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By Jackie Rosselli
The pictures don’t do it justice.
They say that pictures can capture a moment in
time with unequivocal clarity, but it the case
of Hurricane Katrina, the storm that devastated
most of the Gulf Coast last month, that doesn’t
seem to be the case. Time and again, while interviewing
some of the area’s uniform business owners
for this article, we were told that the images
being beamed into our homes each night depicting
Katrina’s aftermath don’t begin to
give the viewer a real sense of what it’s
like to live and work in the region.
Full
Story
 Pull
up the carpet, change out the furniture, knock
down the wall and roll out the fabric. It’s
renovation time—and unlike ever before.
The hotel industry will raise its spending on
renovations by 37 percent next year in an effort
to differentiate themselves from the fierce competition,
and an estimated $4.1 billion will be spent on
renovation upgrades by hoteliers in 2005, up from
$3 billion, according to a study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers
Hospitality & Leisure Practice.
Full
Story
By Joseph Greco
Greco
Apparel, Inc.
This is the first of a two-part article to
review and discuss the NY Times best-selling
book: “The World is Flat,” by Thomas
L. Friedman. This month we’ll identify “The
Ten Forces that Flattened the World.” And
next month in Part II, I will address some affects
of these forces on our industry.
I haven’t done a book report since grade
school, but I remember a typical summarizing comment. “I
liked this book and recommend that you read it.” I
can’t think of a better reference than this
if you are in business today and plan to stay competitive.
As an overview I want to share some highlights
of the book. Friedman does a masterful job in defining
the state of the business world today, rich with
examples and insights to which we can all relate.
What can we learn from his research and how can
we apply the lessons to ensure the continued growth
and success of our organizations?
Full
Story
Get
Exposed!
By Jackie Rosselli
UNIVATOR Awards Can Help Position Your Company
as a Leader. Awards matter. Just ask anyone
who’s won one. Rightly or wrongly, awards
send the message that you’re credible,
an expert in your chosen profession. Beyond that,
they offer the winner something more tangible
-- exposure!Academy Award-winning films
frequently receive a boost at the box office
in the weeks following the ceremony, as do the
actors who take home the coveted prize.
Similarly, the companies that were recipients
of last year’s UNIVATOR Awards have all achieved
positive results. Some advertised their success
in sales and marketing brochures, an effective
technique often used by smaller companies to underscore
their reliability and to level the playing field
when competing with larger, well-established firms.
Others reaped the benefits of media attention,
giving them an always-needed -- and free -- source
of exposure. For those who doubt that uniforms
make good news stories, simply click on any one
of the national or international news items available
each month at UniformMarket. Or simply read this
month’s feature on the Boston Hyatt Regency.
Its supplier, Cintas, who sponsored the uniform
makeover contest that lead to the Hyatt’s
redesign, received a UNIVATOR award for its distinctive
and original marketing strategy.
And you, too, can be an award winner. Entries
are now being accepted for the second annual UNIVATOR
Awards, a UniformMarket competition that showcases
the best industry ideas and achievements of 2005.
If you’ve launched a new and successful line,
implemented marketing or sales strategies that
have bolstered your company’s profits, creatively
used technology to enhance your business or produced
a public relations campaign with positive results,
we want to hear from you!
Unlike other programs, the UNIVATOR awards honors
you -- the manufacturers and distributors of uniforms,
and your best products and ideas from 2005. It’s
your chance to tell the world about your company’s
greatest achievements for the year.
But hurry, time is running out! It doesn’t
take much time to enter this year’s UNIVATOR
award. Just send your ideas, pictures, press releases,
product news, links, etc. to:
ONLINE ENTRY FORM.... available
here
Deadline for Entries: December 2, 2005
What’s new at UM? If you read last
month’s issue (and if you haven’t,
simply click on the archives to find it and all
past editions), you’ll have noticed an important
new addition to the pages of UniformMarket -- an
industry Resource Center, where both the uniform
exec and the customer service rep can go to find
basic and essential info rmation on many industry
topics.
Last month’s topic, “How
to Measure,” was the most clicked-on
link in UM’s history.
This month, the Resource Center will tackle the
complex issue of fabrics. If you’re looking
for a general overview of the types of fabrics
used in uniforms and a quick reference on weave
types, you don’t want to miss the first of
three installments on this “must know” topic.
Click on the following for more:
Full
Story
Take a Quick Survey and Help Us to Serve
You Better. Like what you read? Are there
some subjects you wish we’d stop writing
about? Others you wish we would cover? We want
-- and need -- to hear from you!
UniformMarket is, after all, an exchange center.
An exchange of ideas. Information. News. Now we’re
asking you to take a moment and exchange your thoughts
with us. Since its inception in May, 2004, the
magazine has covered numerous topics of importance
to industry professionals, including the popularity
of breathable fabrics and the misconceptions surrounding
flame resistant clothing. We have tackled controversial
issues as well, writing pieces on body armor and
prison industries. We have tracked trends, and
have well-documented the rise of China and other
countries as major players in the uniform industry.
While our story range has been extensive, it
is by no means exhaustive. We recognize that there
are other issues out there, that there are more
stories to tell. In an effort to be more responsive
to our readers’ tastes, we have complied
the following brief survey. Your answers will help
craft future editions of UniformMarket, and will,
hopefully, add greater value to the exchange of
ideas hosted on this site.
TAKE
THE QUICK SURVEY
How
it Works Register if
you have not done so already. Login to
your Company Account Manager. Fill out a product
listing form, add a picture if you have one.
Watch for reponses via email or telephone! Ads
product listings start at just $10 for 30 days.
See
our HELP and FAQs area
for more details?
Plus... please visit our newest
service center!
Create
A Public Store And/Or A Private Store For Each
Of Your Uniform Customers
- Dealer Driven High
Control, Reasonable Cost
- Flexible & Industry Specific
Learn
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