Cintas & Carhartt Cold Crew Voting Begins

Voting to take place Mar. 11 – 31 at www.cintas.com/carharttcoldcrew/vote

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nominations for the second annual Cintas & Carhartt Cold Crew contest have closed, and it’s time for the public to select the most worthy cold-weather worker out of our top finalists at the contest website. Voting takes place beginning March 11^th, and the grand prize winner will be announced in early April. He or she will receive an all-expenses-paid trip for two to the CMA Music Festival from June 6 – 9 in Nashville, TN.

“CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock”

The Cintas & Carhartt Cold Crew finalists, in no particular order, are:

• Armand Cournoyer, an electrical inspector from Lorette, MB, Canada
• James Tatem, an arborist foreman from Hooksett, NH
• Rebecca Barrett, a property management laborer from Negaunee, MI
• Amanda Smith, a water and sewer superintendent from Winterport, ME
• Paul Wright, a certified pump operator from Pineville, NC
• Dawn Martin, a horse and cattle rancher from Beulah, ND
• Dave Bensette, a mail carrier from Tecumseh, ON Canada
• Cynthia Gottwald, a mail carrier from Toronto, ON Canada
• Tim Ahlstrom, a framing contractor from Arvada, CO

More information about these finalists, including their entry essays and downloadable photos, can be found at http://www.cintas.com/carharttcoldcrew/vote.

“This contest is a great reflection of the character of our companies,” says Brad Heizman, Director of Garment Strategy at Cintas Corporation. “Both Carhartt and Cintas are known for providing tough, durable products and quality, dependable service, and we want to recognize the workers who reflect those same characteristics.”

Cintas Corporation and Carhartt launched the 2^nd Annual Cintas & Carhartt Cold Crew contest in September 2012 after the success of the previous year’s competition. The contest targets workers in the U.S. and Canada whose jobs require them to endure tough conditions in cold temperatures. These individuals were encouraged to share their stories and photos and explain why Carhartt workwear is essential to their jobs.

”We’re excited for the voting round of the Cintas & Carhartt Cold Crew contest, a competition that truly highlights the hardworking spirit of men and women across the country, and we look forward to the continued success of our rental work wear partnership with Cintas,” said Rick Fecowicz, director of Carhartt Licensing.

About Cintas Corporation

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Cintas Corporation provides highly specialized services to businesses of all types primarily throughout North America. Cintas designs, manufactures and implements corporate identity uniform programs, and provides entrance mats, restroom cleaning and supplies, tile and carpet cleaning, promotional products, first aid, safety, fire protection products and services and document management services for approximately 900,000 businesses. Cintas is a publicly held company traded over the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol CTAS and is a component of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.

About Carhartt, Inc.

Established in 1889, Carhartt is a global premium work wear brand with a rich heritage of developing rugged apparel for workers on and off the job. Headquartered in Dearborn, Mich., with more than 4,400 employees worldwide, Carhartt is privately owned and managed by the descendants of the company‘s founder, Hamilton Carhartt. For more information, visit www.carhartt.com.

About CMA Music Festival

Featuring concerts, autograph signings, family activities, and more, CMA Music Festival is the Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience – a four-day celebration of America’s music. In 2012, the event drew a record-setting 71,000 fans from all 50 states and 26 nations and, for the third consecutive year, sold out in advance each night at LP Field for the star-packed Nightly Concerts. According to the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, direct visitor spending generated by the Festival totaled more than $35 million. CMA Music Festival is a four-time winner of the International Entertainment Buyers Association’s LIVE! Award for Festival of the Year (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010). CMA Music Festival will once again be filmed for a national television special to air on the ABC Television Network. This is the 11^th consecutive year that the event has been filmed for a network television special, a feat no other music festival has achieved. "CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" will be executive-produced by Robert Deaton.