CINTAS CORP
S-3, 1998-01-16
MEN'S & BOYS' FURNISHGS, WORK CLOTHG, & ALLIED GARMENTS
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    As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 16, 1998
                                                   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
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     Proposed        Proposed
    Title of                         Maximum         Maximum
     Shares           Amount         Aggregate       Aggregate     Amount of
     to be            to be            Price         Offering      Registration
   Registered       Registered       Per Unit*        Price*          Fee
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Common Stock       217,721         $40-5/8       $8,844,916       $2,610
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*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

                         217,721 shares of Common Stock
                  --------------------------------------------


     This  Prospectus  relates to 217,721  shares of Common  Stock,  without par
value,  of  Cintas  Corporation,  a  Washington  corporation  ("Cintas"  or  the
"Company").  These shares are being offered for sale by the following:  the John
Thornton  Westland  Family  Trust,  the  Grant  and  Karen  Westland   Revocable
Intervivos  Trust,  Holden  Westland,  Patricia  Westland,  David Arnold,  Steve
Pulbrook,  the David and Stephanie Johnson Trust, Andy Kubiak,  Robert J. Arnold
and  Muriel  B.  Furgerson,   Joint  Tenants,  and  Anita  Muniz  (the  "Selling
Shareholders").  The John  Thornton  Westland  Family Trust  received its shares
through a gift from John Westland,  an individual who acquired  52,954 shares of
Cintas Common Stock in connection  with an acquisition  of Eastwater  Scientific
Products,  Inc.  ("Eastwater") by Cintas (the "Eastwater Merger"). The Grant and
Karen  Westland  Revocable  Intervivos  Trust received its shares through a gift
from Grant  Westland,  an individual who acquired 29,683 shares of Cintas Common
Stock in connection with the Eastwater  Merger.  The David and Stephanie Johnson
Trust received its shares  through a gift from David Johnson,  an individual who
acquired  18,808 shares of Cintas Common Stock in connection  with the Eastwater
Merger. Robert J. Arnold and Muriel B. Furgerson,  Joint Tenants, received their
shares through a gift from Robert Arnold,  an individual who acquired 546 shares
of Cintas Common Stock in connection with the Eastwater  Merger.  Eastwater is a
corporation that was previously owned by John Westland,  Grant Westland,  Holden
Westland,  Patricia Westland,  David Arnold, Steve Pulbrook, David Johnson, Andy
Kubiak, Robert Arnold and Anita Muniz.

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


     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 January 15, 1998,  the
closing sales price of the Cintas Common Stock was $40-1/4.

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


          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 January __, 1998.


<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, 1997.

(2)  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.

(3)  Definitive Proxy Statement for the fiscal year ended May 31, 1997.

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


<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
WILLIAM  C.  GALE,  VICE  PRESIDENT  OF  FINANCE  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  88% of Cintas'  revenues for fiscal 1997. The balance of the
Company's  revenues are derived from custom uniform sales, the sale of first aid
and safety products,  consumable  cleanroom supplies and sales of related items.
The Company  provides uniform and related rental products and services through a
network of 130 rental locations and three cleanroom laundries 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, by Cintas 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  companies  that  engage  in the  sale and
distribution of first aid and safety products.



<PAGE>


     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.

                              SELLING SHAREHOLDERS

     The  shares  offered  pursuant  to this  Prospectus  are being  sold by the
Selling  Shareholders in the following  amounts,  all of which are being offered
for sale hereby:  the John Thornton  Westland Family Trust,  52,954 shares;  the
Grant and Karen Westland  Revocable  Intervivos  Trust,  29,683  shares;  Holden
Westland,  25,186 shares; Patricia Westland, 24,788 shares; David Arnold, 49,608
shares;  Steve Pulbrook,  12,876 shares;  the David and Stephanie Johnson Trust,
18,808  shares;  Andy  Kubiak,  2,726  shares;  Robert J.  Arnold  and Muriel B.
Furgerson,  Joint Tenants,  546 shares; and Anita Muniz, 546 shares. 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 shares owned by
the Selling Shareholders may also be sold pursuant to the Prospectus by any such
donee. This prospectus may also be used by transferees,  assignees, distributees
and pledgees of the Selling Shareholders.

     On December 1, 1997, Eastwater was acquired by Cintas through the merger of
this  corporation  with a  wholly-owned  subsidiary  of Cintas  (the  "Eastwater
Merger"). Eastwater is a corporation that was previously owned by John Westland,
Grant  Westland,  Holden  Westland,   Patricia  Westland,  David  Arnold,  Steve
Pulbrook,  David  Johnson,  Andy Kubiak,  Robert Arnold and Anita Muniz.  In the
Eastwater  Merger,  the former  shareholders  of Eastwater  received the 217,721
shares of Cintas Common Stock described in this Prospectus in exchange for their
shares of Eastwater capital stock.  Holden Westland,  Patricia  Westland,  David
Arnold,  Steve  Pulbrook,  Andy Kubiak and Anita Muniz  received  115,730 of the
217,721  shares.  The John Thornton  Westland  Family Trust  received its shares
through a gift from John Westland,  an individual who acquired  52,954 shares of
Cintas Common Stock in connection with the Eastwater Merger. The Grant and Karen
Westland  Revocable  Intervivos  Trust  received its shares  through a gift from
Grant Westland,  an individual who acquired 29,683 shares of Cintas Common Stock
in connection with the Eastwater  Merger.  The David and Stephanie Johnson Trust
received  its  shares  through a gift from  David  Johnson,  an  individual  who
acquired  18,808 shares of Cintas Common Stock in connection  with the Eastwater
Merger. Robert J. Arnold and Muriel B. Furgerson,  Joint Tenants, received their
shares through a gift from Robert Arnold,  an individual who acquired 546 shares
of Cintas Common Stock in connection with the Eastwater Merger.

                                 USE OF PROCEEDS

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


<PAGE>



                              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.

                                     EXPERTS

     The consolidated financial statements of Cintas Corporation incorporated by
reference in Cintas  Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
May 31, 1997, 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 informa tion 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



<PAGE>




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 ............................................ $2,610.00
 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........................................................  $7,810.00

     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.



<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


<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  securi  ties  offering  therein,  and  the  offering  of  such
securities  at that time shall be deemed to be the  initial  bona fide  offering
thereof.


<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 January 16, 1998.

                                               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        January 16, 1998
 *Richard T. Farmer            Directors

/S/ Robert J. Kohlhepp         
- --------------------------     Chief Executive Officer         January 16, 1998
 *Robert J. Kohlhepp           and Director (Principal
                               Executive Officer)


 /S/ Scott D. Farmer           
- ----------------------------   President, Chief                January 16, 1998
*Scott D. Farmer               Operating Officer and
                               Director

 /S/ Roger L. Howe             
- ---------------------------    Director                        January 16, 1998
 *Roger L. Howe

                               

- ---------------------------    Director                        January 16, 1998
 *John S. Lillard


<PAGE>





 /S/ James J. Gardner          
- --------------------------     Director                        January 16, 1998
 *James J. Gardner

                               
 
- --------------------------     Director                        January 16, 1998
 *Donald P. Klekamp                              

 
- --------------------------     Director                        January 16, 1998
*Gerald V. Dirvin


 /S/ William C. Gale           
- --------------------------     Vice President of Finance       January 16, 1998
 *William C. Gale              (Principal Financial
                               Officer and Principal
                               Accounting Officer)






                            TELECOPIER (513) 579-6457


                                January 16, 1998




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 217,721 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
January 16, 1998


     2. The corporation has taken all necessary and required  corporate  actions
in connection  with the issuance of 217,721  shares of newly issued Common Stock
and the aforesaid 217,721 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






                         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  217,721  shares  of  its  common  stock  and  to the
incorporation  by  reference  therein  of our report  dated  July 3, 1997,  with
respect  to  the  consolidated   financial   statements  of  Cintas  Corporation
incorporated  by reference in its Annual Report on Form 10-K, for the year ended
May 31, 1997 and the related  financial  statement  schedule  included  therein,
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.




                                                       ERNST & YOUNG LLP


Cincinnati, Ohio
January 14, 1998




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