GCI Systems is the recipient of national awards for superior quality,
and has a proven success record with national accounts.

GCI Systems honored to win the 2006 Deubener Award

The Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce annually recognizes small businesses.
As a part of celebrating Small Business Week, awarding the Walter & Lydia Deubener* Award to five small businesses at the 25th Annual Small Business Awards of Excellence Luncheon in May, 2006 at Prom Center in Oakdale.
Businesses will be honored with the Deubener Award in each of the following categories; manufacturing, family and/or minority owned, non-profit, emerging business (3 - 10 years in business) and service. These five organizations can be located throughout the Saint Paul/East Metro area.
Winners judged according to the following criteria:

1. GROWTH
2. EXCELLENCE
3. RISK
4. DIVERSITY
5. INNOVATION

Why is it called the Deubener Award?
Walter & Lydia Deubener were the proprietors of a grocery and five and dime store on West Seventh Street in downtown Saint Paul.  As an increasing number of packaged goods were introduced, the Deubeners noticed their customers’ purchases were limited not by their pocket books but by how much they could carry.  After a time, Walter came up with an idea: he took an ordinary paper sack, punched four holes in each side, reinforced the bottom with string, looped the string through the holes and over the top to form handles.  This was the first handled shopping bag.  Their business increased overnight.  The couple eventually sold their store to go into the shopping bag business.  In 1919, they sold nearly one million bags and established manufacturing facilities in Saint Paul.

Other Awards

• 2006 Deubener Award St Paul Chamber of Commerce
• 2005 Top 500 Small Businesses (6 in Minnesota)" Diversity Business.com
• 2000-2005 Top 25 Minority-Owned Businesses" The Business Journal
• 2000-2005 Top 25 Woman-Owned Businesses the Business Journal
• 2003-2005 Premier Asian 50 award in U.S." Asian Business News
• 1997, 2003 Regional Supplier of the Year National Minority Supplier Development Council
• 1997, 2003 Supplier of the Year Minnesota Minority Supplier Development Council
• 2001-2005 Most Valuable Partner Hewlett Packard Company
• 2001-2002 Hall of Fame Compaq Computer Corporation
• 2001 Smart 100 Companies Ziff Davis Smart Partner Magazine
• 2001 Working Women 500 (Kay Kuba) Working Woman Magazine
• 2003-2005 Top 100 Minority-Owned Firms Minority Business News
• 1998 Small Business Administrator Award for Excellence Honeywell
• 1993 Fastest Growing Company in America Inc. Magazine
• 1993 Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Kay Kuba) Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA)