The winner of the 2022 Cintas Custodian of the Year contest is… Lydell Henderson from Presidential Park Elementary School in Middletown, N.Y.! After nearly 90,000 votes were cast, Cintas Corporation (Nasdaq: CTAS) confirmed Lydell Henderson is this year’s contest winner. Mr. Henderson was honored by over 1,500 students and staff in a surprise ceremony at the school and will receive a $10,000 cash prize from Cintas.

“This contest showcases the unique stories of hardworking custodians throughout the country who deserve recognition for their dedication to their profession,” said Christiny Betsch, Marketing Manager, Cintas. “The community at Presidential Park Elementary School clearly thinks the world of Mr. Henderson, and we’re honored to recognize Mr. Henderson for his achievements.”

School custodians often go above and beyond their regular tasks, including the time Mr. Henderson helped to prevent a student from choking. Without hesitation, he stepped up and performed the Heimlich Maneuver, which may have saved the student’s life. On top of this heroic act, he has been an asset at his school for the last 34 years with unmatched professionalism. His school and community rallied around him throughout the voting process, earning him roughly 30% of the contest’s total votes.

“Custodians play a vital role in schools across the U.S. in helping to keep students, faculty and staff healthy and safe,” said John Barrett, Executive Director, ISSA. “At ISSA, we’re dedicated to providing custodians and other cleaning professionals certification programs to make their jobs easier and more efficient. We’re excited to again offer our training services this year to contest winners and finalists.”

In addition to the $10,000 cash prize from Cintas, the school will receive $5,000 in products and services from Cintas and Rubbermaid Commercial Products, along with a comprehensive training and development package from ISSA, The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association, valued at $30,000. Mr. Henderson will also receive enrollment in the GBAC Fundamentals Online Course that teaches cleaning professionals to prepare for, respond to and recover from biorisks in all types of facilities, from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council™ (GBAC), a Division of ISSA.

Each of the remaining nine finalists will receive a cash prize of $1,000 from Cintas and free tuition to one ISSA Cleaning Management Institute (CMI) training event, valued at $1,500.

“This is an exciting moment for Mr. Henderson, and we’re proud to take part in recognizing his achievement as the nation’s best custodian,” shared Robert Posthauer, Sr. Vice President Sales and Marketing, Rubbermaid Commercial Products.

For more information about the Cintas Custodian of the Year contest, visit https://www.custodianoftheyear.com/.

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 LLC, 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 wwww.rubbermaidcommercial.com, and join us on Facebook (@rubbermaidcommercial), Instagram (@rubbermaidcommercialproducts), LinkedIn (@rubbermaidcommercialproducts), & Twitter (@RubbermaidComm) to learn more.

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