OSHKOSH, Wis. — Commercial laundry equipment manufacturer Girbau North America (GNA) recently recognized several distributors with 2022 Distributor of the Year awards for superior sales and service within specific markets.

Fowler Laundry Solutions, based in Union, New Jersey, received its fifth consecutive GNA Multi-Housing Distributor of the Year award for outstanding service, sales and support in the multi-housing laundry market.

Led by Doug Fowler and founded in 1952, the multi-generational company employs 70 team members. The full-service company is among the largest laundry equipment distributors in the Mid-Atlantic region, GNA says, and serves the vended, multi-housing, on-premise and industrial laundry markets.

“The Fowler team makes it easy for customers to do business with them because they provide full service and support at every stage, from the laundry amenity proposal and facility upgrades to the value-added elements critical to an extended relationship with their customers,” says GNA Vice President Joel Jorgensen.

“They masterfully package solutions tailored to each customer, often combining LG Commercial and Continental Girbau washers and dryers with payment systems, service contracts and ownership/lease options. At GNA, we are proud to work beside them.”

Lavanett, based in St. Laurent, Quebec, earned its third consecutive Canadian Distributor of the Year award for exemplary performance in the on-premise and vended laundry markets within Quebec.

Owned by Earl Eichen, Lavanett employs 20 team members and provides laundry and textile care solutions, parts and service.

“Lavanett once again captured GNA’s attention in Canada,” says Jorgensen. “Earl and his team work hard to provide targeted laundry solutions to a wide array of markets, as well as unrivaled service after the sale, which is a huge part of their success equation.”

GNA and Lavanett have enjoyed a 22-year partnership, according to Eichen: “It’s hard to believe our first order with GNA dates back to May 2001. During this time, GNA has introduced several different series of equipment lines and constant upgrades on existing ones. These innovations have allowed us to penetrate different markets and gain a greater share of existing ones. We are selling equipment into markets now that we didn’t know of years ago.”

Other GNA award-winners were AAdvantage, Garland, Texas, in the athletic, industrial and on-premise laundry markets, and Eagle Star, Troy, Michigan, in the textile care market.

GNA provides commercial, industrial and vended laundry solutions through brands that include Continental Girbau^®, Girbau Industrial^®, Sports Laundry Systems^®, Poseidon Textile Care Systems^®, Express Laundry Centers^®, OnePress^®, Econo and LG Commercial.