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UniFirst history
UniFirst company history timeline
From its humble beginnings in a converted Boston, MA horse barn in 1936 with only a handful of employees and a few dozen customers, UniFirst has grown to employ 14,000 employee Team Partners who serve over 300,000 business customer locations from 260 facilities in North America and Europe.
The turning point for the young company came in 1940 when Aldo Croatti became general manager, just after his father-in-law, who had held this position, died.
The National Overall Dry Cleaning Company was incorporated in Massachusetts on October 6, 1950.
It was one of several companies in the metropolitan Boston area charged with long-term disposal of toxic wastes into local drinking water wells. It faced both a civil action brought by individuals and a government lawsuit under the federal "Superfund" law (officially known as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980).
In 1985 UniFirst found itself in the midst of a potential public relations nightmare.
Instead, it reached a settlement agreement of the individuals' civil action in 1985, under which it would pay $1.5 million to a group of local residents whose children had contracted leukemia.
In 1991, UniFirst and three other companies--W.R. Grace & Company, Beatrice Foods, and New England Plastics--decided not to challenge the federal Superfund action any further, and agreed to pay a total of $69 million toward cleanup of the site.
In 1991 Ronald Croatti became the chief executive officer of the company.
At least partially because of the negative publicity surrounding the Woburn pollution case, UniFirst hired a public relations firm in 1992.
An account of the history of this case, A Civil Action, was written by an attorney representing the Woburn families, and became a best seller shortly after it was published in 1995.
To provide this delivery service, UniFirst owned or leased about 1,500 vehicles in 1996.
In 1996, UniFirst had facilities in the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands.
In 1997 the Walt Disney Company announced plans to produce a feature-length film based on the struggles of the families.
Visitors to the company's web site in 1997 could see a discussion of the environmentally friendly aspects of renting and commercially laundering uniforms, as well as information on UniFirst's participation in energy efficient lighting programs.
A total of 13.5 million viewers watch the episode which contributes to record sales in 2011.
In 2011, UniFirst featured in an episode of the reality television series Undercover Boss.
In May 2017, Ronald Croatti died and Steven S. Sintros became President & CEO.
WILMINGTON, Mass., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- UniFirst (NYSE:UNF), a North American leader in providing customized business uniform programs, facility service products, and first aid and safety services, is launching its first national brand campaign in the company's 86-year history.
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UniFirst competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aramark Uniform Services | 1936 | $41.0M | 250 | - |
| The Schwan Food Company | 1952 | $3.0B | 11,000 | - |
| Odwalla Juice Co | 1980 | $187.9M | 900 | - |
| Utz Brands | 1921 | $1.2B | 1,800 | 79 |
| Fastenal | 1967 | $7.5B | 20,565 | 296 |
| Cintas | 1968 | $9.6B | 40,000 | 2,280 |
| Frito-Lay | 1989 | $15.8B | 166 | 210 |
| john conti Coffee | 1962 | $51.0M | 110 | - |
| Rug Doctor | 1972 | $230.0M | 750 | 23 |
| RECO Equipment | 1983 | $59.4M | 100 | 41 |
UniFirst history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of UniFirst, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about UniFirst. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at UniFirst. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by UniFirst. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of UniFirst and its employees or that of Zippia.
UniFirst may also be known as or be related to UNIFIRST CORP, UniFirst, UniFirst Corp., UniFirst Corporation, Unifirst and Unifirst Corporation.