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Jackets for employees help provide protection from the elements
Two organizations excel at keeping their crews comfortable
By Laurie Frees
Winter 2025
Cover Story
4 min read
Posted: February 10, 2025
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When the forecast is sunny and 75 degrees, working outdoors can be a joy. But Mother Nature is not always consistent, and each season can bring new challenges. America’s Grow-a-Row® opens in new window and Arbor Masters® opens in new window are two organizations with teams regularly working outdoors. Though hundreds of miles apart and in different climates, both make it a priority to keep employees comfortable while exposed to the elements. Here are two customers caring for workers no matter what the weather might bring.
America's Grow-a-Row provides warmth and care with a uniform look
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A shield from the elements
Nonprofit America’s Grow-a-Row in Pittstown, New Jersey, began as a family garden. In its first year, Founder and President Chip Paillex donated 120 pounds of fresh produce to a local food pantry. Twenty-two years later, America’s Grow-a-Row has now distributed over 96 million servings of produce for hunger relief agencies across 24 states.
To pull off such an operation, Paillex has a staff of 30 employees and a volunteer pool of about 11,000. What began as a 30-foot-by-30-foot plot in 2002 is now 423 acres of farmland. While the mission of giving more people access to fresh food for healthy living is an important one, it’s also a dirty one. Up to 300 people may harvest a field at once—this in a state that, last year, received 50 inches of precipitation opens in new window.
“The staff’s clothing takes a beating,” Paillex said. “They’re out there every day and they get extremely dirty. It’s one thing to be out there in T-shirts when the weather is nice, but in fall, when you’re out there picking, you’re getting muddy and wet.”
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To help protect workers (and their clothes) from inclement weather, 4imprint supplied waterproof jackets. The gesture was not only a show of appreciation, but also gave employees a uniform look that continues to promote America’s Grow-a-Row brand. “It’s a farm, but it’s also a very professionally run organization in terms of our mission, our marketing and how we present our teams,” Paillex said.
Protection from the elements
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America’s Grow-a-Row team members are among the nearly one-third of U.S. workers who have regular outdoor on-the-job exposure opens in new window. That equates to about 50 million people with some exposure to the elements.
There are many ways an organization can show care for its workforce. Providing rain jackets for employees is one example. When employees feel cared for, they’re more likely to be engaged, productive and loyal opens in new window. It’s a benefit to all involved when workers know they’re being looked after. The boost to brand visibility is a bonus.
Arbor Masters has got its employees covered
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Warm gesture
Another organization demonstrating care for its employees is Arbor Masters in Fort Worth, Texas. Arbor Masters is a provider of tree care services with 11 locations spanning Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Its workforce tackles jobs like tree pruning, tree removal, stump grinding, fertilization and more.
Kelly Paniagua, a certified arborist, is the Fort Worth location’s contract manager. She works with a team of about 22 employees who are among the 8% of U.S. workers frequently or constantly outdoors opens in new window. Each day, the crew divides into teams to care for the trees across Dallas, Fort Worth and surrounding areas.
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While they don’t get as much rain as New Jersey, the crews do occasionally work in freezing temperatures. That’s why Arbor Masters provided logoed jackets for employees to keep warm. “Everybody had been wearing a hodgepodge of jackets and hoodies,” Paniagua said. “Now they wear their branded company jackets, and everybody has the same style. It looks more organized and uniform.”
Heavyweight liner for warmth
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Paniagua and her management team gave the jackets as a surprise gift, complete with a bow and name tag. It was a show of appreciation and makes the workers easily recognizable as members of the Arbor Masters team. “Anytime you wear a uniform, you feel like you’re a part of something bigger. You’re part of a team; you have the same mindset, you all look professional and you all have the same goal.”
Care for your crew
America’s Grow-a-Row and Arbor Masters are dedicated to the comfort and protection of workers exposed to the elements. By providing jackets for employees, these organizations show that, come rain or shine, they have their workers’ backs.
4imprint partnered with America’s Grow-a- Row and sponsored the rain jackets mentioned in this story.
AMERICA’S GROW-A-ROW is a registered trademark of AMERICA'S GROW-A-ROW, INC., 150 PITTSTOWN ROAD, PITTSTOWN, NEW JERSEY UNITED STATES 08867
ARBOR MASTERS is a registered trademark of Shawnee Mission Tree Service, Inc., 8250 Cole Parkway, Shawnee, KANSAS UNITED STATES 66227