“100 years of Quality in Dental”
Over GC Europe
GC was founded by Kiyoshi Nakao, Yoshinosuke Enjo and Tokuemon Mizuno on 11 February 1921 in Tokyo, Japan. In 2021 we celebrated ‘100 years of Quality in Dental’.
For over 25 years, we have been recognised by both dentists and dental technicians alike as a provider of consistently high quality products that are easy to handle, as well as being capable of delivering the highest service standards to our customers. Our dedication to dentistry continually results in product development that provides value to our customers. We lead the way in glass ionomer technology and are well known for more than 20 years of expertise and progress in the field of gypsum products as well as impression and investment materials. In recent years we have added further strategic fields to our portfolio, in the form of innovative systems and products in Aesthetic Dentistry and Minimum Intervention.
INNOVATION AND SCIENCE
Our goal is very clear - as an innovative company encompassing both tradition and experience, we are dedicated to setting further milestones in dentistry. In our aim to achieve this goal, our primary concern is not simply technical product safety; we are also focused on the safety of people and oral health in particular, naturally always combined with the latest scientific knowledge. It is for this reason that GC EUROPE has provided long-standing support for the renowned Faculty of Dentistry at Leuven University (Belgium), as well as many other centres of excellence.
Through the Toshio Nakao Chair, we promote research into the adhesion of all dental materials. Our objective in this regard is to obtain a better understanding of how dentine and enamel adhesion works and successfully apply this knowledge to the development of innovative products. Following the groundbreaking bonding system GC G-Bond for GC Gradia Direct, this range has been extended by our research department with a number of exciting and well-tested product additions, including flowables or self-adhesive luting cements.
INNOVATION AND PARTNERSHIP
Through intensive cooperation and continual dialogue with dentists and technicians, we are in a position to recognise trends and identify needs and product requirements at very early stages. For example, a medical approach to caries management is quickly becoming an essential aspect of modern dental practice. For this reason, together with a group of professionals, we have introduced the pioneering concept of Minimum Intervention. The principles of MI are simple: to IDENTIFY and assess any potential caries risk factors at the earliest stage possible and to eliminate or minimise them to PREVENT caries occurring. If surgical repair is required, our aim is to ensure the maximum amount of tooth structure is conserved whilst bioactive materials are used to RESTORE the tooth. The first products relating to this program are GC Tooth Mousse and GC Saliva-Check Buffer and our aim is to continue to provide additional products for simple but profound saliva diagnosis and impressive caries protection in the form of GC MI Paste Plus and GC Plaque Indicator Kit. Minimum Intervention by GC: a vision of caries management designed for the 21st century.
CLOSE TO YOU
At GC EUROPE, we respond to the diverse regional markets by ensuring we operate branches throughout the major European countries and provide strong support teams that are local experts in the dental trade. Europe-wide networking and a central database ensure that all our products can be delivered in an efficient manner and are consistently available through our partners. In addition, GC EUROPE is proud to announce that we have been granted the EFQM “Recognized for Excellence” award. This represents another step towards our commitment to improving both our performance and services. After all, the concepts of tradition and innovation apply just as much to our products as they do to the services that we provide to you.
Vision - Mission - Values
OUR VISION
To be Europeʼs benchmark dental company.
By being recognised by every dental professional as their foremost partner
By achieving turnover of more than 10% of the European dental market
By becoming a key player in strategic markets with all of our strategic products
By making a major contribution to GC corporate profits and underpinning the success of the entire group
OUR MISSION
To make GC one of the leading oral health companies, supplying world-class quality products and services to all European dental professionals.
Our key priority throughout: to turn GC into a genuine global company by combining the ‘best of both worldsʼ from Japan and Europe and playing to core strengths - in unison:
Perseverance - we never give up
Perfection - we continuously improve every aspect of our work
Productivity - we provide best value
Initiative - we are proactive
Diversity - we speak your language
Flexibility - we are open-minded in identifying ideal solutions
Integrity - we create working environments that allow for the constructive exchange of views and encourage open management
OUR VALUES
As a company we draw upon a multitude of opportunities and strengths. Each centres on our objective: to serve the needs of all European dental professionals.
This unites us within a single, powerful team committed to the following core values:
Mutual respect - independent of gender, race, religion, creed, ideology, education, lifestyle or beliefs
Accountability - we do what we say and say what we do
Trust - we can look each other in the eye as a fair and trusted partner
Quality first - we never compromise on quality
Winning philosophy - we are team players who play to win!
Company Profile and Worldwide Networks
GC manufactures about 600 types of products and sells them in more than 100 countries around the world. Due to differing requirements in the various overseas markets, GC has very deliberately localized its European, US, and Asian operations. GC has lost no time in optimizing its on-site activities, while at the same time fulfilling its obligation as a local enterprise to actively participate in each country’s dental industry associations.
In this way, GC embraces the priority markets of Europe and the US with comparatively large market volumes, but manufactures in optimum locations around the world. It thus accommodates market demand while building a presence in the Chinese and Indian markets, which have firm growth expectations. GC’s three main production centers have all acquired ISO 13485 certification. Moreover, the company is becoming increasingly well known in the global marketplace for the high quality of its products.
GC’s Philosophy
SEMUI – Our Company’s Philosophy
In 1921, the three young men who had established a small research company called GC Chemical Research Laboratory in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, introduced their first product, Standard Cement. However, it proved a flop in the marketplace. This experience proved a great learning experience for the three men, who realized the importance of thinking from the customer’s standpoint. As a reminder of their initial failure, the three designated February 11 – the date of the first product’s launch – as the anniversary of the company.
After the unsuccessful launch, the founder, Kiyoshi NAKAO, introduced the corporate philosophy of SEMUI. The word SEMUI comes from the teachings of Kwannon Bodhisattva, who is revered in Hokekyo Buddhism. Put simply, SEMUI is an umbrella term that combines selflessness, pure objectivity, charity, and great wisdom.
For GC, SEMUI takes the following meaning: ‘True products are made for the good of others, not for our own sake’, and ‘an action for the benefit of a user will never fail to make us happy’. GC is convinced that if Associates adopt the spirit of SEMUI, they increase their motivation and have more energy. In this sense, the Associates work together in a community, and together they strive towards the manufacture of products that create value and satisfy customers.
Nakama Spirit
Every GC employee is referred to as a GC Associate, regardless of the position they hold in the company. GC is thus a company of Nakama (Associates), as it was established with the conviction that the source of a company’s energy and success lies not in the power of capital but instead depends on the quality of the people who work for it (Nakama). One of the main principles of the GC Nakama Spirit is that we do not work to make a profit for investors, but to safeguard the continual development of dental science and dental health in society in general.
Communication Loop
Inspiration is born where people are engaged in conversation, and within the space of a creative setting, shared experiences and emotions help to promote mutual understanding. GC sees a large amount of new power emanating from this understanding.
The idea of the Communication Loop is the basis for invigorating information exchange and deepening mutual understanding both among associates and between the customers and GC. Many of our company facilities, such as the R&D Center, Corporate Center and GC Campus, are designed as spaces to encourage communication and interaction.
Commitment to Quality
GC is deeply committed to achieving excellent quality. By remaining true to this commitment, GC will continue to play a part in society through dental products in order to make the 21st century the ‘Century of Health’. Dental materials and devices are becoming increasingly advanced and complex, and it is important to ensure their quality and reliability. Through GC’s quality assurance system, the company provides improved products and services that offer the level of quality required by customers.
GQM: GC’s Quality Management
In 1981, GC introduced its unique system of total quality control called GQC. Subsequently, GQC was expanded to include GQM (GC’s Quality Management), which now drives company-wide efforts to contribute to society through its products. Under the slogan ‘Improve Corporate Quality’, GQM continues to play a key role in GC’s corporate philosophy and business activities.
Quality Awards
Today, with consistent daily quality activity, many GC entities have received ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 13485 certification. Over the years, GC has been awarded for its excellence in quality, including being the first company in the dental industry to receive the internationally renowned Deming Award in 2000. This award is the highest honor in the area of quality, and is conferred on companies or individuals that have made a significant improvement in business results through TQM implementation.
GC also received the Japan Quality Medal in 2004, which is regarded worldwide as the highest recognition for quality management in organizations. Following these achievements, many of GC’s global entities were challenged and have also received the Deming Prize. In Europe, GC has excelled in the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) award system, most recently qualifying as a finalist in the European Excellence Award 2013.
Contact
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GC EUROPE N.V. - Benelux Sales Department
Researchpark Haasrode-Leuven 1240
Interleuvenlaan 33
3001 Leuven
België
Phone: +32 1674 1860
europe.gc.dental
info.benelux@gc.dental