1. Running head: POTENTIAL ARAMARK/GOWN UP PARTNERSHIP
Gown Up Look Good, Feel better!
Gown Up Inc.* 23 Fashion Way * Baltimore, MD 21220 *
410-931-GOWN* 1-800-788-GOWN* 410-931-4699 (fax)* www.Gownupinc.com
Potential Aramark/Gown Up Partnership
Katie Schley
Frostburg State University

2. Aramark/Gown Up Partnership 2
Gown Up Look Good, Feel better!
Gown Up Inc.* 23 Fashion Way * Baltimore, MD 21220 *
410-931-GOWN* 1-800-788-GOWN* 410-931-4699 (fax)* www.Gownupinc.com
January 16, 2013
Dear Dr. Jill Morris
Attached you will find the report you requested about the potential partnership of Gown
Up Inc. and Aramark. This report includes information about the history of the Aramark
company and the current outlook on Gown Up Inc.
This report contains research into the potential partnership of Gown Up Inc. and Aramark.
After extensvie research we have determined that it would be monetarily beneficial to
partner our company with Aramark for increased sales, expansion and growth. By doing so,
we will gain a much larger market and increased revenues. We will be able to quickly
expand because Aramark is a well known, professional uniform company, amongst many
other specialties. In addition, we will help expand their company as the healthcare industry
continues to expand and new customers seek gown purchase. Also included in the report is
a historical look at Aramark and how it first began, full benefits and risks of partnering with
such a company, and a SWOT analysis of our current market position.
I would like to discuss the findings in this report at our next Board meeting in February. I
would also like to speak with you in person about our findings before that time. Please call
or email to schedule a meeting with me during the next two weeks so we can decide on the
future of Gown Up and the potential partnership with Aramark.
Thank you,
Katie Schley
Katie Schley
CEO Gown Up Inc.

3. Aramark/Gown Up Partnership 3
Gown Up Look Good, Feel better!
Gown Up Inc.* 23 Fashion Way * Baltimore, MD 21220 *
410-931-GOWN* 1-800-788-GOWN* 410-931-4699 (fax)* www.Gownupinc.com
Executive Summary
This report contains research into the potential partnership of Gown Up Inc. and
Aramark. After extensvie research we have determined that it would be monetarily
beneficial to partner with Aramark for increased sales, expansion and growth of our
company. By doing so, we will gain a much larger market and increased revenues. Since
Aramark is already a well known company, we will be beneficial to their sales with the
introduction of a new partnership and a more improved product. Also included in the
report is a historical look at Aramark, how it first began, and how its core values have
brought them to where they are today. In addition, full benefits and risks of this
partnership, and a SWOT analysis of our current market position.
Table of Contents

4. Aramark/Gown Up Partnership 4
Executive Summary.....................................................................................................................................3
Table of Contents.....................................................................................................................................3
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................5
Reasons for Partnership...............................................................................................................................5
History of Aramark......................................................................................................................................5
Gown Up History.........................................................................................................................................7
Common Values...........................................................................................................................................8
SWOT ANALYSIS...........................................................................................................................................8
Strengths.................................................................................................................................................8
Weaknesses.............................................................................................................................................9
Opportunites...........................................................................................................................................9
Threats.....................................................................................................................................................9
Drawbacks of Aramark Partnership.............................................................................................................9
Benefits of Partnership with Aramark.......................................................................................................10
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................10
References.................................................................................................................................................11

5. Aramark/Gown Up Partnership 5
Introduction
In an effort to boost sales in a failing economy, Gown Up has felt the need to
research companies similar to ours for a potential partnership. Our product has slowly
gained recognition and we feel we can greatly expand our distribution by creating more
facilities throughout the entire east coast. At this time, we do not have the budget for
expansion. With a partnership we can make this possible and become the company we
have dreamt of being since we first openeed our doors in 2010. We will continue to keep
our loyalty to our customers and will become more widely known by partnering with a
trusted name like Aramark.
Reasons for Partnership
In an effort to boost sales and reach out to more customers which has been our goal
from the start, we are potentially partnering with Aramark. Aramark is an internationally
known company known for many services including uniform and gown distribution. While
we do not plan to expand quite that far, we would like to expand to the entire east coast
and possibly move west depending on sales at that time. Partnering with this company will
give us a well known name that consumers already trust and we will have many new
customers to build from as well. We believe our product has much more quality than the
current gown Aramark offers. We will be able to offer a new and improved product to their
customers and ours, because quality is our number one goal.
History of Aramark

6. Aramark/Gown Up Partnership 6
Aramark was started in 1936 with a vision to put vending machines in companies
such as factories and businesses (Aramark, 2012). It was started by Davre Davidson and
the initial product was peanuts. This idea was shared by another man named William
Fishman, who ran a vending machine company based in Chicago (Aramark, 2012). A
mutual customer named Douglas Aircraft, introduced the men to each other to join forces.
One man handled business at the Chicago plant, while the other did the same in southern
California (Aramark, 2012).
In 1959, the combined company became known as ARA for "Automatic Retailers of
America" (Aramark, 2012). In 1961, the company joined forces with Slater System Inc., the
largest food retailer on the East Coast at that time, which made them a national company
(Aramark, 2012). In the mid 1960s, the company continued to quickly expand when they
supplied meals at the Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City and their operations became
international. The company changed their name to ARA services. Joseph Neubauer joined
the company in 1979 as executive vice president of finance and was elected CEO and
chairman in 1984 (Aramark, 2012).
In the early 1990s, the company's emphasis shifted to "partnering" and changed its
name to Aramark in 1994 (Aramark, 2012). Aramark began focusing on doing whatever
they could to help clients succeed at their business which included continued food service
and supplier of uniforms. They realized that company uniforms was a growing demand and
began selling personalized company uniforms. In addition, they also provided a
professional cleaning service with their sales. According to Aramark, 2012, in November
2001, Aramark acquired "ServiceMaster Management Services, which expanded their

7. Aramark/Gown Up Partnership 7
service capabilities to food service, uniform and career apparel." In December 2001, the
company went from private to public and has continued to expand its services since
(Aramark, 2012). In 2003, they expanded their overseas service by entering countries such
as Chile, Ireland, Japan and Korea (Aramark, 2012). Today, they continue to build trust with
business clients around the world and continue to customize each client's specific needs.
They offer food, refreshment, cleaning and uniform services.
Gown Up History
Gown Up was founded in 2010 by Katie Schley. She first introduced the idea to her
family after seeing a family member in the hospital wearing a faded, ragged, not-so-
covering patient gown. She did some research and found that one of the least appealing
parts to being in the hospital is wearing those gowns. The traditional hospital gowns seen
in almost every healthcare setting today is either made of paper or cotton and was first
designed in 1920 (Brown, 2009). While few things with the gown has changed since then,
very little has stuck. Upon further research, although patient's despise wearing those
gowns, the reason they have stayed the way they are for so long is: they are low in cost,
require little maintenance and provide easy access for healthcare needs such as
intravenous fluid (Brown, 2009). It seems that the original design was for patient's that do
not walk which provides easy access for skin assessments and toileting needs. The reality
is, a majority of patient's do walk in the hospital and in fact doctor's usually want the
patient to get out of bed as fast as possible.

8. Aramark/Gown Up Partnership 6
Aramark was started in 1936 with a vision to put vending machines in companies
such as factories and businesses (Aramark, 2012). It was started by Davre Davidson and
the initial product was peanuts. This idea was shared by another man named William
Fishman, who ran a vending machine company based in Chicago (Aramark, 2012). A
mutual customer named Douglas Aircraft, introduced the men to each other to join forces.
One man handled business at the Chicago plant, while the other did the same in southern
California (Aramark, 2012).
In 1959, the combined company became known as ARA for "Automatic Retailers of
America" (Aramark, 2012). In 1961, the company joined forces with Slater System Inc., the
largest food retailer on the East Coast at that time, which made them a national company
(Aramark, 2012). In the mid 1960s, the company continued to quickly expand when they
supplied meals at the Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City and their operations became
international. The company changed their name to ARA services. Joseph Neubauer joined
the company in 1979 as executive vice president of finance and was elected CEO and
chairman in 1984 (Aramark, 2012).
In the early 1990s, the company's emphasis shifted to "partnering" and changed its
name to Aramark in 1994 (Aramark, 2012). Aramark began focusing on doing whatever
they could to help clients succeed at their business which included continued food service
and supplier of uniforms. They realized that company uniforms was a growing demand and
began selling personalized company uniforms. In addition, they also provided a
professional cleaning service with their sales. According to Aramark, 2012, in November
2001, Aramark acquired "ServiceMaster Management Services, which expanded their