After thousands of online votes, Cintas and Carhartt have named Conner Schmidt the grand prize winner of the the companies' Cold and Crew contest. Schmidt, who is from Rocky River, Ohio, will be sent on a complimentary trip for two to the Country Music Association's festival in June, in Nashville, Tenn.

Conner’s entry described an incident that would have left him with a serious injury if it were not for his Carhartt coveralls.

“On a blistery cold day in Cleveland, I had the task of cutting beams into five-foot sections,” he said. “I put on my Carhartt coveralls to keep my clothes clean and to keep me warm in the 20 degree weather. It was a good thing I did, because when my gas-powered metal saw burst into flames, my Carhartt gear protected my legs from severe burns.”

Carly Townsend, a fisherman from Sussex, Wis. and Ted Rhyner, a mechanical demolition specialist from Rochester, N.Y., were named second and third place winners and will each receive free Carhartt merchandise for their participation.

The other 2014 Cold Crew finalists were:
    •    Jim Dougherty, Carpenter Foreman - Bensalem, Pa.
    •    Gary Faria, Pipe Layer/Benchman - Toronto, Ontario
    •    Daniel Keith, Skid Steer Operator - Cincinnati, Ohio
    •    Eric McDaniels, Tow Truck Driver - Orland Park, Ill.
    •    Mary Stone, Goat Farmer - Prole, Iowa
    •    Pete Walker, Snowplow Business Owner - Breckenridge, Colo.
    •    Garrett Watt, Iron Worker - Bothell, Wash.

“We received thousands of amazing stories from men and women who brave extremely brutal working conditions every fall and winter,” says Jamie Samide, Senior Marketing Director at Cintas Corporation, North America’s largest uniform supplier. “Both Carhartt and Cintas are known for providing tough, durable and dependable products, and we are happy to recognize the people who reflect those same characteristics.”

Cintas Corporation and Carhartt launched the third annual Cintas & Carhartt Cold Crew contest in September 2013. The contest targets workers in the U.S. and Canada whose jobs require them to endure tough conditions in cold temperatures. These individuals were encouraged to share their stories and photos and explain why Carhartt workwear is essential to their jobs.

“Our consumers are huge supporters of country music and we are excited to offer the CMA Music Festival trip as the Cold Crew grand prize once again,” says Randy Meza, Director of Carhartt marketing. “We’re honored to acknowledge our country’s hard-working men and women in this way and encourage them to continue to ‘Outwork Them All’ as we say here at Carhartt.”

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Cintas Corporation provides uniform programs, entrance mats, restroom cleaning and supplies, tile and carpet cleaning, promotional products, first aid, safety, fire protection products and services and document management services for businesses.

Carhartt is a global work wear brand headquartered in Dearborn, Mich.