WILMINGTON, Mass., July 16, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Founder’s Day is the day each year when the over 250 locations of UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF ) across North America and in Europe celebrate the memory of company founder Aldo Croatti. The company’s 14,000-plus employee Team Partners take a break from their busy schedules and join together to honor the man who started the $1.6 billion uniform service and supply company on July 12, 1936.
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 Mr. Croatti’s passing in 2001 and is held on the Friday closest to the historic founding date each year. Annual festivities include presentations, barbecues, speeches, fun-filled activities, and awards. The day also recognizes Croatti’s founding Core Values that remain the foundation of the company’s corporate culture today—Customer Focus, Respect for Others, and Commitment to Quality— with Team Partners renewing their annual commitment to the company’s Essentials of Service and pledging to keep customers the focus of everything they do.
This year’s celebration also served as a kickoff to a company wide safety initiative that reinforces UniFirst’s long-standing commitment to creating a safe work environment for all of its employee Team Partners. Reflecting the company’s family-like culture, local leadership also highlighted the importance of practicing safe habits whether in the workplace or at home, and acting as “safety heroes” to help prevent any issues from arising.
“We care deeply about the safety of our employee Team Partners and their families,” says Steven Sintros, UniFirst president and CEO. “Whether it’s at the office or in the home, safety is a top priority and we’re committed to helping everyone in our UniFirst family stay safe. I can’t think of a better way to communicate this message than on the day when we all gather together as a family to celebrate our founder and the Core Values that make up the fabric of our company.”
It is in this same spirit that on Founder’s Day each of the 250 UniFirst locations names its Employees 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 250 service locations, over 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 800.455.7654 or visit UniFirst.com.
Donna Kish, PR/Communications
Phone: 978.527.3871
Email: Donna_Kish@unifirst.com
