UniFirst launches Essential Series™: A complete restroom solution
Combines modern aesthetic design with expert-managed facility services
WILMINGTON, Mass., May 19, 2026 /CNW/ -- UniFirst Corporation (NYSE:UNF), a North American leader in providing customized business uniform programs, facility service products and first aid and safety services, today announced the launch of the Essential Series.™ This fully managed restroom solution bridges the gap between modern design aesthetic and operational simplicity, helping businesses maintain clean, welcoming facilities without the traditional maintenance hassle.
The Essential Series™ shifts restroom hygiene from a procurement hassle to a seamlessly managed service. The collection features a suite of eight dispensers for soap, paper, and air fresheners that pair a modern, timeless design with a proactive, expert-led service model, ensuring facilities stay fully stocked, clean, and visually cohesive.
Modern design meets operational ease
The Essential Series™ represents a sophisticated departure from traditional dispensers currently on the market. By offering a curated, unique design with a cohesive and intentional look, the collection is specifically tailored for the modern and professional feel of today's work environments.
- Timeless Design: Available in two classic design options (sleek black and white), the series will match any décor. The minimalist look ensures that the dispensers remain a modern classic avoiding the pitfalls of seasonal color trends and ensuring a perfect match during future facility renovations.
- Easy-Clean Surfaces: Form follows function with smooth, contoured surfaces. By eliminating unnecessary ridges and textures, the design allows for rapid wiping and sanitization, keeping the environment looking sharp with minimal effort.
- The "One-Key" Efficiency: To streamline facility management, the dispensers use a single lock and key system. This eliminates the "key ring clutter" often found in commercial buildings, making servicing easy for on-site staff and UniFirst service teams.
Restoring Peace of Mind Through Service Certainty
The Essential Series™ helps eliminate the worry that empty dispensers will negatively impact a company's brand reputation. By shifting from a reactive "order and refill" model to a professionally managed service, the program provides peace of mind through:
- Proactive Service: UniFirst service-certified experts take full ownership of inventory levels. Businesses no longer need to monitor stock or handle emergency refills. UniFirst local service teams stay ahead of customer needs, so facilities remain fully stocked.
- High-Capacity Dispensers: Engineered for high-traffic environments, the dispensers hold a larger volume of product than standard units to reduce the risk of runouts. By decreasing the frequency of required refills, the Essential Series™ minimizes operational interruptions and reduces the time staff must spend on restroom upkeep.
- Predictable Billing: With a fixed service model and no upfront capital investment, operations leads can expect no surprise fees, just seamless service with expert inventory management. Transparent billing replaces the stress of fluctuating wholesale costs and unexpected equipment repairs.
"Our facilities are often the first point of contact for our customers and home base for our team, so maintaining a professional environment is important for us. Our team loves the look and feel of the dispensers," said UniFirst customer Charles Grandll, General Manager, Ballard Truck Center. "We transitioned to UniFirst because we needed a partner who valued transparency and proactive service as much as we do. Their Essential Series has not only elevated the look of our locations with its modern design, but the proactive service has also given our management team the freedom to stay focused on our core trucking operations without worrying about facility maintenance."
Closing the "Labor Gap" Through Operational Efficiency
The Essential Series™ also combats "operational drain," the lost productivity businesses spend on manual inventory tracking. By combining high-capacity restroom dispensers with proactive service, the program addresses the industry's labor gap by significantly reducing the frequency of required maintenance intervals, allowing on-site staff to stay focused on core business tasks.
"The Essential Series™ is about providing customers with one less thing to worry about," said Steven Sintros, President and CEO of UniFirst. "By turning restroom maintenance into a dependable, expert-managed service, UniFirst gives business owners the assurance that their facilities are aesthetically appealing, clean, and professional, allowing them to reallocate their most valuable resources, their people and time, to their most critical business priorities."
The UniFirst Essential Series™ is available for installation across the United States and Canada. For more information on how the Essential Series™ can help optimize business operations, visit UniFirst.com.
About UniFirst
UniFirst Corporation (NYSE:UNF) helps businesses of all sizes keep their workers safe, comfortable, and professional with work uniform and facility service solutions, as well as first aid and safety supplies and services. Headquartered in Wilmington, Mass., the company manages specialized garment programs through its subsidiaries for the cleanroom and nuclear industries. Alongside partnerships with leading brands, UniFirst manufactures its own branded workwear, protective clothing, floorcare products, and restroom supplies at three company-owned facilities. Guided by a commitment to Always Deliver™ for its customers, Team Partners, and communities, UniFirst operates 270-plus service locations across North America, serves more than 300,000 customer locations, and outfits over 2 million workers daily with the support of 16,000-plus Team Partners. For more information, contact UniFirst at 888.296.2740 or visit UniFirst.com. Follow UniFirst on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram.
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SOURCE UniFirst Corporation
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