National News - October 2005

Donation of Old Uniforms Boosts Look of Fire Police

Harrisburg , PA , September 6, 2005 (Patriot-News) - Swatara Twp. Police Sgt. Brian Zimmerman doesn ' t like to waste anything.

So when the police department switched from dark blue uniforms to formal, custom-fitted gray ones in May, he talked to Police Chief David D. Bogdanovic about putting the old uniforms to good use.

"I thought of our fire police," said Zimmerman, who has been the Swatara Twp. Fire Police coordinator for several years and a member of the police department for 20 years. "We had the uniforms and they needed them."

Fire police are volunteers who help police by detouring traffic away from fires, vehicle accidents and fallen electrical wires. They also help with crowd control at other emergencies or at special events.

"We ' ve had these uniforms for at least 20 years," Zimmerman said. "A lot of the uniforms are still in good shape. We gave them to the eight Swatara Twp. fire police and are giving some to Steelton and Lower Swatara Twp. fire police. We still have quite a few left. If any other fire police are interested, they should contact me."

Zimmerman said he was pleased to recycle the uniforms, and the Swatara Twp. fire police said they like them. "These uniforms are real classy and make us look professional," said Frank Pallott of Oberlin. "Before this, we wore street clothes and vests for most calls, and pants and a navy blue shirt for special details. These are our first uniforms."

Pallott said the uniforms will be worn for special details. He said the fire police responded to nearly 300 calls last year.

Michael Feldman, another member of the township fire police, said the uniforms should "get more respect from the general public. People are used to seeing police in these uniforms, so these will tie us to the police. Fire police mimic the police without being them."

New Insignia Available for Female Marines

Marine Corps Base Quantico, VA, September 15, 2005 , (Marine.com) - New, larger rank insignia for female Marine uniforms are available at area military stores.

Marine Administration Message 230/03 announced approval to adopt larger enlisted women’s cloth rank insignia and service stripes as the new standard, and now the chevrons are being made available to women Marines, said Shakinta Johnston, project officer at Combat Equipment and Support Systems.

“There was a delay in manufacturing the larger insignia because of the development and contracting processes,” said Johnston . “We also had to find vendors to produce them.”

The cloth insignia and service stripes will be distributed through various vendors as well as orders through Defense Supply Center in Philadelphia , said Johnston .

After a women Marines’ symposium in May, 2002, the topic of the insignia size was raised. The decision to change the uniform items came from extensive discussions at the December, 2002 meeting of the uniform board, added Johnston .

“The current insignia is very small when compared to the male insignia,” said Mary Boyt, Marine Corps Systems Command uniform board project manager.

Designers experimented with different ranks and insignia sizes on an average-size female sleeve until they found one size that worked for all ranks, said Boyt.

“After testing different insignia sizes, the size that looked best on the female uniform was 70 percent of the male rank insignia,” Boyt said. “It looks a lot better on the uniform and it is more visible.”

The change does not necessarily mean women Marines should rush to replace the old insignia and service stripes. The smaller insignia will continue to meet the minimum requirement until they are no longer serviceable, the Marine is promoted, or a new uniform is purchased, said Boyt.

Individuals must also keep in mind that certain ranks may not be available, due to the amount of existing insignia on hand at stores.

“As long as the (larger) chevrons look OK and enhance the uniform, I think it will be a good change,” said Gunnery Sgt. Cindy Whetzel, Security Battalion criminal intelligence chief.

For more info rmation on uniform regulations, visit the Marine Corps Uniform Board Web site at http://www.marcorsyscom.usmc.mil/sites/mcub/.

Retailers Try to Fit Firms with Logo Apparel

Chicago , IL , September 6, 2005 (Tribune, as reported by Mary Ellen Podmolik) - The retailer that helped outfit Americans for a business casual world is now turning its attention to their employers.

Gap Inc. has quietly launched a catalog for corporate apparel under its Gap and Old Navy brands, complete with embroidery options for corporate logos. And last month, Gap began to better customize its products, including putting a company ' s name in the same familiar "Gap" arch pattern that is emblazoned on T-shirts in its stores.

The move into corporate apparel by one of retail ' s most recognized brands comes as companies are gravitating toward branded goods as a way to polish their image with clients and employees.

It ' s also the latest indication that in the world of promotional apparel, people are paying attention to the name on the label inside the shirt as well as the corporate logo on its front.

The arrival of well-known names into a fragmented industry--there are more than 21,000 distributors of promotional products, but fewer than 1,000 companies generate annual sales of $2.5 million or greater--is likely to affect smaller distributors selling lesser-known brands. But right now, the size of the pie is growing for all.

After several years of depressed sales, promotional products bearing company names are hot again. Industry sales last year totaled $17.3 billion, up almost 6 percent, according to the Promotional Products Association, an Irving, Texas-based trade group.

No segment of the industry is growing faster than "wearables," which include shirts, jackets, caps, even flip-flops. Already the largest single industry category, distributors sold $5.2 billion of apparel last year, a 7.66 percent increase over 2003.

Club Colors Inc., a Schaumburg-based distributor, recorded a double-digit sales increase last year and predicts another one this year, largely due to a strong economy and bigger spending on promotional items by its customers.

Compare the growth of promotional apparel to last year ' s modest 4 percent increase in U.S. apparel sales, and observers say it ' s little wonder that traditional apparel companies are looking for new revenue streams.

But that doesn ' t mean organizers of every corporate picnic or community fun run will dole out premium-branded duds. Companies say the best brands are saved for the smaller meetings, the best clients and the corporate executives.

Gap is betting that its brand equity will drive sales to companies that are looking to outfit their employees as well as to give corporate incentives and gifts.

"For many years there haven ' t been that many brands participating in the market," said Keith Mercier, senior director of Gap Inc. Business Direct. "I think people want to send a stronger message to their employees. Here ' s a polo from a company you may have never heard from or here ' s a polo from Gap."

"[Gap] is trying to make the brands more productive, they are trying to be creative about any opportunity to make the brand more competitive," said Gabrielle Kivitz, a retail analyst at Deutsche Bank North America. "I think the company has a stable of very powerful brands. This is a great example of them leveraging the brand."

Others point out that while barriers to entry into the industry are low, staying power requires mastering the quick turnaround time most orders require and finding decision-makers within companies.

Still, product distributors note the upside of the arrival of such well-known competition as Gap and others.

"It lends a certain amount of legitimacy to what we do," said Mitch Silver, director of marketing for Printable Promotions in Evanston . "Frequently the things we do are referred to as trinkets and trash.”

Coyne Laundry Announces Cuts

September 16, 2005, 6:28 AM EDT

Huntington, WV, September 16, 2005 - (Herald-Dispatch) -- Coyne Textiles, which cleans clothes, uniforms and linens for other businesses, announced Thursday it will stop production at its Huntington facility by Nov. 16, affecting about 60 employees.

Coyne, based in Syracuse , N.Y. , will retain its sales and services operations in Huntington , but company officials would not say Thursday how many people will continue to be employed.

"It is only our production facility that is affected," said Edith Webb, office manager for Coyne in Huntington .

Coyne Textiles said in a news release that a compliance order issued by the Huntington Sanitary Board prompted the decision to move production work to other facilities.

The order required the company to submit a plan for cleaning noxious vapors released into the sewer system by Sept. 10, but Coyne officials failed to comply, said Bruce Fox, the sanitary board ' s executive director. The board issued the order in March after 66 residents near the plant signed a petition complaining of a strong odor, he said.

The sanitary board, state Department of Environmental Protection and the health departments of Wayne and Cabell counties found several different chemical vapors emanating from a manhole behind the facility, Fox said.

"It was a serious enough concern we had to act on it," Fox said. "We want them to stay in business. We just want a plan that eliminates the problem for their neighbors."

Teamsters Local 505 president Dennis Morgan met with employees Thursday to discuss the cuts.

"The people are just sick," Morgan said. "You have people here over 30 years being pushed out the door."

New Enhancements at Best Manufacturing Group

Jersey City , NJ , September 26, 2005 (Company Release) –Best Manufacturing Group LLC announced two company wide enhancements today. These developments demonstrate Best’s commitment to remain an industry leader in customer service while also retaining the most expansive geographic coverage and the deepest distribution capabilities in the institutional textiles marketplace - serving the textile rental, healthcare, hospitality, and image apparel markets.

To symbolize a successful union of Best with Artex International following its June 2004 acquisition, the Best name has been chosen for the lead go-to-market brand name for its institutional division. The division has thus far conducted business as Best:Artex LLC. Best will continue to employ the Artex name as a category for table linen within Best’s institutional and hospitality divisions. The successful union creates a complimentary business that leverages the global manufacturing, international sales force and distribution strengths of Best. For the last year, customers have enjoyed a broader line of product choices, expanded services, a larger field sales force and a combined experience base in the industry that is unrivalled by competitors.

Additionally, Best unveiled the company ' s new corporate website this month, located at www.bestmfg.com . The new site was designed to help customers gather product info rmation easier, and features a fully interactive catalog of products. Customers can now print, download PDFs and email product tear sheets they are looking to purchase from any of Best’s four divisions (Healthcare, Hospitality, Institutional and Image Apparel). Best will continue to update the site with new products and get all of there in stock products online during the fall, so that customers can view a variety of products from each division. Customers can also download Best catalogs, access the photo library, read company news and visit the Customization section to learn how to customize and personalize products for added branding.

For further info rmation, please contact Debbie Seife at Best Manufacturing Group LLC, 201-356-3893.

Trade Group Names Best Dressed Law Enforcement Departments

New York, NY, September 7, 2005 (Company Release) --- The National Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors (NAUMD) has announced the winners of its annual Best Dressed Law Enforcement Competition, a program honoring the best uniform programs across the nation and the officers who wear them.

The top winners for 2005, by category, are: Tucson Police Department , AZ - best dressed city (over 200 officers); Franconia Township Police Dept., PA- best dressed city (under 200 officers);

Delaware State Police, DE- best dressed state agency; Harris County Sheriffs Dept., TX- best dressed county agency; and Spartanburg Co. Detention Facility, SC - best specialized agency.

NAUMD Executive Director Bernard J. Lepper notes, “Police officers take a tremendous amount of pride in their work. This pride is reflected, in part, through a department ' s uniform program. This year’s fierce competition exemplifies this pride and underscores the link between a professional appearance and effective police work."

The Best Dressed Law Enforcement Competition is open to all law enforcement agencies in the United States . Departments are eligible to compete by submitting applications in one of five categories. Entrants are judged on their combinations of overall appearance, neatness, projection of authority, practicality for designated functions, and adherence to uniform regulations.

The competition, now in its 28 th year, honors departments that have developed superior uniform standards and programs. Top winners receive handsome plaques.

For More Information, contact Donna J. Pierson, 212-869-0724, or visit www.naumd.com

Ventura P.D. Uniforms See Color Change

Ventura, CA September 9, 2005 (County Star) - Starting Monday, Ventura Police will lose a little bit of their color — on their uniforms, that is.

The department’s red and gold patch and gold name plates are being replaced by patches with gray accents.

The officer’s rank insignias, buttons and name tags will be silver to match the patches, which will be the same size and design. Only the color will change.

Though it is a small change, it is a significant one for the officers, who have wanted new patches for a long time, Assistant Chief Ken Korney said. "Pride in your uniform is very important," Korney said.

The department decided to make the change recently when the need to order patches came up. Officers ordered thousands of patches for about $3,000.

Every few years, the department reorders patches for new officers and for old uniforms that get worn down.

The old patches will be destroyed to avoid the impersonation of officers by others. A group of a dozen volunteers removed the existing patches and the new ones were ironed on professionally.

As Work Uniforms Go, UPS Delivers

Eugene , OR , September 2, 2005 (Register-Guard) - If you ' re one of those people who just loves a man in uniform, you ' re pretty much out of luck. And if you love a woman in uniform - forget about it.

Sure, you can still find a soldier who looks sharp in dress blues. But we ' re talking about everyday work uniforms, and, when we went looking for them, we were hard-pressed to even find a proper name tag, let alone an outfit that stands up and says "I am here to help you."

Apparently, business owners no longer feel the need to distinguish their employees with a sweet hat and the latest in polyester fashion. This might sound like a good thing, but we kind of miss the old days when working at Orange Julius meant wearing a sporty orange, yellow and brown visor.

The new conventional wisdom seems to be that employees should look more like customers. This is especially true at Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister Co. and other "lifestyle" stores where the sales associates are trained to blend in like federal air marshals.

Not that you need a lot of help when the biggest decision you ' re facing is whether to go with the Catalina Island Cami or the Beacon ' s Beach Babydoll. But it would be nice if we could tell the staff from the shoppers.

Uniforms may have fallen out of favor, but the members of the Best of ... Fashion Team had lots of suggestions for the best uniform.

One team member offered up a place called Hot Dog on a Stick, which just might have the most hideous rainbow colored uniforms ever stitched. Sadly, the nearest HDOS outlet is in Portland .

Other nominations included the propeller beanie hats worn by the photographers at the Picture People studios in the mall, the bow-tie-and-driving-cap outfits at Oil Can Henry ' s, the waitresses at Rose ' s Diner on " Hawaii Fridays," and the waver dressed like a slice of pizza at 29th and Willamette .

Hats were a big selling point for many on the team, and the short list of cool uniforms with cool hats included state troopers with their imposing, wide-brimmed Smokey hats, Lane Transit District security officers with their urban park ranger lids and mail carriers with their retro-pith helmets.

We easily could have picked the U.S. Postal Service as our favorite uniform - the shorts, the rain capes and the knee socks are all classics, and who doesn ' t dig the mailman - but picking Postal would mean leaving out, what is undeniably the best nonmilitary uniform there is: United Parcel Service.

Founded in the Northwest in 1907 by an enterprising 19-year-old who took out a $100 loan, UPS started using its now-familiar brown uniforms in 1925. The Seattle-born company adopted the shade of brown that was used on Pullman rail cars for its vehicles and uniforms because it reflected "elegance and professionalism" (and didn ' t show dirt).

Dignified without being formal, casual without being slovenly, unique without being obnoxious, these smart, sturdy browns reflect everything this company is about, and it ' s one of the few work uniforms that actually looks good on people.

Attempts to change the color of the UPS uniforms have failed multiple times due to public backlash, and it ' s no wonder. So strong is the company ' s connection to brown, that it has two registered trademarks on the color, and we can almost envision a day when we all refer to a certain shade of khaki as "UPS."

The UPS is fashionable enough that the company has signed on as a venue sponsor for the spring Fashion Week in New York . During the same event in 2003, a real UPS driver strolled the catwalk wearing the famous brown shirt, shorts and cap.

Which is more than we can say for that guy in the striped polo at Abercrombie.

Superior Uniform Group Releases Mega Catalog Introducing New Apparel Collections

Seminole, FL, September 19, 2005 (Company Release) - Superior Uniform Group announces today the launch of their largest-ever catalog, Defining Uniforms, which introduces their newest apparel collections. Superior ' s customers will benefit from a greatly expanded line of quality uniforms and image apparel across a number of categories including Tailored, Food & Beverage, Housekeeping, and Work & Security apparel. The garments and accessories include updated designs, innovative fabrics and the latest colors.

"The debut of Defining Uniforms represents an exciting time at Superior Uniform Group," states Michael Benstock, Superior's CEO. "Our customers now have unprecedented access to high-quality and fashionable work attire at an exceptional value. Their ability, with our help, to create a coordinated, professional image across multiple departments is unprecedented in our industry. These benefits apply to businesses in several of our focal markets, particularly Hospitality and Healthcare."

To view Superior's new catalog in its entirety, visit http://www.defininguniforms.com/ .

Aramark Uniform Services Expands in Salt Lake City

Philadelphia, PA, September 14, 2005 (Company Release) – Aramark has completed a $3 million expansion and upgrade of its laundry processing plant and offices in Salt Lake City to better service its 1,700 customers in the greater Utah area.

“Aramark Uniforms couldn’t be more eager to provide enhanced services to our customers,” saidTrent Thorn, general manager. “The recent facility upgrades ensures that our 70 employees at this location have the space, equipment and technology necessary to provide quality products and services without sacrificing the rapid turnaround times that Aramark Uniforms consistently delivers. This plant’s refurbishment further strengthens Aramark’s ability to deliver a high level of customer care to businesses in the surrounding regions,” he said.

Aramark acquired the former L&N uniform supply facility in October 2004 and completed the refurbishment in May 2005. Some of the upgrades included installing new equipment, including one 450 pound- and one 850 pound-capacity washer, and one 600 pound-capacity dryer, expanding the sort system and the area for freight deliveries and adding dock unloading bays. “In addition to these upgrades, Aramark Uniform Services is committed to complying with increasingly stringent and complex environmental requirements and concerns,” Thorn said. “All of our programs are designed and monitored to maintain Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S) compliance standards.”

For more info rmation, contact Sara Jarvis at 215-238-7168; jarvis-sarah@aramark.com