Cadet Uniform Services
The case introduces Quetin Wahl, the founder and President of Toronto-based Cadet Uniform Services Ltd. Cadet was the third largest uniform cleaning company in the world and occupied a 10% share of the $300 million uniform-cleaning business in Canada. In 1993 Cadet was among the five companies awarded a Certificate of Merit under the federally-sponsored Canadian Awards for Business Excellence. The case studies the basic strengths of Cadet and what made the company one of the leading players in their industry.
The case is designed for classroom discussion of corporate culture and HR systems (including hiring, training, and rewards), the basic ingredients in the company's phenomenal 20% annual growth in the past decade. The case focuses on the approach adopted by Wahl, which included using both monetary and non-monetary motivational drivers for the Customer Service Representatives (CSRs), as well as fostering employee entrepreneurship.
