Missouri Water Environment Association Honors Cintas for Wastewater Pretreatment Achievement

CINCINNATI, March 16, 2004 – Cintas Corporation's (Nasdaq: CTAS) Springfield, MO facility received the Missouri Water Environment Association's (MWEA) “Gold Award Certificate” for wastewater pretreatment. The award, presented by the MWEA's Industrial Waste Committee, honors Cintas for remaining in 100% wastewater compliance for the entire year of 2003.

"It's extremely difficult for any laundry to stay in compliance for an entire year," said Denise Burkett, MWEA Industrial Waste Committee Chairperson. "That's because the linens and garments returned to the laundry fluctuate in the amount of waste contained on them. Laundries cannot always control the condition of the garments returned. We congratulate Cintas' Springfield facility for setting an example for other industries in the state, and for going the extra mile to protect the environment."

To qualify for the MWEA Gold Award, companies must have a pretreatment or pollution prevention system in place, as well as a cooperative working relationship with the Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW). In addition, all companies up for consideration must have received a positive safety report on their most recent pretreatment inspection and remained in 100% compliance during the entire previous calendar year.

“The MWEA recognition reflects our commitment to the environment and the level of excellence we strive to attain at all of our facilities across North America ,” said Scott Farmer, President and CEO of Cintas. “We currently recycle up to 70 percent of the wash water at many of our laundry operations, and have invested more than $4 million on research in the pursuit of an affordable “zero-discharge” water-recycling technology.”

Fortune Magazine named Cintas one of America 's most admired companies each year from 2001 to 2004, and America 's “Most Admired Company” in the diversified outsourcing industry in 2001 and 2004.

Forbes Magazine named Cintas one of the “Best Managed” companies in America in 2004 and one of the "Best Big Companies in the World" each year from 1999-2003.

The company was recently named the fourth best employer in Canada by Report on Business Magazine and received the Matthew 25: Ministries Corporate Humanitarian Award and the Massachusetts Exemplary Employer Award in 2003.

Contact:
Pamela Lowe
Vice President Corporate Communications
Cintas Corporation
(513) 573-4017
lowep@cintas.com

About Cintas
Headquartered in Cincinnati , Cintas Corporation provides highly specialized services to businesses of all types throughout North America . Cintas designs, manufactures and implements corporate identity uniform programs, and provides entrance mats, restroom supplies, promotional products and first aid and safety products for over 500,000 businesses. Cintas is a publicly held company traded over the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol CTAS, and is a Nasdaq-100 company and component of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. The Company has achieved 34 consecutive years of growth in sales and earnings, to date.