 | October 6, 2009 |
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UNIVATOR AWARDS
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Written by Jackie Rosselli
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Monday, 05 October 2009 10:22 |
 Premier industry award has new categories, gives readers voice in selection process
Northbrook, IL, October 5 -- UniformMarket News is now accepting entries for its annual UNIVATOR Awards, a program that honors the leading ideas, creations, services and innovators which have influenced the industry over the past year. Any company within the North-American uniform, corporate apparel, white goods, or promotional products markets, regardless of size, is eligible to enter.
Past entrants will notice a number of improvements to this year's awards, including additional categories, a later award announcement date, increased publicity and marketing opportunities and, in a first, a chance for readers to make their own picks for a UNIVATOR. "The improvements should certainly add excitement, and will provide greater opportunities for companies to take home a UNIVATOR" said Rick Levine, publisher of UniformMarket News.
Have Your Say with Readers' Choice
In the past, companies have submitted their own works for consideration, and this option, of course, still exists. But the 2010 UNIVATOR now gives readers a chance to make their own picks, a first for the awards program. It's a way to add your voice to the selection process, and for manufacturers or dealers, an excellent opportunity to further cultivate relationships with customers or suppliers. So if you don't believe your company is UNIVATOR-worthy, why not nominate another? Simply mark the "Readers' Choice," category on the entry form, supply a few details and the staff at UniformMarket will take care of the rest.
For the Editors' Choice, categories have been added to increase participation across the industry spectrum, and others have been redesigned to target specific market segments. The 2010 UNIVATOR includes, among others, several categories ideal for retailers and the white goods industry. For a complete listing of categories, click here.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 01 March 2011 09:03 |
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URA 2009 News
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Written by Jackie Rosselli
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Monday, 05 October 2009 10:01 |
 With the clever, "You can Bet on a Full House," as its tag line, retailers and manufacturers from across North American will head to Las Vegas later this month for the annual Uniform Retailers Association (URA) trade show, at the Rio All-Suite Hotel, October 26-28.
The nascent event – the show is a mere three years old – has fast developed a solid reputation in the white goods community as the place to find all the strategies, products, supplies and services a business needs to realize its potential – just by walking the trade show floor. Indeed, the industry's major manufacturers, from Jockey Scrubs to White Swan to Landau, Prestige and Barco, will be on hand in the exhibit hall.
Yet to label this as simply a trade show is short-sighted. The event has a strong educational component, as well as networking opportunities, and several spectacular social gatherings and giveaways certain to leave attendees talking for some time to come. What happens in Vegas will certainly not stay in Vegas with this URA show.
 Happy, Motivated Employees
Most do not feel particularly fortunate when the alarm clock goes off Monday mornings. In fact, new research suggests an astonishing 71 percent of people under the age of 30 are unhappy with their current work situation, and want to look for a new job.
But the goal of URA's kickoff speaker, Larry Johnson, is to show people how to like their jobs today, so they can achieve great things tomorrow. In a program entitled, "Thank Goodness it's Monday," aptly scheduled for Monday, October 26, Larry delivers fresh insights and practical how to's for leading change, retaining customers, and developing effective work relationships.
This fast-paced, content-packed, humor-laced session shows participants how to reduce employee turn-over, increase productivity and enhance employee morale. The program is based on the premise that happy, turned-on employees provide the best service to customers.
Continuing the theme is Stephen Shapiro. With over 20 years of innovation experience, Shapiro established and led a 20,000 person innovation practice at Accenture and authored four books on innovation.
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Last Updated on Monday, 26 October 2009 16:38 |
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Companies
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Monday, 05 October 2009 09:40 |
 Virginia, 1655, is the earliest trace of William Hardwick who emigrated from England. His family settled in various parts of the South and, generation after generation, produced children who were consistently committed to community welfare, industry, education, and values that revolved around the Masons and the Methodist church. Eventually locating in Cleveland, Tennessee, C.L. Hardwick was the great great grandson of the original Hardwick, and it was he who took it upon himself to found a woolen mill in 1880.
Why? No one seems to know. The best guess is that as the country began to come of age and transportation allowed for access to more store-bought items, Hardwick decided to utilize his retailing experience along with his knowledge of farming. He was working by the age of 15, went into the retail business at 19, lost the business and paid back his debts out of his own pocket, and began again in mercantile at age 30. He also bought a farm, which he worked simultaneously, and it's possible that his livestock afforded him more potential than imported shelf items which could by then be purchased elsewhere.
Cleveland then was a town of about 5,000 people, in the midst of farm country. Today, it boasts a community of about 40,000-50,000, the size of a large university. It has remained small, maintains its basic set of American values, and caters to the folks who live and work there. There is one mall, no skyscrapers, and Sunday church is an important aspect of life.
Many of Hardwick's 400+ employees as well as its CEO's are family to one another, and have been serving the company for multiple generations. Nancy Deakins, who heads up advertising, and Tommy Hopper as president, are descendants of the Hardwick family. Jim Park, whose uncle was sales manager, is the vice president of sales today. One of the aspects about the plant is that it is all on one story, and everybody knows and sees everyone else. "If a customer needs something special," notes Park, "I can just walk out onto the floor, talk to a supervisor, and put the item into work."
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 October 2009 10:32 |
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October 6, 2009
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