COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- White Castle, the nation's first fast-food hamburger chain, will welcome 48 team members from nine states into the 25-Year Club at a banquet held in their honor this evening. Founder E.W. "Billy" Ingram began the 25-Year Club in 1946 when he celebrated his silver anniversary with the family-owned business.
"The longevity of our team members is an important milestone that we want to recognize," said Bill Ingram, White Castle CEO and member of the 25-Year Club Class of 1997. "White Castle is a successful family-owned business because of our friendly work environment that promotes positive relationships and dependability."
For the past 68 years, including 2014, 1,783 White Castle team members have earned this distinctive honor. The "Class of 2014" includes seven team members from Louisville as well as seven from New York City, representing the largest regional contingencies on the list. Other honorees include:
- Five team members from Columbus, Ohio
- Five team members from Indianapolis, Indiana
- Five team members from St. Louis, Missouri
- Four team members from Chicago, Illinois
- Four team members from Detroit, Michigan
- Four team members from Orleans, Indiana
- Three team members from the State of New Jersey
- Two team members from Cincinnati, Ohio
- One team member from Dayton, Ohio
- One team member from Nashville, Tennessee
The 48 team members hold a wide variety of positions, ranging from general managers, area supervisors, crew managers to team members who have remained loyal to White Castle and dedicated to serving customers in the restaurants for the past quarter century.
"In today's fast-paced work environment, we feel fortunate to have nearly 10 percent of our over 10,000 active team members with us for 25 years or longer and more than 1 in 4 have been with us 10 years or more," said Lisa Ingram, White Castle president. "One of the founding principles of my great-grandfather Billy Ingram was to treat all team members with dignity and respect because they are the most important asset we have at White Castle."
The family-owned business will honor all 25-Year Club members at its annual banquet tonight in Columbus, Ohio. This evening 25-Year Club members will be treated to a limousine ride to the banquet celebration where they will receive a 25-Year Club watch from CEO Bill Ingram. Local team members, company executives and active 25-Year Club members will attend the event.
About White Castle
White Castle is a family-owned business based in Columbus, Ohio, that owns and operates more than 400 restaurants in 12 states. The company was founded in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921 and is America's first fast-food hamburger chain. All White Castle Sliders are made from 100 percent USDA inspected beef. White Castle's commitment to maintaining the highest quality products extends to the company owning and operating its own meat processing plants and bakeries. Craver Nation, White Castle's culture center for Cravers, connects like-minded Cravers from around the globe in a social media setting. For more information on White Castle and Craver Nation, visit WhiteCastle.com and CraverNation.WhiteCastle.com.
