Cintas
An American business-services company specializing in uniform rental, facility services, first aid, safety, and fire-protection solutions.
Last updated October 7, 2026
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Overview
Cintas is an American corporate-services company headquartered in Mason, Ohio. It provides recurring workplace services and products to businesses and other organizations, with its principal activities centered on uniform rental and laundering, facility services, first aid and safety supplies, fire-protection equipment and inspection, and workplace-safety training. Rather than operating primarily as a conventional apparel retailer, Cintas generally supplies, maintains, cleans, replaces, and manages workwear and related facility products through service contracts and route-based operations. The business traces its origins to 1929, when Richard “Doc” Farmer and Amelia Farmer established the Acme Industrial Laundry Company. The early operation collected discarded industrial rags, washed them, and resold them to factories. During the 1940s, their son Hershell Farmer shifted the business toward shop towels and industrial laundry services. Richard “Dick” Farmer joined the family company in 1957, when it had approximately twelve employees, and later took control. Under his leadership, the company moved beyond textile recovery and laundry into uniform rental and supply. It developed a durable 65/35 polyester-cotton fabric blend with industry partners and expanded through the creation and merger of the Satellite Corporation. The company adopted the Cintas name in 1972 and became publicly traded in 1983. Cintas expanded geographically and broadened its service portfolio through acquisitions. Its entry into Canada came through the 1995 purchase of Cadet Uniform Service. The company entered first aid and safety in 1997 and added fire-protection services through the acquisition of Kamp Fire Equipment in 2003. Further acquisitions strengthened uniform rental, first aid, medical-supply, and fire-safety capabilities. The 2015 purchase of Zee Medical expanded its first-aid business, while the 2017 acquisition of G&K Services significantly increased Cintas’s uniform-rental scale and represented its largest acquisition at that time. The company’s business model is built around route density, centralized processing facilities, recurring customer relationships, and cross-selling. A customer may use Cintas for employee uniforms while also purchasing floor mats, restroom supplies, towels, first-aid cabinets, fire-extinguisher inspection, emergency-response products, and safety courses. This integrated approach gives Cintas a role in the day-to-day operating infrastructure of restaurants, manufacturers, health-care organizations, retailers, hospitality businesses, schools, and other workplaces. Cintas is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol CTAS and has been included in the S&P 500 Index. The company has appeared on the Fortune 500 list in multiple years. Its reported workforce reached approximately 44,500 employees in 2023. The company remains associated with the Farmer family through its historical leadership and board roles, although day-to-day executive leadership shifted to Todd Schneider in 2021. Cintas has also attracted labor, workplace-safety, and privacy-related scrutiny, including disputes involving UNITE HERE and investigations following an employee death at a laundry facility. In addition to its core service operations, Cintas has used public-facing programs such as its annual America’s Best Restroom contest to reinforce its facilities-services identity.
History
Cintas began in 1929 as the Acme Industrial Laundry Company, founded by Richard “Doc” Farmer and Amelia Farmer. The original business collected used industrial rags, laundered them, and returned them to factories for reuse. In the early 1940s, Doc Farmer’s son Hershell took over and shifted the operation toward shop towels, helping turn a rag-recovery activity into a recurring industrial-laundry service. The business was subsequently known as Acme Wiper and Industrial Laundry. Richard “Dick” Farmer, Hershell’s son, joined the family enterprise in 1957 after graduating from Miami University. At the time, the company had only about twelve employees. In 1959, Hershell transferred control to Dick, who pursued a broader service strategy. The company moved into uniform rental and developed a polyester-cotton fabric blend with partners including Celanese, Graniteville, and Red Kap. The name changed to Acme Uniform and Towel Supply in 1964. In 1968, Dick Farmer formed the Satellite Corporation and opened its first location in Cleveland. The two businesses merged in 1970, and the combined company adopted the Cintas name in 1972. Cintas went public in 1983, providing capital for geographic expansion and acquisitions. Its first major international expansion came in 1995, when it acquired Cadet Uniform Service Ltd. and entered the Canadian uniform-services market. Cintas expanded beyond uniform rental during the 1990s. In 1997, it entered First Aid & Safety, establishing a platform for supplying first-aid products and workplace-safety services. Leadership also evolved: Bob Kohlhepp became chief executive officer in 1996, while Dick Farmer became chairman, and Scott Farmer became president and chief operating officer in 1998. Scott Farmer had joined the business in 1981 and represented a further generation of Farmer-family involvement. The company accelerated its acquisition program during the 2000s. In 2002, it acquired several businesses, including Omni Services in uniform rental and Petragon, American First Aid, and Respond Industries in first aid. In 2003, it purchased Kamp Fire Equipment, extending Cintas into fire-protection products and services. The company also began its America’s Best Restroom contest in 2002, a promotional program that connected its restroom-services business with public recognition and media attention. The 2000s also brought labor and safety controversy. UNITE HERE became involved in a dispute over the collection and use of Cintas employees’ license-plate information. A court ruling, later upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, found that the union had violated the privacy of thousands of Cintas employees in Pennsylvania by illegally obtaining license-plate numbers to access home addresses and other personal information. Separately, the death of a Cintas employee at a Tulsa, Oklahoma facility in March 2007 prompted investigations and demands from labor organizations and members of Congress for tighter health and safety standards in industrial laundries. In 2008, Phillip Holloman became president and chief operating officer. Dick Farmer became chairman emeritus and Bob Kohlhepp became chairman. Cintas continued to build its workplace-services platform through acquisitions. In 2015, it acquired Zee Medical from McKesson for approximately $130 million, strengthening its first-aid business. In 2017, it acquired G&K Services for approximately $2.2 billion. The transaction expanded Cintas’s uniform-rental footprint and was described as the company’s largest acquisition at that time. Cintas was listed on the Fortune 500 in successive years from 2018 through 2023. In 2021, Scott Farmer retired as chief executive officer while retaining the executive-chairman role, and Todd Schneider, a former executive vice president and chief operating officer, became CEO. Founder and long-time family-business leader Dick Farmer died on August 5, 2021. The company’s modern identity rests on a bundled, recurring-service model. It supplies and maintains uniforms, mats, mops, towels, restroom products, first-aid equipment, safety products, fire extinguishers, and related training or inspection services. This model allows Cintas to serve many workplace sectors while using route networks, processing facilities, contracts, and account-management systems to generate repeat business. In 2025, Cintas announced plans involving a possible acquisition of UniFirst after earlier approaches, but discussions ended after disagreements about the proposal. Cintas remains a publicly traded American provider of uniform, facility, safety, and fire-protection services.
- 2021
Todd Schneider becomes CEO
[1]Schneider succeeds Scott Farmer as chief executive officer, while Farmer remains executive chairman.
- 2021
Dick Farmer dies
[1]The company’s long-time family-business leader and former chairman dies on August 5.
- 2017
G&K Services is acquired
[1]Cintas completes its largest acquisition at the time, substantially expanding its uniform-rental operations.
- 2015
Zee Medical is acquired
[1]Cintas acquires Zee Medical from McKesson, strengthening its first-aid offering.
- 2003
Entry into fire-protection services
[1]The acquisition of Kamp Fire Equipment adds fire-safety products and services.
- 2002
Acquisition program expands
[1]Cintas acquires businesses including Omni Services, Petragon, American First Aid, and Respond Industries, while launching the America’s Best Restroom contest.
- 1997
First Aid & Safety business begins
[1]Cintas adds first-aid and workplace-safety products and services to its operating portfolio.
- 1995
Expansion into Canada
[1]Cintas acquires Cadet Uniform Service Ltd. and enters the Canadian market.
- 1983
Cintas becomes publicly traded
[1]The company completes its public listing, supporting subsequent expansion.
- 1972
The Cintas name is adopted
[1]Following the merger of the Satellite Corporation and the earlier operating company, the combined business becomes Cintas.
Products and positioning
A large-scale, route-based provider of recurring workplace services that combines uniform management with facility, first-aid, safety, and fire-protection solutions.
Uniform services · 1959
Uniform rental and managed workwear
Cintas supplies, launders, repairs, replaces, and manages uniforms and other workwear for business customers. The service is designed around recurring routes and contracts rather than one-time apparel sales, allowing customers to outsource garment procurement, cleaning, inventory control, and employee-uniform administration.
Facility supplies and textile services
Facility services
Facility services include floor mats, mops, towels, shop towels, and restroom supplies. These products are typically delivered, exchanged, cleaned, or replenished through scheduled service routes, helping workplaces maintain entrances, production areas, washrooms, and other high-use environments.
Workplace safety · 1997
First Aid & Safety
This business supplies first-aid products, workplace-safety equipment, and related services. Its development was supported by acquisitions such as Petragon, American First Aid, Respond Industries, and Zee Medical, enabling Cintas to serve customers that need ongoing replenishment and compliance-oriented safety support.
Fire-safety services · 2003
Fire protection
Cintas provides fire extinguishers and fire-protection-related products and services, including inspection-oriented support. The company entered this area through the 2003 acquisition of Kamp Fire Equipment, broadening its role from workplace textiles into facility risk management.
Training and compliance
Safety training
Cintas offers workplace-safety courses and educational services alongside physical safety products. These offerings complement its first-aid and fire-protection activities by helping business customers address employee preparedness and operational safety procedures.
Controversies
2007
Tulsa laundry-facility employee death and safety scrutiny
The March 2007 death of a Cintas employee in Tulsa, Oklahoma led to investigations and criticism from unions and members of Congress. Critics called for stronger health and safety standards at industrial laundry facilities.
UNITE HERE employee-privacy dispute
A legal dispute involving UNITE HERE concerned the union’s acquisition of Cintas employees’ license-plate numbers to obtain home addresses and other personal information. A ruling, later upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, found that the union had violated the privacy of thousands of employees in Pennsylvania.
Marketing campaigns
- 2002America’s Best Restroom Contest
United States
Cintas began hosting an annual public contest recognizing notable restrooms. The program gives the company a consumer-facing promotional platform while highlighting its restroom-supply and facility-services category.
Outcome. Continued as an annual branded program according to the cited reference.
Brand decisions
2025
Pursue a potential UniFirst acquisitionM&ABackground
Cintas revisited a possible combination with UniFirst after earlier approaches had reportedly been rejected.
Action taken
Cintas announced plans to pursue the acquisition, but discussions ceased in March after disagreement over the proposal.
Aftermath
No completed transaction is established in the cited material for this 2025 effort.
2021
Change chief executive leadershipOtherBackground
Scott Farmer retired as CEO after continuing the Farmer family’s long involvement in the company.
Action taken
Todd Schneider, formerly an executive vice president and COO, became CEO, while Farmer retained the executive-chairman role.
Aftermath
Operational leadership passed to Schneider while the previous CEO remained involved at board level.
2017
Acquire G&K ServicesM&ABackground
Cintas pursued greater scale in uniform rental and related workplace services.
Action taken
Cintas acquired G&K Services in a transaction reported at approximately $2.2 billion.
Aftermath
The deal became Cintas’s largest acquisition at the time and significantly expanded its uniform-services footprint.
Acquisition value. (2017)
2015
Acquire Zee MedicalM&ABackground
Cintas aimed to strengthen its workplace first-aid and safety platform.
Action taken
The company acquired Zee Medical from McKesson for approximately $130 million.
Aftermath
The acquisition expanded Cintas’s first-aid business.
Acquisition value. (2015)
1997
Enter the First Aid & Safety marketStrategyBackground
Cintas sought to extend its business beyond uniforms and industrial laundry into recurring workplace-safety services.
Action taken
The company established a First Aid & Safety business and subsequently expanded it through acquisitions.
Aftermath
First aid and safety became one of Cintas’s principal operating categories.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Cintas Corporation announces fiscal 2027 first quarter results[3]
Cintas Corporation announced its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2027, according to a Business Wire release.
Reported
UK Athletics and Cintas enter partnership[4]
The University of Kentucky Athletics Department and Cintas entered a partnership through UK’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion division, providing minority athletes access to career opportunities and professional experiences.
Reported
Cintas acquires a portion of Staunton Steam Laundry's business[5]
Cintas Corporation acquired a portion of Staunton Steam Laundry's business, including its industrial customers who rent uniforms, shop towels, mats, mops and other items.
Reported
Cintas completes acquisition of Doritex[6]
Cintas completed its purchase of Doritex, a Western New York uniform provider, on January 17. Cintas executives said the plan was to hire all Doritex industrial workers and keep the facility open.
Sources6 sources
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