Cintas Corp. Announces Global Expansion

Cintas Corp. announced its plan to launch service in international markets. This multi-phase expansion will be led by Cintas' new Global Accounts and Strategic Markets Division. The growth is designed to better meet the increasing demand of its customers to create a consistent global brand image.

"The international expansion of Cintas' operations enhances our commitment to our current customer base while enabling us to meet the needs of new customers in these regions," says Lance Bates, president of Cintas Global Accounts and Strategic Markets Division. "Whether it is a business in Hong Kong, Zurich, Buenos Aires or Chicago, global businesses want their guests to have the same impression of the brand at each location. As our customers break into new markets, they can look forward to enjoying the same level of high-quality service and dependability throughout the world that they have enjoyed from Cintas in the U.S."

New sales and service offices in Hong Kong and Macau opened in April. Cintas has plans to expand in additional markets throughout the world including Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Each region will have a sales, service and design center staffed by local employees focused on extending Cintas' direct sales of image and fashion uniforms. A global design team will work closely with regional designers to ensure local cultural style considerations are incorporated into programs while maintaining a consistent global fashion brand.

In addition to design resources, local sales and service offices will also provide sourcing, distribution and administration of accounts. This ensures that each customer receives the same high-quality Cintas products and reliable service they are accustomed to receiving in the United States.

For more information about Cintas, visit www.cintas.com.

Perfection Named to Apparel Magazine's "Top 50 Innovators"

(Business Wire EON/PRWEB) – Perfection Uniforms was chosen among Apparel Magazine's inaugural list of the industry's "Top 50 Innovators" for its continuing introductions of "high-tech performance characteristics into the unique market that it serves."

Apparel Magazine's "Top 50 Innovators" issue salutes key, forward-thinking firms shaping the industry and profiles their leadership, resourcefulness, cutting-edge technologies and the unique market strategies that have contributed to their success.

"We see so many examples of innovation and creative thinking across our entire industry," says Jordan Speer, editor in chief of the magazine. "Whether you're talking about a new twist on a fiber application, a smartly executed technology implementation or a savvy way to incorporate sustainability, there is a huge variety of ideas that can be inspirational. That's why we chose to devote an entire issue to the subject of innovation; there are simply so many outstanding examples throughout our industry."

The Apparel Magazine article states, "Offering uniforms for police officers, emergency responders and others, Perfection, for instance, has designed clothing to perform ergonomically – its ‘EGC System' is intended to offer comfort, mobility, and extended wear life. Perfection also is utilizing nanotechnology with many of its product designs." The company's MatrixSeries polyester/cotton blends, new StratusSeries poly/rayon blends and upcoming SuperNaturalSeries poly/wool blends all incorporate the new construction and fabric technology upgrades, and are offered for complimentary wear testing to interested agencies.

Among the companies joining Perfection on the list were Abercrombie & Fitch, Adidas, Dick's Sporting Goods, Perry Ellis International, Quiksilver and Rocawear.

"We are quite honored to be named to Apparel Magazine's list of the Top 50 Innovators, particularly since we were the only uniform company selected," says Steve Gilkeson, vice president of Marketing and Merchandising at Perfection Uniforms. "And, the fact that it coincides with our fifth birthday makes it very special."

For more information, you can visit www.perfectionuniforms.com, e-mail customerservice@perfectionuniforms.com, or call (800)476-4964.

VF Corp's McDonald to Retire

(Winston Salem Journal) – Mackey McDonald, the motivational force behind VF Corp.'s remarkable rise among the world's top apparel marketers, says he plans to retire as chairman on Aug. 1.

The timing of the retirement decision was surprising, although McDonald, age 61 and a 25-year veteran with the Greensboro, NC, company, had been preparing VF for a management succession for more than two years.

Eric Wiseman, who replaced McDonald as president in March 2006 and chief executive in January 2008, will take over for McDonald as chairman.

"The time is right to complete the final step of our leadership succession," McDonald says. "Eric's transition to chief executive has gone extremely well, and he continues to demonstrate outstanding leadership. I feel extremely gratified in knowing that VF has a very bright future."

Wiseman, 52, has worked in the apparel industry for nearly 30 years, joining VF in 1995 as executive vice president of JanSport. He was elected to the board of directors in October 2006.

"Mackey McDonald is a tremendous leader and a very special person whose impact on VF will last well beyond his presence," Wiseman says. "He led the successful transformation of VF into a dynamic lifestyle-brand company well positioned for future growth. Perhaps most importantly, he helped build a unique performance-driven culture based on the highest levels of integrity and respect for individuals."

Hartmarx Deals with Change

(RetailWire) – Hartmarx Corp., the owner of Hickey-Freeman and Hart Schaffner Marx, has continually reinvented itself during difficult times over its 129-year history. But Homi Patel, the company's long-time CEO, says the most productive changes only came through gradual steps.

"When we recognized the times were changing, that an economic model was broken, and we made drastic changes, we failed," Patel said recently at the "Keeping/Gaining Market Share in Difficult Times" seminar in New York City. "But when we recognized the problems and made some changes, tweaked here and there but didn't ignore or make revolutionary changes, we succeeded."

As an example, Patel notes that Hartmarx currently has no retail stores but once owned about 500 in 1990. At the time, management noticed the advent of the Italian influence in men's clothing but did nothing.

"We had a lot of people in our company who used phrases like ‘Stick to your knitting' and ‘Stand for who you are,' and we made no changes," says Patel. "And there are a lot of reasons why our retail business failed. But I think one of the main reasons was we recognized that men's clothing was changing and that the Italian influence was becoming dominant and chose to do nothing."

On the other hand, management noticed about a decade ago that men's clothing was being impacted by business casual and dress-down trends. As a result, Hartmarx gradually moved away from being nearly 100 percent reliant on tailored clothing by shedding businesses and building others through acquisitions and organic means. Now, about 54 percent of Hartmarx's business is in women's wear, sportswear, golf wear and other non-tailored categories.

Although Hartmarx continues to tweak its approach in marketing and product development, Patel says it's essential during difficult times to reinvest in core brands.

"We have two brands that are over 100 years old, but they didn't stick around by serendipity," notes Patel. "Somebody was constantly investing and reinvesting in those brands over decades, even in tough times. So while we're all for new products and new ideas, if you don't invest in your core brands, none of the rest will work."

At the same time, Patel says it's equally important to watch the competition, especially as they develop new capabilities.

"Find ways to change the terms of the competition, change them in your favor by creating asymmetry of strategy and remember the timeframe to hurt the competitor is finite," he says. "If you think you can wait around and analyze and paralyze yourself, it's not going to happen. Someone's going to run away with that opportunity."

Airport Screeners Dress for Respect

(Time) – Polls find that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is one of the least popular agencies in government, ranking down in the depths of hell with the Internal Revenue Service. Passengers complain about rude treatment, inflexible rules, long lines and seemingly illogical and inconsistent policies. One thing they don't tend to take issue with, however, is the uniforms. They don't say things like, "Please make the screeners look more like real police."

But that is exactly what the TSA is doing, outfitting frontline employees with new gold badges and royal-blue shirts as part of a broader effort to improve their image and make people, to put it bluntly, hate them less. The idea for the new badge and uniform came from an advisory council of TSA workers in the field. "We definitely wanted to change from the white shirts [which had an embroidered badge sewn onto the fabric]," says Stephanie Naar, a TSA employee who has worked at Reagan National Airport for over three years. "We wanted to have, I don't want to say more authority, but a more professional look to upgrade our image."

The move has some scientific evidence to back it. Psychologists who have researched the effects of official-looking uniforms and badges find that they do indeed tend to make people more compliant. "Our research shows that people respect individuals who wear uniforms and do what they say," says Brad J. Bushman, a professor who studies aggression at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. In two studies conducted in the 1980s, Bushman found that people were much more likely to follow the orders of a person with a uniform and a badge than the direction of someone in regular clothing.

The uniform can also change the person wearing it. Bushman predicts that the new TSA uniforms may make screeners behave in a more dignified and authoritative manner. They may demand more of people, he says. And people can be expected to submit at least a little more readily.

Screeners at Reagan National Airport began wearing their new badges and shirts to work mid-June, and reports are coming in that they do look a lot more like police officers – in Pleasantville. The shirts are a shade more vivid than actual police officer uniforms, the badges a bit more sparkly. So far, both passengers and screeners seemed pleased with the new Homeland Security style. "It looks more professional," says Michele Bledsoe, who had just flown to Washington from Kansas City, Mo. "I didn't like those white shirts," says her friend Anita Brown. "They looked dirty."

By the end of the year, all 43,000 screeners should have the new uniforms, which cost a total of $12 million. But first they will have to complete two days of mandatory additional training, focused on how to "calm" the environment. They will be encouraged to use new wireless communication devices, so they won't have to shout at one another to come check some poor sap's bag. They will also participate in mock scenarios to learn how to defuse conflict.

The intent of these efforts is not just to make the experience more pleasant, however, but also to make it more obvious who is nervous, twitchy and angry – to make it easier to spot a terrorist, in other words. Until now, the TSA had managed to make a lot of us act like terrorists at checkpoints, which made behavioral profiling a bit tricky.

But some TSA employees feel that screeners do not get the respect they deserve. The new uniform and flashy badge will foster more respect, they hope, and thus improve morale within the ranks. "How people perceive us has a lot to do with how we perceive ourselves," says TSA employee Naar. "[Now] everyone feels that they look sharp, and they are very proud."

So far, the biggest complaint about the new uniforms has come from real police officers, who fear that giving TSA screeners badges might confuse the public into thinking the airport personnel are police officers. A former Kansas City International Airport police officer remembers pulling over a TSA screener for speeding on airport property. The screener tried to talk his way out of the ticket by showing the officer a cloth TSA badge, which he kept in his wallet. "They'd start the whole brotherhood thing, thin blue line, and all of that. I'm like, ‘You got two weeks of training. I went to 22 weeks of the police academy. Sign here.'"

If the goal is to calm the public and give the screeners more respect, however, a more straightforward way might be to train TSA employees better and pay them more. New screeners are currently required to complete less than two weeks of classroom training, followed by 112-128 hours of on-the-job training. Entry-level screeners earn between $24,000 and $37,000. "If you want to make them cops, fine. I don't have a problem with that," says the former airport police officer. "If they did better background checks, trained them to law-enforcement standards and paid them more, they would get a higher caliber."

Empire State Building Uniform Redux

(The Gothamist) – As part of a $500 million renovation to restore the Empire State Building's 1930's glory, new Art Deco-inspired uniforms are rolling out for staff this summer to kick off the season in style.

The dapper uniforms are made to measure and have unique 1930's details that fit the period and character of the ESB, like chevrons on the sleeves, custom silk ties with mini buildings, an Art Deco-style font created for patches, and a custom-dyed fabric color called ESB Burgundy.

With Art Deco details integrated into many fall 2008 runway shows, this puts the ESB right up there with Versace – who, incidentally, also had a shade similar to the building's burgundy at its recent shows. The company who designed the latest look, I. Buss Uniform Co., also handles the Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center, Dakota, Waldorf-Astoria and UN. Designers searched the company's photo archive for inspiration, pulling Art Deco elements from real 1930's uniforms. Observatory and security staff throughout the building will be wearing the new designs.

The NY Times went inside the workroom last month, where 70-year-old Stuart Busch did all of the fittings for the ESB staff. His daughter says, "I love that they're doing this more formal look. They were in polo shirts. That's not a uniform." An ESB spokesperson says that the last redesign was in the fall of 2002, when staff received new polo shirts and cardigans.

New York's Strongest May be Showing a lot More Leg

(Daily News) – For the first time, New York City sanitation workers will be allowed to wear shorts during the steamy summer months.

Don't expect any crazy striped Bermudas or short shorts, though. City sanitation workers will be wearing modest green uniform shorts that hit right at the knee.

"Everybody thought it was a myth, that shorts will never happen," says sanitation worker Liston (Benny) Judge, who gamely modeled the new shorts for the Daily News. "This makes a big difference on those humid, 96-degree days."

Most sanitation vehicles, including trucks that pick up residential trash, aren't air-conditioned.

Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty, who started his career as a sanitation worker in 1960, says he thinks the shorts are a great option. "On those really hot, humid days in the summer, I often wondered why I couldn't wear shorts."

Sanitation worker David Falzon, Judge's partner, says he thinks the shorts will be popular. "One of the mechanical brooms had no air conditioning the other day," says Falzon, a 20-year veteran of the department. "It was 117 degrees in the cab."

The shorts may be ideal for sanitation workers who sweep the street or drive vehicles long distances, says Harry Nespoli, president of the Uniformed Sanitation Men's Association. They may not be as useful for workers who lug plastic bags – a favorite target of neighborhood dogs and cats – or metal baskets that can scrape against their legs.

Nespoli doubts he would have worn them when he was lifting metal cans in Brooklyn as a sanitman in the early 1980s, when hypodermic needles scattered everywhere. The former football player also admits he's a little modest. "I have too many scars on my legs," he says with a laugh.

Ten Cate Buoyed as U.S. Military Purchases Body Armor

(Bloomberg) – Royal Ten Cate NV, the biggest supplier of fabric for flame-resistant uniforms worn by U.S. Army soldiers and by Marines, may win more than $100 million in orders this year as the Bush administration increases defense spending. U.S. orders added eight percent to revenue last year, compared with one and a half percent in 2006, when the 172-year-old company, based in Almelo, Netherlands, first sold synthetic fabric to the military.

"What is really going to drive earnings in the short term is demand from the U.S. military,'' says Andrew Lynch, who manages the 328 million-euro ($506 million) European Smaller Companies Fund at Schroders Investment Management Ltd. in London. The firm is the second-largest investor, with about a 10 percent holding, after Kempen Capital Management NV. Lynch says his fund added shares in the past four months.

Ten Cate is benefiting from increased orders for self- extinguishing Defender M fabric as the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq enters the sixth year and the American death count reached 4,088 as of June 3.

Composix Co., a maker of protective plates for vehicles that Ten Cate bought in January, will also help boost profit this year, Ten Cate CEO Loek de Vries says, as customers, including closely held AM General Corp., add blast-resistant armor to Humvee transports used in Iraq.

Defender M, which contains fibers made by Lenzing AG of Austria, reduces second- and third-degree burns by 45 percent compared with fabric made of cotton and nylon, Textile World Magazine Associate Editor Janet Bealer Rodie says. The U.S. government this year allowed Ten Cate to use foreign-made raw materials in uniforms for five years, following an amendment to a law that bans overseas procurement of fire-resistant fiber.

"Soldiers have about 20 seconds to get out of a vehicle when it catches fire,'' De Vries says. "They used to wear uniforms made of a blend of cotton and nylon. Can you imagine what happens when the armored vehicle they're in catches fire?''

De Vries is betting Ten Cate's fabric will set the standard for about three million Army uniforms, the amount needed to provide three outfits for each soldier. With 2008 orders forecast to exceed the 150,000 uniforms contracted for last year, Ten Cate's factory in Union City, Ga., has farmed out production to other companies to meet demand, the CEO says.

The fabric unit may see revenue expand more than a third this year from 25 percent in 2007, according to Petercam Bank NV analyst Eric de Graaf. Textiles accounted for 40 percent of Ten Cate's 2007 sales and are growing more than twice as fast as the projected rate for the company's artificial-turf division, which is equipping the field hockey stadium at the Beijing Olympic Games.

Ten Cate gained 34 cents, or one and a half percent, to 23.11 euros on the Amsterdam exchange, the biggest winner in the 24-stock Amsterdam Small Cap Index, which dropped 1.2 percent. The company has a market value of 544 million euros. Ten Cate's shares, up 7.1 percent this year, are valued at 11 times earnings for the last 12 months. The stock "looks very cheap,'' and may become a takeover target for private equity firms, Lynch said.

Petercam's De Graaf, who recommends investors hold the shares, predicts Ten Cate may rise 25 percent to 28.50 euros in 12 months. Of six analysts surveyed by Bloomberg, four say to buy, two recommend holding and none advises selling.

Ten Cate, founded in 1836 as a weaving company in the Dutch town of Nijverdal, has more than doubled in Amsterdam trading since De Vries became CEO in 2000 after running the fabric unit for 15 years. He sold assets, including units making plastic spray caps, building materials and food packaging, and bought six companies in the past two and a half years, including Taunton, Mass.-based Phoenixx TPC, a maker of thermoplastic composites and adhesives used in exteriors of Airbus SAS and Boeing Co. jets.

U.S. defense spending, not counting war costs, has increased about 30 percent when adjusted for inflation since President George W. Bush took office in 2001. The $611.1 billion base budget for fiscal 2009, the eleventh straight year of increase, includes $70 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the Defense Department.

Earnings per share will jump 30 percent this year, triple De Vries's target, Muller says. "The Army has no choice but to spend."

House Cuts ART Uniform Requirement from Bill

(Air Force Times) – A word to Air Reserve technicians: Don't box up those civvies just yet. The Air Force Reserve Command's effort to require the dual-status technicians to wear military uniforms while on civilian status has taken a blow.

The House of Representatives has stricken language that would have codified the change from its version of the 2009 defense authorization bill, and it appears the Senate will do the same.

The proposed change in uniform policy was included in both versions of the bill under Section 514. It would have amended Title 10 of the United States Code to allow the Air Force secretary to enforce the new uniform policy.

In the version of the bill passed out of the House, Section 514 doesn't mention uniforms at all. Section 514 has been dropped entirely in the Senate Armed Services Committee's report of the defense bill, meaning the uniform policy would have to be added by amendment to be included.

A spokesman for the House Armed Services Committee would not identify which legislator or legislators had sought to remove the language.

However, nothing is certain until the House and Senate agree on a joint version of the bill. Legislators could re-enter the Air Force's recommended language in conference meetings.

"The legislative process ... is a long, extended one, and things get added later and deleted later, so it's really too early to comment," says Jim Miller, an AFRC spokesman.

The requirement to wear uniforms has been part of the Air Force Instruction governing dress and appearance since 2006.

Reserve Commander Gen. John Bradley told Air Force Times in 2007 that while he did not think congressional approval was necessary to make these airmen wear their uniforms, he wanted the new policy codified.

But seeking congressional approval at all is a sign that the Air Force does not have the power to create the new policy on its own, according to Eugene Fidell, a lawyer and expert in military law.

Fidell is currently representing the American Federation of Government Employees in a civil suit against Air Force Secretary Michael W. Wynne. The suit, filed on behalf of the roughly 6,600 unionized ARTs, alleges that the new uniform policy violates several laws.

"We're gratified at the approach Congress has taken so far on this," Fidell says.

Multiple ARTs posting in military-interest online forums reported that a decision on the lawsuit's status was expected by mid-July.

ARTs nationwide have been lobbying their congressional representatives to deny the Air Force's request to codify the new policy.

Wearing the uniform as civilians requires the ARTs to comport themselves as airmen, including shaving, keeping a short haircut and limiting cell phone use, but does not entitle them to military benefits, such as eating in dining facilities.

Next Generation of Navy Uniform Arrives

(Navy News) – Five years after canvassing the fleet for suggestions on new and more practical uniforms for the 21st century, the Navy has started rolling out a year-round service uniform for Sailors E-6 and below and a Battle Dress Uniform, or BDU-style, working uniform for all ranks.

In addition, the Navy's first physical fitness (PT) uniform – a gold short-sleeve shirt and blue shorts, with "NAVY" in reflective lettering on both – is now available. Reserve enlisted Sailors will be issued the PT uniforms by their operational support centers.

In 2003, then-Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark established Task Force Uniform (TFU), charging it with developing and giving Sailors a modern, cost-effective set of uniforms that have a professional appearance, recognize naval heritage and offer easier storage, maintenance and comfort. TFU conducted two Navy-wide surveys and hundreds of interviews with Sailors, as well as command site visits and seven-month wear tests. More than 60,000 Sailors offered feedback, and their message came through loud and clear: ‘We have too many uniforms, and they're too difficult to maintain.'

The Navy responded, and commands are preparing to adopt the new uniforms in waves according to region. Reserve Sailors can expect to wear them later this year or early next year. The new Navy working uniform (NWU) replaces the utilities, wash khaki, coveralls, woodland green, aviation green, winter working blues and summer whites.

With a digital print pattern incorporating Navy blue, deck gray, haze gray and black, the NWU is a wash-and-wear 50/50 nylon and cotton blend. The majority of Sailors surveyed preferred a BDU-style uniform, one that doesn't show spots, stains or heavy wear like a solid color uniform and allows mending of small tears in fabric, saving money in replacement costs.

Worn with a blue cotton T-shirt, the new Navy working uniform comes with an eight-point cover, a black web belt with closed buckle and black smooth leather boots, with black suede no-shine boots for optional wear while assigned to non-shipboard commands. Cold-weather options include a unisex pullover sweater, a fleece jacket and a Gore-Tex parka.

"Besides reducing the seabag and providing ease of maintenance, a camouflage-style uniform puts us more in line with our sister services in terms of our appearance," says Master Chief Arthur Rivers, assistant head for the Navy's Uniform Matters Office.

In the future, Sailors operating in tactical environments, including expeditionary Sailors and SEALs, will wear either woodland or desert digital patterns.

The year-round service uniform for E-6 and below includes a short-sleeve khaki shirt for males and an over-blouse for females, made from a wash-and-wear 75/25 polyester and wool blend, with permanent military creases, black trousers for males with beltless slacks for females and optional beltless skirt, and a black unisex garrison cap. Silver anodized-metal rank insignia will be worn on shirt and blouse collars and cap, replacing the rating badge with a collar device that can be taken on and off a uniform and easily updated upon promotion. The service uniform's non-vertical match – tops and bottoms are different colors – is in line with equivalent uniforms of the other service branches.

"Sailors are pretty satisfied," Rivers says. "In conversations I've had with those who have seen and worn the new service uniform, a good number of them have said they're quite pleased."

The service uniform also includes, for optional wear, a black relaxed-fit Eisenhower-style jacket with a knit stand-up collar and epaulets, on which petty officers will wear large, silver anodized-metal rank insignia. Those entitled to wear gold chevrons will continue to wear their rank insignia on the jacket.

The new PT uniform is designed for command PT activities and the semi-annual physical fitness tests. The gold shirt is moisture wicking and odor-resistant polyester with reflective lettering on back and front. The Navy blue shorts are also nylon moisture wicking and odor resistant, and come in six- and eight-inch lengths. They also have reflective Navy lettering, with side pockets and a hidden identification card pocket inside the waistband.

"The PT uniform is a huge success, in my opinion," Rivers says. "Looking out across the field and seeing the blue and gold, you'll know those people are Sailors."

The total projected cost of Task Force Uniform is $433 million over a two-year outfitting period, spread over fiscal years 2008 and 2009. An increase in clothing replacement allowance rates coincides with the introduction of the new uniforms, so Sailors will be able to purchase them when they are introduced to the fleet.

Even as the Navy introduces these changes, others are still on the drawing board. Last fall, selected officers and Sailors began limited wear testing of new service dress khaki for chiefs and officers and the new service dress blue and white jumpers for E-6 and below.

The service dress khaki uniform is in a traditional style, last worn during the Vietnam War era, while the E-6 and below service uniforms have hidden zippers and new piping for service dress white. The service dress blue will be for men only. A Navy wind suit also is being considered to complement the new PT uniforms.

"The Navy will continue to look at and evaluate uniform components," Rivers says. "I've been in this office two months and realized we never really stop, because we're constantly getting feedback and recommendations from Sailors in the fleet who have some great ideas to improve uniforms, uniform components or uniform regulations. It's something that's always going on."