ASI Fort Worth 2026: Caleb Churchill Reveals How to Sell Uniform Programs

More than one-fifth of employees wear uniforms, and most distributors aren't selling them. That was the core provocation Caleb Churchill, director of national accounts at Counselor Top 40 supplier Workwear Outfitters, dropped on the floor at Booth #640 during his noon Power Session at ASI Show Fort Worth on Tuesday, March 10.

The session, titled "Selling Uniform Programs to Top Markets: Unlock a Repeatable Revenue Stream," ran 50 minutes and drew from Churchill's hands-on experience moving uniform programs at scale. His argument was direct: distributors who treat workwear as a one-off transaction are leaving behind one of the most reliable recurring revenue structures in the promo industry. Uniform programs generate income through ongoing replenishment, seasonal updates and employee turnover, he explained, embedding a distributor's services so deeply into a client's daily operations that the relationship shifts from vendor to essential partner.

The market backdrop makes the opportunity hard to ignore. The global uniforms and workwear market sits at $84.75 billion in 2025 and is tracking to $89.71 billion in 2026 at a 5.9% compound annual growth rate, according to research from Researchandmarkets. Longer term, the same market is projected to reach $111.27 billion by 2030 at a 5.5% CAGR, driven by expansion of service and healthcare sectors, rising safety and compliance demands, and a growing preference for rental and managed uniform services.

Churchill grounded his pitch in something older than the promo industry itself. "People used to identify servants based on their uniforms," he said, tracing the category back to medieval times. The function hasn't changed so much as the stakes have escalated. "When you create a uniform, you establish brand awareness, and that creates identity." He pointed to Target's red polo and khakis combination and the Starbucks green apron as modern proof of concept, two instantly recognizable uniforms that do branding work every hour an employee is on the floor.

The practical advice Churchill delivered centered on what's actually changing in how buyers evaluate uniform programs. Millennials and Gen Z decision-makers expect comfort, style, durability and inclusivity from their workwear, a significant departure from the stiff, standardized garments that defined the category for decades. That buyer shift requires distributors to adjust their approach, which Churchill summarized as needing to "take off their blinders" when pitching workwear programs to end-buyers.

Specifically, he recommended understanding the full decision-making committee at any target organization rather than approaching a single contact. Wear trials are critical to moving programs forward. And tech-enabled tools that handle sizing, ordering and ongoing program management are no longer a differentiator; they're an expectation. Programs that execute on those fronts also open natural upsell paths into PPE, footwear and branded accessories.

The Researchandmarkets data Churchill's session drew on points to additional tailwinds: increasing demand for sustainable fabric workwear, the expansion of industry-specific uniform designs and a sharpening focus on safety and compliance apparel across sectors. For distributors who've been sleeping on uniform programs, the session made the case that the window to build that practice is open and the market fundamentals are moving in the right direction.