UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF), a North American leader in providing customized work uniform programs, corporate attire, and facility service products, is holding a 20th anniversary celebration on March 29, beginning at 2 p.m., at its state-of-the-art Owensboro Distribution Center, located at 2801 UniFirst Drive, Owensboro, Ky., one of the area’s largest employers with 445 employee Team Partners.
Daviess County Judge-Executive Al Mattingly and Owensboro Mayor Tom Watson will make a special presentation at the event to recognize UniFirst for its significant investments and contributions to the local economy. State and local representatives, area business leaders, UniFirst customers, and staff are also expected to gather at the 360,000-square-foot Daviess County distribution and fulfillment center to hear remarks from UniFirst executives and guests, take part in a tour of the operation, and enjoy a reception.
“Our 20th anniversary marks an important milestone for UniFirst as we reflect on our past success in the area and look forward to the company’s continued growth and future accomplishments,” says UniFirst–Owensboro General Manager Dave Roberts. “Our extraordinary growth over the years and our long-term relationships that we’ve established with our customers and local business community are certainly cause for celebration.”
The distribution center inventories, customizes, and distributes work apparel and personal safety items to companies throughout North America. Currently, the facility ships 18 million garments annually, compared to roughly 7 million garments when the facility first opened in 1998, representing an increase of more than 240 percent. The distribution center has also added 40,000 square feet of space and nearly doubled its staff during this time—with 90 percent of its leadership team promoted from within.
UniFirst has also made significant investments in technology, including the implementation of advanced automation and latest-generation robotic storage picking to help maximize efficiencies when fulfilling customer orders, and to allow for the highest levels of quality and service in the industry.
“I want to personally congratulate all of our Owensboro employee Team Partners for their years of dedication and hard work in making this Distribution Center, as well as our company as a whole, a true business success story,” says UniFirst president and CEO Steven Sintros. “I’d also like to thank the many community organizations, area business leaders, and our valued customers who have supported our company and this operation over the past two decades.”
According to one UniFirst customer in the Owensboro area, Bill Carrico, president and owner of Four Seasons Heating and Cooling, UniFirst has been providing excellent customer service to his company for more than 17 years. “In today’s competitive business world, image is very important,” says Carrico. “I’ve had several comments over the years about how professional our employees look in their clean pressed uniforms. If we have a repair or need a uniform replaced, our route sales representative is quick to respond and takes immediate care of our needs.”
Based in Wilmington, Mass., UniFirst is one of the nation’s largest textile-service companies. Founded in Boston in 1936, UniFirst now employs more than 14,000 people worldwide and outfits nearly 2 million workers at 300,000 business locations from 250 facilities throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
