Cintas agrees not to close UniFirst deal before Dec. 11 under FTC timing pact

Cintas and UniFirst have agreed with the Federal Trade Commission not to complete their merger before Dec. 11 unless the agency closes its investigation sooner.

In a regulatory filing after the market closed Tuesday, Cintas said both companies certified to the FTC on Oct. 2 that they had substantially complied with the agency's request for additional information, known as a second request, which they received June 11.

The same day, Cintas and UniFirst signed a timing agreement with the FTC. Under it, they agreed not to consummate the mergers before Dec. 11, 2026, unless they first receive written notice that the FTC has closed its investigation.

The deal also faces review in Canada. The companies received a supplementary information request from the Canadian Competition Bureau on July 2 and certified on Sept. 29 that they had completed their response, according to the filing.

Cintas said it continues to expect the transaction to close before the end of calendar 2026, subject to customary closing conditions. The merger agreement was signed March 10, 2026, and would make UniFirst a wholly owned Cintas subsidiary.

Cintas shares closed at $195.96 Tuesday, up 0.3%, before the filing.

By the numbers

• Merger agreement signed: March 10, 2026
• FTC second request received: June 11, 2026
• Substantial compliance certified: Oct. 2, 2026
• Earliest close under FTC timing pact: Dec. 11, 2026 (absent earlier FTC notice)
• Canada SIR response completed: Sept. 29, 2026

Sources

1. Cintas Corporation Form 8-K (Item 8.01), filed Oct. 6, 2026, accession 0000950103-26-015293

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