CINTAS CORP
S-3, 1997-08-01
MEN'S & BOYS' FURNISHGS, WORK CLOTHG, & ALLIED GARMENTS
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     As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 1 , 1997
                                                   Registration No. 333-
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                                    FORM S-3
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      Under
                           The Securities Act of 1933
                  --------------------------------------------


                               CINTAS CORPORATION
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


Incorporated under the laws of Washington    I.R.S. Employer I.D. No. 31-1188630

                              6800 Cintas Boulevard
                             Cincinnati, Ohio 45262
                                 (513) 459-1200
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          (Address,  including zip code,  and telephone  number,  including area
             code, of registrants principal executive offices)


                              Gary P. Kreider, Esq.
                           Keating, Muething & Klekamp
                           18th Floor, Provident Tower
                             One East Fourth Street
                             Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
                                 (513) 579-6411
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
                   including area code, of agent for service)

     Approximate  date of commencement of the proposed sale to the public:  From
time to time after the  effective  date of the  Registration  Statement  pending
market conditions.

     If the only  securities  being  registered  on this form are being  offered
pursuant to dividend or interest  reinvestment plans, please check the following
box. [ ]

     If any  securities  being  registered  on this form are to be  offered on a
delayed or continuous  basis  pursuant to Rule 415 under the  Securities  Act of
1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest
reinvestment plans, check the following box. [x]

     If this Form is filed to  register  additional  securities  for an offering
pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box
and list  the  Securities  Act  registration  statement  number  of the  earlier
effective registration statement for the same offering. [ ] ______________

If this Form is a  post-effective  amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under
the  Securities  Act,  check  the  following  box and  list the  Securities  Act
registration  statement number of the earlier effective  registration  statement
for the same offering. [ ] _______________

     If delivery of the  prospectus is expected to be made pursuant to Rule 434,
please check the following box. [ ]

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Title of                       Proposed       Proposed 
   Shares         Amount           Maximum        Maximum         Amount of
    to be          to be          Aggregate      Aggregate       Registration
 Registered      Registered   Price Per Unit*  Offering Price*       Fee
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Common Stock     88,600           $67.94       $6,019,484           $1,825
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Estimated  pursuant to Rule 457(c) under the  Securities Act of 1933 solely for
the purpose of calculating the registration fee.

THE REGISTRANT HEREBY AMENDS THIS  REGISTRATION  STATEMENT ON SUCH DATE OR DATES
AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL THE REGISTRANT  SHALL FILE
A FURTHER AMENDMENT WHICH SPECIFICALLY  STATES THAT THIS REGISTRATION  STATEMENT
SHALL  THEREAFTER  BECOME  EFFECTIVE  IN  ACCORDANCE  WITH  SECTION  8(A) OF THE
SECURITIES  ACT OF  1933 OR  UNTIL  THIS  REGISTRATION  STATEMENT  SHALL  BECOME
EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATE AS THE COMMISSION,  ACTING PURSUANT TO SAID SECTION 8(A),
SHALL DETERMINE.


<PAGE>



                               CINTAS CORPORATION

                          88,600 shares of Common Stock
                  --------------------------------------------


     This  Prospectus  relates to 88,600  shares of Common  Stock,  without  par
value,  of  Cintas  Corporation,  a  Washington  corporation  ("Cintas"  or  the
"Company").  The shares are being offered for sale by Ben C. Scharpf, Raymond G.
Scharpf  and  Ruth A.  Scharpf  (the  "Selling  Shareholders").  Ben C.  Scharpf
acquired the shares in connection  with an  acquisition  by Cintas of Benjamin's
Uniforms, Inc., a corporation previously owned by Ben C. Scharpf.

                  --------------------------------------------


        The Common  Stock may be offered to the public  from time to time by the
Selling Shareholders.  See "Selling Shareholders." The Company will receive none
of the proceeds  from the sale of the Common  Stock by the Selling  Shareholders
but will pay certain of the expenses of this offering.  The Selling Shareholders
will  bear  certain  costs  of this  offering,  including  the  commissions  and
discounts of any underwriters,  dealers and agents and the legal expenses of the
Selling  Shareholders.  The  Common  Stock  may  be  sold  directly  or  through
underwriters,  dealers or agents in market transactions or  privately-negotiated
transactions.  See "Plan of Distribution."  The Cintas Common Stock is traded in
the Nasdaq  National  Market  under the symbol  "CTAS."  On July 31,  1997,  the
closing sales price of the Cintas Common Stock was $65-1/2.

                  --------------------------------------------


          THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE
            SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR HAS THE COMMISSION
            PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS.
            ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

                  --------------------------------------------


                 The date of this Prospectus is August __, 1997.


<PAGE>



                              AVAILABLE INFORMATION

     The Company is subject to the informational  requirements of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange  Act"),  and in accordance  therewith  files
reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") under file No. 0-11399.  Reports, proxy statements
and other  information  filed by the Company can be inspected  and copied at the
public reference facilities maintained by the Commission, 450 Fifth Street N.W.,
Washington,  D.C. 20549 and at the Regional Offices of the Commission at 7 World
Trade Center,  Suite 1300, New York, New York, and at Northwestern  Atrium,  500
West Madison Street, Suite 1400, Chicago,  Illinois. Copies of such material can
be  obtained  at  prescribed  rates  from the  Public  Reference  Section of the
Commission at the address set forth above.  In addition,  material  filed by the
Company can be obtained and inspected at the offices of The Nasdaq Stock Market,
Inc., 9513 Key West Avenue,  Rockville,  Maryland, 20850, on which the Company's
Common Stock is quoted.  The Company  files its reports,  proxy  statements  and
other  information  with  the  Commission  electronically,  and  the  Commission
maintains a Web site  located at  http://www.sec.gov  containing  such  reports,
proxy statements and other information.

        This Prospectus  constitutes a part of a Registration  Statement on Form
S-3  (Number  333-_____)  filed by the  Company  with the  Commission  under the
Securities  Act of  1933.  This  Prospectus  omits  certain  of the  information
contained in the  Registration  Statement,  and  reference is hereby made to the
Registration  Statement  and  to  the  exhibits  relating  thereto  for  further
information  with  respect to the Company  and the shares  offered  hereby.  Any
statements  contained  herein  concerning  the  provisions  of any documents are
complete in all material respects,  and, in each instance,  reference is made to
such copy filed as an exhibit to the  Registration  Statement or otherwise filed
with the  Commission.  Each such  statement is qualified in its entirety by such
reference.

                      INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

        The following  documents  filed by the Company with the  Commission  are
incorporated into this Prospectus by reference:


     (1)  Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 1996.

     (2)  Form 10-K/A filed with the Commission on May 1, 1997.

     (3)  Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended August 31, 1996,
          November 30, 1996 and February 28, 1997.

     (4)  Registration Statement on Form 8-A, SEC File No. 0-11399,  registering
          the Company's Common Stock under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, which
          describes the class of securities being registered hereunder.


<PAGE>

        All  documents  subsequently  filed by the Company  pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, after the date of this Prospectus
and prior to the termination of the offering of the shares offered hereby, shall
be deemed to be  incorporated  by reference into this  Prospectus and to be part
hereof.

        Statements contained in the documents incorporated by reference shall be
deemed to be modified and  superseded  to the extent that  statements  contained
herein modify or supersede such statements.

        THIS  PROSPECTUS  INCORPORATES  DOCUMENTS  BY  REFERENCE  WHICH  ARE NOT
PRESENTED HEREIN OR DELIVERED HEREWITH.  THESE DOCUMENTS (NOT INCLUDING EXHIBITS
TO THE INFORMATION  THAT IS  INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE  UNLESS SUCH EXHIBITS ARE
SPECIFICALLY  INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE INTO THE INFORMATION THAT THE PROSPECTUS
INCORPORATES) ARE AVAILABLE UPON WRITTEN OR ORAL REQUEST,  WITHOUT CHARGE,  FROM
DAVID T.  JEANMOUGIN,  SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND SECRETARY OF THE COMPANY,  6800
CINTAS BOULEVARD, CINCINNATI, OHIO 45262, PHONE (513) 459-1200.

                                   THE COMPANY

        Cintas is a leader in the  uniform  rental  and sales  business  and has
particular expertise in designing,  planning and implementing corporate identity
uniform programs. The Company concentrates on uniform rental services and custom
uniform sales.  Revenues  received from uniform rental  services and non-uniform
rental items,  including dust mops,  entrance mats and wiping cloths,  accounted
for  approximately  89% of Cintas'  revenues for fiscal 1996. The balance of the
Company's  revenues are derived from custom uniform sales, the sale of first aid
and safety products and sales of related items. The Company provides uniform and
related rental products and services  through a network of 129 rental  locations
and sells uniforms to national customers through distribution centers located in
Cincinnati,  Ohio, Reno,  Nevada and Montgomery,  Alabama.  First aid and safety
products are sold,  for the most part, to independent  distributors  who in turn
sell these  products to  industrial  users.  At its four  garment  manufacturing
facilities  the  Company  manufactures  a  substantial  portion  of the  uniform
trousers and uniform shirts supplied to its customers.

        During the past five  years,  Cintas has made  several  acquisitions  of
uniform rental operations which  significantly  affected the Company's  revenues
and net income. These acquisitions were completed using cash,  seller-financing,
Cintas Common Stock or a combination  of these methods.  The Company  intends to
continue to expand, through both internal growth, including the establishment of
operations in new geographic areas, and by continuing its acquisition program of
both uniform rental companies and first aid and safety products.

        Cintas was  incorporated  under the laws of the State of  Washington  in
1986 and is the successor to a business begun in 1929. Its executive offices are
located at 6800 Cintas Boulevard, Cincinnati, Ohio 45262; telephone number (513)
459-1200.


<PAGE>


                              SELLING SHAREHOLDERS

        The shares offered  pursuant to this Prospectus are being sold by Ben C.
Scharpf,  who owns 88,500 shares of Cintas Common Stock,  all of which are being
offered  for sale  hereby,  and by Raymond G.  Scharpf  and Ruth A.  Scharpf who
jointly  received  100  shares as a gift from Ben C.  Scharpf,  all of which are
being offered for sale hereby.  The Selling  Shareholders own no other shares of
Cintas Common Stock and if all shares offered hereby are sold,  they will own no
Cintas Common Stock upon the  completion of this  offering.  Shares  acquired by
gift from the 88,500 shares owned by Ben C. Scharpf may also be sold pursuant to
this Prospectus by any such donee.

     On July 1, 1997,  Benjamin's Uniforms,  Inc. was acquired by Cintas through
the merger of  Benjamin's  Uniforms,  Inc.  with a  wholly-owned  subsidiary  of
Cintas.  In the merger,  Ben C.  Scharpf  received  the 88,600  shares of Cintas
Common  Stock  described  in this  Prospectus  in  exchange  for his  shares  of
Benjamin's Uniforms, Inc. capital stock.

                                 USE OF PROCEEDS

        The Company will not receive any proceeds  from the shares being sold in
this offering.

                              PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

        The Common  Stock may be sold from time to time  directly by the Selling
Shareholders.  Alternatively,  the  Selling  Shareholders  may from time to time
offer the Common Stock through underwriters, dealers or agents. The distribution
of the Common  Stock by the Selling  Shareholders  may be effected  from time to
time in one or more  transactions  that may take  place on the  over-the-counter
market   including   ordinary   broker's   transactions,    privately-negotiated
transactions or through sales to one or more  broker/dealers  for resale of such
securities as  principals,  at market prices  prevailing at the time of sale, at
prices related to such prevailing market prices or at negotiated  prices.  Usual
and customary or  specifically  negotiated  brokerage fees or commissions may be
paid by these holders in connection with such sales.

        The Company will pay certain expenses  incident to the offering and sale
of the Common  Stock to the public.  The Company  will not pay for,  among other
expenses,  commissions and discounts of  underwriters,  dealers or agents or the
fees and expenses of counsel for the Selling Shareholders.

                                  LEGAL MATTERS

        The legality of the Common Stock offered  hereby will be passed upon for
Cintas by Keating, Muething & Klekamp, P.L.L., Cincinnati, Ohio, of which Donald
P.  Klekamp,  a Director  of the  Company,  is a  partner.  Members of that firm
beneficially own 153,967 shares of Cintas Common Stock.


<PAGE>



                                     EXPERTS

        The consolidated financial statements of Cintas Corporation incorporated
by reference in Cintas Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, for
the year ended May 31, 1996, have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent
auditors, as set forth in their report thereon incorporated by reference therein
and  incorporated  herein by reference in reliance upon such report,  given upon
the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

                                  MISCELLANEOUS

     No  person  is  authorized  to  give  any   information   or  to  make  any
representations  other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this
Prospectus and, if given or made, such information or  representations  must not
be relied upon as having been authorized. This Prospectus does not constitute an
offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the
registered  securities to which it relates or an offer to sell or a solicitation
of an offer to buy such securities in any  jurisdiction to any person to whom it
is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. Neither the
delivery  of  this   Prospectus  nor  any  sale  hereunder   shall,   under  any
circumstances,  create  any  implication  that  there  has been no change in the
affairs  of Cintas  since  the date  hereof  or that the  information  herein is
correct as of any time subsequent to its date.


<PAGE>




                                     PART II

                   INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN THE PROSPECTUS


ITEM 14.       OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION.

        The  following is a list of estimated  expenses in  connection  with the
issuance and distribution of the securities being registered, with the exception
of underwriting discounts and commissions:

        Registration Fee...............................................$1,825.00
        Printing costs.................................................   500.00
        Legal fees and expenses.........................................3,000.00
        Accounting fees and expenses....................................1,500.00
        Blue sky fees and expenses......................................  100.00
        Miscellaneous...................................................  100.00
                                                                        --------
        Total..........................................................$7,025.00
                                                                        ========

        All of the above expenses other than the Registration fee are estimates.
All of the above  expenses  will be borne by Cintas  pursuant to agreement  upon
issuance of the Common Stock offered in this Registration Statement.

ITEM 15.       INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

        Washington  Business   Corporation  Act,  Section   23A.08.025,   allows
indemnification  by the Registrant to any person made or threatened to be made a
party to any  proceedings,  other  than a  proceeding  by or in the right of the
Registrant,  by  reason  of the  fact  that  he is or was a  director,  officer,
employee or agent of the Registrant,  against expenses,  including judgments and
fines, if he acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in or
not  opposed  to the best  interests  of the  Registrant  and,  with  respect to
criminal  actions,  in which he had no  reasonable  cause  to  believe  that his
conduct was unlawful.  Similar  provisions apply to actions brought by or in the
right  of the  Registrant,  except  that  no  indemnification  shall  be made in
proceedings  in which the person  shall have been  adjudged  to be liable to the
Corporation.  Indemnifications  are to be made by a majority vote of a quorum of
disinterested  directors or the written opinion of independent counsel or by the
Shareholders.

        Article V of the  Registrant's  By-Laws  provides  that  indemnification
shall be  extended  to any of the  persons  described  above to the full  extent
permitted by the Washington Business Corporation Act.


                                           II - 1


<PAGE>


ITEM 16.       EXHIBITS.



Exhibit No.                         Description
- -----------                  --------------------------------------------------
     5                       Opinion re: Legality
   23.1                      Consent of Independent Auditors
   23.2                      Consent of Counsel (contained in Exhibit 5)
    24                       Power of Attorney (contained on the signature page)


ITEM 17.       UNDERTAKINGS.

        Insofar as indemnification  for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors,  officers and controlling  persons of
the  Registrant  pursuant  to the  provisions  set forth in Item 15  hereof,  or
otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities
and  Exchange  Commission  such  indemnification  is  against  public  policy as
expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim
for  indemnification  against  such  liabilities  (other than the payment by the
Registrant of expenses  incurred or paid by a director,  officer or  controlling
person of the  Registrant  in the  successful  defense  of any  action,  suit or
proceeding)  is  asserted by such  director,  officer or  controlling  person in
connection with the securities being registered,  the Registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit  to a  court  of  appropriate  jurisdiction  the  question  whether  such
indemnification  by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

        The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

     (1)  to file,  during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a
          post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

          (i)  to include any  prospectus  required  by Section  10(a)(3) of the
               Securities Act of 1933;

          (ii) to reflect in the  prospectus  any facts or events  arising after
               the  effective  date of the  Registration  Statement (or the most
               recent post-effective  amendment thereof) which,  individually or
               in  the  aggregate,   represent  a  fundamental   change  in  the
               information   set   forth   in   the   Registration    Statement.
               Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume
               of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities

                                           II - 2


<PAGE>




               offered  would not  exceed  that  which was  registered)  and any
               deviation  from  the low or  high  end of the  estimated  maximum
               offering  range may be reflected in the form of prospectus  filed
               with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate,
               the  changes  in volume  and price  represent  no more than a 20%
               change in the maximum  aggregate  offering price set forth in the
               "Calculation  of   Registration   Fee"  table  in  the  effective
               registration statement.

       (iii)   to include any material  information  with respect to the plan of
               distribution   not  previously   disclosed  in  the  Registration
               Statement  or any  material  change  to such  information  in the
               Registration Statement;

Provided,  however, that paragraphs (i) and (ii) do not apply if the information
required to be included in a  post-effective  amendment by those  paragraphs  is
contained in periodic  reports filed with or furnished to the  Commission by the
registrant  pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the  Securities  Exchange
Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

     (2) that, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities
Act of 1933,  each  such  post-effective  amendment  shall be deemed to be a new
Registration  Statement  relating to the  securities  offered  therein,  and the
offering of such  securities  at the time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof; and

     (3) to remove from Registration by means of a post-effective  amendment any
of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
offering.

     The  undersigned   registrant  hereby  undertakes  that,  for  purposes  of
determining  any liability  under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's  annual  report  pursuant to Section  13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934  that is  incorporated  by  reference  in the
Registration  Statement  shall  be  deemed  to be a new  Registration  Statement
relating to the securities offering therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

                                           II - 3


<PAGE>




                                   SIGNATURES

        Pursuant  to  the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized, in the City of Cincinnati, State of Ohio, on August 1, 1997.

                                          CINTAS CORPORATION


                                          BY: /s/ Robert J. Kohlhepp
                                             ----------------------------------
                                             Robert J. Kohlhepp, Chief Executive
                                             Officer

        Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities  and on the dates  indicated.  The persons whose names appear with an
asterisk (*) below hereby  designate  Robert J.  Kohlhepp or William C. Gale, or
either  of them,  as  attorney-in-fact  to sign  all  amendments  including  any
post-effective  amendments to this Registration Statement as well as any related
registration  statement (or  amendment  thereto)  filed  pursuant to Rule 462(b)
promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933.


       Signature                     Title                         Date
- -------------------------    -------------------------      ------------------

 /S/ Richard T. Farmer       Chairman of the Board of         August 1, 1997
- -------------------------    Directors
 *Richard T. Farmer

 /S/ Robert J. Kohlhepp      Chief Executive Officer          August 1, 1997
- -------------------------    and Director (Principal
 *Robert J. Kohlhepp         Executive Officer)

  /S/ Scott D. Farmer        President, Chief                 August 1, 1997
- -------------------------    Operating Officer and
*Scott D. Farmer             Director

 /S/ Roger L. Howe           Director                         August 1, 1997
- -------------------------
 *Roger L. Howe

 /S/ John S. Lillard         Director                         August 1, 1997
- -------------------------
 *John S. Lillard


                                           II - 4


<PAGE>





 /S/ James J. Gardner        Director                          August 1, 1997
- -------------------------
 *James J. Gardner

/S/ Donald P. Klekamp        Director                          August 1, 1997
- -------------------------
 *Donald P. Klekamp

 /S/ Gerald V. Dirvin        Director                          August 1, 1997
- -------------------------
 *Gerald V. Dirvin

/S/ William C. Gale          Vice President of Finance         August 1, 1997
- -------------------------    (Principal Financial
 *William C. Gale            Officer and Principal
                             Accounting Officer)
                             


                                           II - 5




                                                                     EXHIBIT 5


                            TELECOPIER (513) 579-6457


                                 August 1, 1997




Direct Dial:  (513) 579-6560





Cintas Corporation
6800 Cintas Boulevard
Cincinnati, Ohio  45262

Gentlemen:

     We serve as your  General  Counsel and are familiar  with your  Articles of
Incorporation,  Bylaws and corporate proceedings. On this basis, we have made an
examination as to:

     1. The organization of Cintas Corporation (the "Corporation");

     2. The legal sufficiency of all corporate proceedings of the Corporation in
connection with the authorization and issuance of all presently  outstanding and
issued Common Stock of the Corporation; and

     3. The legal  sufficiency of all corporate  proceedings taken in connection
with the  authorization  of the issuance of 88,600  shares of Common Stock to be
included in a Registration Statement on Form S-3 to be filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission.

     Based upon such examination, we are of the opinion that:

     1. Cintas Corporation is a duly organized and validly existing  corporation
under the laws of the State of Washington;


<PAGE>



Cintas Corporation
Page 2
August 1, 1997


     2. The corporation has taken all necessary and required  corporate  actions
in  connection  with the issuance of 88,600  shares of newly issued Common Stock
and the aforesaid 88,600 shares of Common Stock are validly authorized,  legally
issued,  fully paid and nonassessable  shares of Common Stock of the Corporation
free of any preemptive rights.

     We hereby consent to be named in the aforesaid  Registration  Statement and
the Prospectus part thereof as the attorneys who will pass upon legal matters in
connection with the issuance of the aforesaid  Common Stock and to the filing of
this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and furthermore consent
to references made to this firm in the Registration Statement.

                                        Very truly yours,

                                        KEATING, MUETHING & KLEKAMP, P.L.L.



                                        BY:  /S/ Robert E. Coletti
                                            --------------------------------
                                             Robert E. Coletti







                                                                  EXHIBIT 23.1


                         CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS


        We consent to the  reference to our firm under the caption  "Experts" in
the  Registration   Statement  (Form  S-3)  and  related  Prospectus  of  Cintas
Corporation for the registration of 88,600 shares of its common stock and to the
incorporation  by  reference  therein  of our report  dated  July 8, 1996,  with
respect  to  the  consolidated   financial   statements  of  Cintas  Corporation
incorporated by reference in its Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, for the
year ended May 31, 1996 and the related  financial  schedule  included  therein,
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.




                                                       ERNST & YOUNG LLP


Cincinnati, Ohio
August 1, 1997




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