Hospitality is a friendly, generous, and welcoming relationship between guests and hosts and has been developing and responding to customers’ needs.

Not long ago, hospitality’s winning formula was one size fits all. But, in recent years, customers have become highly demanding, with more specific and unique needs. Even for the elderly, whose best years were in a modest concept, their extended life expectancy and needs based on health status have given the industry a new direction.

This is the case with Coreworks. A hospitality service provider company with unparalleled facility support services which first started as a dining service. Although still a newbie in the industry, it is a premium service that resulted from experience, knowledge and innovation.

When You see Status-quo as an Opportunity

Richard Schenkel has an extensive background in food and service management in the healthcare industry. He graduated in Food Service Administration at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1977 after 3 years.

His career begins in a regional health care service management company and a food service management firm, a field he is passionate about. While being in various executive-level positions devoted to his work, he gained rich experience in operational sales and marketing. This was a big stepping stone for him to build up his leadership experiences, which were essential to establishing his later entrepreneurial ventures.

More importantly, Richard learned how valuable it is to have an insight into the customer experience to be outstanding that the service provider creates.

His inner entrepreneur drive and willingness to make positive changes in the food industry were key to founding Unidine. He found the industry’s status quo as an opportunity, willing to respond to the market need for customized services, service excellence and fresh-from-scratch cooking. His vision came to reality in the form of Unidine, which would later serve as the foundation blocks for Coreworks.

Valuable Experience Built 20 Years

The history of Unidine started 20 years ago. In 2001 the company was founded with only three team members, and the main goal was to provide fresh food programs and service excellence. Unidine filled the gap in the market for a boutique solution, in contrast to existing processed food services with already established standards and a generic approach for all.

This new approach in this field was actually a basis for creating "The Unidine Way." It defines how employees work and what standard of services clients can expect from each employee.

Five years after its establishment, Unidine was listed as one of America's fastest-growing private companies on Inc.'s 500/5000 list. The same year, Unidine was recognised by the Boston Business Journal as one of the region's fastest-growing private companies. The company stayed on this list for the following years and won the prestige award six more times.

New, fresh, and innovative ideas were coming one after another. The Fresh Food Pledge was introduced in 2007, offering fresh food made of ingredients from carefully selected sources. This customer-oriented approach to crafting exceptional food became a symbol the company is proud of.

A new program, Oh So Good, was created in 2014 with healthy lifestyle choices offered to customers. Richard came to this idea after conducting research where he identified the customers' health and dietary needs. Striving to provide the elderly with the best possible care and services, Richard was on his way to redefining senior hospitality services.

Good Work is Recognised and Success Celebrated

In 2011, Richard was named as Ernst & Young Entrepreneur for that year, thanks to service excellence, innovation and consistent success of the company. In 2013, Unidine was honored as a winner for innovation for the launch of Puree with Purpose at the Long Term Care & Senior Living Link conference. Another reward for food management was achieved in 2015, naming Unidine as one of the top 50 contract management companies.

Building and upgrading the business, Unidine celebrated 20 years of a success story in 2021 when Richard shared his gratitude and said that the company excelled to become the leader in food and dining management services beyond what he anticipated ever, thanks to 10,000 team members that have now become part of a big family.

It succeeded in penetrating 42 states across the nation and many clients that enjoy fresh made meals. But learning can only be used positively in the next chapter.

The Birth of Coreworks

A critical year that led to the conception of Coreworks was 2018, when Unidine expanded its strategy into the senior living industry. By rebranding Unidine Senior Living Culinary Group in Unidine lifestyles, the company has increased nationally with a best-in-class boutique provider in senior living. And that was the momentum to create Coreworks.

Established services in Unidine with proven quality and hospitality culture have been transformed in the new company. It offered various services like housekeeping, laundry, plant maintenance, transport and security. Behavioral health and health care industries also require a high level of infection control, quality control of technology, and high demanding standards and compliance accomplishment.

Coreworks fit all of the above, aiming to maintain good health and proper care in the community they serve. It focuses exclusively on environmental cleaning and support services. As a direct response to all the needs of senior living in 2019, Coreworks was founded.

Coreworks’ Focus - Senior Living Services

Coreworks was founded with the sole purpose of improving the Elderly’s way of living by offering various services like housekeeping, laundry, maintenance, and transportation. Richard saw the change in the needs of the Elderly while working on Unidine and decided to merge it all into one comprehensive service. Coreworks is now directly collaborating with Unidine, which have now become staples in the industry.
Protecting the personnel while ensuring a clean and safe service provider with a customer-centric communication platform differentiates Coreworks from other providers.

Coreworks Today

Coreworks today counts 94 partner locations in 28 states, with headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts. It is led by Richard Schenkel and has more than 800 team members.

To provide first-in-class department management and accountability is important to have professionally trained people on board capable of creating and delivering solutions with the highest QA standards for senior care environments. And Coreworks’ board certainly has the qualifications needed.

The ultimate goal is to comply with custom CMC and LSC programs and ensure that the organization is dedicated to meeting high demanding standards and regulations.

Richard Schenkel, as President and CEO, aims for Coreworks to be an industry leader in providing support services, committed to uncompromised service cleanliness and value standards. What differentiates Coreworks from others are the values that are a collection of qualities that guide towards service excellence.

Let’s see how far the leadership will pull Coreworks and what the competitor will do to follow.