Farmer inducted into Miami University Academy of Entrepreneurs

Richard T. Farmer was honored for a lifetime of entrepreneurial achievement at a special ceremony April 16. The founder and current chairman of Cintas Corp. was inducted into the Miami University Academy of Entrepreneurs at the Thomas C. Page Center for Entrepreneurial Studies.

Induction into the Academy is reserved for nationally and internationally renowned entrepreneurs who also support entrepreneurship education at Miami University.

Addressing the honoree, Farmer School of Business Dean Roger L. Jenkins said, “Your career, your entrepreneurial journey, and those you’ve reached down and lifted up during this journey, is a wonderful business legacy you leave to ... all the Cintas family. As a Miami alum you surely make us very proud.”

In his acceptance speech, Farmer recalled the days when he first realized the value of hard work and perseverance. He encouraged the 100-plus students in attendance to find their passion, clearly articulate and then pursue a vision, and trust their intuition. According to Farmer, “Entrepreneurship is as much a mindset as a skill set.”

Farmer earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Miami University in 1956. After serving in the United States Marine Corps he worked with his father and grandfather in a family business until 1968, when he launched the Cintas Corporation. Farmer continues to serve as Cintas’ Chairman of the Board.

Cintas provides highly specialized services to 700,000 businesses of all types throughout North America. To date, the company has achieved 37 consecutive years of growth in sales and earnings. Fortune magazine listed Cintas among America’s “Most Admired” companies in 2006, marking the sixth consecutive year the company appeared on the prestigious list.

Farmer’s honors include being named “CEO of the Year” twice by Financial World magazine and “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Ernst & Young. Farmer has received honorary doctoral degrees from Miami, where he served as chairman of the Board of Trustees, and from Xavier University.

Richard and Joyce Farmer, a “Miami Merger,” have generously supported their alma mater, including making the lead gift for the new Farmer School of Business building scheduled to open in 2009. Through their family foundation, the Farmers have contributed to causes ranging from international humanitarian relief to recognition of the legacy of American veterans.

Present for the award ceremony were previous Academy inductees John Altman, Dave Herche, Rick Forsythe, Tom Petters and Gerard Lopez.

“To have in the same room this evening these entrepreneurial giants is an honor for all of us,” Jenkins said.

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