The Polls are Open! Cintas Announces Top 10 Finalists In Nationwide 2023 Cintas Custodian of the Year Contest

CINCINNATI – March 14, 2023 – Cintas Corporation (Nasdaq: CTAS) today announced the top 10 finalists in its 10th annual Cintas Custodian of the Year contest. From dressing up like Spiderman during recess to advocating for a mosquito sprayer to protect children from bites, these custodians are truly top-notch. From now through April 14, the public can vote for their favorite custodian at custodianoftheyear.com.

“We received an abundance of nominations highlighting remarkable custodians across the country,” said Christiny Betsch, Marketing Manager, Cintas. “As always, it’s difficult to select the top 10, but this year’s finalists stood out for their commitment, kindness and determination.”

The greatest number of public votes determines the winner of the Cintas Custodian of the Year contest. Cintas will award $10,000 to the winning custodian and $5,000 in Cintas and Rubbermaid products and services to the winner’s school. The winner’s school will also receive a facility assessment and consulting package from ISSA, The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association, valued at $30,000 and enrollment in the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) Fundamentals Online Course. The other nine finalists will receive $1,000 each and complimentary tuition to one ISSA Cleaning Management Institute (CMI) virtual training event, valued at $1,500. The finalists’ schools will also receive a cleaning supply package from Rubbermaid Commercial Products. New this year, the Top 3 finalists will receive an all-expense-paid trip for two to the ISSA Show North America in Las Vegas in November where they’ll be celebrated for their accomplishments.

“We’re truly inspired by each of the finalists who do much more than clean schools,” said John Barrett, Executive Director, ISSA. “School custodians are beacons of light in their communities and students look up to them as positive role models who lead by example.”

The top 10 finalists in the 2023 Cintas Custodian of the Year contest include (alphabetical order): 

1. Abdul Akeely – Burns Park Elementary School (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
2. Paul “Mr. Paul” Baerenwald – Mapleview Intermediate School (Kimberly, Wis.)
3. Rodney “Mr. Peanuts” Esser – Park Elementary School (Cross Plains, Wis.)
4. Ramiro Hernandez Julia – Tohopekaliga High School (Kissimmee, Fla.)
5. Barbara “Mrs. Barbara” James – Yulee Primary School (Yulee, Fla.)
6. David “Mr. Dave” Jeffers – Brokaw Early Learning Center (Oswego, Ill.)
7. Quan “Mr. Quan” Le – Friendswood Junior High (Friendswood, Texas)
8. Doreen “Ms. Doreen” Merritt – Elms Elementary School (Jackson, N.J.)
9. Jessica Prado – Texas A&M University (College Station, Texas)
10. Richard Toomey – Kelly Mill Elementary (Cumming, Ga.)

“We’re proud to honor these incredible custodians for their hard work, talent and dedication, and we wish them all good luck in the contest,” said Robert Posthauer, Sr. Vice President and General Manager of Commercial Sales, Rubbermaid Commercial Products.

For more information about the Custodian of the Year contest, contact Brianna Fitzpatrick at [email protected] or 773-817-3106. A Custodian of the Year logo, as well as photos of the top 10 finalists are available via Dropbox here.

About Cintas Corporation:  

Cintas Corporation helps more than one million businesses of all types and sizes get Ready™ to open their doors with confidence every day by providing products and services that help keep their customers’ facilities and employees clean, safe, and looking their best. With offerings including uniforms, mats, mops, restroom supplies, first aid and safety products, safety training, fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems and alarm service, Cintas helps customers get Ready for the Workday®. The company is also the creator of the Total Clean Program™ — a first-of-its-kind service that includes scheduled delivery of essential cleaning supplies, hygienically clean laundering, and sanitizing and disinfecting products and services. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Cintas is a publicly held Fortune 500 company traded over the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol CTAS and is a component of both the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and Nasdaq-100 Index.  

About ISSA:  

With more than 10,500 members – including distributors, manufacturers, manufacturer representatives, wholesalers, building service contractors, in-house service providers, residential cleaners, and associated service members – ISSA is the world’s leading trade association for the cleaning industry. The association is committed to changing the way the world views cleaning by providing its members with the business tools they need to promote cleaning as an investment in human health, the environment, and an improved bottom line. Headquartered in Rosemont, Ill., USA, the association has regional offices in Milan, Italy; Whitby, Canada; Parramatta, Australia; Seoul, South Korea; and Shanghai, China. For more information about ISSA, visit www.issa.com or call 800-225-4772 (North America) or 847-982-0800. 

About Rubbermaid Commercial Products 

Rubbermaid Commercial Products (RCP), headquartered in Huntersville, NC, is a manufacturer of innovative, solution-based products for commercial and institutional markets worldwide. Since 1968, RCP has pioneered technologies and system solutions in the categories of washroom and safety, cleaning, waste handling, material transport, and food services. RCP is part of Newell Brands’ global portfolio of leading brands and continues to develop innovative products. Visit www.rubbermaidcommercial.com to learn more.