http://www.prudentialuniforms.com/ | Since its inception in 1932, Prudential Overall Supply has distinguished itself as a leader in the uniform and textile rental industry. From its humble beginnings in a Los Angeles shed, the company has grown into an internationally known organization with 29 locations in nine U.S. states and several foreign lands. Prudential is also widely recognized for its dedication to pro-environmental business practices.

2. Founded in 1932, Prudential Overall Supply has provided first-rate
work uniforms and textile products to thousands of organizations
in many industries. In addition to renting, leasing, and selling high-quality
uniforms, the company has also earned a reputation for its
commitment to advanced cleanroom laundering techniques and
eco-friendly business practices. Let’s take a look at the proud
history of this venerable company.

3. • Prudential was established on April 11, 1932, in
Los Angeles, California. The owner, John D.
Clark, recognized the business potential of a
laundry service aimed at busy workmen who
needed help washing and maintaining their
uniforms. In the beginning, the company was
known as “Prudential Laundry.”
• The founding of
Prudential came at a
time when trends in the
business world indicated
growing interest in the
various benefits of work
uniforms.
Founder John D. Clark on
right, circa 1932

4. Founder John D. Clark, pictured far
right, attending a tradeshow in 1948
with his brother Frank Clark, second
from left, and John's brother-in-law
Wally Shoberg, pictured next to John.
• By 1939, Clark had managed to move Prudential from a
tiny shed into a 22,000-square-foot building.
• The company became a family affair, as Clark’s siblings
and parents relocated all the way from Iowa to help him
run the business. Members of the Clark family would hold
important positions at Prudential for decades to come.

5. • Prudential also earned wide
praise for offering its
cleaning services to the U.S.
military during World War II.
As a result, the company’s
public profile was
significantly enhanced.
Entire Prudential Laundry fleet of 15 trucks at
Slauson Ave. Plant, Los Angeles, CA in 1949.
• In 1943, Prudential expanded
its business operations to
include renting uniforms to
companies. This was a gamble
for the Prudential team, as
uniform rental was a relatively
new and unproven industry, but
eventually the rental program
would constitute 95% of the
company’s income.

6. • Prudential continued
to expand its
operations across the
state of California.
• In 1952, the company
reached $1,200,000
in revenues. During
the same year,
Prudential opened a
new facility, in Los
Angeles.
Prudential Overall Supply begins service to
the Riverside, CA market area in 1956.
• The year 1957 was a milestone for the Prudential team, as
they celebrated their 25th anniversary in the industry.

7. • Don Clark, brother of president John D. Clark, left his position as
head coach of the University of Southern California football
squad in 1960 and joined the family business. Don would later
become company president in 1972, then chairman in 1984,
holding the latter position until his death in 1989.
• In 1960, the company established a “cleanroom” garment
service, which provided careful cleaning, sterilizing, and
decontaminating of uniforms used in sensitive environments,
such as biomedical laboratories and paint-spraying facilities.

8. In 1984, John D. Clark was named Chairman Emeritus,
Don R. Clark named Chairman of the Board, and Dan Clark named President.
• In 1978, the Prudential team decided to expand its operations
beyond the state of California. The company launched this
expansion program by opening a facility—Prudential’s ninth—in
Arizona. When this venture proved successful, Prudential
branched out into other regions across the U.S. and even overseas
during the next few decades.
• Prudential reached revenues of $35 million in 1982, the company’s
50th anniversary.

9. • Prudential’s revenues hit the $100 million mark in 1996. Ten years
later, the company posted $127 million in revenues as it steadily
pushed into new territories.
• Prudential became ISO certified in the year 2000.
• It was featured on a 2003 episode of the TV series American
Medical Review, hosted by Morley Safer.

10. • Prudential Overall Supply’s 27 locations provide services
to more than 25,000 organizations, including 110 Fortune
500 companies.
• Prudential has earned the honor of being the first major
industrial laundry company to receive the Clean Green
certification from the Textile Rental Service Association
(TRSA). This certification recognizes the organization's
commitment to environmentally friendly operations.

11. Prudential Overall Supply has been supplying reusable
work uniforms and other textile products to businesses
for over 80 years. With 27 locations in nine U.S. states,
Prudential Uniforms services over 25,000 businesses. It
is the first industrial laundry chain in the world to earn a
Clean Green certificate through the TRSA, which
recognized its “conscientiousness about natural
resources and a commitment to sustainability.”
For more details, visit www.prudentialuniforms.com.