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.

• The founding of

Prudential came at a

time when trends in the

business world indicated

growing interest in the

various benefits of work

uniforms.

• 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.”

Founder John D. Clark on

right, circa 1932

• 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.

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

In 1984, John D. Clark was named Chairman Emeritus,

Don R. Clark named Chairman of the Board, and Dan Clark named President.

• 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.

• 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.

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.