. Wojdan says the family-based culture at GLBS drives strong employee retention. New employees are often hired based on their honesty, integrity and willingness to learn first, as the company invests heavily in training to make sure its technicians stay on top of the latest trends in the industry.
“Our customers value our response time, our technical ability and our unmatched expertise,” he says. “We have the answers for them, and we have the talent to design solutions for every problem. Many customers have been with us for 10-plus years. They have a choice. They can go wherever they want, but they keep coming back to us.”
As GLBS continues to expand its footprint and its staff at its Transit Road headquarters, Wojdan also prioritizes community support. GLBS offers free fire suppression system trainings to local volunteer fire departments each month, allowing firefighters to learn the ins and outs of commercial sprinkler and alarm systems.
“We have 20 to 70 people in at a time about once a month, and we can show them what to look for during a fire emergency using alarm systems to pinpoint the fire’s location or how to find the valve for a sprinkler system, for example,” says Wojdan. “This can save them time during critical situations.”
From designing and installing fire suppression and security systems for everything from shipping containers to multi-building complexes, GLBS’s wide range of expertise for both small and large commercial customers has driven tremendous growth—making it an attractive buy for larger corporations and private equity firms.
But Wojdan prefers to keep it in the family. After 47 years in the business, he plans to start handing the reins to his three children in a few years, ensuring GLBS maintains the all-local sales and comprehensive service its customers are used to, with a local showroom that’s unique to GLBS.
“We bring a valuable sense of security to our customers,” he says. “They know we’re going to be around for a while, and the same person is going to be coming to service their building. They also know they can come see our systems for themselves in our showroom, which is something no one else offers in the area. We’re proud of that personal service and plan to continue that focus for many decades more.”
