CINCINNATI — Cintas and Carhartt have announced the first four finalists in their Tough Crew Contest, one of which is a HVAC contractor from the Metro Detroit area. These individual’s crews will be eligible to win $2,500 in free Carhartt merchandise.

The four finalists are:

• Tina DeSandre – owner of a commercial HVAC company in Fraser, Michigan.

• Ric Hawkins – a certified electric foreman from Orosi, California.

• David King – a welding engineer from Houston.

• Charles Miles – a carpenter from Bardstown, Kentucky.

These hard-working individuals submitted entries and photos illustrating how their teams “Outwork Them All®” and why they rely on Carhartt to get the job done. Entries are still being accepted at the contest website (www.cintas.com/toughcrew), and eight additional finalists will be announced in March and May. All 12 finalists will be eligible to receive free Carhartt workwear, and in June, they will compete through online votes for the grand prize of $2,500 in free merchandise to outfit their teams.

For the past three years, Cintas and Carhartt have recognized cold-weather workers through the Cold Crew contest. This year, the new Tough Crew contest honors crews of people who work together in all types of climates.

“We’re excited to be doing something different this year,” said John Rudy, senior marketing and strategy manager for Cintas Corp., one of North America’s largest uniform suppliers. “We’ve heard great stories about North America’s workforce through our previous contests with Carhartt, and we look forward to opening it up to groups that work in tough conditions year round and in all types of climates.”

Last year’s Cintas and Carhartt Cold Crew Contest, which focused on winter workers, spurred more than 15,000 entries from throughout the United States and Canada. Property maintenance employee Conner Schmidt from Rocky River, Ohio, was voted the winner, and he enjoyed a free trip for two to the CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee.

“Congratulations to the hardworking finalists of the Cintas and Carhartt Tough Crew Contest,” said Tony Ambroza, senior vice president of marketing at Carhartt. “We know that the competition for this contest is steep and we want to recognize all the individuals who signed up to compete. We look forward to revealing the winning crew in the weeks to come; until then, continue to ‘Outwork Them All.’”

For more information about Cintas, visit www.cintas.com.

For more information about Carhartt, visit www.carhartt.com.

Publication date: 2/2/2015

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