Century-old uniform company's longtime leader dies at 93

Superior Group of Cos. Inc., a 103-year-old Pinellas County company, has lost one of its early leaders.

Gerald “Jerry” Benstock, chairman emeritus of the company board, died June 30 at 93. Benstock first joined the uniform company 72 years ago, in 1951. He was a young industrial engineer then, fresh from New York University.

His father ran Superior Group in 1951 but suffered from health issues, so Jerry Benstock soon took the reins of the family company, according to a company press release. He served as CEO until 2003, and as chairman until 2012, then earning the title of chairman emeritus in his retirement.