10:33 AM EST, 12/22/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Cintas ( CTAS ) said Monday that it remains interested in acquiring smaller uniform rental company UniFirst ( UNF ) , in a potential all-cash deal worth roughly $5.2 billion.

Cintas ( CTAS ) said it submitted a bid with the UniFirst ( UNF ) board on Dec. 12 to purchase the Wilmington, Mass.-based company for $275 per share, reiterating the per-share valuation it proposed in January.

The offer reflects a 64% premium to UniFirst's ( UNF ) 90-day average price as of Dec. 11, according to Cintas ( CTAS ).

UniFirst's ( UNF ) stock climbed 14% in Monday trade, while Cintas ( CTAS ) edged up 0.6%.

Cintas ( CTAS ) said UniFirst ( UNF ) acknowledged its latest proposal last week, but hasn't substantially engaged since then. Cintas ( CTAS ) first expressed its interest to acquire UniFirst ( UNF ) in February 2022 for $255 per share.

"We remain unwavering in our conviction that combining Cintas ( CTAS ) and UniFirst ( UNF ) would deliver considerable benefits for customers, employee-partners and shareholders," Cintas ( CTAS ) Chief Executive Todd Schneider said in the Monday statement. "Accordingly, we have reiterated our compelling $275 per share all-cash offer to the UniFirst ( UNF ) board and are reaffirming our commitment to move swiftly to complete a transaction."

Cintas ( CTAS ) expressed confidence that a deal would clear regulatory hurdles, and offered a $350 million termination fee payable to UniFirst ( UNF ) if the deal is not approved.

Schneider called on UniFirst's ( UNF ) board to "immediately" engage with Cintas ( CTAS ) on a potential deal that could drive new growth opportunities.

"Recent market commentary confirms that many UniFirst ( UNF ) shareholders, including several of the company's largest institutional investors, recognize the value that a combination would deliver and share our belief that we are stronger together than we are apart," Schneider said.

UniFirst ( UNF ) did not reply to a request for comment from MT Newswires.

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