UniFirst Corporation Releases 2016 Corporate Social Responsibility Report

WILMINGTON, Mass., Jan. 25, 2016 -- UniFirst Corporation (NYSE:UNF), an industry leader in the supply and servicing of uniforms, workwear, and facility products throughout the U.S. and Canada, today released its inaugural corporate social responsibility (CSR) report. The report outlines UniFirst’s extensive social and environmental programs aimed at enhancing the sustainability of UniFirst’s operations and strengthening the communities in which UniFirst operates.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ed55e046-e78e-4930-8ba6-7fe6d027cfe9

Highlights from the 2016 report include:

1. Innovative products and services: Newly developed proprietary applications and systems underscore UniFirst’s commitment to leveraging advances in science and technology for the benefit of their customers.
2. Employee initiatives: UniFirst was chosen as a recipient of the Leadership 500 Excellence Awards for outstanding achievements and innovation in leadership development and programs. And with an estimated annual $13 million commitment to ongoing employee training, the report highlights UniFirst’s role in developing its most important asset—its people.
3. Citizenship: As a whole, UniFirst contributes to well over 200 different philanthropic organizations and efforts on an annual basis.
4. Greener practices: UniFirst is currently piloting the use of recycled water in the laundering systems at its Chicago location. Additionally, select UniFirst plants are utilizing reused water in the initial wash stage of the floor mat and wipers laundering processes.
5. Focus on safety: In the last year, UniFirst employee Team Partners spent almost 23,000 hours actively participating in safety training.

“This was an exciting year for UniFirst as we conducted our first corporate social responsibility analysis,” said Adam Soreff, director of marketing and communications. “It was a good exercise for us to examine our efforts and approaches toward sustainability efforts, as well as the type of positive impact we would like to have in the communities in which we are privileged to live and serve. As we move forward in this endeavor, we hope to set a number of reachable goals as they relate to the environment and to becoming a good corporate citizen.”

A new website, csr.unifirst.com, has also been created to support UniFirst’s CSR initiatives, where the public is invited to download a free copy of the 2016 report. Feedback is also welcome at [email protected].

About UniFirst

Headquartered in Wilmington, Mass., UniFirst Corporation (NYSE:UNF) is a North American leader in the supply and servicing of uniform and workwear programs, as well as the delivery of facility service programs. Together with its subsidiaries, the company also provides first aid and safety products, and manages specialized garment programs for the cleanroom and nuclear industries. UniFirst manufactures its own branded workwear, protective clothing, and floorcare products, and with over 225 service locations, 275,000 customer locations, and 12,000 employee Team Partners, the company outfits more than 1.6 million workers each business day. For more information, contact UniFirst at 800.455.7654 or visit www.unifirst.com.

Contact:
Meghan Marcus
PR/Communications Specialist
UniFirst Corporation
68 Jonspin Rd.
Wilmington, MA 01887
978.527.3974
[email protected]