White Castle Inducts 89 Team Members Into 25-Year Club

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- White Castle's 25-Year Club will gain 89 new team members from 10 states at tonight's ceremony. The nation's first fast-food hamburger chain started this annual tradition in 1946, when founder E.W. "Billy" Ingram celebrated his 25th year at the helm.

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"It's rare to meet people that have worked for a company for more than five years, let alone 25 years,'' said President and CEO Bill Ingram. "White Castle is lucky to have such committed team members. These longstanding team members are the foundation for our growth and typify White Castle's values of loyalty and dedication."

Over the past 65 years, 1,598 White Castle team members have earned this distinctive honor, including 746 members on the active payroll. 

"As a family-owned company, White Castle places a high value on team member commitment and involvement," Ingram said. "I'm proud to say that more than six percent of our 11,000 active team members have been part of our family for 25 years or longer."

The "Class of 2011" includes 10 team members from Columbus restaurant operations and the home office, 18 from Chicago, eight from Cincinnati, six from Detroit, two from the Evandale, Ohio bakery division, six from Indianapolis, eight from Louisville, three from Minneapolis/St. Paul, five from Nashville, four from New Jersey, nine from New York, one from the Orleans, Indiana meat plant and nine from St. Louis.

"Induction into the 25-Year Club is one of White Castle's highest honors," Ingram said. "It's not just the years of service, but the actions of these team members that have earned them the respect and admiration of everyone in the company."

To show its appreciation, White Castle has rolled out the red carpet for inductees over the past four days during the company's annual meeting. The company paid for all incoming members' travel, hotel accommodations and special meals and provided tours of the White Castle Home Office and PSB Company facility.

The celebrations will conclude tonight with a limousine ride to the awards banquet attended by the new inductees, local active and retired 25-Year Club members, as well as company executives.

The team members hold a wide variety of positions, ranging from general managers, area supervisors, crew managers and team members who have remained loyal to White Castle and dedicated to serving customers in the restaurants for the past quarter century.

About White Castle

White Castle is a family-owned business based in Columbus, Ohio that owns and operates more than 400 White Castle restaurants in 11 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 approved beef or 100-percent white meat chicken. This year, the company celebrates its 90th birthday with special events and promotions occurring throughout the year. For more information on White Castle, visit www.whitecastle.com.

SOURCE White Castle