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Business Services Research
June 3, 2011


Facility Services
Uniform Wearer Growth Remains Better Than Broader National Employment
Trends

Andrew J. Wittmann, CFA    Action
awittmann@rwbaird.com      Despite headline disappointment in the May BLS data, strong growth in
414.298.1898
                           uniform-wearing employment continues, with year-over-year growth rates
Justin P Hauke
        .                  more than double the broader economy. We note that uniform-wearing industries
jhauke@rwbaird.com         were slow to post employment gains earlier this cycle and have only recently begun
312.609.5485               adding headcount. Thus, we continue to see upside in uniform rental stocks as
                           incremental wearers boost utilization rates, with recent commodity price declines
                           providing additional support for earnings.
Please refer to            Summary
Appendix - Important
                          • May employment disappoints but shouldn't be a surprise. Total nonfarm
Disclosures and             payrolls increased by 54,000, well below expectations of +165,000 and consistent
Analyst Certification.      with similar disappointing employment-related reports in recent weeks.
                            - Unemployment rate rose to 9.1% (versus the 8.9% consensus). Positively, the
                               spike in the unemployment rate was driven primarily by a surge in labor market
                               entrants (a positive).
                          • Baird's Add/Stop Index specific to uniform rental-related employment remains
                            healthy, but more modest than recent gains, increasing +26,000.
                            - Importantly, YOY job growth related to uniform wearers is increasing at
                               more than twice the rate of the economy as a whole and is now at its
                               highest level since 2006, a crucial point underpinning our positive view on
                               uniform stocks.
                            - Nonetheless, we note that May gains were below the +50,000-80,000 gains in
                               recent months.
                          • Macroeconomy likely still constructive for uniform rental stocks but recent
                            deceleration is disappointing. Our checks suggest moderating price competition
                            in uniform rental (some markets are even increasing), and anecdotal commentary
                            suggests uniform companies are beginning to see high-margin positive add/stops in
                            their business.
                            - In addition, recent declines in commodity cost pressures (especially
                               cotton) should provide additional support beyond fixed cost leverage.
                          • G&K (Outperform): We believe Street estimates, broadly, underappreciate
                            GKSR's underlying earnings growth potential from even modest top-line growth.
                            Combined with solid progress on the turn-around strategy, solid cash flow, and a
                            likely increase in return of capital to shareholders, we see relative upside to the
                            stock.
                          • Cintas (Outperform): Top-line momentum has accelerated, driving margin and
                            earnings leverage as previous investments in sales staff are paying off. In addition,
                            we believe last month's $500M bond offering could provide meaningful accretion if
                            deployed and we are encouraged by recent efforts to expand the company’s
                            higher-growth hygiene/chemicals business through strategic partnerships with
                            established industry suppliers (e.g., Diversey).
                          • UniFirst (Neutral): UniFirst continues to execute admirably, above peer levels.
                            However, we believe expectations for strong execution are largely priced into the
                            stock, increasing the risk, though we do see modest upside to shares.
Facility Services
June 3, 2011




Details
                        Remain Positive on Uniform Rental                                                                                                                                            Stocks                                     Despite
                        Disappointing Headline Employment Report
                        Despite headline disappointment in the May BLS data, strong growth rates in
                        uniform-wearing employment continues (and is accelerating), with growth rates more than
                        double that of the broader economy. We note that uniform-wearing industries were slow
                        to post employment gains earlier this cycle and have only recently begun adding
                        headcount.

                        Indeed, job growth in uniform-related wearers is now increasing at more than twice
                        the rate of the economy as a whole and is now at its highest level since 2006, a
                        crucial point underpinning our positive view on uniform stocks. The figure below
                        demonstrates this dynamic, a point that we stress is not reflected in a cursory view of the
                        data.

                        Baird Add/Stop Index (YOY Change)
                         3.00%
                         2.00%                                                                                               BLS Employment
                         1.00%                                                                                               Baird Add/Stop Index
                         0.00%
                        -1.00%
                        -2.00%
                        -3.00%
                        -4.00%
                        -5.00%                                                                                                                                                                                                Growth in Baird Add/Stop
                        -6.00%                                                                                                                                                                                                Index employment is
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              outpacing total NFP
                        -7.00%                                                                                                                                                                                                employment - first time
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              since early 2007
                        -8.00%
                                 Jan-07
                                          Mar-07


                                                            Jul-07
                                                                     Sep-07
                                                                              Nov-07
                                                                                       Jan-08
                                                                                                Mar-08


                                                                                                                  Jul-08
                                                                                                                           Sep-08
                                                                                                                                    Nov-08
                                                                                                                                             Jan-09
                                                                                                                                                      Mar-09


                                                                                                                                                                        Jul-09
                                                                                                                                                                                 Sep-09
                                                                                                                                                                                          Nov-09
                                                                                                                                                                                                   Jan-10
                                                                                                                                                                                                            Mar-10


                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Jul-10
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Sep-10
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Nov-10
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Jan-11
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Mar-11
                                                   May-07




                                                                                                         May-08




                                                                                                                                                               May-09




                                                                                                                                                                                                                     May-10




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           May-11
                        Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics and Baird Research

                        Thus we continue to see upside in uniform rental stocks as incremental wearers at
                        existing rental accounts boost utilization rates, generating highly profitable incremental
                        margins, with recent commodity price declines providing additional support for earnings.
                        Indeed, cotton prices have declined 23% since their March peak, a statistic which we
                        believe is unlikely reflected in most Street estimates.




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  2
Robert W. Baird & Co.
Facility Services
June 3, 2011



                        U.S. Cotton Prices, spot ($/lb)
                        $2.50                                                                                  160%

                                                    U.S. Cotton (spot), $/lb                                   140%
                                                    U.S. Cotton (Spot), YOY (right)
                        $2.00                                                                                  120%

                                                                                                               100%

                        $1.50                                                                                  80%

                                                                                                               60%

                        $1.00                                                                                  40%

                                                                                                               20%

                        $0.50                                                                                  0%

                                                                                                               -20%

                        $0.00                                                                                  -40%
                                2006               2007                    2008       2009   2010    2011

                        Source: FactSet Research Systems


                        Perhaps more importantly, we believe the significant operating leverage inherent in the
                        businesses can well-offset input cost pressures in even a modest labor market recovery.
                        We believe significant excess capacity remains at the public uniform companies which
                        should provide opportunity to improve fixed asset utilization rates as employment further
                        improves (even modestly).

                        We also note that recent employment momentum has been slow to materialize in organic
                        growth rates so far. To date, organic growth has been led by lower-margin new account
                        gains and service additions rather than by higher-margin additions to existing accounts.
                        We believe the labor data since February could potentially provide the next leg in
                        earnings growth for the uniform stocks and we have begun to hear anecdotal
                        commentary suggesting improvement in add/stop (i.e., additions at existing accounts)
                        rates. However, if employment growth continues to decelerate, we could turn more
                        cautious in our recommendation.

                        Historically, the uniform sector has been an effective way to invest in early-cycle stocks
                        (the stocks historically bottom 12 months before an employment inflection) or to play an
                        expanding economy (stocks also tend to outperform mid to late cycle when the rate of job
                        growth is higher). Indeed, until recently, stock performance at the uniform rental
                        companies had lagged as the economy moved into more advanced stages of the
                        recovery, following strong outperformance in the stocks prior to the August 2009
                        employment bottom, confirming the stock's early-cycle nature.

                        However, since February the market has generally been positively surprised with the
                        monthly jobs numbers (with the exception of this month's disappointing release). This
                        phenomenon has historically allowed for uniform stock outperformance for a period of
                        roughly 13-24 months. For perspective, current cycle employment bottomed in
                        September 2009 (19 months ago). (Note: Past performance is no guarantee of future
                        results.)




                                                                                                              3
Robert W. Baird & Co.
Facility Services
June 3, 2011



                        Uniform Stock Performance

                                                       One-Month Percentage Price Change                                              YTD Percentage Price Change


                                    C intas                                                                    C intas



                                  U n iFirs t                                                               S & P 500



                          U n iform Ind e x                                                           U niform Ind ex



                                S & P 500                                                             G & K S ervices



                          G & K S e rv ic es                                                                 U n iFirs t


                                               -8%   -6%      -4%      -2 %    0%          2%    4%                    -10 %         -5%          0%         5%         10%     1 5%     20%



                                                      Three-Month Percentage Price Change                                       Trailing 12 Months Percentage Price Change


                                  C in tas                                                            G & K S ervic es



                         U niform Inde x                                                                      C in tas



                               S & P 500                                                              U niform Index



                         G & K S e rv ic es                                                                 S & P 500



                                 U niFirst                                                                   U niFirs t


                                          -1 0%      -5%      0%      5%      10 %     15%      20%                        0%       5%     1 0%        15%        20%     25%    30%     35 %



                        Source: FactSet Research Systems


                        Indeed, now that we are seeing consistent employment gains within uniform-wearing
                        sectors, we believe uniform rental companies have become a more compelling
                        investment (and, indeed, offer lower beta exposure to broader macroeconomic
                        headwinds given the businesses' recurring revenue stream and solid free cash flow
                        generation). The YTD share performance at in particular (the largest, and most liquid of
                        the uniform rental stocks), suggests to us that the late cycle thesis in the uniform stocks
                        may be gaining momentum, providing conviction in our Outperform rating in those stocks.

                        We also note that valuation multiples for the group appear to have stabilized, particularly
                        at (now posting modest expansion), following several years of decline, which we believe
                        suggests moderate upside now that employment growth rates are improving within our
                        Add/Stop Index. We also believe that should trade at a premium to the group, which we
                        believe is justified by the company's outsized earnings growth potential versus peers
                        resulting from its on-going turnaround strategy focused on improving margins to
                        peer-levels.

                        trades at a discount to peers, which we believe reflects a dual-class share structure and
                        limited float, but is consistent with its historical average (indeed, a slight premium on an
                        earnings basis), which we believe captures 's strong recent execution, balanced by
                        emerging company-specific margin pressures from inventory .

                        Uniform Industry Valuation

                                                                                     Price       Price Target                   Rating        EV/EBITDA, ftm                            P/E
                        Company                                      Ticker                                                                    FTM     AVG                      FTM        AVG
                        Cintas                                       CTAS            $31.99           $35                       O              7.9x    9.0x                     17.5x     18.7x
                        G&K Services                                 GKSR            $31.10           $40                       O              7.3x    8.2x                     16.0x     17.1x
                        UniFirst                                      UNF            $51.48           $60                       N              5.7x    5.8x                     14.1x     13.6x
                                                                                                                            Average:           7.0x    7.7x                     15.9x     16.5x
                        As of 06/03/2011
                        Source: FactSet Research Systems and Baird estimates




                                                                                                                                                                                           4
Robert W. Baird & Co.
Facility Services
June 3, 2011




                        May Employment Report Disappoints, Consistent with Recent
                        Derivative Data
                        Total nonfarm payrolls increased by 54,000 in May, well below expectations of +165,000
                        and consistent with similar disappointing employment-related reports in recent weeks (in
                        other words, the report was not surprising, but confirmatory). Private sector payrolls also
                        retreated, posting a +83,000 gain, well below the +251,000 gain in April, which was the
                        largest single month gain in the report since February 2006. Furthermore, economists
                        predict seasonally lower employment gains in the data in 2H11, as the BLS' birth/death
                        adjustment factor (an adjustment to the data to reflect small firms not captured in the
                        survey data) is expected to be more modest in 2H11.

                        Forward-looking employment indicators, however, suggest stability, with total average
                        hours worked holding constant at 34.3 hours in May (essentially constant since
                        February). The private employment diffusion index also declined to 53.6 (from 65.0 in
                        April). Note, however that a reading above 50 indicates sequential improvement in the
                        data. Thus, while the lower sequential reading indicates that employment acceleration
                        has slowed, overall growth rates remain positive (and the outlook stable).

                        Baird Add/Stop Index Growth Outpacing Broader Employment Gains Despite
                        Disappointing Headline Data

                        Baird's Add/Stop Index specific to uniform rental-related employment remains generally
                        healthy; however, we saw more modest gains this month with our Index increasing
                        +26,000. The May gains were below the +50,000-80,000 gains we have seen in recent
                        months; however, the general trend in the data remains positive, with average
                        year-to-date employment gains in 2011 consistent with previous cyclical averages of
                        +65,000 and +54,000 (see figure below).

                        Baird Add/Stop Index
                          4%                                                                                                                           200
                                                                                                                           2011 Average = 62k
                                                                    Average = 65k        Average = 54k
                          2%                                                                                                                           100



                          0%                                                                                                                           0



                         -2%                                                                                                                           (100)

                                                                                                           Cycle Average = 38k
                         -4%                                                                                                                           (200)



                         -6%                              Baird Add/Stop Indicator Monthly Job Gains/Losses (000), right                               (300)

                                                          Baird Add/Stop Indicator YOY Growth Rate, left

                         -8%                                                                                                                           (400)
                            1991      1993     1995      1997       1999        2001         2003          2005      2007         2009          2011


                        Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics and Baird Research

                        In addition, we note that the YOY growth rate in Add/Stop employment categories
                        continues to outpace the broader economy for the first time since late 2006/early
                        2007 (and is now more than double the rate of general economic growth). This is a
                        critical element of the data as uniform employment has lagged broader employment
                        categories throughout the recovery until recently (indeed, until February 2011). April
                        Add/Stop employment increased 1.6% YOY versus the just 0.7% YOY gain in total
                        non-farm payroll employment, which is a key reason why we remain constructive on the
                        uniform stocks.


                                                                                                                                                       5
Robert W. Baird & Co.
Facility Services
June 3, 2011



                        Employment gains were also positive across most sectors within our Add/Stop Index with
                        the exception of construction and repair and maintenance, both of which have been drags
                        to the data over the past several months. Gains were particularly concentrated within the
                        Food Services and Drinking Places industry (similar to last month) which has been a key
                        theme throughout this recovery (we believe this has also aided Direct Sale purchases at
                        the uniform rental companies). We also think that gains in Food Services and Drinking
                        Places should benefit many of the uniform rental companies' ancillary offerings, such as
                        chemicals, hygiene products, shop towels and linens. For perspective, ancillary offerings
                        at the uniform rental companies encompass roughly 50% of total rental revenue and are
                        meaningful parts of the overall business, though garment rental is still the largest
                        individual category.

                        The figure below shows the absolute job gains/losses within several of the primary
                        uniform-wearing industries comprising our Index over the last month.

                        Baird Add/Stop Index Component Industries: 1-Month Employment Change (000s)

                                    Specialty Trade Contractors         (7)

                                       Repair and Maintenance                 (6)

                          W holesale Trade - Nondurable Goods                        (1)

                                              Gasoline Stations                        (1)

                                                     Chemicals                                    0

                              W holesale Trade - Durable Goods                                         2

                                           Truck Transportation                                            2

                                     Fabricated Metal Products                                                 3

                                                     Machinery                                                     4

                                     Food and Beverage Stores                                                          5

                                Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers                                                            6

                                            Food Manufacturing                                                                 7

                             Food Services and Drinking Places                                                                         14

                                                                                           1-month Employment Change (000s)

                        Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics and Baird Research


                        Recent Derivative Employment Data Has Been Similarly Disappointing
                        Similar to this morning's BLS report, employment data over the past few weeks has been
                        generally disappointing, indicating slowing momentum and still-elevated new jobless
                        claims.

                        For example, this week’s ADP employment report indicated net job growth of just
                        38,000 in May, well below expectations (+180,000) and a reduction from average gains of
                        ~200,000 since December. Recall that the ADP report tracks employment gains/losses in
                        the U.S. private sector only.




                                                                                                                                   6
Robert W. Baird & Co.
Facility Services
June 3, 2011



                        Total Nonfarm Private Payrolls, by Firm Size
                           400                                                                                                                                 117,000


                           200
                                                                                                                                                               115,000


                             -
                                                                                                                                                               113,000

                          (200)
                                                                                                                                                               111,000
                          (400)
                                                                                          Large (499+)
                                                                                          Medium (50-499)                                                      109,000
                          (600)                                                           Small (1-49)
                                                                                          Total Employment, millions (right)
                                                                                                                                                               107,000
                          (800)


                        (1,000)                                                                                                                                105,000
                               2001        2002        2003        2004         2005      2006           2007      2008        2009         2010      2011

                        Source: ADP Employment Report


                        Goods-producing sectors (greater uniform customer exposure) also moderated,
                        posting their first decline since October 2010, falling by 10,000. Job growth in the
                        service-producing sector also moderated significantly, increasing 48,000 in May versus a
                        gain of 141,000 in April (and +165,000 in March). Job gains in May continue to be
                        concentrated among small (1-49 employees) and medium (50-499 employees) firms with
                        large firms posting a modest decline.

                        Initial jobless claims remain elevated with the 4-week moving average still above the
                        key 400,000 level this month, which is viewed as indicative of sustainable job growth.
                        Furthermore, claims have generally overshot expectations, which is concerning. Still,
                        initial jobless claims are 34% below their prior cycle peak of 658,750 in March 2009 and
                        did post a modest sequential over the past month (see figure below).

                        Initial Jobless Claims
                        700,000
                                                           Initial Jobless Claims (4-wk MA)
                        650,000

                        600,000

                        550,000

                        500,000

                        450,000

                        400,000

                        350,000

                        300,000

                        250,000
                              Jan-07    May-07    Sep-07      Jan-08   May-08    Sep-08   Jan-09    May-09      Sep-09    Jan-10   May-10    Sep-10   Jan-11   May-11
                        Note: The solid red line indicates the level of jobless claims historically associated with net employment growth
                        Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics


                        Continuing jobless claims held steady in May (despite the increase in the
                        unemployment rate), with the 4-week moving average increasing modestly from 3.727
                        million at the end of April to 3.737 million currently. This week’s continuing claims
                        decreased by 1,000, suggesting little change in structural unemployment rates.




                                                                                                                                                                7
Robert W. Baird & Co.
Facility Services
June 3, 2011



                        Continuing Jobless Claims
                        7,000,000


                        6,000,000


                        5,000,000


                        4,000,000


                        3,000,000


                        2,000,000


                        1,000,000


                                 0
                                 Jan-67       Jan-72        Jan-77        Jan-82       Jan-87       Jan-92        Jan-97           Jan-02          Jan-07


                        Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics


                        The unemployment rate (which is based on a separate survey) increased 10 bps
                        sequentially to 9.1% in May (versus expectations that the unemployment rate would
                        decline to 8.9%), though we note can be viewed positively, as the increase was
                        accompanied by an increase in the labor force--potentially indicating better job prospects.
                        Indeed, 272,000 people entered the labor force in May, the highest monthly increase
                        since August 2010. The U-6 unemployment rate (which includes involuntary part-time
                        employment and discouraged workers – i.e., unemployed workers who have ceased
                        looking for employment) also declined by 10 bps in May to 15.8%, and has steadily
                        declined from a rate of 17% in November 2010.

                        Despite recent employment gains, the unemployment rate remains well above the
                        previous cyclical peaks of 6.3% in June 2003 and 7.8% in June 1992. Eventually,
                        declines from this high unemployment rate will be a large opportunity for the uniform
                        companies, in our view.

                        Civilian Unemployment Rate (persons 16 years of age and older)

                        12



                        10



                         8



                         6



                         4



                         2



                         0
                          1980         1983         1986        1989         1992        1995         1998        2001      2004            2007        2010
                        Note: The solid grey bars indicate recessions, as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research
                        Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics


                        Uniform Stock Investment Perspectives
                        • We rate G&K Services (-$31.10; $40 price target) at Outperform. We believe Street
                          estimates, broadly, GKSR's underlying earnings growth potential from even modest

                                                                                                                                                            8
Robert W. Baird & Co.
Facility Services
June 3, 2011



                          top-line growth. Furthermore, G&K reported better-than-expected F3Q11 earnings in
                          May, driven by strong top-line results (above our estimate) and much
                          better-than-expected margin expansion. Investors are gaining confidence in
                          management's targeted “10/10” plan to achieve 10% operating margins and ROIC by
                          F2014, which should unlock material value creation over the next several years.
                          Combined with solid cash flow, and a likely increase in return of capital to shareholders
                          (likely through a dividend increase later this summer), we see relative upside to the
                          stock.

                            Against this backdrop, we continue to believe investors are best served by taking a
                            multi-year look at GKSR’s ability to create value by bridging the profitability gap
                            versus peers over time. In addition, we believe outsized earnings growth potential at
                            GKSR relative to peers continues to justify a growth multiple for the stock. Our $40
                            price target is supported by our DCF analysis which incorporates management’s
                            long-term profitability targets and by the application of an 8.0x forward EV/EBITDA
                            (in line with the stock’s historical average multiple of 8.2x and a slight premium to
                            peers and consistent with what we see as above-average earnings growth
                            potential). Our price target also implies a 17.9x NTM P/E. Risks to our price target
                            include a highly competitive industry, employment trends, energy price fluctuations
                            and acquisition integration.

                        • We rate Cintas (CTAS-$31.66; $35 price target) at Outperform. Top-line momentum
                          has accelerated, driving margin and earnings leverage as previous investments in
                          sales staff have begun to pay off. Although rising commodity costs remain a source of
                          caution (though have recently declined), with broad-based top-line improvement,
                          increasing capital allocation towards M&A, and moderating pricing pressure, we
                          believe CTAS offers lower-risk leverage to a slowly improving employment market. In
                          addition, we believe a $500M bond offering in May 2011 could also provide meaningful
                          accretion (we estimate up to $0.12 in F2012) from share repurchases or other capital
                          deployments and we are encouraged by recent efforts to expand the company’s
                          higher-growth hygiene/chemicals business through strategic partnerships with
                          established industry suppliers (e.g., Diversey).

                            Our $35 price target assumes modest (essentially flat) multiple expansion to 7.7x
                            FTM EBITDA, below the company’s historical average of 9.2x but which we believe
                            more fully reflects the industry’s challenging fundamentals and a slower growth rate,
                            with downside supported by the company’s $500M share repurchase authorization.
                            We also see upside to our price target to the extent CTAS can deploy its balance
                            sheet toward additional accretive opportunities. Risks include a highly competitive
                            market, employment trends, energy and scrap paper price fluctuations.

                        • We rate UniFirst (UNF-$51.10; $60 price target) at Neutral. UniFirst continues to
                          execute at a very high level, which we believe was well appreciated by the market
                          throughout the downturn. However, with margin pressures building from (still high)
                          commodity costs and the company's inventory cycle versus peers providing a
                          counterbalance to cyclical tailwinds at GKSR/CTAS, we view risk/reward as balanced.
                          That being said, we do see modest upside to the stock.

                            Our $60 price target assumes modest multiple expansion to 6.1x FTM EBITDA, a
                            modest premium to the stock’s 5.8x average and current levels, recognizing the
                            improving investment landscape and UNF's recent performance versus peers but
                            balanced by what we see as emerging risk. Risks include a highly competitive
                            industry, employment trends, energy price fluctuations, acquisition integration risks,
                            and 10:1 super-voting insider shares.




                                                                                                               9
Robert W. Baird & Co.
Facility Services
June 3, 2011




Appendix - Important Disclosures and Analyst Certification

                                 Rating and Price Target History for: Cintas Corporation (CTAS) as of 06-02-2011
               07/16/08    09/19/08    12/18/08   12/22/08   06/01/09        09/23/09    12/23/09   02/17/10   07/21/10      09/22/10   12/22/10
                 O:$36       O:$37       O:$35      O:$31      N:$27           U:$28       U:$26      U:$22      N:$28         N:$30      N:$32
                                                                                                                                              35

                                                                                                                                              30

                                                                                                                                              25

                                                                                                                                              20

                                                                                                                                              15

                                                                                                                                             10
             Q1           Q2      Q3               Q1        Q2         Q3                   Q1      Q2        Q3                  Q1      Q2
                                          2009                                    2010                                2011
               03/14/11    03/23/11
                 O:$34       O:$35




                                                                                                                          Created by BlueMatrix



                                 Rating and Price Target History for: G&K Services, Inc. (GKSR) as of 06-02-2011

               08/13/08    10/07/08    10/29/08   12/18/08   04/29/09        06/01/09    08/07/09   09/23/09   10/28/09      01/27/10   04/28/10
                 N:$36       N:$32       N:$23      N:$21      N:$26           N:$22       N:$21      U:$21      N:$23         N:$26      N:$28
                                                                                                                                              40

                                                                                                                                              32

                                                                                                                                              24

                                                                                                                                              16

                                                                                                                                             8
             Q1           Q2      Q3               Q1        Q2         Q3                   Q1      Q2        Q3                  Q1      Q2
                                          2009                                    2010                                2011
               06/15/10    08/18/10    11/02/10   01/19/11   02/02/11        05/03/11
                 N:$23       N:$24       N:$30      O:$37      O:$38           O:$40




                                                                                                                          Created by BlueMatrix




                                                                                                                                                   10
Robert W. Baird & Co.
Facility Services
June 3, 2011




                                 Rating and Price Target History for: UniFirst Corporation (UNF) as of 06-02-2011

               07/03/08    10/30/08    06/01/09   06/02/09   07/02/09        09/23/09    10/29/09   01/07/10   04/01/10      07/01/10   10/20/10
                 N:$53       O:$38       N:$37      N:$36      N:$39           U:$42       U:$43      O:$59      O:$60         O:$51      O:$54
                                                                                                                                              60

                                                                                                                                              50

                                                                                                                                              40

                                                                                                                                              30

                                                                                                                                              20

                                                                                                                                             10
             Q1           Q2      Q3               Q1        Q2         Q3                   Q1      Q2        Q3                  Q1      Q2
                                          2009                                    2010                                2011
               01/05/11    01/19/11    03/30/11
                 O:$57       N:$58       N:$60




                                                                                                                          Created by BlueMatrix

1 Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated makes a market in the securities of CTAS, GKSR and UNF       .
Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated and/or its affiliates expect to receive or intend to seek investment banking
related compensation from the company or companies mentioned in this report within the next three months.
Investment Ratings: Outperform (O) - Expected to outperform on a total return, risk-adjusted basis the broader
U.S. equity market over the next 12 months. Neutral (N) - Expected to perform in line with the broader U.S. equity
market over the next 12 months. Underperform (U) - Expected to underperform on a total return, risk-adjusted
basis the broader U.S. equity market over the next 12 months.
Risk Ratings: L - Lower Risk - Higher-quality companies for investors seeking capital appreciation or income with
an emphasis on safety. Company characteristics may include: stable earnings, conservative balance sheets, and
an established history of revenue and earnings. A - Average Risk - Growth situations for investors seeking capital
appreciation with an emphasis on safety. Company characteristics may include: moderate volatility, modest
balance-sheet leverage, and stable patterns of revenue and earnings. H - Higher Risk - Higher-growth situations
appropriate for investors seeking capital appreciation with the acceptance of risk. Company characteristics may
include: higher balance-sheet leverage, dynamic business environments, and higher levels of earnings and price
volatility. S - Speculative Risk - High-growth situations appropriate only for investors willing to accept a high
degree of volatility and risk. Company characteristics may include: unpredictable earnings, small capitalization,
aggressive growth strategies, rapidly changing market dynamics, high leverage, extreme price volatility and
unknown competitive challenges.
Valuation, Ratings and Risks. The recommendation and price target contained within this report are based on a
time horizon of 12 months but there is no guarantee the objective will be achieved within the specified time horizon.
Price targets are determined by a subjective review of fundamental and/or quantitative factors of the issuer, its
industry, and the security type. A variety of methods may be used to determine the value of a security including,
but not limited to, discounted cash flow, earnings multiples, peer group comparisons, and sum of the parts. Overall
market risk, interest rate risk, and general economic risks impact all securities. Specific information regarding the
price target and recommendation is provided in the text of our most recent research report.
Distribution of Investment Ratings. As of May 31, 2011, Baird U.S. Equity Research covered 657 companies,
with 52% rated Outperform/Buy, 47% rated Neutral/Hold and 1% rated Underperform/Sell. Within these rating
categories, 12% of Outperform/Buy-rated, and 6% of Neutral/Hold-rated companies have compensated Baird for
investment banking services in the past 12 months and/or Baird managed or co-managed a public offering of
securities for these companies in the past 12 months.
Analyst Compensation. Analyst compensation is based on: 1) The correlation between the analyst's
recommendations and stock price performance; 2) Ratings and direct feedback from our investing clients, our
sales force and from independent rating services; and 3) The analyst's productivity, including the quality of the
analyst's research and the analyst's contribution to the growth and development of our overall research effort. This
compensation criteria and actual compensation is reviewed and approved on an annual basis by Baird's Research
Oversight Committee. Analyst compensation is derived from all revenue sources of the firm, including revenues
from investment banking. Baird does not compensate research analysts based on specific investment banking
transactions.A complete listing of all companies covered by Baird U.S. Equity Research and applicable research
disclosures can be accessed at
http://www.rwbaird.com/research-insights/research/coverage/research-disclosure.aspx .

                                                                                                                                                   11
Robert W. Baird & Co.
Facility Services
June 3, 2011



You can also call 1-800-792-2473 or write: Robert W. Baird & Co., Equity Research, 24th Floor, 777 E. Wisconsin
Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53202.
Analyst Certification. The senior research analyst(s) certifies that the views expressed in this research report
and/or financial model accurately reflect such senior analyst's personal views about the subject securities or
issuers and that no part of his or her compensation was, is, or will be directly or indirectly related to the specific
recommendations or views contained in the research report.
Disclaimers
Baird prohibits analysts from owning stock in companies they cover.
This is not a complete analysis of every material fact regarding any company, industry or security. The opinions
expressed here reflect our judgment at this date and are subject to change. The information has been obtained
from sources we consider to be reliable, but we cannot guarantee the accuracy.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON COMPANIES MENTIONED HEREIN IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, S&P 400 and Russell 2000 are unmanaged common stock indices
used to measure and report performance of various sectors of the stock market; direct investment in indices is not
available.
Baird is exempt from the requirement to hold an Australian financial services license. Baird is regulated by the
United States Securities and Exchange Commission, FINRA, and various other self-regulatory organizations and
those laws and regulations may differ from Australian laws. This report has been prepared in accordance with the
laws and regulations governing United States broker-dealers and not Australian laws.
Copyright 2011 Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated
Other Disclosures
UK disclosure requirements for the purpose of distributing this research into the UK and other countries for which
Robert W. Baird Limited holds an ISD passport.
This report is for distribution into the United Kingdom only to persons who fall within Article 19 or Article 49(2) of
the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (financial promotion) order 2001 being persons who are investment
professionals and may not be distributed to private clients. Issued in the United Kingdom by Robert W. Baird
Limited, which has offices at Mint House 77 Mansell Street, London, E1 8AF and is a company authorized and
                                                                               ,
regulated by the Financial Services Authority. For the purposes of the Financial Services Authority requirements,
this investment research report is classified as objective.
Robert W. Baird Limited ("RWBL") is exempt from the requirement to hold an Australian financial services license.
RWBL is regulated by the Financial Services Authority ("FSA") under UK laws and those laws may differ from
Australian laws. This document has been prepared in accordance with FSA requirements and not Australian laws.


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Baird Perspective on Uniform Industry: Good News

  • 1. Business Services Research June 3, 2011 Facility Services Uniform Wearer Growth Remains Better Than Broader National Employment Trends Andrew J. Wittmann, CFA Action awittmann@rwbaird.com Despite headline disappointment in the May BLS data, strong growth in 414.298.1898 uniform-wearing employment continues, with year-over-year growth rates Justin P Hauke . more than double the broader economy. We note that uniform-wearing industries jhauke@rwbaird.com were slow to post employment gains earlier this cycle and have only recently begun 312.609.5485 adding headcount. Thus, we continue to see upside in uniform rental stocks as incremental wearers boost utilization rates, with recent commodity price declines providing additional support for earnings. Please refer to Summary Appendix - Important • May employment disappoints but shouldn't be a surprise. Total nonfarm Disclosures and payrolls increased by 54,000, well below expectations of +165,000 and consistent Analyst Certification. with similar disappointing employment-related reports in recent weeks. - Unemployment rate rose to 9.1% (versus the 8.9% consensus). Positively, the spike in the unemployment rate was driven primarily by a surge in labor market entrants (a positive). • Baird's Add/Stop Index specific to uniform rental-related employment remains healthy, but more modest than recent gains, increasing +26,000. - Importantly, YOY job growth related to uniform wearers is increasing at more than twice the rate of the economy as a whole and is now at its highest level since 2006, a crucial point underpinning our positive view on uniform stocks. - Nonetheless, we note that May gains were below the +50,000-80,000 gains in recent months. • Macroeconomy likely still constructive for uniform rental stocks but recent deceleration is disappointing. Our checks suggest moderating price competition in uniform rental (some markets are even increasing), and anecdotal commentary suggests uniform companies are beginning to see high-margin positive add/stops in their business. - In addition, recent declines in commodity cost pressures (especially cotton) should provide additional support beyond fixed cost leverage. • G&K (Outperform): We believe Street estimates, broadly, underappreciate GKSR's underlying earnings growth potential from even modest top-line growth. Combined with solid progress on the turn-around strategy, solid cash flow, and a likely increase in return of capital to shareholders, we see relative upside to the stock. • Cintas (Outperform): Top-line momentum has accelerated, driving margin and earnings leverage as previous investments in sales staff are paying off. In addition, we believe last month's $500M bond offering could provide meaningful accretion if deployed and we are encouraged by recent efforts to expand the company’s higher-growth hygiene/chemicals business through strategic partnerships with established industry suppliers (e.g., Diversey). • UniFirst (Neutral): UniFirst continues to execute admirably, above peer levels. However, we believe expectations for strong execution are largely priced into the stock, increasing the risk, though we do see modest upside to shares.
  • 2. Facility Services June 3, 2011 Details Remain Positive on Uniform Rental Stocks Despite Disappointing Headline Employment Report Despite headline disappointment in the May BLS data, strong growth rates in uniform-wearing employment continues (and is accelerating), with growth rates more than double that of the broader economy. We note that uniform-wearing industries were slow to post employment gains earlier this cycle and have only recently begun adding headcount. Indeed, job growth in uniform-related wearers is now increasing at more than twice the rate of the economy as a whole and is now at its highest level since 2006, a crucial point underpinning our positive view on uniform stocks. The figure below demonstrates this dynamic, a point that we stress is not reflected in a cursory view of the data. Baird Add/Stop Index (YOY Change) 3.00% 2.00% BLS Employment 1.00% Baird Add/Stop Index 0.00% -1.00% -2.00% -3.00% -4.00% -5.00% Growth in Baird Add/Stop -6.00% Index employment is outpacing total NFP -7.00% employment - first time since early 2007 -8.00% Jan-07 Mar-07 Jul-07 Sep-07 Nov-07 Jan-08 Mar-08 Jul-08 Sep-08 Nov-08 Jan-09 Mar-09 Jul-09 Sep-09 Nov-09 Jan-10 Mar-10 Jul-10 Sep-10 Nov-10 Jan-11 Mar-11 May-07 May-08 May-09 May-10 May-11 Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics and Baird Research Thus we continue to see upside in uniform rental stocks as incremental wearers at existing rental accounts boost utilization rates, generating highly profitable incremental margins, with recent commodity price declines providing additional support for earnings. Indeed, cotton prices have declined 23% since their March peak, a statistic which we believe is unlikely reflected in most Street estimates. 2 Robert W. Baird & Co.
  • 3. Facility Services June 3, 2011 U.S. Cotton Prices, spot ($/lb) $2.50 160% U.S. Cotton (spot), $/lb 140% U.S. Cotton (Spot), YOY (right) $2.00 120% 100% $1.50 80% 60% $1.00 40% 20% $0.50 0% -20% $0.00 -40% 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Source: FactSet Research Systems Perhaps more importantly, we believe the significant operating leverage inherent in the businesses can well-offset input cost pressures in even a modest labor market recovery. We believe significant excess capacity remains at the public uniform companies which should provide opportunity to improve fixed asset utilization rates as employment further improves (even modestly). We also note that recent employment momentum has been slow to materialize in organic growth rates so far. To date, organic growth has been led by lower-margin new account gains and service additions rather than by higher-margin additions to existing accounts. We believe the labor data since February could potentially provide the next leg in earnings growth for the uniform stocks and we have begun to hear anecdotal commentary suggesting improvement in add/stop (i.e., additions at existing accounts) rates. However, if employment growth continues to decelerate, we could turn more cautious in our recommendation. Historically, the uniform sector has been an effective way to invest in early-cycle stocks (the stocks historically bottom 12 months before an employment inflection) or to play an expanding economy (stocks also tend to outperform mid to late cycle when the rate of job growth is higher). Indeed, until recently, stock performance at the uniform rental companies had lagged as the economy moved into more advanced stages of the recovery, following strong outperformance in the stocks prior to the August 2009 employment bottom, confirming the stock's early-cycle nature. However, since February the market has generally been positively surprised with the monthly jobs numbers (with the exception of this month's disappointing release). This phenomenon has historically allowed for uniform stock outperformance for a period of roughly 13-24 months. For perspective, current cycle employment bottomed in September 2009 (19 months ago). (Note: Past performance is no guarantee of future results.) 3 Robert W. Baird & Co.
  • 4. Facility Services June 3, 2011 Uniform Stock Performance One-Month Percentage Price Change YTD Percentage Price Change C intas C intas U n iFirs t S & P 500 U n iform Ind e x U niform Ind ex S & P 500 G & K S ervices G & K S e rv ic es U n iFirs t -8% -6% -4% -2 % 0% 2% 4% -10 % -5% 0% 5% 10% 1 5% 20% Three-Month Percentage Price Change Trailing 12 Months Percentage Price Change C in tas G & K S ervic es U niform Inde x C in tas S & P 500 U niform Index G & K S e rv ic es S & P 500 U niFirst U niFirs t -1 0% -5% 0% 5% 10 % 15% 20% 0% 5% 1 0% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35 % Source: FactSet Research Systems Indeed, now that we are seeing consistent employment gains within uniform-wearing sectors, we believe uniform rental companies have become a more compelling investment (and, indeed, offer lower beta exposure to broader macroeconomic headwinds given the businesses' recurring revenue stream and solid free cash flow generation). The YTD share performance at in particular (the largest, and most liquid of the uniform rental stocks), suggests to us that the late cycle thesis in the uniform stocks may be gaining momentum, providing conviction in our Outperform rating in those stocks. We also note that valuation multiples for the group appear to have stabilized, particularly at (now posting modest expansion), following several years of decline, which we believe suggests moderate upside now that employment growth rates are improving within our Add/Stop Index. We also believe that should trade at a premium to the group, which we believe is justified by the company's outsized earnings growth potential versus peers resulting from its on-going turnaround strategy focused on improving margins to peer-levels. trades at a discount to peers, which we believe reflects a dual-class share structure and limited float, but is consistent with its historical average (indeed, a slight premium on an earnings basis), which we believe captures 's strong recent execution, balanced by emerging company-specific margin pressures from inventory . Uniform Industry Valuation Price Price Target Rating EV/EBITDA, ftm P/E Company Ticker FTM AVG FTM AVG Cintas CTAS $31.99 $35 O 7.9x 9.0x 17.5x 18.7x G&K Services GKSR $31.10 $40 O 7.3x 8.2x 16.0x 17.1x UniFirst UNF $51.48 $60 N 5.7x 5.8x 14.1x 13.6x Average: 7.0x 7.7x 15.9x 16.5x As of 06/03/2011 Source: FactSet Research Systems and Baird estimates 4 Robert W. Baird & Co.
  • 5. Facility Services June 3, 2011 May Employment Report Disappoints, Consistent with Recent Derivative Data Total nonfarm payrolls increased by 54,000 in May, well below expectations of +165,000 and consistent with similar disappointing employment-related reports in recent weeks (in other words, the report was not surprising, but confirmatory). Private sector payrolls also retreated, posting a +83,000 gain, well below the +251,000 gain in April, which was the largest single month gain in the report since February 2006. Furthermore, economists predict seasonally lower employment gains in the data in 2H11, as the BLS' birth/death adjustment factor (an adjustment to the data to reflect small firms not captured in the survey data) is expected to be more modest in 2H11. Forward-looking employment indicators, however, suggest stability, with total average hours worked holding constant at 34.3 hours in May (essentially constant since February). The private employment diffusion index also declined to 53.6 (from 65.0 in April). Note, however that a reading above 50 indicates sequential improvement in the data. Thus, while the lower sequential reading indicates that employment acceleration has slowed, overall growth rates remain positive (and the outlook stable). Baird Add/Stop Index Growth Outpacing Broader Employment Gains Despite Disappointing Headline Data Baird's Add/Stop Index specific to uniform rental-related employment remains generally healthy; however, we saw more modest gains this month with our Index increasing +26,000. The May gains were below the +50,000-80,000 gains we have seen in recent months; however, the general trend in the data remains positive, with average year-to-date employment gains in 2011 consistent with previous cyclical averages of +65,000 and +54,000 (see figure below). Baird Add/Stop Index 4% 200 2011 Average = 62k Average = 65k Average = 54k 2% 100 0% 0 -2% (100) Cycle Average = 38k -4% (200) -6% Baird Add/Stop Indicator Monthly Job Gains/Losses (000), right (300) Baird Add/Stop Indicator YOY Growth Rate, left -8% (400) 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics and Baird Research In addition, we note that the YOY growth rate in Add/Stop employment categories continues to outpace the broader economy for the first time since late 2006/early 2007 (and is now more than double the rate of general economic growth). This is a critical element of the data as uniform employment has lagged broader employment categories throughout the recovery until recently (indeed, until February 2011). April Add/Stop employment increased 1.6% YOY versus the just 0.7% YOY gain in total non-farm payroll employment, which is a key reason why we remain constructive on the uniform stocks. 5 Robert W. Baird & Co.
  • 6. Facility Services June 3, 2011 Employment gains were also positive across most sectors within our Add/Stop Index with the exception of construction and repair and maintenance, both of which have been drags to the data over the past several months. Gains were particularly concentrated within the Food Services and Drinking Places industry (similar to last month) which has been a key theme throughout this recovery (we believe this has also aided Direct Sale purchases at the uniform rental companies). We also think that gains in Food Services and Drinking Places should benefit many of the uniform rental companies' ancillary offerings, such as chemicals, hygiene products, shop towels and linens. For perspective, ancillary offerings at the uniform rental companies encompass roughly 50% of total rental revenue and are meaningful parts of the overall business, though garment rental is still the largest individual category. The figure below shows the absolute job gains/losses within several of the primary uniform-wearing industries comprising our Index over the last month. Baird Add/Stop Index Component Industries: 1-Month Employment Change (000s) Specialty Trade Contractors (7) Repair and Maintenance (6) W holesale Trade - Nondurable Goods (1) Gasoline Stations (1) Chemicals 0 W holesale Trade - Durable Goods 2 Truck Transportation 2 Fabricated Metal Products 3 Machinery 4 Food and Beverage Stores 5 Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers 6 Food Manufacturing 7 Food Services and Drinking Places 14 1-month Employment Change (000s) Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics and Baird Research Recent Derivative Employment Data Has Been Similarly Disappointing Similar to this morning's BLS report, employment data over the past few weeks has been generally disappointing, indicating slowing momentum and still-elevated new jobless claims. For example, this week’s ADP employment report indicated net job growth of just 38,000 in May, well below expectations (+180,000) and a reduction from average gains of ~200,000 since December. Recall that the ADP report tracks employment gains/losses in the U.S. private sector only. 6 Robert W. Baird & Co.
  • 7. Facility Services June 3, 2011 Total Nonfarm Private Payrolls, by Firm Size 400 117,000 200 115,000 - 113,000 (200) 111,000 (400) Large (499+) Medium (50-499) 109,000 (600) Small (1-49) Total Employment, millions (right) 107,000 (800) (1,000) 105,000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Source: ADP Employment Report Goods-producing sectors (greater uniform customer exposure) also moderated, posting their first decline since October 2010, falling by 10,000. Job growth in the service-producing sector also moderated significantly, increasing 48,000 in May versus a gain of 141,000 in April (and +165,000 in March). Job gains in May continue to be concentrated among small (1-49 employees) and medium (50-499 employees) firms with large firms posting a modest decline. Initial jobless claims remain elevated with the 4-week moving average still above the key 400,000 level this month, which is viewed as indicative of sustainable job growth. Furthermore, claims have generally overshot expectations, which is concerning. Still, initial jobless claims are 34% below their prior cycle peak of 658,750 in March 2009 and did post a modest sequential over the past month (see figure below). Initial Jobless Claims 700,000 Initial Jobless Claims (4-wk MA) 650,000 600,000 550,000 500,000 450,000 400,000 350,000 300,000 250,000 Jan-07 May-07 Sep-07 Jan-08 May-08 Sep-08 Jan-09 May-09 Sep-09 Jan-10 May-10 Sep-10 Jan-11 May-11 Note: The solid red line indicates the level of jobless claims historically associated with net employment growth Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Continuing jobless claims held steady in May (despite the increase in the unemployment rate), with the 4-week moving average increasing modestly from 3.727 million at the end of April to 3.737 million currently. This week’s continuing claims decreased by 1,000, suggesting little change in structural unemployment rates. 7 Robert W. Baird & Co.
  • 8. Facility Services June 3, 2011 Continuing Jobless Claims 7,000,000 6,000,000 5,000,000 4,000,000 3,000,000 2,000,000 1,000,000 0 Jan-67 Jan-72 Jan-77 Jan-82 Jan-87 Jan-92 Jan-97 Jan-02 Jan-07 Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics The unemployment rate (which is based on a separate survey) increased 10 bps sequentially to 9.1% in May (versus expectations that the unemployment rate would decline to 8.9%), though we note can be viewed positively, as the increase was accompanied by an increase in the labor force--potentially indicating better job prospects. Indeed, 272,000 people entered the labor force in May, the highest monthly increase since August 2010. The U-6 unemployment rate (which includes involuntary part-time employment and discouraged workers – i.e., unemployed workers who have ceased looking for employment) also declined by 10 bps in May to 15.8%, and has steadily declined from a rate of 17% in November 2010. Despite recent employment gains, the unemployment rate remains well above the previous cyclical peaks of 6.3% in June 2003 and 7.8% in June 1992. Eventually, declines from this high unemployment rate will be a large opportunity for the uniform companies, in our view. Civilian Unemployment Rate (persons 16 years of age and older) 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 Note: The solid grey bars indicate recessions, as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Uniform Stock Investment Perspectives • We rate G&K Services (-$31.10; $40 price target) at Outperform. We believe Street estimates, broadly, GKSR's underlying earnings growth potential from even modest 8 Robert W. Baird & Co.
  • 9. Facility Services June 3, 2011 top-line growth. Furthermore, G&K reported better-than-expected F3Q11 earnings in May, driven by strong top-line results (above our estimate) and much better-than-expected margin expansion. Investors are gaining confidence in management's targeted “10/10” plan to achieve 10% operating margins and ROIC by F2014, which should unlock material value creation over the next several years. Combined with solid cash flow, and a likely increase in return of capital to shareholders (likely through a dividend increase later this summer), we see relative upside to the stock. Against this backdrop, we continue to believe investors are best served by taking a multi-year look at GKSR’s ability to create value by bridging the profitability gap versus peers over time. In addition, we believe outsized earnings growth potential at GKSR relative to peers continues to justify a growth multiple for the stock. Our $40 price target is supported by our DCF analysis which incorporates management’s long-term profitability targets and by the application of an 8.0x forward EV/EBITDA (in line with the stock’s historical average multiple of 8.2x and a slight premium to peers and consistent with what we see as above-average earnings growth potential). Our price target also implies a 17.9x NTM P/E. Risks to our price target include a highly competitive industry, employment trends, energy price fluctuations and acquisition integration. • We rate Cintas (CTAS-$31.66; $35 price target) at Outperform. Top-line momentum has accelerated, driving margin and earnings leverage as previous investments in sales staff have begun to pay off. Although rising commodity costs remain a source of caution (though have recently declined), with broad-based top-line improvement, increasing capital allocation towards M&A, and moderating pricing pressure, we believe CTAS offers lower-risk leverage to a slowly improving employment market. In addition, we believe a $500M bond offering in May 2011 could also provide meaningful accretion (we estimate up to $0.12 in F2012) from share repurchases or other capital deployments and we are encouraged by recent efforts to expand the company’s higher-growth hygiene/chemicals business through strategic partnerships with established industry suppliers (e.g., Diversey). Our $35 price target assumes modest (essentially flat) multiple expansion to 7.7x FTM EBITDA, below the company’s historical average of 9.2x but which we believe more fully reflects the industry’s challenging fundamentals and a slower growth rate, with downside supported by the company’s $500M share repurchase authorization. We also see upside to our price target to the extent CTAS can deploy its balance sheet toward additional accretive opportunities. Risks include a highly competitive market, employment trends, energy and scrap paper price fluctuations. • We rate UniFirst (UNF-$51.10; $60 price target) at Neutral. UniFirst continues to execute at a very high level, which we believe was well appreciated by the market throughout the downturn. However, with margin pressures building from (still high) commodity costs and the company's inventory cycle versus peers providing a counterbalance to cyclical tailwinds at GKSR/CTAS, we view risk/reward as balanced. That being said, we do see modest upside to the stock. Our $60 price target assumes modest multiple expansion to 6.1x FTM EBITDA, a modest premium to the stock’s 5.8x average and current levels, recognizing the improving investment landscape and UNF's recent performance versus peers but balanced by what we see as emerging risk. Risks include a highly competitive industry, employment trends, energy price fluctuations, acquisition integration risks, and 10:1 super-voting insider shares. 9 Robert W. Baird & Co.
  • 10. Facility Services June 3, 2011 Appendix - Important Disclosures and Analyst Certification Rating and Price Target History for: Cintas Corporation (CTAS) as of 06-02-2011 07/16/08 09/19/08 12/18/08 12/22/08 06/01/09 09/23/09 12/23/09 02/17/10 07/21/10 09/22/10 12/22/10 O:$36 O:$37 O:$35 O:$31 N:$27 U:$28 U:$26 U:$22 N:$28 N:$30 N:$32 35 30 25 20 15 10 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q1 Q2 2009 2010 2011 03/14/11 03/23/11 O:$34 O:$35 Created by BlueMatrix Rating and Price Target History for: G&K Services, Inc. (GKSR) as of 06-02-2011 08/13/08 10/07/08 10/29/08 12/18/08 04/29/09 06/01/09 08/07/09 09/23/09 10/28/09 01/27/10 04/28/10 N:$36 N:$32 N:$23 N:$21 N:$26 N:$22 N:$21 U:$21 N:$23 N:$26 N:$28 40 32 24 16 8 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q1 Q2 2009 2010 2011 06/15/10 08/18/10 11/02/10 01/19/11 02/02/11 05/03/11 N:$23 N:$24 N:$30 O:$37 O:$38 O:$40 Created by BlueMatrix 10 Robert W. Baird & Co.
  • 11. Facility Services June 3, 2011 Rating and Price Target History for: UniFirst Corporation (UNF) as of 06-02-2011 07/03/08 10/30/08 06/01/09 06/02/09 07/02/09 09/23/09 10/29/09 01/07/10 04/01/10 07/01/10 10/20/10 N:$53 O:$38 N:$37 N:$36 N:$39 U:$42 U:$43 O:$59 O:$60 O:$51 O:$54 60 50 40 30 20 10 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q1 Q2 2009 2010 2011 01/05/11 01/19/11 03/30/11 O:$57 N:$58 N:$60 Created by BlueMatrix 1 Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated makes a market in the securities of CTAS, GKSR and UNF . Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated and/or its affiliates expect to receive or intend to seek investment banking related compensation from the company or companies mentioned in this report within the next three months. Investment Ratings: Outperform (O) - Expected to outperform on a total return, risk-adjusted basis the broader U.S. equity market over the next 12 months. Neutral (N) - Expected to perform in line with the broader U.S. equity market over the next 12 months. Underperform (U) - Expected to underperform on a total return, risk-adjusted basis the broader U.S. equity market over the next 12 months. Risk Ratings: L - Lower Risk - Higher-quality companies for investors seeking capital appreciation or income with an emphasis on safety. Company characteristics may include: stable earnings, conservative balance sheets, and an established history of revenue and earnings. A - Average Risk - Growth situations for investors seeking capital appreciation with an emphasis on safety. Company characteristics may include: moderate volatility, modest balance-sheet leverage, and stable patterns of revenue and earnings. H - Higher Risk - Higher-growth situations appropriate for investors seeking capital appreciation with the acceptance of risk. Company characteristics may include: higher balance-sheet leverage, dynamic business environments, and higher levels of earnings and price volatility. S - Speculative Risk - High-growth situations appropriate only for investors willing to accept a high degree of volatility and risk. Company characteristics may include: unpredictable earnings, small capitalization, aggressive growth strategies, rapidly changing market dynamics, high leverage, extreme price volatility and unknown competitive challenges. Valuation, Ratings and Risks. The recommendation and price target contained within this report are based on a time horizon of 12 months but there is no guarantee the objective will be achieved within the specified time horizon. Price targets are determined by a subjective review of fundamental and/or quantitative factors of the issuer, its industry, and the security type. A variety of methods may be used to determine the value of a security including, but not limited to, discounted cash flow, earnings multiples, peer group comparisons, and sum of the parts. Overall market risk, interest rate risk, and general economic risks impact all securities. Specific information regarding the price target and recommendation is provided in the text of our most recent research report. Distribution of Investment Ratings. As of May 31, 2011, Baird U.S. Equity Research covered 657 companies, with 52% rated Outperform/Buy, 47% rated Neutral/Hold and 1% rated Underperform/Sell. Within these rating categories, 12% of Outperform/Buy-rated, and 6% of Neutral/Hold-rated companies have compensated Baird for investment banking services in the past 12 months and/or Baird managed or co-managed a public offering of securities for these companies in the past 12 months. Analyst Compensation. Analyst compensation is based on: 1) The correlation between the analyst's recommendations and stock price performance; 2) Ratings and direct feedback from our investing clients, our sales force and from independent rating services; and 3) The analyst's productivity, including the quality of the analyst's research and the analyst's contribution to the growth and development of our overall research effort. This compensation criteria and actual compensation is reviewed and approved on an annual basis by Baird's Research Oversight Committee. Analyst compensation is derived from all revenue sources of the firm, including revenues from investment banking. Baird does not compensate research analysts based on specific investment banking transactions.A complete listing of all companies covered by Baird U.S. Equity Research and applicable research disclosures can be accessed at http://www.rwbaird.com/research-insights/research/coverage/research-disclosure.aspx . 11 Robert W. Baird & Co.
  • 12. Facility Services June 3, 2011 You can also call 1-800-792-2473 or write: Robert W. Baird & Co., Equity Research, 24th Floor, 777 E. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53202. Analyst Certification. The senior research analyst(s) certifies that the views expressed in this research report and/or financial model accurately reflect such senior analyst's personal views about the subject securities or issuers and that no part of his or her compensation was, is, or will be directly or indirectly related to the specific recommendations or views contained in the research report. Disclaimers Baird prohibits analysts from owning stock in companies they cover. This is not a complete analysis of every material fact regarding any company, industry or security. The opinions expressed here reflect our judgment at this date and are subject to change. The information has been obtained from sources we consider to be reliable, but we cannot guarantee the accuracy. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON COMPANIES MENTIONED HEREIN IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, S&P 400 and Russell 2000 are unmanaged common stock indices used to measure and report performance of various sectors of the stock market; direct investment in indices is not available. Baird is exempt from the requirement to hold an Australian financial services license. Baird is regulated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, FINRA, and various other self-regulatory organizations and those laws and regulations may differ from Australian laws. This report has been prepared in accordance with the laws and regulations governing United States broker-dealers and not Australian laws. Copyright 2011 Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated Other Disclosures UK disclosure requirements for the purpose of distributing this research into the UK and other countries for which Robert W. Baird Limited holds an ISD passport. This report is for distribution into the United Kingdom only to persons who fall within Article 19 or Article 49(2) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (financial promotion) order 2001 being persons who are investment professionals and may not be distributed to private clients. Issued in the United Kingdom by Robert W. Baird Limited, which has offices at Mint House 77 Mansell Street, London, E1 8AF and is a company authorized and , regulated by the Financial Services Authority. For the purposes of the Financial Services Authority requirements, this investment research report is classified as objective. Robert W. Baird Limited ("RWBL") is exempt from the requirement to hold an Australian financial services license. RWBL is regulated by the Financial Services Authority ("FSA") under UK laws and those laws may differ from Australian laws. This document has been prepared in accordance with FSA requirements and not Australian laws. Ask the analyst a question Click here to unsubscribe 12 Robert W. Baird & Co.