Cintas
 | The neutrality of this article is disputed. |
| File:Cintas.gif | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Service |
| Founded | 1968 |
| Headquarters | Mason, OH |
Key people | Scott T. Farmer, President and CEO |
| Revenue | 8,815,769,000 United States dollar (2022)  |
| 1,802,664,000 United States dollar (2022) | |
| 1,348,010,000 United States dollar (2022) | |
Number of employees | 34,000 (2007) |
| Website | www.cintas.com |
Cintas Corporation (Nasdaq: CTAS), based in Mason, Ohio, is a publicly traded company which operates more than 400 facilties throughout North America. The company provides highly specialized services to businesses, including the design and manufacturing of corporate identity uniform programs, entrance mats, restroom supplies, promotional products, first aid and safety products, fire protection services and document management services to approximately 800,000 businesses.[1]. As a company, Cintas has been both lauded and criticized.
The company has grown consistently for the past 38 consecutive years. Growth has been both organic and from acquisitions large and small. Revenue in 2007 was $3.7 Billion and Net Income $335 Million [2]. The company is the largest in the industry with 34,000 employees. They have garnered industry awards from publications such as FORTUNE magazine in the USA, which named Cintas "Most Admired Company" for the past seven years, and Report on Business Magazine, naming the company one of Canada's Best Employers.
History
In 1969, founder Richard Farmer started his own company and eventually took over his grandfather's rag cleaning business to create Cintas. The company went public in 1983.
In the 1990s, the company experienced rapid growth following a number of major acquisitions in the USA and Canada, including Cadet, Uniforms to You, Unitog Company, Image Apparel, and Omni Services. In 2006 Cintas bought the uniform divisions of competitor Van Dyne Crotty. On September 27th, Cintas announced its first European acquisition. [3] [4] [5]
Corporate governance
Current members of the board of directors of Cintas are: Joyce Hergenhan, Gerald S. Adolph, Paul R. Carter, Gerald V. Dirvin, Richard T. Farmer, Scott D. Farmer, Roger L. Howe, Robert J. Kohlhepp, David C. Phillips.
The company recently has made changes in its bylaws that affect how board members are elected. The company's latest 8-k report states that directors must be elected by a majority of votes cast. The company had opposed that proposal, which was presented at its annual meeting in October 2006 by the Carpenters Union. [6]
Critics of the Company
In 2003, UNITE HERE and the International Brotherhood of the Teamsters launched a corporate campaign against Cintas, alleging unfair labor practices. Following the death of a Tulsa, Oklahoma, worker in March 2007, both unions and several Members of Congress have called for stricter health and safety standards at the company's laundries. [7] [8]