UniFirst Celebrates Founder's Day with Leadership Awards and Scholarship Programs

UniFirst Corporation celebrated its 24th annual Founder's Day with a focus on its Core Values. The event honored employees through the Employee of the Year program and recognized leaders with the Cynthia Croatti Leadership Award, given to Board member Cynthia Croatti. UniFirst also announced recipients of its Aldo Croatti and Ronald D. Croatti scholarships, providing financial aid for employees' children pursuing higher education. The celebration emphasized the company's commitment to employee development and its people-first culture.

UniFirst Corporation (NYSE:UNF) celebrated its 24th annual Founder's Day with a livestreamed leadership panel discussion, highlighting the company's Core Values and its commitment to employee development. The event, moderated by Catalina Dongo, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, was livestreamed across the company's more than 270 locations in North, Central, and South America.

The panel featured top executives, including Steven Sintros, President and CEO; Kelly Rooney, Chief Operating Officer; Cynthia Croatti, Advisor, Board of Directors Member, and daughter of UniFirst Founder Aldo Croatti; and David Katz, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. They discussed how the Core Values established by Mr. Croatti—Customer Focus, Commitment to Quality, and Respect for Others—remain central to UniFirst's ongoing success and growth.

This year's Founder's Day introduced the Cynthia Croatti Leadership Award, honoring leaders who lead with vision, passion, and purpose. The inaugural recipient was Ms. Croatti herself, whose guidance over the past 4 decades has been instrumental in UniFirst's success and whose dedication to fostering a people-first culture has inspired Team Partners at every level.

"Great leaders deserve special recognition," said Dongo during Founder's Day. "Cindy embodies everything this award represents. She leads with heart, empowers others, and uplifts everyone around her. Cindy is the heart and soul of UniFirst, and we're excited to celebrate her as the first recipient of this award."

Ms. Croatti expressed her gratitude, saying, "This recognition is deeply meaningful to me because it embodies the values my father, Aldo Croatti, built this company on. My father always said, 'You're only as good as your people.' I see that truth reflected every day in the dedication and passion of our Team Partners. I'm incredibly honored, but more than anything, I'm grateful to carry forward my father's vision and to help shape a future where our Core Values continue to guide us all."

The event also celebrated the exemplary contributions of UniFirst Team Partners through the annual Employee of the Year (EOY) recognition. Each location honored outstanding Team Partners who uphold the company's values and demonstrate extraordinary commitment to excellence. EOY recipients received a commemorative plaque, a thoughtful gift, and a bonus paid day off.

"What distinguishes UniFirst from our competition is our people and the culture we've built together," said Steven Sintros, UniFirst President and CEO. "Congratulations to all our Employees of the Year for their outstanding contributions. I'm proud of the way our people always deliver for our customers, our company, and for each other."

UniFirst also revealed the recipients of its higher-education scholarships, including the Aldo Croatti Scholarship and the Ronald D. Croatti Scholarship programs. The Aldo Croatti Scholarship supports the children of UniFirst Team Partners in achieving their academic aspirations, while the Ronald D. Croatti Scholarship provides financial assistance to full-time UniFirst Team Partners pursuing undergraduate or graduate education in areas such as information technology (IT), sales leadership, or business administration.

Both programs reflect the company's continued dedication to investing in its people.

References:
[1] https://unifirst.com/unifirst-honors-aldo-croattis-legacy-through-a-people-first-lens-at-24th-annual-founders-day/
[2] https://www.morningstar.com/news/pr-newswire/20250723ne35706/unifirst-honors-aldo-croattis-legacy-through-a-people-first-lens-at-24th-annual-founders-day