Alsco: Alaska's linen and uniform rental service.

AuthorAnderson, Tasha
PositionCorporate 100 - Company overview

Alsco is a privately owned, international company that supplies linen and uniform rental services. Alsco was founded in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1889 by two teenage brothers. Today, it's headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. According to Alsco's Alaska General Manager Don Wirth, "We've been in business for over 125 years. We have over 170 plants similar to this [Anchorage plant] scattered throughout the United States and throughout the world. We have over 350,000 customers in thirteen different countries."

Alsco came to Alaska in 1988, and services most locations on the road system. As Wirth puts it, "From here to Fairbanks, down to Delta Junction, down through Glennallen and back, down to Valdez, and then up and down all the Peninsula all the way to Homer."

Wirth was transplanted to Alaska five years ago, moving up from Wyoming to take over the general manager position. "I've always wanted to come to Alaska," he says. "Other than Wyoming, it's the only place I've ever wanted to live. I came up sight-unseen." The gamble worked: "I love it. I got off the plane and fell in love immediately."

Alsco's Employees

Alsco has 18,000 employees worldwide, 126 of which are here in the Last Frontier. Wirth says that when it comes to taking on new employees, "I try to hire people that have integrity. I try to hire people that have some motivation and drive. I try to hire people that are honest and moral." After those attributes, the qualifications differ from position to position.

"We want to hire good people, and we want to hire people that would like to do something more than just what we hire them for," Wirth says. Wirth himself was hired on as a driver in 1975, achieving his goal of becoming a branch manager with his move to Alaska. No matter the position, Alsco performs thorough background checks and tests to ensure potential employees meet all physical requirements of the position.

The company has a diverse workforce, and Wirth says, "We've got a very, very hardworking crew here, and there are certain standards that have to be met on the production floor, and we hold [employees] to those standards."

Wirth says one of the perks of working at Alsco is the convenient schedule. "We don't work weekends, we don't work holidays, we work a strict day shift," he says. While occasional weekend work is performed, it's on a volunteer basis. In addition, employees are also given health insurance benefits, including dental and eye care. He says that at present Alsco...

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