Stronger Together: WM Uniform and Wildman Business Group Partner for Long-Term Success

Recently, FBA member, WM Uniform, announced their partnership with Wildman Business Group, a family-owned, Indiana-based company. The two family businesses share parallel histories, values, community commitments, and together have 130 years of history in the industry. We sat down with Patrick Van Tuinen and Josh Wildman, both third generation family business leaders of their respective family companies to learn more about the partnership and what it means for their businesses.

About WM Uniform

Gordon Van Tuinen founded West Michigan Laundry in 1963 which served as a laundry and dry cleaner for personal apparel serving the Holland area. He quickly began expanding, moving into the commercial space with uniform and linen rentals. Gordon’s sons, Ken and Tom joined the business, in 1974 and 1983, respectively. They continued growing and innovating with several additions and investments in automation in the following years. By 2010, WM Uniform had fully transitioned to the third generation of leadership. The company now services areas throughout Michigan.

About Wildman Business Group

Upon returning from serving in WWII, Rex Wildman purchased a local dry cleaner in 1952 which would eventually become Wildman Business Group. In 1977, Rex’s son Brent joined the business and branched out into the industrial uniform industry. The company continued to grow through acquisitions and vertical integration under strategic leadership and succeeded to Josh Wildman in 2011. Today, they offer services ranging from uniform rental, bathroom hygiene products, deep cleaning, mat laundering, rental, and more throughout the Midwest.

Strategic Partnership: A New Transition

What began as an industry connection eventually blossomed into a friendship and celebration of common values. “Customer loyalty, relationships, honesty and integrity and above all doing business the right way” are at the core of each business, said Josh. To advance their family business vision, the Wildman Business Group began a series of smaller acquisitions a few years back, and it became clear that WM Uniform would be a perfect fit for their portfolio. When the Van Tuinen family began discussing succession as key leaders were approaching retirement, given the strong M&A environment following the COVID-19 pandemic, they also considered an acquisition. However, it was only an option with Wildman because of their shared values. The Van Tuinens wanted to ensure stability and continuity of care and service for their employees and customers. Ultimately, the possibility for WM Uniform came down to timing. “We didn’t know if that would be an opportunity, but if you don’t put it on the table, you don’t know,” Josh Wildman shared. “We had an initial conversation while Patrick and his cousins were discussing succession planning. It became clear that we could be stronger together.” In May 2023, the two companies announced their strategic partnership, making WM Uniform a division of the WildmanBusiness Group. Maintaining the same name, values, and customer service, WM Uniform is carrying the family’s legacy and team forward through the partnership.

Fulfilling the Family Business Vision

To both families, the partnership is more than an acquisition, and it will help them achieve their family business goals. It allowed Patrick to continue the business with the Wildman family while his cousins could retire. “I will be staying on, hopefully for years to come, and our fourth-generation family member plans to stay on. He is early in his career, but he has…gotten excited about staying on board,” said Patrick. For the Wildman family, their 200-year vision means they are committed to being a family-owned business for centuries to come, and partnering allows them continue making business decisions for the long-term. The acronym “W.I.L.D. – “World Influencers Living Differently” guides their decisions, Josh said, and stewardship is about changing lives in the communities where they serve and work. The Wildman Business Group approaches acquisitions with the goal of continuing the brand and legacy of the company, which is crucial to many family businesses. “You have a choice. You don’t just have to sell your company to the larger national or private equity. Together, we create synergies that benefit the combined organization,” explained Wildman. As part of this strategy, having family involved is a positive. “We want them there because that is the legacy. If it’s a healthy family situation, it’s going to be a win-win.”

What’s Next for WM Uniform?

For now, the WM Uniform team is focused on continuing the relationships they have in West Michigan. “There are more opportunities, benefits, products, and services that we can provide to our customers, and they are ready for them,” said Patrick. Additionally, by partnering, WM Uniform can grow with their customers who are also expanding within the region. Josh shared that they too are excited for what this could mean for their overall business. “The WM Uniform team is doing some very unique, disruptive things such as service without contract. We are excited to learn more about what that could mean in a broader sense for our overall strategy,” among other features from WM Uniform. The Holland-based business has an average employee tenure of 10 years, and both leaders are passionate about continuing this. “We truly want to be a destination employer. If you work for WM Uniform, they are going to treat you well, they are going to invest in your career, and you can feel good about the purpose you’re working for,” said Josh.

What’s Next for Family-Owned Businesses?

When asked what’s next for family-owned businesses, Patrick and Josh agreed: family businesses are not going anywhere. Patrick: “We have 12,000 combined customers and 90+ percent of them are family businesses, that’s who we choose to do business with.” Josh: “The majority of the economy is still based on companies like WM Uniform and ours.” Because family businesses can make decisions for the long term and tend to “put the people above the profit…it can be a catalyst to help our nation recover what got us to where we are,” expressed Josh. Family Business Alliance strives to help family businesses with the tools, resources, and connections to help businesses succeed. Learn more about our resources including Leading Forward, Succeeding in Succession, and Navigating Governance that help to advance family business in our community. All photos are courtesy WM Uniform and Wildman Business Group. This interview has edited for length and clarity. Written by Aislinn Teachout If you are interested in exploring opportunities to be featured, please email aislinn@fbagr.org.