While they have been out of the supermarket business since 2010, the Ukrop family has retained a connection to the industry in which they were admired by their customers and peers. In fact, there are currently two enterprises that began as important components of the former Richmond market leader’s supermarket business.

One is Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods (UHF), whose roots can be traced back to 1976 and essentially served as the retailer’s in-house prepared foods distributor; the other is Threads Uniform Agency (previously known as Ukrop’s Dress Express and Ukrop’s Threads), which was created in 1998 to provide a solution to improve the quality and service of uniforms that store associates wore.

When Ukrop’s Super Markets, which at its peak operated 30 stores and amassed annual sales of approximately $700 million, was sold to Giant/Martin’s (a division of Ahold USA) 12 years ago, both those businesses continued as independent entities. UHF is run by former Ukrop’s Super Markets CEO Bobby Ukrop and his sons-in-law Scott Aronson and Chris Kantner. It operates an 89,000 square foot manufacturing and distribution facility in Richmond.

Advertisement

Threads Uniform Agency (TUA) is led by Jeff Ukrop, Bobby’s youngest son, and operates a 72,000 square foot office and distribution center in nearby Midlothian, VA. Recently we sat down with Jeff Ukrop to discuss some of the changes that have recently occurred at TUA and  how he believes the launch of a major brand repositioning will strengthen the company in the future.

“Although we’ve been around for almost 25 years, we felt we needed a stronger image that would better position ourselves on a national scale in the uniform space in which we compete,” Ukrop noted. “I like the word ‘agency’ because I think it promotes the idea of collaboration and teamwork. And like an agency, we believe one of our best assets is that we are a solutions-driven company.”

To that point, TUA has been effectively sourcing polo shirts, jackets, aprons and hats from around the globe while leveraging technology to secure and manage uniform programs. In addition to these customized solutions, Ukrop explained the level of individualized service provided by TUA separates the company from its competitors.

“The success of our business is much more than transactional. Relationships are important and building successful relationships with our partners occurs when we can provide solutions for the challenges they face. We’ve found that being prepared and being good listeners are also important to these relationships,” the 48-year old Ukrop asserted.

Since he became chief executive at Threads Uniform Agency, Ukrop has been focused on growth both with its existing customers and by adding new customers to its roster. Specifically, TUA currently furnishes such leading retailers as Cumberland Farms, H-E-B, Kroger/Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods, McCaffrey’s, Stater Bros., The Fresh Market, Weis Markets and Winn-Dixie with uniforms. A key target for TUA is theme parks and the uniform provider currently services one of the largest, Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., which operates 17 parks in the U.S. and Canada that employ 41,000+ seasonal workers.

Along with supermarket retailers, convenience stores and theme parks, TUA has also grown its restaurant portfolio whose roots were formed from providing its many supermarket operators with foodservice specific uniforms for their fresh department associates.

Threads Uniform Agency currently employs approximately 55 associates at its Midlothian location which also houses an embroidery shop for customizing uniforms.

Five years ago, the company projected that revenue would grow 25 percent over a five-year period. According to Ukrop, “we are on track to meet that objective.”

And the course that Threads Uniform Agency will take to reach beyond that goal can be best summarized by its customer service philosophy shared at threadsuniforms.com:

“At our core, we truly hang our hats on providing the best, most attentive service. This means we are passionate, adhering to high standards, and looking for opportunities to go above and beyond. From the beginning, we take the time to become familiar with your brand. This includes your culture, objectives, and potential barriers. With this information in our pockets, we can provide support and recommendations grounded in strategy. Even though we equip your business digitally, we want you to know our team is always here to answer your questions. That is why your calls will be answered by your account executive, not an answering service, robot, or representative who doesn’t know your business.”

 

*In the featured photo, the senior leadership team at Threads Uniform Agency includes (l-r) Jeff Pierce, chief information officer; Stefanie Rogers, VP-sales and marketing; Irina Howard, chief financial officer; Jeff Ukrop, president and CEO.