# Goodwill Industries of South Florida

> Goodwill Industries of South Florida is a Miami-based nonprofit social enterprise that funds training, employment and job placement for people with disabilities and other barriers to work. Founded in 1959, it runs a self-sustaining business model spanning donated-goods retail and thrift stores, technically complex apparel and flag manufacturing for the U.S. military, commercial laundry, janitorial services and third-party logistics. With roughly 3,600 employees and about $196M in annual revenue, it is one of the largest Goodwills in North America and the largest employer of people with disabilities in Florida.

- **Founded:** 1959
- **Headquarters:** Miami, Florida, United States
- **Founders:** James A. Ryder (Founding leader (recruited to establish the organization)), Leonard L. Abess (Founding backer (City National Bank)), Roy A. Perry (Founding backer (City National Bank))
- **Team size:** ~3,600 employees
- **Products:** Donated Goods & Retail (Thrift Stores), Apparel & Flag Manufacturing (Ryder Apparel Manufacturing Division), Commercial Laundry Services, Janitorial / Custodial Service Contracts, Third-Party Logistics (3PL)
- **Notable:** One of the largest Goodwills in North America - ranked the 6th largest of 159 Goodwills in the U.S. and Canada., Largest employer of people with disabilities in the State of Florida (~1,000)., First nonprofit in America to manufacture technically complex garments while employing people with disabilities (1994).

## Products & services

- **Donated Goods & Retail (Thrift Stores)** — A network of retail thrift stores and attended donation centers accepting clothing, household goods and vehicles; sales fund mission programs and divert millions of pounds of textiles from landfills.
- **Apparel & Flag Manufacturing (Ryder Apparel Manufacturing Division)** — Over 170,000 sq ft of sewing operations producing technically complex U.S. military uniforms, gear and flags, including ~450 U.S. interment (burial) flags daily for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- **Commercial Laundry Services** — Industrial laundering services for hospitality, healthcare and institutional clients, staffed to employ people with barriers to work.
- **Janitorial / Custodial Service Contracts** — Facilities and custodial services delivered under government and commercial contracts.
- **Third-Party Logistics (3PL)** — Warehousing, kitting, product fulfillment and distribution services for B2B clients.
- **Blue Box Solutions** — A social enterprise offering kitting, warehousing, logistics and ecommerce fulfillment, plus first-of-its-kind remanufacturing of legacy ballistic vests into new, more compact designs.
- **Job Training & Placement Programs** — Vocational rehabilitation, supported employment, workforce re-entry and career services for people with disabilities and other barriers.

## Achievements

- One of the largest Goodwills in North America - ranked the 6th largest of 159 Goodwills in the U.S. and Canada.
- Largest employer of people with disabilities in the State of Florida (~1,000).
- First nonprofit in America to manufacture technically complex garments while employing people with disabilities (1994).
- Produces ~450 U.S. burial flags daily for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- Manufactures $40M+ of military apparel annually for the U.S. Department of Defense.
- Diverts approximately 54 million pounds of waste from local landfills each year.
- Produced 20,000 face masks for Ryder frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020).
- CEO David Landsberg honored with the Green Visionary Award by the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

## Latest updates

- **2024-10** — CEO David Landsberg recognized with the Green Visionary Award at the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's Sustainability & Green Visionary Awards for reducing textile waste.
- **2020-05** — Produced 20,000 face masks to protect Ryder's essential logistics workers during COVID-19.
- **2018** — Dedicated an expanded Ryder Apparel Manufacturing Division spanning three buildings and 170,000+ sq ft.

## Links

- Website: https://goodwillsouthflorida.org
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/goodwillsfl
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ_InoQiMn0QQBy16fJrVpg
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodwillsfl/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodwillSFL

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/goodwill-industries-of-south-florida
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-26