Uniform News - February 2008

Company/Organization News

Penn Emblem Offers New Digital Pre-Production Samples

Philadelphia, PA, January 3, 2008 - In an endeavor to help customers receive orders faster, The Penn Emblem Company is pleased to announce the start of the integration process of their new Digital Pre-production Samples. These digital samples are PDF scans of the actual sample that was made and are sent to the customer via e-mail before the physical sample is mailed out.

This now means that a customer that places an order by noon will have the digital sample by noon the following day. Customers can choose between a digital sample only, a physical sample only, or both.

The Digital Pre-Production Sample solves many headaches for businesses. Instead of waiting until they receive a physical sample, customers can now spot mistakes almost immediately versus the 48 hours they would have to wait for an actual sample. Any changes that need to be made can be implemented quicker, which equates to quicker reception of the finished product. Companies can now set up appointments and meetings with their customers faster, which will then add to their bottom line. They get the sample tomorrow, they see their customer tomorrow.

If a customer elects to receive the digital sample only, there is no shipping involved, which means no more shipping problems. This greatly reduces the headaches in tracking packages and worrying about receiving a shipment on time.

For more information regarding the Digital Pre-Production Sample process and how to become involved, please call 800-793-7366.

SanMar Unveils the Women's 2008 Sizing Edition

Seattle, WA, January 2, 2008 - SanMar Corp, a leading supplier of imprintable apparel and accessories, is unveiling its Women¹s 2008 Sizing Edition: Find the Fit that Flatters. The 12-page sizing catalog debuts three new women¹s fit designations and helps dispel the confusion that often surrounds women¹s sizing and fit.

Organized according to each of the three new women¹s fit options - Classic, Contemporary and Junior - the Women¹s Sizing Edition allows customers to quickly and easily recognize the distinctive features of each silhouette. In addition, the catalog, with its fashion-inspired photography and easy-to-use layout, provides helpful production suggestions for women¹s styles within each fit category.

“Like the retail market, we in the promotional industry frequently hear women voicing how difficult it is to find the right size and fit,” explains Lee Strom, senior marketing manager at SanMar. “This new guide responds to that concern; it¹s the perfect resource for female customers and those buying for them.”

The guide also offers an attractive pull-out sizing poster, which distributors can use as an educational tool, a showroom piece, or an end-user take-away. As Strom notes, “The pull-out poster really extends the life of this valuable guide. With attractive appeal, the poster visually depicts women¹s sizing and fit options.”

The Women¹s 2008 Sizing Edition, featuring SanMar¹s private label brands Red House, Port Authority®, District Threads®, Sport-Tek® and Port &Company®, is currently available. To request a copy, call 800.426.6399 or visit www.sanmar.com

Quartermaster Opens New Retail Location in Southern California

Cerritos, CA, January 3, 2008 – Quartermaster Inc., a specialized uniform and equipment provider to law enforcement and other public safety professionals, today announced the grand opening of its newest store in Santa Ana, California. The new store further expands Quartermaster’s retail footprint in the greater Southern California area and will be the first location to serve customers in Orange County.

“We are expanding in the greater Southern California area to increase our reach to safety professionals, police departments and agencies,” said Sterling Peloso, president and CEO for Quartermaster. “Our new location will continue to deliver Quartermaster’s ongoing mission of providing the ultimate retail experience to our customers through outstanding service and value.”

In addition to retail outlets, Quartermaster’s products are available to law enforcement and public safety officials through catalogs, e-commerce and national direct sales. In the near future, Quartermaster plans to introduce a new Web site and several enhancements to its product line.

The new Santa Ana store is part of Quartermaster’s expansion strategy which targets the doubling of retail locations within the next three to four years.

The Santa Ana locale will carry products by LawPro®, Quartermaster’s proprietary brand, as well as core equipment from leading manufacturers of boots, body armor, gloves and duty gear for public safety professionals. Some of the new in-store offerings featured in the Orange County location include oversized dressing rooms, hardwood floors and an expanded 5.11 Tactical® section, as well as uniform tailoring, embroidery and engraving on-site.

“At Quartermaster, our goal is to meet the needs of law enforcement and public safety professionals,” said Peloso. “Each of our retail locations has the equipment, processes and knowledgeable people required for us to provide immediate, personalized service for Quartermaster customers.”

Quartermaster originated in Long Beach, Calif. more than 30 years ago. Since then, the company has opened additional retail locations in Las Vegas, Long Beach, Calif., and Los Angeles.

Quartermaster is part of the Parallel Investment Partners portfolio of companies. Dallas-based Parallel is a leading private equity firm investing in privately held, lower middle market growth companies in the United States. Parallel has substantial specialty retail expertise and has invested in more than 20 entrepreneurially led growth companies since its inception in 1999.

For more information on Quartermaster, please visit www.qmuniforms.com

UniFirst Announces Record Financial Results for the First Quarter of Fiscal 2008

Wilmington, MA, Jan. 3, 2008 -- UniFirst Corporation today announced record revenues and earnings for its first quarter of fiscal 2008 which ended November 24, 2007.

Revenues for the first quarter of fiscal 2008 were $247.3 million, an 11.2% increase from the previous year's first quarter of $222.4 million. First quarter net income for fiscal 2008 was $16.5 million or $0.85 per diluted common share, a 19.9% increase from the first quarter of fiscal 2007, when net income was $13.7 million or $0.71 per diluted common share.

Revenues from the company's core laundry operations, which exclude the company's Specialty Garments and First Aid segments, grew 12.5% in the first quarter of fiscal 2008 compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2007. Revenues from the core laundry operations increased 8.0% due to internal growth and price increases. The growth from acquisitions was primarily the result of the acquisition of Western Uniform & Towel Service which was completed in September 2007.

Primarily as a result of this revenue growth, the income from operations of the company's core laundry business was up 26.1% compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2007. The operating margin for the core laundry business increased from 11.1% in the first quarter of fiscal 2007 to 12.5% in the first quarter of fiscal 2008. In addition to the revenue growth, reductions in merchandise amortization as a percentage of revenues contributed to our improved profitability. These improvements were partially offset by higher selling and health care related costs as a percentage of revenues.

The company's Specialty Garments segment, which includes nuclear and cleanroom operations, had income from operations of $2.1 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2008, down from $2.9 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2007. This decrease was primarily the result of higher merchandise amortization and other costs associated with a number of new customer installations.

"We're off to a strong start in fiscal 2008", said UniFirst president and chief executive officer, Ronald D. Croatti. "Our core laundry operations continued to lead the way in generating both revenue and profit growth. In light of the challenging economic conditions, we are very pleased with the results we have been able to achieve thus far."

UniFirst Corporation is one of the largest providers of workplace uniforms, protective clothing and facility services products in North America. UniFirst Corporation is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol UNF and is a component of the Standard & Poor's 600 Small Cap Index.

Cotton Incorporated to Present Spring/Summer 2009 Apparel Trend Forecast

Atlanta, GA, January 17, 2008 - Cotton Incorporated will present their Apparel Trend Forecast Spring/Summer 2009 as part of the special educational conference for sewn product industry members during the April 8-10, 2008 edition of Material World Miami Beach, held at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Scheduled for Tuesday, April 8 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m., the program will be led by Jenna Caccavo, Cotton Incorporated’s Product Trend Analyst.

Caccavo’s presentation identifies integrative essence as the common thread through each of the Spring/Summer 2009 trends. Caccavo will introduce five color stories predicted to influence both the apparel and home markets in the coming year: Frequency, Intuitive Wisdom, Tunnel Vision, Synectics and Blurred Existence. Caccavo’s presentation rests on the notion that the joining of apparel and home shows the integrative nature society is taking. Cotton Incorporated has added three home colors to each palette, adding weight and structure for the home market.

“We’re delighted to add Cotton Incorporated’s Apparel Trend Forecast for Spring/Summer 2009 to our line-up,” says Betty Webb, show director, Material World. “Industry visitors will have a chance to see the latest offerings from suppliers, attend forecasting programs like this one and get an inside look at the most up-to-date apparel colors, trends, textures and fabrics.”

In addition to its Spring/Summer 2009 trend forecast, Cotton Incorporated technical experts will be available to explain the company’s latest textile technologies that improve cotton’s natural performance properties, as well as provide assistance in sourcing cotton for manufacturing needs.

“The application of new technologies to cotton is a major activity of Cotton Incorporated in improving cotton's market share and increasing profitability throughout the supply chain,” says Mike Tyndall, Managing Director Product Development & Implementation, Cotton Incorporated. “As cotton is a highly technical fiber, products made from cotton can offer the consumer a wide range of functional properties. Material World provides the perfect venue for Cotton Incorporated to feature such developments.”

Strategically timed to showcase Spring/Summer 2009 trends, the April 2008 edition of Material World Miami Beach once again offers sewn product industry members a one-stop global resource for sourcing, fabric, trim and trends. New for 2008, Material World Miami Beach will put the spotlight on three key growth areas, including: Eco-Friendly, Performance and Sourcing Solutions: Global Matchmaking at Material World. These categories will be emphasized with dedicated educational programming, special promotions and new product resources.

Further expanding the exhibition's comprehensive offerings Material World runs concurrently with Technology Solutions, the premier exposition and conference for information technology that enables today's sewn products industry.

Produced and managed by Urban Expositions, Material World is an official event of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), that showcases the introduction and innovation from approximately 400 leading companies from around the world in every sector, including fabric, trim, yarn, components, education institutions, contractors, manufacturers, technology (CAD, PDM, web-enabled solutions), full-package providers, publications, services (freight forwarders, financial, color/trend forecasting), associations and others.

For more information please visit www.material-world.com

International News

China's Textile Industry Becoming Less Competitive

China, January 8, 2008 (Bloomberg) -- China's dominance of the global garments trade may be eroded as rising labor and raw material costs are making it tougher to compete with rival Asian producers, a textile industry executive said.

``China is gradually losing its traditional competitiveness in production costs, while other Asian countries are speeding up development,'' Sun Ruizhe, vice president of the China National Textile & Apparel Council, said at a conference in Beijing today.

China accounted for almost a third of world garment exports last year, according to Sun. A slowdown in shipments may help to reduce the country's trade surplus, which surged 52 percent in the first 11 months of 2007 from a year earlier to $238 billion. Textiles and apparel accounted for 15 percent of total exports.

``China will only be a textile export juggernaut for a fixed period of time, perhaps 10 to 15 years,'' Robert Antoshak, president of Nashville-based cotton information provider Globecot Inc. said at the conference.

Other Asian nations, such as Bangladesh, Pakistan and India, will take some of China's business, while Vietnam and Cambodia may become apparel ``tigers,'' Antoshak said in an interview.

China's average wages have risen more than 50 percent in the past five years, while the yuan currency has gained about 14 percent against the dollar since the end of a peg in 2005. The government has also cut export tax rebates and tightened lending.

``Production costs have increased in terms of raw material, labor, energy and environmental protection,'' Sun said. ``Rising interest rates and capital shortages also affect the industry.''

China's textile industry output in 2007 may reach 3.05 trillion yuan ($419 billion), a 22 percent increase year-on-year, according to a report released Dec. 27 by the Textile Industry Association, cited by Xinhua News Agency.

China exported $156.6 billion worth of clothing and textile products in the first 11 months of last year, up 20 percent from a year earlier, the top economic planning body, the National Development and Reform Commission, said Dec. 21.

China's growth in exports of apparel may slow after 2010, and its purchases of shoes and clothing from overseas may rise as domestic consumers become more affluent, Antoshak said. The expected rise in China's consumption may be offset by declines in developed countries, he added.

US Slowdown May Spin Trouble for Indian Textile Industry

Bangalore, January 19, 2008 (Financial Express) - The worst is not yet over for the country’s textile industry, which has faced a cut of 1.5-lakh* jobs during the past one year due to the appreciating rupee.

With the US accounting for nearly 35% of the total textile exports from the country, any slowdown in its biggest market will have direct consequences back home. “The falling consumer spending in the US would affect retailing and drag down their textile import volumes from India,” Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) president Rahul Mehta said.

For instance, garment exports alone to the US are expected to be down by 15-20% in 2008-09, with the overall textile exports impacting by 10-15%. But there is another scary scenario, too, staring at the textile players.

Of the 58-lakh jobs in the garment industry, the rupee that appreciated nearly 12% in the last one year has rendered 1.5 lakh people unemployed. “Anticipated fall in export volumes will force garment producers to cut another 1.5-lakh jobs,” Mehta said.

In fact, garment exports that touched around $8.7 billion in 2006-07 are expected to be below $8 billion in the current financial year. “The US recession will further drag down the textile exports to $7.3 billion in the fiscal ending March 2009,” Mehta said.

Among textile players, the knitting industry that exports 45% of $3 billion to the US is going to be the worst hit.

In the knitwear hub of India, Tirupur, which contributes 56% to the total exports, already 16,000 have been out of jobs for the past one year. “We may have to lay off another 15,000 if the anticipated recession in the US happens,” Tirupur Exporters’ Association president A Sakthivel said.

The industry has already started putting contingency measures in place and 10 Asian countries including China, Vietnam, Hong Kong and India have formed the Asian Apparel Federation (AAF) to increase garment trade between the Asian countries and reduce exports to the US. “We have sensed that bulk exports to a single place would be dangerous for our textile industry,” Mehta, who is also the vice-chairman of AAF, said.

As for immediate steps, Mehta wants the Centre to reimburse the duties collected by the states that accounts for 5-6% of free on board, while reducing the bank interest, bringing it on par with international rates and implement reforms in labor laws. “The government should take all these steps at a single shot and not in piecemeal manner,” he said.

“Only the government can save the industry by providing sops including abolishing service tax and all state and Central levies,” added Sakthivel.

*Editor’s note: 1 lakh equals 100,000

Marketing Concepts

Scrubs Uniforms, Gourmet Coffee, and Flour -- An Unlikely Marketing Alliance

Penn Yan, NY, January 14, 2008 (PRWEB) - Nursing scrubs, gourmet coffee, and buckwheat flour seem an unlikely business combination, but three manufacturers of these diverse products have formed a successful marketing alliance.

In ongoing efforts to cross-promote with local businesses, Sassy Scrubs, a custom made uniform manufacturer located in Penn Yan, New York, has partnered with two local online businesses in efforts to expand the reach of each company's market.

Sassy Scrubs teamed with gourmet coffee and specialty foods company, Keuka Lake Coffee Roasters, to help surge sales for both companies. Sassy Scrubs, which markets their custom made uniforms exclusively through their website, has added flyers supplied by the gourmet specialists to their order packages sent to Sassy Scrubs customers. The fliers encourage Sassy Scrubs customers to take advantage of a special offer made only to them by the gourmet coffee company. Sassy Scrubs President, Karen Bradley, states "We are so happy to present this generous offer to our customers and we love that it will help to bring Keuka Lake Coffee Roasters' gourmet products into the homes of our customers."

In addition, the scrubs manufacturer and on-line retailer has used the locally ground and packaged gourmet coffee as a Free Gift Promotion during the holidays. Sassy Scrubs paired the coffee giveaway with a sale on their coffee themed scrubs fabrics. Bradley states, "Now our customers can order their favorite coffee themed scrubs and drink fabulous Keuka Lake Coffee Roasters coffee at the same time. We are excited to be able to help market their coffee products while expanding our sales at the same time. It's a win- win marketing plan."

Keuka Lake Coffee Roasters' Susan Atkisson thinks this arrangement will benefit both companies and that it makes sense to cross market with customers that already are online shoppers. Atkisson states "Gourmet coffee and specialty foods are some of the fastest growing sectors expanding in online sales". She believes that partnerships with other local companies are a great way to grow and promote each other's businesses. She states, "I hope this idea, started by Karen Bradley, will continue to grow in the Penn Yan community and beyond".

In addition to the partnership with Keuka Lake Coffee Roasters, Sassy Scrubs has also paired with Penn Yan's historic Birkett Mills to help educate their customers of the health benefits of the mill's natural, non-wheat products, such as buckwheat. Birkett Mills has provided educational flyers to Sassy Scrubs to be included in the scrub company's order packages, sent around the world. Since the majority of Sassy Scrubs' customers are in the medical field, helping to educate them about the health benefits of using buckwheat and other Birkett Mills products just made sense to both Bradley and Birkett Mills' President Jeff Gifford. Because Birkett Mills' products are gluten free and wheat free, they are a perfect choice for celiac patients and diabetics. And, since their products are also more effective than soy products in lowering cholesterol, this knowledge will allow Sassy Scrubs' nursing and medical customers to help their patients make healthy diet choices.

While generating interest in the nutritional benefits of buckwheat in general, this direct exposure to medical personnel may bring in extra sales to Birkett Mills. President Jeff Gifford feels the exposure to Birkett Mills' products by professionals in the medical field will allow the story of buckwheat and its health and nutritional benefits to reach more people who are looking for healthy alternatives in their daily diets. "Many people are not aware of the numerous healthful attributes of buckwheat products and any time we have the opportunity to spread the word, we take advantage of it. This partnership with Sassy Scrubs gives us the chance to reach a potential consumer we may not have reached in the past," Gifford said.

In return for this partnership, both Birkett Mills and Keuka Lake Coffee Roasters have agreed to share promotional flyers generated by Sassy Scrubs in their own customer orders. This creates a great cross-marketing effort to help the three Penn Yan based companies expand their markets, educate a new population, and encourage sales.

Sustainable Fashion Offers US Farmers a Hip New Market

San Francisco, January 4, 2008 (AP) - In a San Francisco workshop, Ally Beran's team of fashion designers is sprawled out over buttons and spools of thread, hoping to slow global warming by stitching new outfits from secondhand, thrift store finds.

Designers of so-called sustainable fashion — made of recycled materials and homegrown fibers — are not only dominating New York catwalks and urban boutique racks this winter; many also are giving U.S. farmers new markets for their crops.

This year, both American Apparel and yoga-gear retailer prAna will start selling shirts spun with cotton grown in California's Central Valley and sewn just a few hours away, in Southern California, to avoid burning fossil fuels in transporting the materials.

Beran's creations, marketed under the label William Good — a name similar to that of the company's business partner, thrift store giant Goodwill Industries — are currently only sold online and in stores near San Francisco, also to reduce its carbon footprint.

Last summer, New York's Rag & Bone hired supermodel Shalom Harlow as the face for their line of filmy "carbon free" T-shirts, manufactured domestically in a process that required no greenhouse gas emissions.

For farmer Frank Williams, the new interest in locally grown, organic cotton means he has had to learn how to talk about threadcount and women's skirt lengths with the ecologically minded crowd that tours his California fields.

"These fibers are among the best organic in the world," said Williams, as he led a group of fashion executives from China, Sweden and New York through rows of billowy cotton. "With the right diameter, length and strength you can really spin the finest yarns that you want."

Farmers in the United States grow a small portion of the organic cotton used by the apparel industry, which still sources most of its fibers overseas in countries like Turkey, where labor and production costs are much cheaper. The market is clearly booming, however: The nonprofit Organic Exchange predicts that sales of organic cotton fiber will reach $226 million by 2009, up from about $19 million in 2004.

As more companies seek to build a greener supply chain, American farmers are hoping that will translate into more demand for domestic crops.

The Sustainable Cotton Project, a nonprofit based in California, has helped almost two dozen cotton farmers penetrate the fashion industry by promoting California-grown BASIC cotton, a crop that is not quite organic but is farmed using techniques that reduce pesticide usage by as much as 73 percent.

Coral Rose, who led Wal-Mart's first purchase of organic yoga clothes in 2004 when she was a women's apparel buyer at Sams Club, said once companies start switching to natural fibers, it is only a matter of time before they start thinking about other sustainable design practices. Wal-Mart is now the biggest seller of organic cotton products worldwide.

"It's a total mind-set shift at the design level," said Rose, now a consultant. "It holds the designer accountable for their designs and their impacts."

William Good's CEO Nick Graham, a veteran designer who founded Joe Boxer in the 1980s, said the idea for his new company came to him as he was wandering around a Goodwill store, thinking about all the used clothing that ends up in landfills.

"I thought we could do an organic line, but then I thought that's just more stuff we'd be creating," said Graham. "It's the American way to say we need more growth, but what if we created an economy with everything we've already used once?"

Simple Shoes is promoting that concept as well with its ecoSNEAKS, a line of shoes and boots featuring treads made from recycled car tires that hit stores last fall.

Still, analysts caution that until earth-friendly clothes come down in price, only a small group of consumers will think about their carbon footprint before they reach for their wallets.

"We've gotten more people aware or interested in ecological fashion, but most of the world's still looking for cheaper, better, faster," said Marshal Cohen, a fashion industry analyst at the NPD Group. "The message will resonate, but it's going to take more time."

Looking Good In Uniform

January 23, 2008 (Hotel Interactive) - Uniforms are powerful tools to deliver brand messaging while creating a distinct staff identity. As the hotel market becomes even more crowded with brands seeking to distinguish themselves to guests, obtain more business, and build brand loyalty, the uniform has become an integral part of the planning process.

Guests encounter uniforms every day and take away a message of helpfulness or hope just based on what the uniform looks like. If you had strode into to a saloon in the old west you’d know right away that the guy with the tin star on his vest was the law; at the airport and the train station the guy with the red cap will assist you with your bags; a red and yellow clad teenager behind the counter means that you’ll be able to get fries with that; and at finer restaurants you can always identify the sommelier and maitre d’ by their freshly pressed suits.

These images and expectations were conjured up without anyone uttering a word. That is the power of a uniform, and that is why hotels are focusing on suiting up their staff in uniforms that are increasingly more fashion forward, sending a message and setting a tone that guests will respond to in a way the designer and hotelier had hoped.

From high end luxury and boutique hotels on down to their budget brethren there are multiple opportunities on property to outfit your staff and tell a story about your hotel though the clothes they are wearing. Consider your valet/bellman (if you’ve got them) as the first point of introduction to the hotel for your guest. Then there’s the front desk, your security (who you may just want to blend in with the crowd), housekeeping, and your F&B staff just to name a few. Each department offers a great opportunity to present the best face of your brand to your guests and leave a positive impression that image counts.

Thompson Hotels is one boutique hotel group that gives extensive thought to the uniforms they provide for their staff; every effort is made to coordinate the cool sophisticated design of the hotel with the look of the people working there. Thompson strives to touch their guests’ design sensitivity through uniforms designed by up and coming designers. Each property works with a different designer to set the right mood.

For example, in Beverly Hills stylist to the stars Rachel Zoe had input on the designs and at the newly opened 6 Columbus in New York City, Rag & Bone was the designer of choice. At 6 Columbus the front of house uniforms, which are made of dark, finely woven denim, are crisp and clean and a bit edgy courtesy of the hunting coats, ankle boots, and skinny ties. Overall they capture that mod ‘60s feel that permeates the hotel and coordinate with the Yves Kline blue that is woven throughout the rooms as a dominant color.

Clicking on design sensibilities is something powerhouse uniform designer Cintas is known for. In their mind, gone are the days of the polyester jackets for front desk staffers and shapeless shifts for the housekeepers. Their line integrates fine runway ready design collaborations from such designers as Michael Kors, Lafayette 158, and Cynthia Rowley as well as in-house designs which are equally retail focused. Cintas’ in-house designers regularly attend fashion week to keep up on the latest styles knowing full well that hotels who care what their staff is wearing (because the guests will notice) will want to present that most up to date images. According to Andrew Roschmann, senior director of field sales for Cintas, “It’s no longer a uniform. It’s image apparel.”

A hotel restaurant’s profits are directly tied into the server’s ability to present a pleasant, knowledgeable and capable image tableside. At the Bellagio in Las Vegas image and functionality were both important considerations when designer Dean Hutchinson custom designed a uniform for the wait staff at Michael Mina’s eponymous restaurant. Hutchinson and Mina collaborated on the style of the fabric to sync it to the décor, and the seemingly exacting simplicity of every dish that actual bursts with surprise flavors, so that diners would feel a common thread running through their entire dining experience.

The lifespan of a server’s uniform is about a year, still, to project the right image Hutchinson utilized an atypical uniform fabric; it’s all a poly/wool blend or a cotton/lira blend. He explains his consideration as he designed to ensure that the servers would come to the table with everything they needed to satisfy the guests and notes, “I really went after the visual and the functionality came from the consideration of what needed to go in it. I had to think about whether there was a place for a pen, and a wine opener. I designed them in a way that was visually pleasing – the angle of this matched the angle of this. The lining of the apron is longer than the outside, but slightly subtle.” Like Cintas has experienced with their clients’ positive response to new uniform designs so did Hutchinson. He comments, “We noticed that when we did the fittings people’s body language changed. They had a more erect posture. That’s just how it makes people feel and that’s what you end up projecting.”

Projecting a good image for your hotel through fashionable, functional, and comfortable uniforms can do wonders for your bottom line and your guest loyalty. I guess it really is true that though you can’t judge a book by its cover you are what you wear.

End Users in the News

Rollout of New Navy Uniform Adjusted

Washington, January 11, 2008 (Navy News) - The Navy announced a revised rollout plan for the new uniforms, pushing back the release of the all ranks Navy Working Uniform.

Also referred to as the blue digital camouflage uniform, it will be released to the fleet in winter 2008 and to Recruit Training Command in spring 2009. The Service Uniform for E-1 through E-6 will begin late this summer.

Contracting and manufacturing issues caused the delay, according to Robert Carroll, head of Uniform Matters for the Chief of Naval Personnel. "Our goal is quality uniforms for all sailors. We've amended our rollout plan to make sure our contractors deliver the best possible products to the fleet," he explained.

The new uniforms will be made available through Navy Exchange uniform centers and temporary off-site locations until all regions have been fully outfitted, according to Carroll. Outfitting of accession commands will occur separately and independent of regional rollouts.

Each uniform rollout will take 24 months from the start of the uniforms availability to completion. The sequence and timeline for the rollouts will be announced later this year by NAVADMIN. During the phase in period both old and new uniforms are authorized for wear.

Carroll reminds Sailors that the increase in the clothing replacement allowance they are beginning to see in their pay now will be needed later to pay for the new uniforms.

"Sailors need to carefully manage this money to ensure they have the funds to buy new items to meet uniform requirements," he said.

Rollout of the Navy physical fitness uniform is on track for Spring 2008 according to Carroll.

Probation and Parole Association Lobby for Bill to Fund Salaries, Uniforms

Richmond, KY, January 12, 2008 (Register) - A criminal who abused his second chance at participating in society by violating the terms of his parole stands on a street corner in handcuffs.

A man, unidentifiable by anything other than his control of the cuffs, stands beside him waiting as the criminal’s family cries and yells from the home behind them, unhappy their relative likely will be returning to prison.

The parole officer calls for assistance from another law enforcement agency to take the offender to jail.

They wait.

He drove his own vehicle to make the required home visit because one of the other six officers needed the one car they share. He can’t afford the insurance to cover transporting the violator in his own car or the liability.

Sound unbelievable? In Madison County and across the state, it is not an uncommon scene for probation and parole officers. Through new legislation, members of the Kentucky State Probation and Parole Officers Association are trying to change that.

House bill 155 was introduced Tuesday in the Kentucky House of Representatives by state Rep. Robin Webb, D-Grayson. The bill would establish a Probation and Parole Trust Fund to support the costs of a 10 percent salary increase for the officers, the purchase of vehicles and a $500 annual uniform allowance — all without spending tax-payer monies.

Six of Kentucky’s 399 sworn probation and parole officers are employed in the Richmond office. They share one state-supplied vehicle to get them to court hearings, home visits, to and from the jail and other daily activities in both Madison and Clark counties.

“Through an open records request we obtained that 11 percent of the (Department of) Corrections fleet is given to probation and parole,” said Tim Horn, KSPOA vice president and Richmond probation and parole officer. “Out of 435 vehicles assigned to the DOC, only 48 are assigned to probation and parole field offices.”

There are 57 field offices in Kentucky.

The KSPOA considers the officers’ lack of uniforms a safety issue when working in the field. While a dress code policy is in place requiring the officers to wear either business suits, a coat and tie or polo shirts with dress slacks, the state only provides them with a gun holster, their weapon, pepper spray and handcuffs.

“If we have anything that has probation and parole on it, we have to get it done ourselves at Galls (equipment and uniform company) and pay for it out of pocket,” said Jarrod Elkins, KSPOA member and Richmond probation and parole officer. “People have called Richmond Police and the sheriff’s office on us thinking we’re hit men or something, not knowing who we are.”

Horn agreed.

“They are sometimes a little hesitant to answer the door,” he said.

But the cost of purchasing a specific wardrobe and having that wardrobe altered to identify themselves in the public isn’t cheap. The officers are on the state’s pay grade system and earn a starting wage of $14.93 an hour, the equivalent of $29,129 annually. They are eligible for a raise after five years of an extra $1.49 an hour. After another five years, the officers can earn another $1.64 on the hour, according to the last updated state pay-grade schedule.

Probation and parole officers are the only state law enforcement required to have a bachelor’s degree with no clause to substitute experience for that education, Horn said. They are required to be knowledgeable in federal and state laws and local ordinances, court proceedings, controlled substance abuse issues, drug identification, effective rehabilitation practices, domestic violence issues, mental and psychological disabilities, sexual predators and more.

When the pay grade was established, Elkins said it was based on the presumption that the state would be paying out annual 5 percent raises to all state employees — but that hasn’t happened since 2001, according to the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet.

“We’ve got people who qualify for food stamps when they first hire on,” said KSPOA President Chris Caldwell. “That’s sad when you have a college education. And we’re not asking for anything out of hand. We’re just asking to be paid. We have to live up to (American Corrections Association) accreditation standards and all the other states are paid from $6,000 to $10,000 more a year than we are. That’s the facts.”

With the success of drug court and an increased emphasis on sentencing alternatives to prison, the officers’ case loads have grown significantly in the past few years.

Officers must be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to properly supervise the offenders and “retrain (their) thinking after dealing with years and years and years of whatever brought them into the criminal justice system,” Adams said. It is the job of the officers not only to make them learn to behave, but also to be productive citizens, she said.

“The people in Madison County are very fortunate these probation officers actually volunteer their time to do meaningful community supervision,” she said. “I don’t think at this time they even are permitted to apply for comp time. They actually are going above and beyond what the state requires to assure there is meaningful supervision in the county.”