Cintas hosts first-ever Cross-Divisional National Management Trainee Summit

For the first time, Cintas gathered its Management Trainees (MTs) in the company’s management training program from all three of its divisions for a career-building event.

Chicago, Illinois and Denver, Colorado each hosted a Cintas Cross-Divisional National Management Trainee Summit.

The company’s Management Trainee Program selects high-achieving new college graduates and immerses them in every aspect of the business. They take on full-time positions in service, production and sales over the course of 15 months. The program allows the MTs to find their passions within the business and develop the leadership skills necessary to succeed at Cintas. 

“It's critical for us,” said Max Langenkamp Sr. Vice President of Human Resources at Cintas. “It's a talent pipeline for us, and that's why we invest in it so much.”

MTs at the summits represented each of the company’s three divisions, Fire, First Aid &  Safety and Rental. They had busy schedules filled with networking opportunities and breakout sessions to help with professional development. The MTs engaged in sales role-play scenarios, completed a financial scavenger hunt, practiced pitching and had trainings to further develop their business acumen. 

“I think the summit event is a great example of the culture that we instill in our MTs, the investment we're making back into them, to help them understand the business and to help them understand that they're not going through this alone,” said Amelia Holley, a General Manager in Rental and former MT.

In fiscal year 2025, Cintas’ MT Program graduates represented 45% of the company’s General Managers, with additional graduates holding positions as high as Rental Senior Vice President and even Chief Executive Officer. Several former MTs who have advanced to the executive level   spoke at the summits, including Jimmy Lien, Regional Vice President of Cintas’ First Aid & Safety Division. 

“I was in their shoes 24 years ago,”  said Lien. “I've seen first-hand that it's the premier leadership development program for recent college grads. We hope this is an investment in them for them to develop to be future sales leaders, general managers, directors, vice presidents and beyond.”

In keeping with the events’ theme, “Your Story Starts Now”, former MTs shared their journeys with current MTs. 
“I'm just as excited as I was when I started as a management trainee 18 years ago about the program,” said Diego Nucete, Senior Territory Vice President of Rental.

The summits provided time to recognize the MTs’ achievements and the company’s ongoing commitment to their success and the success of MTs that will follow in years to come.

“We'll continue to invest and reinvest into those partners because the future is bright in Cintas and we need great talent to keep coming into the organization,” said Nucete.

The Cintas MT Program hires high-achieving, motivated college and university applicants. You can learn more about the program here.