Uniform company completes Hammond expansion

HAMMOND, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — A Massachusetts-based uniform supply and servicing company has completed an expansion in Hammond that is more than three years in the making. UniFirst Corp. (NYSE: UNF) has opened its $12 million industrial laundry plant in the Lake County city and say it has plans to grow its workforce.

UniFirst built the 64,000-square-foot facility on a vacant plot of land that previously housed an auto repair shop and gas station. The company employs 80 workers at the facility and says it expects to increase staff by 15% over the next few years to accommodate growth.

“Our new Hammond facility is at the forefront of the latest advances in uniform and textile service technologies and innovation,” UniFirst Chief Executive Officer Steven Sintros said in written remarks. “Its high-tech processing systems and our dedicated staff will allow us to maximize service levels to area business customers’ and will help ensure they are consistently receiving the very best products and personalized attention possible for years to come.”

The company says the facility has a focus on sustainability with energy efficiency investments that include heat reclaiming equipment, rooftop HVAC units and machinery that uses less natural resources.

UniFirst has operated in Hammond since 2016, when it acquired Arrow Uniform. The company received a zoning variance on the new facility from the Hammond City Council in 2018.