ESG IS CENTRAL TO CINTAS
The concept of corporate social responsibility has evolved in recent decades. Where the concept once explained a company’s commitment to philanthropy and responsible social practices, it now also incorporates its environmental impact, how it governs itself, and how it monitors compliance. Public interest in companies’ holistic environmental, social, and governance – or ESG – strategy is a relatively recent and evolving concept.
At Cintas, we view our entrance into formal ESG reporting and the development of our company-wide ESG strategy as the latest steps in our progression.
That’s because many of the core ESG concepts we now measure and report have been engrained in our company for decades. These foundations are rooted in our corporate culture and in our “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” mindset.
Our sustainable business model began almost 100 years ago at the very origin of the company and has continued to evolve in everything we’ve done since. So this development isn’t a drastic leap for us. Rather, it’s a natural evolution of our long-standing business practices.
OUR ORIGINS
ESG concepts have been engrained in our company since its very beginnings. The origins of our sustainable business model date back to 1929 and the Great Depression, when Doc and Amelia Farmer collected dirty, discarded shop rags from Cincinnati-area businesses’ trash. They took these home to be washed, then resold them to the same businesses. They created a local circular economy for the product — and established the foundations of spirit and ingenuity for which Cintas has become known. Since then, Cintas has continued to introduce new products and services that help customers keep their own facilities, employees and customers cleaner, safer and healthier — pushing Cintas to the company it is today.
We provide a host of products and services to help businesses open their doors with confidence. Our company portfolio includes a wide range of environmentally and socially focused products that promote a cleaner environment, an ethical supply chain, and the safety and health of the communities we serve.
WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO
Dick Farmer, who established modern Cintas in 1968, developed Cintas’ foundation with our values, standards and practices, and our Corporate Culture. He was ahead of his time, incorporating ESG values in the company’s culture and operations long before the ideas of ESG and corporate social responsibility were commonly articulated. His personal insights inspired the book, “The Spirit is the Difference,” and that title has become a common phrase for Cintas partners as they describe what makes the atmosphere here unique. Our culture has three elements—our Principal Objective, corporate character, and our management system. In 1979, our Board of Directors established our principal objective as, “We will exceed our customers’ expectations to maximize the long-term value of Cintas for its shareholders and working partners.” Our corporate character is summarized by the ethical values, standards, and attitudes we aspire to exhibit to each other, to our customers, and to the communities in which we do business. And finally, our management system is guided by dynamic policies and procedures that help promote our ethical, operational, and cultural expectations for our business.
THIS IS CINTAS
Doc and Amelia’s ingenuity and environmentally focused activities of almost 100 years ago remain at the core of our company. As we’ve grown, we’ve enacted processes and policies to promote conducting our business with the highest ethical standards and keeping people central in all our decisions.
Cintas Corporation helps more than 1 million businesses of all types and sizes get Ready for the Workday® with confidence. Our products and services help keep our customers’ facilities and employees clean, safe, and looking their best. We do so by operating with a sustainable business model. We strive to minimize the aggregate environmental impact of our products and services, promote sustainability and a common respect, and manage our business in a responsible, ethical way.
We provide a host of products and services to help businesses open their doors with confidence. Our company portfolio includes a range of environmentally and socially focused products that promote a cleaner environment, an ethical supply chain, and the safety and health of the communities we serve.
