Item 1. Business

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Cintas Corporation (Cintas), a Washington corporation, provides highly specialized products and services to businesses of all types primarily throughout the United States and Canada. Cintas' products and services are designed to enhance its customers' images and brand identification as well as provide a safe and efficient work place. Cintas was founded in 1968 by Richard T. Farmer, Chairman of the Board, when he left his family's industrial laundry business in order to develop uniform programs using an exclusive new fabric. In the early 1970's, Cintas acquired the family industrial laundry business. Over the years, Cintas developed additional products and services that complemented its core uniform business and broadened the scope of products and services available to its customers.

Cintas classifies its businesses into four operating segments. The Rental Uniforms and Ancillary Products operating segment reflects the rental and servicing of uniforms and other garments including flame resistant clothing, mats, mops and shop towels and other ancillary items. In addition to these rental items, restroom and hygiene products and services are also provided within this operating segment. The Uniform Direct Sales operating segment consists of the direct sale of uniforms and related items and branded promotional products. The First Aid, Safety and Fire Protection Services operating segment consists of first aid, safety and fire protection products and services. The Document Management Services operating segment consists of document destruction, document imaging and document retention services.

We provide our products and services to approximately 800,000 businesses of all types — from small service and manufacturing companies to major corporations that employ thousands of people. This diversity in customer base results in no individual customer accounting for greater than one percent of Cintas' total revenue. As a result, the loss of one account would not have a significant financial impact on Cintas.

The following table sets forth the revenue derived from each operating segment provided by Cintas.

Additional information is also included in Note 15 entitled Operating Segment Information in "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements."

The primary markets served by all Cintas operating segments are local in nature and highly fragmented. Cintas competes with national, regional and local providers, and the level of competition varies at each of Cintas' local operations. Product, design, price, quality, service and convenience to the customer are the competitive elements in each of our operating segments.

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Within the Rental Uniforms and Ancillary Products operating segment, Cintas provides its products and services to customers via local delivery routes originating from rental processing plants and branches. Within the Uniform Direct Sales and First Aid, Safety and Fire Protection Services operating segments, Cintas provides its products and services via its distribution network and local delivery routes or local representatives. Within the Document Management Services operating segment, Cintas provides its services via local service routes originating from document management branches and document retention facilities. In total, Cintas has approximately 7,900 local delivery routes, 411 operations and 8 distribution centers. At May 31, 2009, Cintas employed approximately 31,000 employees of which approximately 300 were represented by labor unions.

Cintas sources finished products from many outside suppliers. In addition, Cintas operates 6 manufacturing facilities which provide for standard uniform needs. Cintas purchases fabric, used in its manufacturing process, from several suppliers. Cintas is not aware of any circumstances that would hinder its ability to continue obtaining these materials.

Cintas is subject to various environmental laws and regulations, as are other companies in the uniform rental industry. While environmental compliance is not a material component of our costs, Cintas must incur capital expenditures and associated operating costs, primarily for water treatment and waste removal, on a regular basis. Environmental spending related to water treatment and waste removal was approximately $19 million in fiscal 2009 and approximately $17 million in fiscal 2008. Capital expenditures to limit or monitor hazardous substances were approximately $2 million in fiscal 2009 and approximately $4 million in fiscal 2008. Cintas does not expect a material change in the cost of environmental compliance on a percent to revenue basis and is not aware of any material non-compliance with environmental laws.

Cintas files annual and quarterly reports and proxy materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The public may copy these materials at the SEC's Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580 Washington, D.C. 20549 and may obtain further information concerning the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at (800) SEC-0330. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains the same information regarding Cintas that is filed electronically with the SEC. The address of that site is: http://www.sec.gov. Cintas' Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports are available free of charge as posted on its website, www.cintas.com, as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing with the SEC. The information on Cintas' website is not part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.