Plant Manager at Cintas Corporation
Former Army vehicle mechanic makes a clean sweep from sales to plant management with Cintas Corporation.
by Warren Duffie

Are you worried about finding a civilian job? Don’t fret too much. In Andrew McGaha’s opinion, military veterans are primed for success in any civilian industry – regardless of their military occupational specialty (MOS).

“A lot of people think you need to stick with your MOS to get a great civilian job,” says the former Army staff sergeant. “That’s not exactly true. Whether you were a cook, mechanic, or regular grunt, the military teaches you how to develop a game plan, outline a mission, and use your discipline to carry it out. These qualities are just as crucial to civilian success.”

McGaha, 32, is a shining example of this. As someone who spent his 10 year Army career as a mechanic fixing armored vehicles, he has engineered a successful path with Cintas Corporation, which specializes in providing uniforms to Corporate America.

New Uniform, Same Commitment
McGaha manages a Memphis, Tenn., plant that cleans, and transports 20,000 garments daily. The facility also handles towels, linens, mops, and doormats.

McGaha oversees more than 50 people who unload clothes, place them in an automated sorting system, and monitor their washing. Dressing Corporate America is hard work, and sometimes the workload gets exceptionally busy. But like any good platoon, the plant employees multi-task. And McGaha is their sergeant – assigning those who unload shipments to load outgoing ones, and tasking those who sort clothes into washing and pressing. “It’s a chess match,” McGaha says. “We usually keep everyone in their assigned positions, but every now and again we need to do some shifting.

Such commitment has helped McGaha rise through the ranks of Cintas – from a salesman to plant manager.

Prior to his promotion, McGaha was a star salesman for the company – often ranked in the top 7 percent of the sales force. He recently retuned from an all-expense paid trip to Cancun Mexico – his reward as a member of Cintas’ “President’s Club,” which is reserved for the company’s premier moneymakers.

“It’s rare for someone to come out of the military and go straight into sales,” says Sally Hart, Cintas’ national military recruiting director. “It involves cold-calling and is straight commission. Normally, we hire veterans to work on an established route and build relationships with established clients. However, I saw that Andrew had the leadership, discipline, and tenacity to do very well here.”

A “Dirty” Career with Many Opportunities
As one of G.I. Jobs’ “Top 25 Military-Friendly Employers 2005,” Cintas (www.cintas.com) is known as the uniform people and much more. It also provides first aid and safety products, fire protection services, document management services, restroom supplies, entrance mats and promotional products for roughly 700,000 customers. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, the $3 billion company operates 412 facilities in the U.S. and Canada with more than 30,000 employees. Many are veterans, thanks to the efforts of Hart – who has been beating down the doors of military bases for 18 years.

“It’s all about the mission and veterans understand mission. At Cintas our mission is to exceed customers’ expectations,” Hart says. “When the company commander says this is the mission, everyone’s on the same page. We like the way they get that across.”

Physical fitness also comes into play at Cintas, where front line route drivers – a position the company calls service sales — are continually jumping in and out of trucks, carrying uniforms and other products. “Doing laundry and servicing customers with clean uniforms is not the most glamorous work, but veterans are ideal,” Hart says. “They flexible and are not afraid to get their hands dirty and make great leaders.”

In addition to the service sales positions, Cintas seeks manager supervisors. Senior noncommissioned officers and JMOs are ideal candidates, and a bachelor’s degree is not required. Mechanics are also in high demand.

Fascinated by the Military
McGaha was always fascinated by the Army. The Memphis native often traveled with his family to Fairfax, Va., to visit his grandparents. Along the way, they sometimes saw large convoys of trucks and jeeps traveling from Fort A.P. Hill or Fort Belvoir. In addition, his favorite toys were G.I. Joe action figures and plastic soldiers.

Bored after two years of college, McGaha decided to enlist. His first assignment was Fort Sill, Okla., as a Bradley Fighting Vehicle mechanic. Within two years, he was promoted to quality control supervisor responsible for more than 300 pieces of equipment.

In 1999, McGaha was assigned to Friedberg, Germany, as a recovery supervisor. He was in charge of training and supervising electricians and mechanics, and assisted in more than 200 quality assurance inspections and 100 vehicle services while deployed to Kosovo. In 2001, while still in Europe, McGaha began to think about life after the Army. He began attending base career fairs featuring American employers – and met Sally Hart.

“I liked Andrew immediately,” Hart says. “He had a great personality, and I could see he had the qualities to be successful with Cintas.”

“I think that’s because I was the only person wearing a suit,” McGaha jokes.

McGaha was impressed with Cintas as well, but he re-enlisted and was sent back to Oklahoma – where he served as a chief logistical supervisor for eight months before being assigned to Fort Knox, Ky., as an instructor.

Although he enjoyed teaching, by 2004 McGaha was again thinking seriously about civilian life: “I had done all I wanted to do in the Army. I began to wonder what corporate life offered. I wanted a new challenge.”

From Camouflage to Cintas
McGaha began attending ACAP classes. Meanwhile, he and Hart maintained contact. He let her know he planned to leave the military. She arranged for McGaha to interview for several jobs. He was soon hired as a sales rep in the plant he now oversees.

“I was lucky in that I had no trouble adjusting to civilian employment,” McGaha says. “Cintas is very big on policy and procedures, something every veteran understands. It’s the ideal company for veterans.”

Of course, it also doesn’t hurt that he makes a lot more money. Rather than being paralyzed at the thought of losing a steady paycheck, McGaha excelled as a salesman and – with commissions and bonuses – doubled his military salary.

“Also, the potential for advancement is outstanding,” McGaha says. “I wanted to be a manager in three years and did it in less than two.”

McGaha’s Advice
Prepare for your transition like you would for deployment. “Eliminate all distractions. Be prepared to fully immerse yourself in the job search. Treat it like a full-time job.”

Focus on the mission. If you don’t have one, you won’t be successful in civilian transition. Prepare, prepare, prepare.”