National News - July 2005

Aramark Uniform Services Acquires ALAC Garment Services

Burbank, CA, June 8, 2005 (Company Release) - Aramark Uniform Services, a leading provider of uniform and career apparel, has acquired the industrial textile rental business of ALAC Garment Services. The acquisition adds approximately 650 customers to the Aramark Uniform Services customer base.

ALAC Garment Services rents and leases industrial uniforms and allied products, including mats, mops and shop towels. ALAC also cleans and reconditions work gloves used in the automotive industry. The asset acquisition includes both components of ALAC's business, and Aramark anticipates that the acquisition will add approximately $4 million to its annual revenue.

"Aramark Uniform Services is the best fit for our customer base," says Tom Proctor, president of ALAC Garment Services. "As a company, Aramark shares in many of the core values that we have long held at ALAC Garment Services."

"Like Aramark, ALAC has long been well regarded for its superior customer service and product quality," said Stephen Donly, president of Aramark Uniform Services. "This acquisition further strengthens Aramark’s ability to deliver a high level of customer care to businesses in Indianapolis and surrounding regions."

Aramark Uniform Services is a leading supplier of uniforms and career apparel, providing rental, purchase and lease programs to over 1.5 million people at more than 400,000 businesses. Aramark Uniform Services is a division of Aramark Uniform & Career Apparel Inc., a subsidiary of Aramark Corporation.

Cab Drivers Face Unwanted Rules, Including Uniforms

Annapolis , MD , June 12, 2005 (The Capital) - Having just learned that he's got to use a headset if he wants to talk on his cell phone while driving, cab driver Michael Hollenbach reached for his cell phone and put it to his ear this morning. "Hey. Did you hear anything about the council passing those taxicab regulations last night?" said the Reliable Cab driver. "This is not good news."

Under a new law the City Council unanimously passed last night, Mr. Hollenbach isn't up to new city standards for taxi drivers.

Clad in a gray T-shirt, shorts and sandals, he doesn't appear to meet the new regulations calling for a work uniform. The 14-item code of conduct, which took effect today, requires cabbies to use a hands-free device if they want to make a call, step out of their cabs to smoke and wear a badge, uniform or "clearly identifiable standard attire."

Sponsored by aldermen Cynthia Carter, Classie Hoyle and George O. Kelley Sr., the regulations on the city's 200 cabs were suggested by a task force on taxi regulations and are designed to clean up the business.

Cabbies across the city tell stories of fly-by-night van drivers who take groups of people for flat rates, instead of the $2 and $1.60 per mile. The task force of top cab companies in the city designed the regulations to crack down on the worst offenders.

"Most of these came at the industry's request," said city Transportation Director Danielle Matland.

Drivers this morning said the city will have difficulty enforcing some of the laws, including the cell phone restriction. Cab drivers usually use cell phones to take private fares from regular customers, while beginning cab companies use the phones in place of radios.

Taxi companies will need to work on their image as well under the new bill, which mandates every cab company have its own color scheme on their cars.

Supporters said the "standard attire" in the law can be as simple as a T-shirt or baseball hat with the company name.

But it will take time for the drivers to get their clothes on. Annapolis Cab Co. driver Clarence Johnson drove this morning in a white T-shirt and jeans, even though his company has polo shirts with the business logo.

"I only have one (shirt)," he said. "I'm not going to wear it all day long."

Mr. Hollenbach said the rules will continue to be broken as long as the city holds back.

"They need to put people out here who will catch the guys doing wrong," he said. "Why try to install new rules when the old ones aren't being enforced?"

Philadelphia University to Offer New B.S. Degree in Textile Engineering Technology

Philadelphia, PA, June 2, 2005 (PRNewswire) -- Philadelphia University, which has a rich history in textile design and engineering, has added a new B.S. in Textile Engineering Technology to its roster of innovative programs in engineering, textiles, business and fashion.

"The Textile Engineering Technology program will give students the tools to successfully manage textile businesses around the world," said David Brookstein, Sc.D., Dean of Philadelphia University's School of Engineering and Textiles. "Graduates will have the top-notch management and technology skills needed to lead textile and apparel businesses in today's global business environment."

The new B.S. in Textile Engineering Technology, which will be offered starting this fall, will prepare students to take leadership roles in one of the most important global industries. The four-year program will emphasize problem-solving based on an understanding of textile product and process, along with a strong foundation in the business of running a textile/apparel firm, including product sourcing.

Students will take a wide range of textile, science and business courses in Philadelphia University 's state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories. Textile courses include survey of the textile industry, yarn engineering, survey of the apparel industry, weaving, knitting, dyeing and finishing, nonwovens, textile materials and textile costing. Business courses will include info rmation systems, statistics, principles of management, financial management, economics and business law.

In addition to its academic components, the new program is designed to educate and graduate well-rounded individuals who possess the technical, educational and social competence to succeed at multiple levels in the future, including professional practice, advanced education, and responsible citizenship.

Philadelphia University is a private university with 3,100 full- and part- time students enrolled in more than 40 undergraduate and graduate programs. The University includes Schools of Architecture, Business Administration, Design and Media, Engineering and Textiles, Liberal Arts, and Science and Health.

Managing Risks Associated with Outbound Email

June 10, 2005 (PoynterOnline) - Companies spend a lot of time being concerned about incoming e-mail because of the viruses that can come with the messages. But increasingly, these businesses are even more concerned about what employees send out in their emails.

How do companies manage the legal and financial risks associated with outbound email? In May 2005, Proofpoint and Forrester Consulting conducted an online survey of 332 technology decision-makers at U.S. companies with more than 1,000 employees to learn more about how businesses are managing outgoing emails:

More than a third of companies (36.1 percent) employ staff to read or otherwise analyze outbound email. Forty percent of companies with more than 20,000 employees do this.

Leaks of proprietary info rmation and valuable intellectual property and ensuring compliance with internal corporate email policies are the top outbound email concerns among large companies.

Companies estimate that almost 1 in 4 outgoing emails (24.7 percent) contain content that poses a legal, financial or regulatory risk. The most common form of such "non-compliant" e-mail contains confidential or proprietary business info rmation.

More than 1 in 4 companies (27.1 percent) have terminated an employee for violating email policies in the past 12 months. More than half (50.6 percent) of companies have disciplined an employee for violating email policies in the past 12 months.

More than 1 in 3 companies (35.2 percent) investigated a suspected email leak of confidential or proprietary info rmation in the past 12 months. More than 30 percent of companies investigated a suspected violation of privacy or data protection regulations in the past 12 months.

More than 10 percent (10.5 percent) of companies were ordered by a court or regulatory body to produce employee email in the past 12 months.

In addition to concerns about the corporate mail system, more than 70 percent of companies are "very concerned" or "concerned" about web-based email (e.g., Hotmail, etc.) as a conduit for exposure of confidential info rmation. More than 60 percent of companies shared those concerns about Instant Messaging applications.

Nearly one half (49.3 percent) of large companies said it was "very important" to reduce the risks associated with outbound email in the next 12 months.

A free copy of this report can be downloaded by visiting: http://www.proofpoint.com/outbound

Educational Outfitters Company Announces Expansion into Six New Cities Nationwide

San Diego, CA, June 2, 2005, (PRWEB) - Educational Outfitters, the nation’s premier school apparel provider, is pleased to announce the opening of six new stores in San Diego, CA, Wyoming, MI, Aurora, IL, Schaumburg, IL, Dublin, OH and Scottsdale, AZ. The expansion of the company further confirms its commitment to becoming the nation’s leader in school uniforms. Educational Outfitters has grown very rapidly with its approach to a somewhat underserved marketplace. The company was recently ranked 408th and 37th, respectively, on Entrepreneur Magazine‘s "Franchise 500" and "Top 50 New Franchises" listings. Educational Outfitters is the first and only franchise opportunity in the school uniform industry.

Educational Outfitters offers school uniforms and apparel, in-house embroidery and screen printing services, on-line ordering, easy and hassle-free shopping in trendy stores, attentive and knowledgeable personal shoppers, alteration services, competitive prices, year round stock in all sizes, promotional and "spirit" items, plus much more. All six stores were scheduled to open in June, 2005, just in time to service the "05-06" school year. Each Educational Outfitters store is locally owned and operated. Each owner has a vested interest in providing their community and surrounding area with better service, better quality, better value and better stores.

In addition to the uniform apparel business, Educational Outfitters also offers a complimentary division, Custom Logo Outfitters, servicing corporate businesses with logo‘d apparel and promotional products.

Educational Outfitters is committed to the education community. Each store supports its local schools in more ways than providing high quality uniforms and promotional products. A percentage of every dollar spent goes back to the child‘s school, making it possible for schools to purchase much needed computer, library books, and even playground equipment.

For further information, contact Brian Elrod, Educational Outfitters, (423) 499-5052

Former Textile Maker Agrees to Fraud Plea

June 27, 2005 (AP) - The former head of a textile company who overstated assets by $35 million has agreed to plead guilty in a fraud case that bankrupted the manufacturer and cost 300 people their jobs.

Roy Terry, the one-time CEO of Terry Manufacturing Co., was expected to plead guilty Monday to charges including bank fraud, wire fraud, misuse of pension funds and illegal transportation of money across state lines, court documents show. He faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and $1 million in fines.

Terry Manufacturing was started in 1963 by J.A. Terry, but sons Roy and Rudolph Terry took over after their father retired in the mid-1970s. The company made items including military fatigues, NHL gear and uniforms for corporations including McDonald's.

Black Enterprise magazine listed Terry Manufacturing among the largest U.S. black-owned businesses, with total sales of $49.5 million in 2003. But the company already was drowning in red ink and fraud by then, court documents show.

With millions in unpaid loans and the company shut down, Roy Terry admitted to banks and federal investigators in June 2003 that Terry Manufacturing's assets were inflated by $35 million, court documents show.

The company filed for bankruptcy the following month, but many of its employees got jobs in another mill in the east Alabama town of Roanoke . Terry Manufacturing, which was liquidated, still owes banks more than $20 million in unpaid loans, according to the charges against Terry.

Lifeguards Need Uniforms Too

Long Beach, CA, June 25, 2005 (Long Beach Press, as reported by Troy Anderson) - Envious that firefighters get $1,000 to buy uniforms, the Los Angeles County lifeguards the buff men and women made famous on the TV series "Baywatch' are seeking $600 a year for their own duds.

"This is pretty ridiculous," said Lawndale resident Bob Russell, 42, who was visiting Mother's Beach in Marina del Rey on Friday. "I can see $50 a year, or $100 a year. But $600 is kind of on the steep side. That $600 is coming from somewhere. Who is losing their job on this?"

Under the proposed contract to be considered July 5 by the Board of Supervisors, lifeguards also would get a $400 "swim proficiency bonus' each year if they can swim 500 meters in a pool within nine minutes. The current test requires lifeguards to swim the distance in 10 minutes.

"We're paying them more when they wear almost nothing," said Kris Vosburgh, executive director of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. "Does that make sense?

Under the proposed contract, about 140 permanent lifeguards at county beaches and lakes would also get a 5 percent raise this year and a one-time lump sum payment of $2,500 to make up for going without raises since 2002, officials said. Only permanent lifeguards are entitled to the bonuses, not the 300 to 400 temporary lifeguards hired each summer.

Currently, sportswear manufacturer Izod donates the red swimming suits, white shirts and other beachwear worn by lifeguards.

The $600 uniform bonus would help lifeguards pay for their "formal' uniforms consisting of blue pants, a shirt, jacket, tie, badge and belt, which they wear during training, promotion ceremonies and funerals.

When they are hired, lifeguards each receive two or three uniforms.

"After the initial issue, they are required to maintain them up to departmental standards," said Ann Marinovich, principal analyst in the Chief Administrative Office's Employee Relations Division.

"There is a lot more that goes on than just hanging out at the beach. The lifeguards get called to roadside emergencies around the beach. They are there and can get to the emergency much faster than other emergency personnel."

Capt. Erik Albertson, president of the Los Angeles County Lifeguard Association, said lifeguards are required to wear a variety of uniforms, depending on the assignment. He couldn't predict whether $600 would be enough to cover their annual uniform expenses. "It kind of depends on how many teams the person is involved in, how many times they are deployed a season and how much wear and tear the uniform items experience," Albertson said. "Certainly, you could spend half the uniform allowance on sunglasses alone.”

"The job of the ocean lifeguard entails a lot more than just wearing swimming trunks now," Fire Department spokesman Garth Canning said.

"We require all of our permanent employees to be certified divers. Bathing suits are just a part of what we do. You would be amazed at how much stuff we bring to work on a daily basis. There are times when we go down the sides of cliffs. The one thing that is sort of misconception is that as a professional lifeguard in Los Angeles County you are just wearing a bathing suit. We have lots of safety equipment too.”

Palm Bay Fashions a Makeover for Police

Palm Bay , FL , June 3, 2005 , (Florida Today) - Police Chief William Berger has made another change: All department employees are now wearing more formal uniforms.

Gone are the golf shirts. In fact, all short sleeves will be banned in the winter months. And the shorts too, even for the bicycle cops.

Berger said the public expects -- and should get -- professionalism from police, including in appearance.

All officers with the rank of sergeant and above began following the new dress code earlier this year. The uniforms were phased in among other police personnel, and today, everyone sports the dark blue, long-sleeved uniforms.

Sgt. Frank McBee was among those who switched early. "It's a welcome change that will present a more positive and professional image," he said.

That's what Berger wanted. "There was no distinction of rank (before), and it gave a very sloppy appearance," said Berger.

Officer Barry Self agreed, even though the white cotton polo-type shirt he previously wore didn't require ironing. "This is utilitarian, but I don't think it looks as professional -- or as traditional," he said.

Since Berger took over in the fall, he has made numerous changes, including creating special "themed" details and changing record-keeping procedures and staff.

Pipestone Firefighters Now Up To Date in Dress, Equipment

Pipestone, MN, June 13, 2005 (Pipestone Star) - With new high-tech uniforms with bright reflective banding, you may not recognize Pipestone Firefighters.

The new gear reflects a world changed by 9-11. The department secured a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Association to purchase the new “Millennium Gear.” It was received last month.

The grant was related to Homeland Security funding as part of an effort to better “suit up” firefighters and provide them better equipment, according to Chief Mark Otter.

The grant provided more than $100,000. An additional 10 percent match came from the department budget. The gear is “tougher than nails,” Otter says, and won’t tear. A vapor barrier lets moisture from the skin out, but moisture won’t come in. “The men are protected and stay cooler and more comfortable.” Being all reflective, firefighters remain very visible. This is especially important in traffic situations.

The men all received new helmets, boots, jackets and pants. Measurements were taken and uniforms were made to fit individual firefighters. Otter said 24 of 33 now also have their own personally fitted air masks. The department also got new air packs.

New Shredder Law In Effect

May 29, 2005 (PoynterOnLine) - The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) got a lot of press some months ago because it gives you one free look at your credit report each year. But it also requires anybody who employs even one person to go much further to protect that employee’s info rmation. The companies that make shredders are about to get a lot of business.

According to USA Today, there‘s a law with a provision going into effect this summer that says if you employ even one person -- a nanny, a yard man, a bookkeeper -- and you have their personal info rmation because you're doing the right thing and paying Social Security taxes, you have to "destroy" the info rmation before you throw it away.

Which means, you have to shred it or burn it or pulverize it. Or you could get sued. Or fined. Or become part of a class-action lawsuit by enraged nannies whose personal info rmation has somehow gotten out.

Bet you didn't know that. The shredder industry does, and it expects sales to go on a tear.

Shredders are going to become "a household requirement as much as a washer and dryer," says Bob Johnson, executive director of the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID), a paper-shredding industry trade group.

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act was passed in December 2003, but rules were written just recently on the disposal provision. The law requires the destruction -- "shredding or burning" or "smashing or wiping" -- of all paper or computer disks containing personal info rmation before it is discarded.

The disposal provision goes into effect June 1. By then, all businesses -- whether employing one worker or 1 million -- will have to join the shredding game. "It's going to have a very big upside for people selling small shredders," says Johnson. "A lot of companies that did not comply in the past were the medium-and smaller-sized companies. They were busy running their business or felt they were flying below the radar screen. But now they'll have to comply. Every employer is covered, even individuals."