WILMINGTON, Mass. (July 2016) – It’s the day when the over 225 locations of UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF) across North America celebrate the memory of company founder Aldo Croatti. The company’s 12,000-plus employee Team Partners take a break from their busy schedules and join together to honor the man who started the billion-dollar uniform service and supply company on July 12, 1936. And this year’s celebration was extra special, as they also recognized 80 years in business.
Headquartered in Wilmington, Mass., UniFirst is a leading provider of customized work uniform programs, corporate attire, and facility service products to businesses throughout the U.S. and Canada. Together with its subsidiaries, UniFirst also provides first-aid and safety products, and manages specialized garment programs for the cleanroom and nuclear industries.
Founder’s Day has been an annual event since Aldo Croatti’s passing in 2001. This special day is held on the Friday closest to the historic founding date each year. On July 15, at company facilities throughout the United States and Canada, UniFirst Team Partners gathered for barbecues, speeches, activities, and awards.
During the festivities at the corporate headquarters in Wilmington, Mass., UniFirst president and CEO Ron Croatti, who has witnessed the company’s continued positive growth every year of his more than 50 years with the company, said, “This is a remarkable milestone and I know my father would be very proud of all we have accomplished.” He went on to tell the employee Team Partners at the corporate event, “I preach one thing all the time: Our people are the key to our 80 years of success. You are our success. We’re a team and we appreciate everybody’s effort.”
Each year on Founder’s Day, in addition to honoring Aldo Croatti, employee Team Partners recognize his founding Core Values that remain the foundation of UniFirst’s corporate culture today: customer focus, respect for others, and commitment to quality. Team Partners also renew their annual commitment to the company’s Essentials of Service and pledge to keep customers the focus of everything they do.
It is in this same spirit that on Founder’s Day each UniFirst location names its Employee of the Year—the person who best exemplifies the Core Values. Each Employee of the Year is presented with a special recognition gift, earns an extra day off with pay, and his or her name is engraved on a plaque that remains on permanent display at their UniFirst location.
About UniFirst
Headquartered in Wilmington, Mass., UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF) is a North American leader in the supply and servicing of uniform and workwear programs, as well as the delivery of facility service programs. Together with its subsidiaries, the company also provides first aid and safety products, and manages specialized garment programs for the cleanroom and nuclear industries. UniFirst manufactures its own branded workwear, protective clothing, and floorcare products, and with over 225 service locations, 275,000 customer locations, and 12,000 employee Team Partners, the company outfits more than 1.6 million workers each business day. For more information, contact UniFirst at 888.365.1591 or visit UniFirst.com.
Contact:
Meghan Marcus
PR/Communications Specialist
UniFirst Corporation
68 Jonspin Rd.
Wilmington, MA 01887
978.527.3974
Meghan_Marcus@unifirst.com
