Cintas
Encyclopedia
Cintas Corporation based in Mason, Ohio
, is a publicly traded company that operates more than 400 facilities throughout North America. The company provides 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.
The company has grown consistently for the past 9 years. Growth has been both organic and from acquisitions large and small. Revenue in 2007 was $3.7 billion and net income was $335 million. The company is the largest in the industry with 34,000 employees. They have received industry awards from publications such as Fortune
in the United States, which named Cintas among its "Most Admired Companies" for eight consecutive years, and Report on Business Magazine, naming the company one of Canada's Best Employers.
, Cintas Corporation began in 1929 as the Acme Industrial Laundry Company by Richard (Doc) Farmer. He collected chemical-soaked rags from factories and washed and returned them for a fee. His grandson Richard T. Farmer joined the family business in 1956 after graduating from Miami University
in Oxford, Ohio
. Richard saw the growth in uniform rentals and helped sales increase from $300,000 in 1959 to $847,000 in 1963. The name was changed to Cintas in 1972.
Farmer also tried products that were new at the time, such as fabrics that resisted wrinkles and stains, to grow the company to an almost 30% market share in uniforms. Cintas' recent growth has been primarily through its acquisition of more than 220 companies, eliminating overheads and cutting costs. Today, Cintas has bought itself into markets such as First Aid
and Safety, Document Management, Fire Protection
, Facility Services, and now Tile and Carpet Cleaning
.
and the International Brotherhood of the Teamsters
have been engaged in a campaign against Cintas, alleging unfair labor practices. Unite obtained license numbers of Cintas workers in Pennsylvania, to contact them at home and has since been ordered to pay the workers $2,500 each. The ruling was subsequently upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit 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. In May 2007, Cintas hired a Washington, D.C.
-based lobbying firm, the Podesta Group
, to manage their relations with Congress.
Mason, Ohio
Mason is an affluent city in southwestern Warren County, Ohio, United States, 22 miles away from Cincinnati . As of the 2010 census, Mason's population was 30,712. Mason has experienced fast growth, with its historic Main Street remaining at the center of the community...
, is a publicly traded company that operates more than 400 facilities throughout North America. The company provides 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.
The company has grown consistently for the past 9 years. Growth has been both organic and from acquisitions large and small. Revenue in 2007 was $3.7 billion and net income was $335 million. The company is the largest in the industry with 34,000 employees. They have received industry awards from publications such as Fortune
Fortune (magazine)
Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner. In turn, AOL grew as it acquired Time Warner in 2000 when Time Warner was the world's largest...
in the United States, which named Cintas among its "Most Admired Companies" for eight consecutive years, and Report on Business Magazine, naming the company one of Canada's Best Employers.
History
Previously headquartered in Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, Cintas Corporation began in 1929 as the Acme Industrial Laundry Company by Richard (Doc) Farmer. He collected chemical-soaked rags from factories and washed and returned them for a fee. His grandson Richard T. Farmer joined the family business in 1956 after graduating from Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
in Oxford, Ohio
Oxford, Ohio
Oxford is a city in northwestern Butler County, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern portion of the state. It lies in Oxford Township, originally called the College Township. The population was 21,943 at the 2000 census. This college town was founded as a home for Miami University. Oxford...
. Richard saw the growth in uniform rentals and helped sales increase from $300,000 in 1959 to $847,000 in 1963. The name was changed to Cintas in 1972.
Farmer also tried products that were new at the time, such as fabrics that resisted wrinkles and stains, to grow the company to an almost 30% market share in uniforms. Cintas' recent growth has been primarily through its acquisition of more than 220 companies, eliminating overheads and cutting costs. Today, Cintas has bought itself into markets such as First Aid
First aid
First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...
and Safety, Document Management, Fire Protection
Fire protection
Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of fires. It involves the study of the behaviour, compartmentalisation, suppression and investigation of fire and its related emergencies, as well as the research and development, production, testing and application of...
, Facility Services, and now Tile and Carpet Cleaning
Carpet cleaning
Carpet cleaning, for beautification, and the removal of stains, dirt, grit, sand, and allergens can be achieved by several methods, both traditional and modern...
.
Corporate governance
The company recently has made changes in its rules that affect how board members are elected. The company now requires that directors must be elected by a majority of votes cast. Bill Goetz has now returned to the company and moved from being the Head of Marketing to being one of four Presidents of this company.Criticism
In 2003, UNITE HEREUNITE HERE
UNITE HERE is a labor union in the United States and Canada with more than 265,000 active members The union's members work predominantly in the hotel, food service, laundry, warehouse, and casino gaming industries...
and the International Brotherhood of the Teamsters
Teamsters
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of several local and regional locals of teamsters, the union now represents a diverse membership of blue-collar and professional workers in both the public and private sectors....
have been engaged in a campaign against Cintas, alleging unfair labor practices. Unite obtained license numbers of Cintas workers in Pennsylvania, to contact them at home and has since been ordered to pay the workers $2,500 each. The ruling was subsequently upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit 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. In May 2007, Cintas hired a Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
-based lobbying firm, the Podesta Group
Podesta Group
The Podesta Group is a lobbying and public affairs firm based in Washington, D.C.. It was founded in 1988 by brothers John Podesta and Tony Podesta and has previously been known as Podesta Associates, podesta.com and PodestaMattoon...
, to manage their relations with Congress.