Careers at Aramark

Mission

Aramark’s mission is to deliver experiences that enrich and nourish lives.

Business segments

Aramark is a provider of food, facilities, and uniform services.  The firm operates three reportable business segments:

  • Food and Support Services North America (FSS North America) – Manages several interrelated services in North America, including food, hospitality, and facility services for school districts, colleges and universities, healthcare facilities, businesses, sports, entertainment and recreational venues, conference and convention centers, national and state parks, and correctional institutions.
  • Food and Support Services International (FSS International) – Provides a similar range of services as those provided by the FSS North America segment; however, it operates in 19 countries outside the United States and Canada. Its largest international operations are in the United Kingdom, Germany, Chile, China, and Ireland.
  • Uniform and Career Apparel (Uniform) – Provides uniforms and other garments and work clothes, as well as ancillary items such as mats and shop towels in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, and through a joint venture, Japan.

History

Davre Davidson and William Fishman both owned peanut-vending businesses. Based in Los Angeles, Davidson began shifting his machines from standard outlets such as restaurants, drugstores, and bowling alleys to offices and factories. Based in Chicago, Fishman worked on transforming his company from a fringe benefit to a full-fledged foodservice operation.

The two men met when both garnered a contract to install their machines at Douglas Aircraft plants in Chicago and Santa Monica, CA. In the next few years, they discussed their dream of providing foodservice alongside their vending businesses. Following several failed efforts to subcontract to catering firms, they merged their companies in 1959 to form Automatic Retailers of America (ARA).

The new entity was a huge success, generating $24 million in revenues its first year. The next few years saw significant expansion – between 1959 and 1964 it acquired 150 vending businesses. Its biggest conquest was Slater Company, the largest foodservice operation in the U.S. This purchase made ARA a diversified foodservice provider, giving it a presence in institutions such as universities.

By 1964 the company had 95,000 vending machines providing everything from sandwiches and hot soup to fresh coffee. It diversified its business by launching a division to run sports parks, amusement parks, and resorts; acquiring a firm that offered in-flight meals to over 20 airlines; and buying 39 local distributors of periodicals. It also moved into merchandising and maintenance/housekeeping.

Between 1970 and 1975, its earnings grew at a compound annual growth rate of 10%. By 1979, it operated over 6,000 foodservice establishments across Germany, France, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. In 1994 it changed its name to Aramark to reflect the fact it had moved far beyond vending. In 2006 it was acquired by a group of investors. In 2013 it went public, listed on the NYSE.

Business model of Aramark

Customer Segments

Aramark has a segmented market business model, with customer groups that have slightly different needs. The company targets its offerings at organizations in the education, healthcare, business & industry, sports, and leisure & corrections sectors.

Value Proposition

Aramark offers two primary value propositions: innovation and brand/status.

The company embraces innovation as a part of its culture. Its groundbreaking efforts include:

  • Designing a “test kitchen” that enables guests dining at sports and entertainment venues to provide feedback on menu options through tablets and kiosks
  • Creating “Your Voice Counts”, a consumer feedback tool that enables customers of the company to provide real-time feedback online or from their mobile devices
  • Replacing countertop registers in sports and entertainment venues with mobile tablets for the processing of concession-stand transactions; they send real-time updates to managers’ phones

The company has established a powerful brand due to its success. It maintains 270,000 employees who serve millions of customers in 22 countries worldwide. Specific service stats are as follows:

  • It serves 89% of the Fortune 500
  • It serves more than 500 million meals yearly to five million students at colleges and K-12 schools
  • It serves more than 2,000 healthcare facilities, representing over 75 million patient days annually
  • It serves 100 million sports fans yearly through deals with 149 professional and collegiate teams
  • It puts over two million people in uniforms each day

In terms of specific business segments, its FSS North America and Uniform segments hold the #2 position in North America, while its FSS International segment holds a top 3 position in most countries in which it has significant operations. Lastly, it has won many honors, including:

  • Recognition as one of the World’s Most Admired Companies by Fortune
  • Recognition as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute
  • Recognition as one of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity by Black Enterprise
  • Recognition as a Reader’s Choice Top 50 Employer of the disabled

Channels

Aramark’s main channel is its business development team. The company promotes its offerings through its website, social media pages, and participation in trade shows and conferences.

Customer Relationships

Aramark’s customer relationship is primarily of a personal assistance nature. The company works closely with clients to deliver its food, facilities, and uniform-related services.

Key Activities

Aramark’s business model entails designing, developing, and delivering its services to customers.

Key Partners

Aramark’s key partners are the suppliers that provide it with the equipment and supplies it needs to manage its operations.

Key Resources

Aramark’s main resources are its human resources, who include the business development staff members that promote it and the service personnel that provide support to customers.

Cost Structure

Aramark has a value-driven structure, aiming to provide a premium proposition through significant personal service and frequent service enhancements. Its biggest cost driver is cost of services, a variable expense. Other major drivers are in the areas of sales/marketing and administration.

Revenue Streams

Aramark has one revenue stream: revenues it generates from the sale of its services to customers. Sales are generally carried out through the signing of short- and long-term contracts.

Our team

Eric Foss,
President, Chairman, and CEO

info: Eric Foss earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Ball State University. He previously served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG) and as the Chief Executive Officer of Pepsi Bottling North America.

Steve Reynolds,
EVP, General Counsel, and Secretary

info: Steve Reynolds earned an undergraduate degree at Princeton University and a JD at the Fordham University School of Law. He previously served as SVP and General Counsel at Alcatel-Lucent and as VP and Chief Litigation Counsel at Sanofi-Aventis.

Steve Bramlage,
EVP and Chief Financial Officer

info: Steve Bramlage earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at the University of Dayton and an MBA at Northwestern University. He previously served as SVP and CFO of Owens-Illinois and as President of Owens-Illinois Oceania and Asia-Pacific.

Lynn McKee,
EVP, Human Resources

info: Lynn McKee earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting at St. Joseph’s University and an MBA at Drexel University. She previously served as Director of Employee Relations and as VP of Executive Development and Compensation at Aramark.