Past Chairman, CEO, and President Ronald D. Croatti Remembered Alongside His Father, UniFirst Founder Aldo Croatti
WILMINGTON, Mass. () – It’s the day when the 250 locations of UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF) across North America celebrate the memory of company founder Aldo Croatti. The company’s 14,000 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. This year’s celebration had particular meaning, as they also honored Aldo Croatti’s son, Ronald D. Croatti, UniFirst’s most recent chairman, CEO, and president, who passed away on May 23, 2017.
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 14, at company facilities throughout the United States and Canada, UniFirst employee Team Partners gathered for barbecues, speeches, activities, and awards.
During this year’s festivities at the corporate headquarters in Wilmington, Mass., in addition to honoring Aldo Croatti, UniFirst paid tribute to his son Ronald Croatti with a legacy video highlighting his professional accomplishments. Ronald Croatti, who took over as chief executive in 1991 succeeding his father, is credited for having turned UniFirst into the second-largest uniform service and supply company in North America and grew annual revenues from $100 million to more than $1.5 billion.
In addition, each year on Founder’s Day, employee Team Partners recognize Aldo Croatti’s 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 company’s 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 250 service locations, 300,000 customer locations, and 14,000 employee Team Partners, the company outfits nearly 2 million workers each business day. For more information, contact UniFirst at 888.831.1787 or visit UniFirst.com.
Contact:
Donna Kish
PR/Communications Specialist
UniFirst Corporation
68 Jonspin Rd.
Wilmington, MA 01887
978.527.3871
Donna_Kish@unifirst.com
