Richard Farmer is literally a rags-to-riches story. Farmer started working for his father's business, collecting, cleaning and recycling shop rags for small manufacturers. When his father turned over the keys to the business to him, Farmer began building what became Cintas Corp., now a $3.7 billion company with 34,000 employees at 400 sites in North America. Greater Cincinnati-based Cintas designs and manufactures corporate uniform programs, and provides a variety of other products and services to about 800,000 businesses.
He'll share his story at Xavier University on Friday, April 18 as part of Xavier's Distinguished Speakers Series at its Williams College of Business. The series brings top-level business, academic and political leaders to Xavier's campus to discuss world issues, introduce new ideas and get people talking. Attendance for this event is available through table sponsorships -- a table of eight can be reserved for $2,000. The proceeds are used for student and faculty development.
Farmer is a past director of Fifth Third Bancorp, Bethesda Hospital, Inc., Safety-Kleen, Bowne, Inc. and Eagle Picher Industries, among others. For more information, call 513-745-2820. Reservations deadline is April 8. The event will be held, appropriately, at Xavier's Cintas Center.
Writer: David Holthaus
Source: Laurel Bauer, Xavier University
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