UniFirst shareholders back Cintas acquisition with 99% vote
UniFirst Corporation shareholders have voted overwhelmingly to approve the company's pending acquisition by Cintas Corporation, clearing one of the final formal hurdles before the deal closes. More than 99% of votes cast at a Special Meeting held on 11 June 2026 were in favour, representing approximately 95% of all outstanding common and Class B common stock voting together as a single class.
Under the agreed terms, each UniFirst shareholder will receive $155.00 in cash and 0.7720 Cintas shares per UniFirst share held. The combined consideration gives UniFirst stockholders both an immediate cash return and ongoing exposure to the enlarged group. The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions and outstanding regulatory approvals, with UniFirst expecting to complete the deal in the second half of 2026.
Joseph M. Nowicki, Chairman of the UniFirst Board of Directors, said the vote "marks an important milestone toward completing our transaction with Cintas," and that the combined business would be "well positioned to deliver meaningful benefits for all of our stakeholders."
The deal
UniFirst is a North American workwear and facility-services provider headquartered in Wilmington, Massachusetts. The company operates more than 270 service locations, serves over 300,000 customer sites, and employs in excess of 16,000 people, outfitting roughly two million workers each day. Its product range spans uniform programmes, cleanroom garments, nuclear-sector protective clothing, and first-aid supplies, the latter adding a recurring consumables revenue stream that complements the core garment-rental model.
Cintas, listed on Nasdaq, is the larger of the two businesses and the dominant player in the US uniform and workwear market. The acquisition will substantially extend its geographic footprint and customer base. Neither company provided a combined revenue figure or synergy target in this release.
Market context
The uniform and workwear services sector is a mature, consolidating market underpinned by long-term rental contracts and high customer switching costs. Cintas has grown consistently through a combination of organic expansion and bolt-on acquisitions, and the UniFirst deal is the most significant transaction in the category in recent years.
The deal will face scrutiny from US antitrust regulators. Both companies compete directly in the same geographic and service segments, and the combined entity would command a substantial share of the North American workwear rental market. The release notes that certain regulatory approvals are still outstanding, and does not indicate whether the Department of Justice or Federal Trade Commission has opened a formal review.
From a technology perspective, both businesses operate large logistics and route-optimisation platforms, and UniFirst had previously disclosed a material weakness in its internal controls over financial reporting in its most recent annual filing. Cintas will need to assess that remediation programme as part of integration planning. Enterprise resource planning systems, fleet-management software and customer-portal technology will all require consolidation as the businesses merge.
The shareholder vote result, certified by an independent inspector of election, has been filed on a Form 8-K with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.