UniFirst Honors CEO’s 50-Year Milestone

Every year since 2001, UniFirst Corp. employees across North America collectively stop work to celebrate Founder’s Day. With speeches, barbecues, activities and awards, they honor the memory of Aldo Croatti, who founded the company on July 12, 1936, on the Friday closest to the historic founding date each year. This year marked a milestone for the current UniFirst President and CEO Ron Croatti, as he reached his 50th year of service.

The company has marked his accomplishments by establishing a scholarship in his name – the Ronald D. Croatti Scholarship Program, and dedicating a book written by employees that’s filled with personal stories and anecdotes that exemplify the UniFirst family culture. Highlights of his accomplishments include increasing UniFirst's annual revenues from $250 million to nearly $1.5 billion in just under 25 years and overseeing continued annual positive growth. Croatti also has been recognized as the 2014 Executive of the Year by the Best in Biz awards and was featured on CBS’ reality series Undercover Boss.

"I don't know how to thank you … The scholarship program is terrific,” said Croatti, according to a news release. “I really appreciate it. The success of the company is not me, it's the 12,000 people that come to work every day and put 100% of their effort into it. We’re all part of a team, part of a big family, working together with one shared objective. That’s what we try to do here – bring that family culture in to achieve great things."

In this same spirit, Founder’s Day celebrations also include recognizing the founding core values that are part of UniFirst’s corporate culture today: customer focus, respect for others and commitment to quality. Each UniFirst location also names its Employee of the Year, who best exemplifies these values. Click here for details.