As we celebrate Roy.'s 70th anniversary, we want to highlight the key moments that have shaped the company's identity and values. It's also an opportunity to shine a light on the collaborators and employees who helped build our history. These individuals are the pillars and driving force behind our growth — they're the reason our company shines today.
Join us at the heart of this deeply human entrepreneurial journey as we celebrate the achievements and values that have united us since 1954, as well as the big dream we're building together at Roy.
What you'll learn in this article:
- ✓Moments that shaped Roy.'s identity
- ✓A renewed commitment to employee well-being
- ✓A distinctive and authentic brand promise
- ✓Together today, toward Roy.'s big dream
Moments that shaped Roy.'s identity
As we celebrate Roy.'s 70th anniversary, we want to take a moment to revisit the milestones that have shaped our history. These defining moments have brought us together, filled us with pride and gratitude, and above all, fueled our drive to challenge industry norms.
This ongoing reflection is the driving force that allows us to build an ever stronger, more prosperous company, in service of our valued employees, clients and partners.
1954: Les Services ménagers Roy. ltée is founded by Guy Roy.
1956: Guy Roy lands his first major contract: the Hôpital Saint-Charles Borromée. He leaves his salaried job to devote himself full-time to his company.
1960 : The company now has about a hundred employees. The rise of secular institutions allows it to secure new contracts.
1966: Several religious communities sell their buildings to the government, giving rise to the Cégeps. The Université de Montréal also acquires new pavilions this way. Guy Roy shows great ingenuity by securing contracts with these new government players.
1969: Head office moves to 2073 Papineau Street.
1973: Jean-Yves Roy joins the company. His first mandate: negotiating the collective agreement with FTQ Local 298. This negotiation would lead, in 1975, to the decree that improved working conditions for all employees in the industry.
1977: Opening of the Trois-Rivières branch, with major contracts secured such as UQTR and Cégep de Trois-Rivières.
1980: Operations begin in the Outaouais region. Today, there are more than a hundred employees there.
1994: Roy. secures a contract across 4 different sites in James Bay. Covering the 605 km involved means traveling by plane or helicopter. Meanwhile, in another corner of the province, the contract with the Université de Sherbrooke leads to the opening of a branch in that region.
1996: Les Services ménagers Roy. ltée qualifies for ISO 9001, a standard that defines the criteria for a quality management system.
1998: Jean-Yves Roy is named president after serving as vice-president since 1977. The company now has 900 employees.
2000: Julie Roy joins Les Services ménagers Roy. ltée as Director of Human Resources, and the company moves to Anjou, our current location. The company now has 1,200 employees.
2003: The company confirms its green shift by focusing on
biotechnological cleaning products. This forward-thinking approach draws the attention of several Quebec media outlets.
2006: The company launches three new divisions: GTI Roy inc., TRIOSystème contrôle biotechnologiques and post-disaster restoration services in partnership with GUS. We decide to create a new brand image to reflect the addition of these 3 divisions: Groupe SMR Inc.
2008: Groupe SMR Inc. wins a Mercuriades award for sustainable development and social responsibility. Julie and her grandfather proudly accept the award, presented by Stéphan Bureau in front of a packed room.
2011: The company qualifies for ISO 14001-2014, an environmental management standard highly sought after by contract holders.
2013: Julie Roy becomes President and CEO.
2016: Groupe SMR Inc. becomes Roy. This new name comes with a major image refresh, including the color of the official logo and the attendants' uniforms.
2018: Roy. merges with Signature services d'entretien. A new alliance that makes it possible to offer the industry's best service.
2020: The Covid-19 pandemic hits Quebec. Roy.'s employees show up on the front lines every day to keep our clients' spaces clean, healthy and safe.
2021: Roy. transforms its head office into a skills development centre to offer ongoing training for employees and managers in the field. It's now known as Campus Roy. The company earns the prestigious national Great Place To Work certification for the first time and acquires Air Innovation, a company dedicated to ventilation duct cleaning. A pivotal year for the company.
2022: Roy. is selected as one of the Best Managed Companies. This recognition means a great deal to everyone at the company.
2023: Roy. obtains the Certification Carboneutre. It also acquires a second ventilation duct cleaning company serving the Outaouais region: Prop-Air.
2024: 70 years of excellence at Roy.
A renewed commitment to employee well-being
Since 1954, every generation at the helm of Roy. has reinforced the importance of valuing employees and caring for their well-being to ensure the company's prosperity. This close-knit approach was already well established when the company had only a handful of employees, and it remains an innate priority today with more than 2800 employees, under Julie Roy's leadership.
Julie Roy, CEO and President of Roy., highlights the strength of a family legacy centered on kindness: "Roy. has evolved over the years, but its essence remains unchanged: we invest in our employees and we believe in them, because we aim to deliver exceptional service to our clients. That was already my grandfather's philosophy, then my father's. We're convinced that the quality of our service is directly tied to the excellence of our team."
By cultivating a caring environment where every individual feels valued and supported, we equip our employees every day to deliver flawless client service in the field. That was true 70 years ago and it's just as essential today.
A distinctive and authentic brand promise
For Roy., our brand promise is far more than a catchy tagline. It's our commitment, a standard we hold ourselves to, and an essential tool for building lasting, trusted relationships with our employees, clients and partners.
Our promise rests on four commitments:
- We have the best people: the best-trained employees and the best leaders to retain them.
- We offer the best service: we deliver a distinctive, systematized and automated experience.
- We are the best partner: we are committed to offering the greatest closeness and flexibility to foster the best possible collaboration with our partners.
- All of it for a better world: we make decisions today that we'll be proud of for future generations.
Christine Jacques, VP of Operations at Alre Properties and a Roy. client, perfectly illustrates the pillars of our commitment: "What sets Roy. apart is its very human, personalized approach, despite its significant growth over the years. I feel like I'm working with a small company that adapts to my needs and to those of my building.
Choosing Roy. has made my job easier and gives me great peace of mind, knowing that not only are the cleaning tasks taken care of, but the building's occupants also appreciate having Josée and Réginald, our Roy. employees, around."
Together today, toward Roy.'s big dream
We want to revolutionize the commercial janitorial world by 2034.
This is our big, ambitious dream — one we're all collectively committed to. We envision greater automation of our systems through artificial intelligence, along with in-depth training for our employees and leaders. We want to transform our industry and define tomorrow's standards, all while staying true to the human, authentic approach that defines Roy.
