UNIFIRST CORP - Annual Report: 2009 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

Commission file number 0-8504

UNIFIRST CORPORATION

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

68 Jonspin Road

Wilmington, Massachusetts 01887

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (978) 658-8888

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Yes ___     No þ 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

Yes ___     No þ 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes þ   No ___  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).      

Yes     No        

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.         

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “accelerated filer” and “large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act (Check one):

Large accelerated filer          Accelerated filer þ Smaller Reporting Company         Non-accelerated filer        

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

Yes ___     No þ 

The number of outstanding shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock and Class B Common Stock at November 6, 2009 were 14,445,629 and 4,931,369, respectively. The aggregate market value of the voting stock of the Registrant held by non-affiliates as of February 27, 2009 (the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter), computed by reference to the closing sale price of such shares on such date, was approximately $339,518,256.

Documents Incorporated By Reference

The Registrant intends to file a Definitive Proxy Statement pursuant to Regulation 14A promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, for its 2010 Annual Meeting of Shareholders within 120 days of the end of the fiscal year ended August 29, 2009. Portions of such Proxy Statement are incorporated by reference in Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

UniFirst Corporation

Annual Report on Form 10-K

For the Fiscal Year Ended August 29, 2009

PART I

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Our actual results could differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Certain factors that might cause such a difference are discussed in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” “Safe Harbor for Forward Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

GENERAL

UniFirst Corporation, a corporation organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1950, together with its subsidiaries, hereunder referred to as “we”, “our”, the “Company”, or “UniFirst”, is one of the largest providers of workplace uniforms and protective work wear clothing in the United States. We design, manufacture, personalize, rent, clean, deliver, and sell a wide range of uniforms and protective clothing, including shirts, pants, jackets, coveralls, lab coats, smocks, aprons and specialized protective wear, such as flame resistant and high visibility garments. We also rent industrial wiping products, floor mats, facility service products, restroom supplies, and other non-garment items, and provide first aid cabinet services and other safety supplies, to a variety of manufacturers, retailers and service companies. We serve businesses of all sizes in numerous industry categories. At certain specialized facilities, we also decontaminate and clean work clothes that may have been exposed to radioactive materials and service special cleanroom protective wear.

Our principal services include providing customers with uniforms and other non-garment items, picking up soiled uniforms or other items on a periodic basis (usually weekly), and delivering, at the same time, cleaned and processed items. We offer uniforms in a wide variety of styles, colors, sizes and fabrics and with personalized emblems selected by the customer. Our centralized services, specialized equipment and economies of scale generally allow us to be more cost effective in providing garment services than customers could be themselves, particularly those customers with high employee turnover rates. During fiscal 2009, we manufactured approximately 65% of the garments we placed in service. Because we design and manufacture a majority of our own uniforms and protective clothes, we can produce custom garment programs for our larger customers, offer a diverse range of such designs within our standard line of garments and better control the quality, price and speed at which we produce such garments. In addition, among our competitors, we believe we have the largest in-house digital image processing capability, allowing us to convert an image provided by a customer into customized, mass producible embroidered emblems, typically within two days.

We have six operating segments: US Rental and Cleaning, Canadian Rental and Cleaning, Manufacturing (“MFG”), Specialty Garments Rental and Cleaning (“Specialty Garments”), First Aid and Corporate. The US Rental and Cleaning and Canadian Rental and Cleaning operating segments have been combined to form the US and Canadian Rental and Cleaning reporting segment. The US and Canadian Rental and Cleaning reporting segment purchases, rents, cleans, delivers and sells, uniforms and protective clothing and non-garment items in the United States and Canada. The Corporate operating segment consists of costs associated with our distribution center, sales and marketing, information systems, engineering, materials management, manufacturing planning, finance, budgeting, human resources, other general and administrative costs and interest expense. The revenues generated from the Corporate operating segment represent certain direct sales we made directly from our distribution center. The products sold by this operating segment are the same products rented and sold by the US and Canadian Rental and Cleaning reporting segments. The MFG operating segment designs and manufactures uniforms and non-garment items solely for the purpose of providing these goods to the US and Canadian Rental and Cleaning reporting segment. The Specialty Garments operating segment purchases, rents, cleans, delivers and sells, specialty garments and non-garment items primarily for nuclear and cleanroom applications. The First Aid operating segment sells first aid cabinet services and other safety supplies.

In fiscal 2009, we generated $1.013 billion in revenue, of which approximately 90% was derived from the US and Canadian Rental and Cleaning and Corporate segments. Specialty Garments and First Aid accounted for approximately 7% and 3% of our 2009 revenues, respectively.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

We provide our customers with personalized workplace uniforms and protective work clothing in a broad range of styles, colors, sizes and fabrics. Our uniform products include shirts, pants, jackets, coveralls, lab coats, smocks, aprons and specialized protective wear, such as flame resistant and high visibility garments. At certain specialized facilities, we also decontaminate and clean clothes which may have been exposed to radioactive materials and service special cleanroom protective wear. We also offer non-garment items and services, such as industrial wiping products, floor mats, dry and wet mops, restroom supplies and other textile products.

We offer our customers a range of garment service options, including full-service rental programs in which garments are cleaned and serviced by us, lease programs in which garments are cleaned and maintained by individual employees and purchase programs to buy garments and related items directly. As part of our rental business, we pick up a customer’s soiled uniforms and/or other items on a periodic basis (usually weekly) and deliver back cleaned and processed replacement items. We believe our centralized services, specialized equipment and economies of scale generally allow us to be more cost effective in providing garment and related services than customers would be by themselves, particularly those customers with high employee turnover rates. Our uniform program is intended not only to help our customers foster greater company identity, but to enhance their corporate image and improve employee safety, productivity and morale. We primarily serve our customers pursuant to written service contracts that range in duration from three to five years.

CUSTOMERS

We serve businesses of all sizes in numerous industry categories. During each of the past five years, no single uniform rental customer accounted for more than 1% of our revenues. Our typical customers include automobile service centers and dealers, delivery services, food and general merchandise retailers, food processors and service operations, light manufacturers, maintenance facilities, restaurants, service companies, soft and durable goods wholesalers, transportation companies, and others who require employee clothing for image, identification, protection or utility purposes. Among our largest customers of our conventional uniform rental business are divisions, units, regional operations or franchised agencies of major, nationally recognized organizations. With respect to our Specialty Garment segment, typical customers include government agencies, research and development laboratories, high technology companies and utilities operating nuclear reactors. We currently service over 200,000 customer locations in the United States, Canada and Europe from approximately 200 customer service, distribution and manufacturing facilities.

MARKETING, SALES, AND CUSTOMER SERVICE

We market our products and services to a diverse customer base and to prospects that range across virtually all industry segments. Marketing contact is made through print advertising, direct mail, publicity, trade shows, catalogs, telemarketing, multiple web sites and direct field sales representation. We have built and maintain an extensive, proprietary database of prescreened and qualified business prospects that have been sourced from our various promotional initiatives, including mailers, web site contacts, advertising responses, sales calls and lists purchased from third-party providers. These prospect records serve as a primary targeting resource for our professional sales organization and are constantly updated, expanded and maintained by an in-house team of specialist database qualifiers and managers. To aid in the effective marketing of products and services, we supply sales representatives with an extensive selection of sales aids, brochures, presentation materials and vertical market communications tools. We also provide representatives with detailed on-line profiles of high opportunity markets to educate them to the typical issues, needs and concerns of those markets. This helps establish credibility and aids their ability to deliver value-based solutions.

We employ a large team of trained professional sales representatives whose sole function is to market our services to potential customers and develop new accounts. While most of our sales representatives are capable of presenting a full range of service solutions, some are dedicated to developing business for a limited range of products and services or have a specific market focus.

For example, in select geographic markets we employ teams of dedicated facility services sales representatives who focus exclusively on developing business for our floor care, restroom and related service programs. We employ specialist executive-level salespeople in our National Account Organization—some who specialize in rental programs and some who specialize in direct sale programs—to target the very largest national companies with known uniform and/or facility services program needs. We believe that effective customer service is the most important element in developing and maintaining our market position. Our commitment to service excellence is reflected throughout our organization. Our route sales representatives are the first line of continuing customer contact, but they are supported by local customer service representatives, local service management staff and local operations management leaders, all of whom are focused on addressing the ongoing needs of customers, constantly delivering high-value service and pursuing total customer satisfaction. Our proprietary CRM information system enables us to respond to customer inquiries or issues within 24 hours and our service personnel are specially trained to handle the daily contact work necessary to effectively manage customer relations.

We measure the speed and accuracy of our customer service efforts on a weekly basis and, through our ‘‘Customers for Life’’ program, we continuously survey, record and report satisfaction levels as a means of auditing current performance and highlighting areas for improvement.

COMPETITION

The uniform rental and sales industry is highly competitive. The principal methods of competition in the industry are the quality of products, the quality of service and price. We believe that the top four companies in the uniform rental segment of the industry, including UniFirst, currently generate over 40% of the industry’s volume. Our leading competitors include Cintas Corporation, Aramark Corporation and G&K Services, Inc. The remainder of the market, however, is divided among more than 400 smaller businesses, many of which serve one or a limited number of markets or geographic service areas. In addition to our traditional rental competitors, we may increasingly compete in the future with businesses that focus on selling uniforms and other related items. We also compete with industry competitors for acquisitions.

MANUFACTURING AND SOURCING

We manufactured approximately 65% of all garments which we placed in service during fiscal 2009. These were primarily work pants and shirts manufactured at our plants in Cardenas, Ebano and Valles, which are located in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. The balance of the garments used in our programs are purchased from a variety of industry suppliers. While we currently acquire the raw materials with which we produce our garments from a limited number of suppliers, we believe that such materials are readily available from other sources. To date, we have experienced no significant difficulty in obtaining any of our raw materials or supplies. Currently, we also manufacture approximately 73% of the mats we place in service at our plant in Cave City, Arkansas.

EMPLOYEES

At August 29, 2009, we employed approximately 9,700 persons. Approximately 2% of our United States employees are represented by a union pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement. We consider our employee relations to be good.

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Our executive officers are as follows:

The principal occupation and positions for the past five years of our executive officers named above are as follows:

Ronald D. Croatti joined our Company in 1965. Mr. Croatti became Director of our Company in 1982, Vice Chairman of the Board in 1986 and has served as Chief Executive Officer since 1991. He has also served as President since 1995 and Chairman of the Board since 2002. Mr. Croatti has overall responsibility for the management of our Company.

Steven S. Sintros joined our Company in 2004. Mr. Sintros served as a Finance Manager in 2004 and Corporate Controller from 2005 until January 2009. Mr. Sintros has served as our Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since January 2009 and has primary responsibility for overseeing the financial functions of our Company, as well as its information systems department.

Cynthia Croatti joined our Company in 1980. Ms. Croatti has served as Director since 1995, Treasurer since 1982 and Executive Vice President since 2001. In addition, she has primary responsibility for overseeing the human resources and purchasing functions of our Company.

Bruce P. Boynton joined our Company in 1976. Mr. Boynton has served as Senior Vice President, Operations since January 2001, is the chief operating officer for our Company’s Canadian operations and has primary responsibility for overseeing the operations of certain regions in the United States. From 1986 through 2000, Mr. Boynton served as Vice President, Operations.

David A. DiFillippo joined our Company in 1979. Mr. DiFillippo has served as Senior Vice President, Operations since 2002 and has primary responsibility for overseeing the operations of certain regions in the United States. Since 2000, Mr. DiFillippo has served as Vice President, Central Rental Group and, prior to 2000, he served as a Regional General Manager.

David M. Katz joined our Company as Vice President, Sales and Marketing in January 2009. Mr. Katz has primary responsibility for overseeing the sales and marketing functions of our Company. Prior to joining our Company, Mr. Katz worked for DHL Express where he served as the Northeast Vice President of Field Sales, from 2003 to 2007, the Northeast Vice President of National Account Sales from 2007 to 2008 and the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Northeast from 2008 until January 2009.

Ronald D. Croatti and Cynthia Croatti are siblings. Anthony F. DiFillippo, a member of our Board of Directors, is Cynthia Croatti’s uncle and father of David A. DiFillippo.

ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS

We, like our competitors, are subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations governing, among other things, the generation, handling, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes and other substances. In particular, industrial laundries currently use and must dispose of detergent waste water and other residues, and, in the past, used perchloroethylene and other dry cleaning solvents. We are attentive to the environmental concerns surrounding the disposal of these materials and have through the years taken measures to avoid their improper disposal. Over the years, we have settled, or contributed to the settlement of, actions or claims brought against us relating to the disposal of hazardous materials and there can be no assurance that we will not have to expend material amounts to remediate the consequences of any such disposal in the future. Further, under environmental laws, an owner or lessee of real estate may be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of certain hazardous or toxic substances located on or in or emanating from such property, as well as related costs of investigation and property damage. Such laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or lessee knew of or was responsible for the presence of such hazardous or toxic substances. There can be no assurance that acquired or leased locations have been operated in compliance with environmental laws and regulations or that future uses or conditions will not result in the imposition of liability upon us under such laws or expose us to third-party actions such as tort suits. We continue to address environmental conditions under terms of consent orders negotiated with the applicable environmental authorities or otherwise with respect to sites located in, or related to, Woburn, Massachusetts, Somerville, Massachusetts, Springfield, Massachusetts, Uvalde, Texas, Stockton, California, Williamstown, Vermont, as well as a number of additional locations that we acquired as part of our acquisition of Textilease Corporation in September 2003. For additional discussion refer to “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the risk factor set forth on page 6 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Our nuclear garment decontamination facilities are licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or in certain cases, by the applicable state agency, and are subject to regulation by federal, state and local authorities. In the past, scrutiny and regulation of nuclear facilities and related services have resulted in the suspension of operations at certain nuclear facilities served by us or disruptions in our ability to service such facilities. There can be no assurance that such scrutiny and regulation will not lead to the shut-down of such facilities or otherwise cause material disruptions in our garment decontamination business.

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

We make available free of charge our Proxy Statement, Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, including exhibits and any amendments to those reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission. These reports are available on our website at www.unifirst.com. In addition, you may request a copy of our filings, excluding exhibits, by contacting our Investor Relations group at (978) 658-8888 or at UniFirst Corporation, 68 Jonspin Road, Wilmington, MA 01887. Information included on our website is not deemed to be incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K or the documents incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The statements in this section, as well as statements described elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, or in other SEC filings, describe risks that could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and the trading price of our securities. These risks are not the only risks that we face. Our business, financial condition and results of operations could also be materially affected by additional factors that are not presently known to us or that we currently consider to be immaterial to our operations.

SAFE HARBOR FOR FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K and any documents incorporated by reference may contain forward looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and any documents incorporated by reference are subject to the safe harbor created by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward looking statements may be identified by words such as “estimates,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “plans,” “expects,” “intends,” “believes,” “seeks,” “could,” “should,” “may,” “will,” or the negative versions thereof, and similar expressions and by the context in which they are used. Such forward looking statements are based upon our current expectations and speak only as of the date made. Such statements are highly dependent upon a variety of risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such forward looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, uncertainties regarding our ability to consummate and successfully integrate acquired businesses, uncertainties regarding any existing or newly-discovered expenses and liabilities related to environmental compliance and remediation, our ability to compete successfully without any significant degradation in our margin rates, seasonal and quarterly fluctuations in business levels, our ability to preserve positive labor relationships and avoid becoming the target of corporate labor unionization campaigns that could disrupt our business, the effect of currency fluctuations on our results of operations and financial condition, our dependence on third parties to supply us with raw materials, any loss of key management or other personnel, increased costs as a result of any future changes in federal or state laws, rules and regulations or governmental interpretation of such laws, rules and regulations, uncertainties regarding the price levels of natural gas, electricity, fuel and labor, the impact of adverse economic conditions and the current tight credit markets on our customers and such customers’ workforce, the level and duration of workforce reductions by our customers, the continuing increase in domestic healthcare costs, demand and prices for our products and services, additional professional and internal costs necessary for compliance with recent and proposed future changes in Securities and Exchange Commission (including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002), New York Stock Exchange and accounting rules, strikes and unemployment levels, our efforts to evaluate and potentially reduce internal costs, economic and other developments associated with the war on terrorism and its impact on the economy and general economic conditions. We undertake no obligation to update any forward looking statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date on which they are made.

RISKS RELATING TO OUR BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY

We face intense competition within our industry, which may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

The uniform rental and sales industry is highly competitive. The principal methods of competition in the industry are quality of products, quality of service and price. We believe that the top four companies in the uniform rental segment of the industry, including us, currently generate over 40% of the industry’s volume. Our leading competitors include Aramark Corporation, Cintas Corporation and G&K Services, Inc. The remainder of the market, however, is divided among more than 400 smaller businesses, many of which serve one or a limited number of markets or geographic service areas. In addition to our traditional rental competitors, we may increasingly compete in the future with businesses that focus on selling uniforms and other related items. Increased competition may result in price reductions, reduced gross margins and loss of market share, any of which could have a material effect on our results of operations and financial condition. We also compete with industry competitors for acquisitions, which has the effect of increasing the price for acquisitions and reducing the number of acquisition candidates available to us. If we pay higher prices for businesses we acquire, our returns on investment and profitability may be reduced.

Adverse economic and business conditions continue to affect our customer base and may continue to negatively impact our sales and operating results.

We supply uniform services to many industries that have been subject to one or more of shifting employment levels, changes in worker productivity, uncertainty regarding the impacts of rehiring and a shift to offshore manufacturing. In addition, most of our customers have been adversely affected by the current economic recession and may have reduced worker headcounts as a consequence. The economic hardships among our customer base have also caused, and may continue to cause, some of our customers to restrict expenditures or even cease to conduct business. Lost accounts have increased, and may continue to increase, as we continue to see a larger number of accounts going out of business or in financial distress. All of these factors have, and are likely in the future to continue to have, the effect of reducing the number of employees utilizing our uniform services, which adversely affects our sales and results of operations. The current worldwide economic weakness may negatively impact our revenues and operating performance into fiscal 2010 due to the impact on spending plans and employment levels of our customers and sales prospects.

The expenses we incur to comply with environmental regulations, including costs associated with potential environmental remediation, may prove to be significant and could have a material adverse affect on our results of operations and financial condition.

We, like our competitors, are subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations governing, among other things, the generation, handling, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes and other substances. In particular, industrial laundries currently use and must dispose of detergent waste water and other residues, and, in the past, used perchloroethylene and other dry cleaning solvents. Over the years, we have settled, or contributed to the settlement of, actions or claims brought against us relating to the disposal of hazardous materials and there can be no assurance that we will not have to expend material amounts to remediate the consequences of any such disposal in the future. Further, under environmental laws, an owner or lessee of real estate may be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of certain hazardous or toxic substances located on or in or emanating from such property, as well as related costs of investigation and property damage. Such laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or lessee knew of or was responsible for the presence of such hazardous or toxic substances. There can be no assurance that acquired or leased locations have been operated in compliance with environmental laws and regulations or that future uses or conditions will not result in the imposition of liability upon us under such laws or expose us to third-party actions such as tort suits.

We continue to address environmental conditions under terms of consent orders negotiated with the applicable environmental authorities or otherwise with respect to sites located in or related to Woburn, Massachusetts, Somerville, Massachusetts, Springfield, Massachusetts, Uvalde, Texas, Stockton, California, three sites in Williamstown, Vermont, as well as a number of additional locations that we acquired as part of our acquisition of Textilease Corporation in September 2003.

We have accrued certain costs related to the sites described above as it has been determined that the costs are probable and can be reasonably estimated. We continue to implement mitigation measures and to monitor environmental conditions at the Somerville, Massachusetts site. We also have potential exposure related to an additional parcel of land (the “Central Area”) related to the Woburn, Massachusetts site discussed above. Currently, the consent decree for the Woburn site does not define or require any remediation work in the Central Area. Recently, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”) commented on the design and implementation of groundwater and soil remedies at the Woburn site and investigation of environmental conditions in the Central Area. We and other parties to the consent decree have met with the EPA to discuss its comments. We have agreed to complete additional environmental investigations and reports, and to discuss further with the EPA its comments. We have accrued costs to perform certain work responsive to the EPA’s comments.

On a quarterly basis, we assess each of our environmental sites to determine whether the costs of investigation and remediation of environmental conditions are probable and can be reasonably estimated as well as the adequacy of our accruals with respect to such costs. There can be no assurance that our accruals with respect to our environmental sites will be sufficient or that the costs of remediation and investigation will not substantially exceed our accruals as new facts, circumstances or estimates arise.

Our nuclear garment decontamination facilities are licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or in certain cases, by the applicable state agency, and are subject to regulation by federal, state and local authorities. In the past, scrutiny and regulation of nuclear facilities and related services have resulted in the suspension of operations at certain nuclear facilities served by us or disruptions in our ability to service such facilities. There can be no assurance that such scrutiny and regulation will not lead to the shut-down of such facilities or otherwise cause material disruptions in our garment decontamination business.

Recent economic trends could adversely affect our financial performance

Economic downturns and declines in consumption in our markets may affect the levels of both our sales and profitability.  The domestic and global economies and financial and credit markets continue to experience declines or slow growth and there continues to be diminished liquidity and credit availability.  We believe these conditions have not materially impacted our financial position as of August 29, 2009 or our liquidity for the year ended August 29, 2009.  However, we could be negatively impacted if these conditions continue for a sustained period of time, or if there is further deterioration in financial markets and major economies.  The current tightening of credit in financial markets may adversely affect the ability of our customers and suppliers to obtain financing, which could result in a decrease in, or cancellation of, our services.  In addition, weakening economic conditions and outlook may result in a further decline in the level of our customers’ spending that could adversely affect our results of operations and liquidity.  We are unable to predict the likely duration and severity of the current disruption in the domestic and global financial markets and the related adverse economic conditions.

Our failure to implement successfully our acquisition strategy and to grow our business could adversely affect our ability to increase our revenues and could negatively impact our profitability.

As part of our growth strategy, we intend to continue to actively pursue additional acquisition opportunities. However, as discussed above, we compete with others within our industry for suitable acquisition candidates. This competition may increase the price for acquisitions and reduce the number of acquisition candidates available to us. Moreover, the current economic recession has resulted in, and may continue to result in, the sale of fewer target businesses at prices consistent with the current declining market. As a result, acquisition candidates may not be available to us in the future on favorable terms. Even if we are able to acquire businesses on favorable terms, managing growth through acquisition is a difficult process that includes integration and training of personnel, combining plant and operating procedures and additional matters related to the integration of acquired businesses within our existing organization. Unanticipated issues related to integration may result in additional expense or in disruption to our operations, either of which could negatively impact our ability to achieve anticipated benefits. While we believe we will be able to fully integrate acquired businesses, we can give no assurance that we will be successful in this regard.

Growth of our business will likely require us to increase our work force, the scope of our operating and financial systems and the geographic area of our operations. We believe this growth will increase our operating complexity and the level of responsibility for both existing and new management personnel. Managing and sustaining our growth and expansion may require substantial enhancements to our operational and financial systems and controls, as well as additional administrative, operational and financial resources. There can be no assurance that we will be able to manage our expanding operations successfully or that we will be able to maintain or accelerate our growth, and any failure to do so could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

In order to finance such acquisitions, we may need to obtain additional funds either through public or private financings, including bank and other secured and unsecured borrowings and the issuance of debt or equity securities. There can be no assurance that such financings would be available to us on reasonable terms or that any future issuances of securities in connection with acquisitions will not be dilutive to our shareholders.

If we are unable to preserve positive labor relationships or become the target of corporate labor unionization campaigns, the resulting labor unrest could disrupt our business by impairing our ability to produce and deliver our products.

We employ approximately 9,700 persons. Approximately 2% of our United States employees are represented by a union pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement. Competitors within our industry have been the target of corporate unionization campaigns by multiple labor unions. While our management believes that our employee relations are good, we cannot assure you that we will not experience pressure from labor unions or become the target of campaigns similar to those faced by our competitors. The potential for unionization could increase if the United States Congress passes federal “card check” legislation. If we do encounter pressure from labor unions, any resulting labor unrest could disrupt our business by impairing our ability to produce and deliver our products. In addition, significant union representation would require us to negotiate wages, salaries, benefits and other terms with many of our employees collectively and could adversely affect our results of operations by increasing our labor costs or otherwise restricting our ability to maximize the efficiency of our operations.

Our business may be adversely affected by global, national, regional or industry specific economic slowdowns.

Global, national, regional or industry specific economic slowdowns, as well as events or conditions in a particular area, such as adverse weather and other factors, may adversely affect our operating results. In addition, increases in interest rates that may lead to a decline in economic activity, while simultaneously resulting in higher interest expense to us under our credit facility and floating rate notes, may adversely affect our operating results.

Our failure to retain our current customers and renew our existing customer contracts could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Our success depends on our ability to retain our current customers and renew our existing customer contracts. Our ability to do so generally depends on a variety of factors, including the quality, price and responsiveness of our services, as well as our ability to market these services effectively and to differentiate ourselves from our competitors. In addition, renewal rates are generally adversely affected by the difficult economic and business conditions. We cannot assure you that we will be able to renew existing customer contracts at the same or higher rates or that our current customers will not turn to competitors, cease operations, elect to self-operate or terminate contracts with us. The failure to renew a significant number of our existing contracts would have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Increases in fuel and energy costs could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

The price of fuel and energy needed to run our vehicles and equipment is unpredictable and fluctuates based on events outside our control, including geopolitical developments, supply and demand for oil and gas, actions by OPEC and other oil and gas producers, war and unrest in oil producing countries, regional production patterns, limits on refining capacities, natural disasters and environmental concerns. Any increase in fuel and energy costs could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Quarterly fluctuations in our nuclear specialty garment business could disproportionately impact our revenue and net income and create volatility in the price of our Common Stock.

Our nuclear decontamination business is affected by shut-downs, outages and clean-ups of the nuclear facilities we service. We are not able to control or predict with certainty when such shut-downs, outages and clean-ups will occur. Our nuclear decontamination business tends to generate more revenue in the first and third fiscal quarters, which is when nuclear power plants typically schedule their plant outages and refuelings and thereby increase nuclear garment utilization. Quarterly fluctuations in our nuclear decontamination business could have a disproportionate impact on revenue and net income and create volatility in the price of our Common Stock.

Our international business results are influenced by currency fluctuations and other risks that could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

A portion of our sales is derived from international markets. Revenue denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar represented approximately 8% of total consolidated revenues for fiscal 2009, 9% for fiscal 2008 and 8% for fiscal 2007. The operating results of our international subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars and such results are affected by movements in foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar. Our international operations are also subject to other risks, including the requirement to comply with changing and conflicting national and local regulatory requirements, potential difficulties in staffing and labor disputes, managing and obtaining support and distribution for local operations, credit risk or financial condition of local customers, potential imposition of restrictions on investments, potentially adverse tax consequences, including imposition or increase of withholding and other taxes on remittances and other payments by subsidiaries; foreign exchange controls, and local political and social conditions. There can be no assurance that the foregoing factors will not have an adverse effect on our international operations or on our consolidated financial condition and results of operations.

We own and operate manufacturing facilities in Mexico. Operations in developing nations present several additional risks, including greater fluctuation in currencies relative to the U.S. dollar, economic and governmental instability, civil disturbances, volatility in gross domestic production, Foreign Corrupt Practice Act compliance issues and nationalization and expropriation of private assets.

Continuation of current adverse global financial and economic conditions may result in impairment of our goodwill and intangibles.

Our market capitalization over the past year has experienced significant volatility due in part to adverse economic conditions and disruption in the global equity and credit markets. For short periods during fiscal 2009, our market capitalization was below our net book value. Under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, we may be required to record an impairment charge if changes in circumstances or events indicate that the carrying values of our goodwill and intangible assets exceed their fair value and are not recoverable. Any significant and other than temporary decrease in our market capitalization could be an indicator, when considered together with other factors, that the carrying values of our goodwill and intangible assets exceed their fair value, which may result in our recording an impairment charge. In this time of economic uncertainty, we are unable to predict economic trends, but we continue to monitor the impact of changes in economic and financial conditions on our operations and on the carrying value of our goodwill and intangible assets. Should the value of one or more of our acquired intangibles become impaired, our consolidated earnings and net worth may be materially adversely affected.

Failure to comply with the other state and federal regulations to which we are subject may result in penalties or costs that could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our business is subject to various other state and federal regulations, including employment laws and regulations, minimum wage requirements, overtime requirements, working condition requirements, citizenship requirements and other laws and regulations. Any appreciable increase in the statutory minimum wage rate, income or overtime pay, adoption of mandated health benefits, or changes to immigration laws and citizenship requirements would likely result in an increase in our labor costs and/or contribute to a shortage of available labor and such cost increase or labor shortage, or the penalties for failing to comply with such statutory minimums or regulations, could have an adverse effect on our business, liquidity and results of operations.

Our business may be subject to seasonal and quarterly fluctuations.

Historically, our revenues and operating results have varied from quarter to quarter and are expected to continue to fluctuate in the future. In addition, our operating results historically have been seasonally lower during the second and fourth fiscal quarters than during the other quarters of the fiscal year. We incur various costs in integrating or establishing newly acquired businesses or start-up operations, and the profitability of a new location is generally expected to be lower in the initial period of its operation than in subsequent periods. Start-up operations in particular lack the support of an existing customer base and require a significantly longer period to develop sales opportunities and meet targeted operating results.

These factors, among others, make it likely that in some future quarters our results of operations may be below the expectations of securities analysts and investors, which could have an adverse effect on the market price of our Common Stock.

Loss of our key management or other personnel could adversely impact our business.

Our success is largely dependent on the skills, experience and efforts of our senior management and certain other key personnel. If, for any reason, one or more senior executives or key personnel were not to remain active in our Company, our results of operations could be adversely affected. Our future success also depends upon our ability to attract and retain qualified managers and technical and marketing personnel, as well as sufficient numbers of hourly workers. There is competition in the market for the services of such qualified personnel and hourly workers and our failure to attract and retain such personnel or workers could adversely affect our results of operations.

We depend on third parties to supply us with raw materials and ship a large portion of our products, and our results of operations could be adversely affected if we are unable to obtain adequate raw materials and ship our products in a timely manner.

We manufactured approximately 65% of all garments which we placed in service during fiscal 2009. These were primarily work pants and shirts manufactured at our plants in Cardenas, Ebano and Valles, which are located in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. The balance of the garments used in our programs are purchased from a variety of industry suppliers. While we currently acquire the raw materials with which we produce our garments from a limited number of suppliers, we believe that such materials are readily available from other sources. To date, we have experienced no significant difficulty in obtaining any of our raw materials or supplies. However, if we were to experience difficulty obtaining any of our raw materials from such suppliers and were unable to obtain new materials or supplies from other industry suppliers, it could adversely affect our results of operations.

We utilize United Parcel Service and other common carriers to ship a large portion of our products. Strikes or other service interruptions affecting such carriers could impair our ability to deliver products on a timely and cost-effective basis. In addition, because we typically bear the cost of shipment to our customers, any increase in shipping rates could adversely affect our operating results.

Unexpected events could disrupt our operations and adversely affect our operating results.

Unexpected events, including, without limitation, fires at facilities, natural disasters, such as hurricanes and tornados, public health emergencies, war or terrorist activities, unplanned utility outages, supply disruptions, failure of equipment or systems or changes in laws and/or regulations impacting our business, could adversely affect our operating results. These events could result in disruption of customer service, physical damage to one or more key operating facilities, the temporary closure of one or more key operating facilities or the temporary disruption of information systems.

Changes in or new interpretations of the governmental regulatory framework may affect our contract terms and may reduce our sales or profits.

A portion of our total consolidated revenues is derived from business with U.S. federal, state and local governments and agencies. Changes or new interpretations in, or changes in the enforcement of, the statutory or regulatory framework applicable to services provided under governmental contracts or bidding procedures could result in fewer new contracts or contract renewals, modifications to the methods we apply to price government contracts or in contract terms of shorter duration than we have historically experienced, any of which could result in lower sales or profits than we have historically achieved, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

The price of our Common Stock may be highly volatile, which could result in significant price declines.

The price of our Common Stock may experience significant volatility. Such volatility may be caused by fluctuations in our operating results, changes in earnings estimated by investment analysts, the number of shares of our Common Stock traded each day, the degree of success we achieve in implementing our business and growth strategies, changes in business or regulatory conditions affecting us, our customers or our competitors and other factors. In addition, the New York Stock Exchange historically has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that often have been unrelated to, or disproportionate to, the operating performance of its listed companies. These fluctuations, as well as general economic, political and market conditions, may adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock.

We are controlled by our principal shareholders, and our other shareholders may be unable to affect the outcome of shareholder voting.

As of October 30, 2009, the members of the Croatti family owned in the aggregate approximately 299,092 shares of our Common Stock and approximately 4,933,369 shares of our Class B Common Stock, which represents approximately 27.0% of the aggregate number of outstanding shares of our Common Stock and Class B Common Stock, but approximately 77.8% of the combined voting power of the outstanding shares of our Common Stock and Class B Common Stock. As a result, the members of the Croatti family, acting with other family members, could effectively control most matters requiring approval by our shareholders, including the election of a majority of the directors. While historically the members of the Croatti family have individually voted their respective shares of Class B Common Stock in the same manner, there is no contractual understanding requiring this and there is no assurance that the family members will continue to individually vote their shares of Class B Common Stock in the same manner. This voting control by the members of the Croatti family, together with certain provisions of our by-laws and articles of organization, could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our Company that would otherwise be beneficial to our public shareholders.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

As of August 29, 2009, we owned or occupied approximately 200 facilities containing an aggregate of approximately 5.4 million square feet located in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe. We owned 102 of these facilities, containing approximately 4.0 million square feet. These facilities include our 320,000 square foot Owensboro, Kentucky distribution center and all of our industrial laundry processing plants. We believe our industrial laundry facilities are among the most modern in the industry.

We own substantially all of the machinery and equipment used in our operations. We believe that our facilities and our production, cleaning and decontamination equipment have been well maintained and are adequate for our present needs. We also own a fleet of approximately 2,800 delivery vans, trucks and other vehicles.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

From time to time, we are subject to legal proceedings and claims arising from the current conduct of our business operations, including personal injury, customer contract, employment claims and environmental matters as described in our Consolidated Financial Statements. We maintain insurance coverage providing indemnification against the majority of such claims, and we do not expect that we will sustain any material loss as a result thereof.

In addition, we, like our competitors, are subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations governing, among other things, the generation, handling, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes and other substances. In particular, industrial laundries currently use and must dispose of detergent waste water and other residues, and, in the past, used perchloroethylene and other dry cleaning solvents. Over the years, we have settled, or contributed to the settlement of, actions or claims brought against us relating to the disposal of hazardous materials and there can be no assurance that we will not have to expend material amounts to remediate the consequences of any such disposal in the future. Further, under environmental laws, an owner or lessee of real estate may be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of certain hazardous or toxic substances located on or in or emanating from such property, as well as related costs of investigation and property damage. Such laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or lessee knew of or was responsible for the presence of such hazardous or toxic substances. There can be no assurance that acquired or leased locations have been operated in compliance with environmental laws and regulations or that future uses or conditions will not result in the imposition of liability upon us under such laws or expose us to third-party actions such as tort suits. Refer to Note 11 of our Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.

ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS

None

PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

COMMON STOCK INFORMATION

Our Common Stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “UNF”, while our Class B Common Stock is not publicly traded. The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the high and low closing prices of our Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange, and the dividends per share paid on our Common Stock and Class B Common Stock.

The approximate number of shareholders of record of our Common Stock and Class B Common Stock as of November 6, 2009 were 97 and 20, respectively. We believe that the number of beneficial owners of our Common Stock is substantially greater than the number of record holders because a large portion of our Common Stock is held of record in broker ‘‘street names.’’

We have paid regular quarterly dividends since 1983 and intend to continue such policy subject to, among other factors, our earnings, financial condition and capital requirements. No dividends will be payable unless declared by our Board of Directors and then only to the extent funds are legally available for the payment of such dividends. In the event that our Board of Directors votes to pay a dividend, our Common Stock must receive a dividend equal to no less than 125% of any dividend paid on the Class B Common Stock. On July 7, 2009, our Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.0375 and $0.0300 per share on our Common Stock and Class B Common Stock, respectively, that was paid on October 2, 2009 to shareholders of record on September 11, 2009.

The following table sets forth information concerning our equity compensation plans as of August 29, 2009.

Stock Performance Graph

Set forth below is a line graph comparing the yearly percentage change in the cumulative total shareholder return on our Common Stock, based on the market price of our Common Stock, with the cumulative total shareholder return of a peer group and of companies within the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index, in each case assuming reinvestment of dividends. The calculation of cumulative total shareholder return assumes a $100 investment in our Common Stock, the peer group and the S&P 500 Stock Index on August 31, 2004. The peer group is composed of Cintas Corporation and G & K Services, Inc. In prior years, we included Angelica Corporation within our peer group; however, on August 4, 2008 Angelica Corporation stopped actively trading as a result of its merger with a subsidiary of Lehman Brothers Merchant Banking. As a result, Angelica Corporation has been excluded from the cumulative total return calculation for all years presented.

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

The following selected consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8.

The selected consolidated balance sheet data set forth below as of August 29, 2009 and August 30, 2008 and the selected consolidated income statement data for the three years in the period ended August 29, 2009 are derived from our audited Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. All other selected consolidated financial data set forth below are derived from our audited financial statements not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The per share data listed below is accounted for in accordance with the Emerging Issues Task Force (“EITF”) Issue No. 03-6, Participating Securities and the Two-Class Method under FAS 128. EITF Issue No. 03-6 provides guidance in determining when the two-class method, as defined in Statements of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 128, Earnings per Share, should be utilized in calculating earnings per share. Our Common Stock has a 25% dividend preference to our Class B Common Stock. The Class B Common Stock, which has ten votes per share as opposed to one vote per share for the Common Stock, is not freely transferable but may be converted at any time on a one-for-one basis into Common Stock at the option of the holder of the Class B Common Stock. EITF Issue No. 03-6 requires the income per share for each class of common stock to be calculated assuming 100% of our earnings are distributed as dividends to each class of common stock based on their respective dividend rights.

Five Year Financial Summary

UniFirst Corporation and Subsidiaries

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Business Overview

UniFirst Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, hereunder referred to as “we”, “our”, the “Company”, or “UniFirst”, is one of the largest providers of workplace uniforms and protective clothing in the United States. We design, manufacture, personalize, rent, clean, deliver, and sell a wide range of uniforms and protective clothing, including shirts, pants, jackets, coveralls, lab coats, smocks, aprons and specialized protective wear, such as flame resistant and high visibility garments. We also rent industrial wiping products, floor mats, facility service products and other non-garment items, and provide first aid cabinet services and other safety supplies, to a variety of manufacturers, retailers and service companies.

We serve businesses of all sizes in numerous industry categories. Typical customers include automobile service centers and dealers, delivery services, food and general merchandise retailers, food processors and service operations, light manufacturers, maintenance facilities, restaurants, service companies, soft and durable goods wholesalers, transportation companies, and others who require employee clothing for image, identification, protection or utility purposes. We also provide our customers with restroom supplies, including air fresheners, paper products and hand soaps.

At certain specialized facilities, we also decontaminate and clean work clothes that may have been exposed to radioactive materials and service special cleanroom protective wear. Typical customers for these specialized services include government agencies, research and development laboratories, high technology companies and utilities operating nuclear reactors.

We continue to expand into additional geographic markets through acquisitions and organic growth. We currently service over 200,000 customer locations in the United States, Canada and Europe from approximately 200 customer service, distribution and manufacturing facilities.

SFAS No. 131, Disclosures about Segments of an Enterprise and Related Information, establishes standards for reporting information regarding operating segments in annual financial statements and requires selected information of those segments to be presented in interim financial reports issued to shareholders. Operating segments are identified as components of an enterprise for which separate discrete financial information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision-maker, or decision-making group, in making decisions on how to allocate resources and assess performance. Our chief operating decision maker, as defined under SFAS No. 131, is our chief executive officer. We have six operating segments based on the information reviewed by our chief executive officer: US Rental and Cleaning, Canadian Rental and Cleaning, Manufacturing (“MFG”), Specialty Garments Rental and Cleaning (“Specialty Garments”), First Aid and Corporate. The US Rental and Cleaning and Canadian Rental and Cleaning operating segments have been combined to form the US and Canadian Rental and Cleaning reporting segment. Refer to Note 15 of our Consolidated Financial Statements for our disclosure of segment information.

The US and Canadian Rental and Cleaning reporting segment purchases, rents, cleans, delivers and sells, uniforms and protective clothing and non-garment items in the United States and Canada. The operations of the US and Canadian Rental and Cleaning reporting segment are referred to by us as our ‘industrial laundry operations’ and we refer to the locations related to this reporting segment as our ‘industrial laundries’.

The MFG operating segment designs and manufactures uniforms and non-garment items primarily for the purpose of providing these goods to the US and Canadian Rental and Cleaning reporting segment. The amounts reflected as revenues of MFG are generated when goods are shipped from our manufacturing facilities to our other locations. These revenues are recorded at a transfer price which is typically in excess of the actual manufacturing cost. The transfer price is determined by our management and may not necessarily represent the fair value of the products manufactured. Products are carried in inventory and subsequently placed in service and amortized at this transfer price. On a consolidated basis, intercompany MFG revenues and MFG income are eliminated and the carrying value of inventories and rental merchandise in service is reduced to the manufacturing cost. Income before income taxes from MFG, net of the intercompany MFG elimination, was $27.7 million, $29.1 million, and $25.1 million for the years ended August 29, 2009, August 30, 2008 and August 25, 2007, respectively. This income offsets the merchandise amortization costs incurred by the US and Canadian Rental and Cleaning reporting segment as the merchandise costs of this reporting segment are amortized and recognized based on inventories purchased from MFG at the transfer price which is above our manufacturing cost.

The Corporate operating segment consists of costs associated with our distribution center, sales and marketing, information systems, engineering, materials management, manufacturing planning, finance, budgeting, human resources, other general and administrative costs and interest expense. The revenues generated from the Corporate operating segment represent certain direct sales made directly from our distribution center. The products sold by this operating segment are the same products rented and sold by the US and Canadian Rental and Cleaning reporting segment. In the segment disclosures in Note 15 to our Consolidated Financial Statements, no assets or capital expenditures are presented for the Corporate operating segment as no assets are allocated to this operating segment in the information reviewed by our chief executive officer. However, depreciation and amortization expense related to certain assets are reflected in income from operations and income before income taxes for the Corporate operating segment. The assets that give rise to this depreciation and amortization are included in the total assets of the US and Canadian Rental and Cleaning reporting segment as this is how they are tracked and reviewed by us.

We refer to our US and Canadian Rental and Cleaning, MFG, and Corporate segments combined as our ‘core laundry operations’.

The Specialty Garments operating segment purchases, rents, cleans, delivers and sells, specialty garments and non-garment items primarily for nuclear and cleanroom applications. The First Aid operating segment sells first aid cabinet services and other safety supplies.

Approximately 90% of our revenues in fiscal 2009 were derived from US and Canadian Rental and Cleaning, and Corporate. A key driver of this business is the number of workers employed by our customers. Our revenues are directly impacted by fluctuations in these employment levels. Revenues from Specialty Garments, which accounted for 7% of our 2009 revenues, increase during outages and refueling by nuclear power plants, as garment usage increases at these times. First Aid represented 3% of our total revenue in fiscal 2009.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

We believe the following critical accounting policies reflect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of our financial statements is in conformity with US GAAP, which requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the financial statements and accompanying notes. These estimates are based on historical information, current trends, and information available from other sources. The actual results could differ from our estimates.

Foreign Currency Translation

The functional currency of our foreign operations is the local country’s currency. Transaction gains and losses, including gains and losses on our intercompany transactions, are included in other expense (income), in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income. Assets and liabilities of operations outside the United States are translated into U.S. dollars using period-end exchange rates. Revenues and expenses are translated at the average exchange rates in effect during each month of the fiscal year. The effects of foreign currency translation adjustments are included in shareholders’ equity as a component of accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Revenue Recognition and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

We recognize revenue from rental operations in the period in which the services are provided. Direct sale revenue is recognized in the period in which the services are performed or when the product is shipped. Our judgment and estimates are used in determining the collectability of accounts receivable and evaluating the adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts. We consider specific accounts receivable and historical bad debt experience, customer credit worthiness, current economic trends and the age of outstanding balances as part of our evaluation. Changes in our estimates are reflected in the period they become known. If the financial condition of our customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, additional allowances may be required. Material changes in our estimates may result in significant differences in the amount and timing of bad debt expense recognition for any given period. Our revenues do not include taxes we collect from our customers and remit to governmental authorities.

Inventories and Rental Merchandise in Service

Our inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market value, net of any reserve for excess and obsolete inventory. Judgments and estimates are used in determining the likelihood that new goods on hand can be sold to our customers or used in our rental operations. Historical inventory usage and current revenue trends are considered in estimating both excess and obsolete inventories. If actual product demand and market conditions are less favorable than the amount we projected, additional inventory write-downs may be required. We use the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) method to value our inventories, which primarily consist of finished goods.

Rental merchandise in service is being amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated service lives of the merchandise, which range from 6 to 36 months. In establishing estimated lives for merchandise in service, our management considers historical experience and the intended use of the merchandise. Material differences may result in the amount and timing of operating profit for any period if we make significant changes to our estimates.

Goodwill, Intangibles and Other Long-Lived Assets

In accordance with SFAS No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, goodwill is not amortized. SFAS No. 142 requires that companies test goodwill for impairment on an annual basis. In addition, SFAS No. 142 also requires that companies test goodwill if events occur or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit to which goodwill is assigned below its carrying amount. Our evaluation considers changes in the operating environment, competitive information, market trends, operating performance and cash flow modeling.

During the fiscal quarter ended February 28, 2009, there was a decline in the market value of the Company’s stock as well as significant deterioration in general economic conditions. The decline in the Company’s market capitalization prompted the Company's management to conduct a goodwill analysis, in accordance with the provisions of SFAS No. 142, to determine if an impairment of goodwill existed. Based on the outcome of the Company’s analysis, it concluded that no impairment existed as of February 28, 2009.

We complete our annual impairment test in the fourth quarter of each fiscal year and there have been no impairments of goodwill or other intangible assets in fiscal 2009, 2008 or 2007.

We cannot predict future economic conditions or the future market value of our stock or their impact on the Company. A decline in our market capitalization and/or deterioration in general economic conditions could negatively and materially impact our assumptions and assessment of the fair value of our business. If general economic conditions or our financial performance deteriorate, we may be required to record a goodwill impairment charge in the future which could have a material impact on our financial condition and results of operations.  

Property, plant and equipment, and definite-lived intangible assets are depreciated or amortized over their useful lives. Useful lives are based on our estimates of the period that the assets will generate revenue. Long-lived assets are evaluated for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate an asset may be impaired. There were no impairments of property, plant and equipment, goodwill or definite-lived intangible assets in fiscal 2009, 2008 or 2007.

Insurance

We self-insure for certain obligations related to health, workers’ compensation, vehicles and general liability programs. We also purchase stop-loss insurance policies to protect ourselves from catastrophic losses. Judgments and estimates are used in determining the potential value associated with reported claims and for events that have occurred, but have not been reported. Our estimates consider historical claim experience and other factors. Our liabilities are based on our estimates, and, while we believe that our accruals are adequate, the ultimate liability may be significantly different from the amounts recorded. Changes in our claim experience, our ability to settle claims or other estimates and judgments we use could have a material impact on the amount and timing of expense for any given period.

Environmental and Other Contingencies

We are subject to legal proceedings and claims arising from the conduct of our business operations, including environmental matters, personal injury, customer contract matters and employment claims. Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States require that a liability for contingencies be recorded when it is probable that a liability has occurred and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated. Significant judgment is required to determine the existence of a liability, as well as the amount to be recorded. We regularly consult with our attorneys and outside consultants, in our consideration of the relevant facts and circumstances, before recording a contingent liability. We record accruals for environmental and other contingencies based on enacted laws, regulatory orders or decrees, our estimates of costs, insurance proceeds, participation by other parties, the timing of payments, and the input of our attorneys and outside consultants.

The estimated liability for environmental contingencies has been discounted using risk-free interest rates ranging from 3.5% to 4.2% over periods ranging from ten to thirty years. The estimated current costs, net of legal settlements with insurance carriers, have been adjusted for the estimated impact of inflation at 3% per year. Changes in enacted laws, regulatory orders or decrees, our estimates of costs, risk-free interest rates, insurance proceeds, participation by other parties, the timing of payments and the input of our attorneys and outside consultants based on changing legal or factual circumstances could have a material impact on the amounts recorded for our environmental and other contingent liabilities. Refer to Note 11 of our Consolidated Financial Statements for additional discussion and analysis.

Asset Retirement Obligations

We follow the provisions of SFAS No. 143, Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations, which generally applies to legal obligations associated with the retirement of long-lived assets that result from the acquisition, construction, development and/or the normal operation of a long-lived asset. Under this accounting method, we recognize asset retirement obligations in the period in which they are incurred if a reasonable estimate of fair value can be made. The associated asset retirement costs are capitalized as part of the carrying amount of the long-lived asset.

We have recognized as a liability the present value of the estimated future costs to decommission our nuclear laundry facilities in accordance with the provisions of SFAS No. 143. We depreciate, on a straight-line basis, the amount added to property, plant and equipment and recognize accretion expense in connection with the discounted liability over the various remaining lives which range from approximately one to thirty-five years.

Our estimated liability has been based on historical experience in decommissioning nuclear laundry facilities, estimated useful lives of the underlying assets, external vendor estimates as to the cost to decommission these assets in the future, and federal and state regulatory requirements. The estimated current costs have been adjusted for the estimated impact of inflation at 3% per year. The liability has been discounted using credit-adjusted risk-free rates that range from approximately 5.7% to 7.5%. Revisions to the liability could occur due to changes in the estimated useful lives of the underlying assets, estimated dates of decommissioning, changes in decommissioning costs, changes in federal or state regulatory guidance on the decommissioning of such facilities, or other changes in estimates. Changes due to revisions in our estimates will be recognized by adjusting the carrying amount of the liability and the related long-lived asset if the assets are still in service, or charged to expense in the period if the assets are no longer in service.

Derivative Financial Instruments

We account for our derivative instruments in accordance with SFAS No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, and related authoritative guidance. All derivative instruments are recorded as other assets or other liabilities at fair value, in accordance with SFAS No. 157, Fair Value Measurements. All subsequent changes in a derivative’s fair value are recognized in income, unless specific hedge accounting criteria are met. Cash flows associated with derivatives are classified in the same category as the cash flows hedged in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

Derivative instruments that qualify for hedge accounting are classified as a hedge of the variability of cash flows to be paid related to a recognized liability or a forecasted transaction. Changes in the fair value of a derivative that is highly effective and designated as a cash flow hedge are recognized in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income until expense from the cash flows of the hedged items are recognized. We perform an assessment at the inception of the hedge and on a quarterly basis thereafter, to determine whether our derivatives are highly effective in offsetting changes in the value of the hedged items. Any changes in the fair value resulting from hedge ineffectiveness, is immediately recognized as income or expense.

Our hedging activities are transacted only with highly rated institutions, which reduces our exposure to credit risk in the event of nonperformance.

Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan and other Pension Plans

We account for our Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan and other pension plans in accordance with SFAS No. 87, Employer’s Accounting for Pension, as amended by SFAS No. 158, Employers’ Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans. Under SFAS No. 87, pension expense is recognized on an accrual basis over employees’ estimated service periods. Pension expense calculated under SFAS No. 87 is generally independent of funding decisions or requirements.

The calculation of pension expense and the corresponding liability requires us to use of a number of critical assumptions, including the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets and the assumed discount rate. Changes in our assumptions can result in different expense and liability amounts, and future actual experience can differ from these assumptions. Pension expense increases as the expected rate of return on pension plan assets decreases. Future changes in plan asset returns, assumed discount rates and various other factors related to the participants in our pension plans will impact our future pension expense and liabilities. We cannot predict with certainty what these factors will be in the future.

Income Taxes

We account for income taxes in accordance with SFAS No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes. Deferred income taxes are provided for temporary differences between the amounts recognized for income tax and financial reporting purposes at currently enacted tax rates. We compute income tax expense by jurisdiction based on our operations in each jurisdiction.

We are periodically reviewed by U.S. domestic and foreign tax authorities regarding the amount of taxes due. These reviews typically include inquiries regarding the timing and amount of deductions and the allocation of income among various tax jurisdictions. In evaluating our exposure associated with various filing positions, we recorded estimated reserves as required by FASB Interpretation (“FIN”) No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes – an interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109. Refer to Note 4, “Income Taxes”, for further discussion regarding our adoption of FIN No. 48, which occurred on August 26, 2007. FIN No. 48 fundamentally changed the way we are required to treat our uncertain tax positions for financial accounting purposes.

Results of Operations

The following table presents (in thousands, except for percentages), as a percent of total revenue, certain selected financial data for our three fiscal years ended August 29, 2009, August 30, 2008 and August 25, 2007. Operating costs presented in the table below include merchandise costs related to the amortization of rental merchandise in service and direct sales as well as labor and other production, service and delivery costs associated with operating our industrial laundries, Specialty Garments facilities, First Aid locations and our distribution center. Selling and administrative costs include costs related to our sales and marketing functions as well as general and administrative costs associated with our corporate offices and operating locations including information systems, engineering, materials management, manufacturing planning, finance, budgeting, and human resources.

(1) Exclusive of depreciation on our property, plant and equipment and amortization of our intangible assets.

Revenues and income (loss) from operations by reporting segment for the three fiscal years ended August 29, 2009, August 30, 2008, and August 25, 2007, are presented in the following table. Refer to Note 15 of the Consolidated Financial Statements for discussion of our reporting segments.

The current worldwide economic weakness may negatively impact our revenues and operating performance into fiscal 2010 due to the impact on spending plans and employment levels of our customers and sales prospects. Throughout fiscal 2009, U.S. unemployment rates continued to rise, which impacted our broad customer base. Lost accounts have increased, and may continue to increase, as we continue to see a larger number of accounts going out of business or in financial distress.

General

We derive our revenues through the design, manufacture, personalization, rental, cleaning, delivering, and selling of a wide range of uniforms and protective clothing, including shirts, pants, jackets, coveralls, lab coats, smocks and aprons and specialized protective wear, such as flame resistant and high visibility garments. We also rent industrial wiping products, floor mats, facility service products, other non-garment items, and provide first aid cabinet services and other safety supplies, to a variety of manufacturers, retailers and service companies. We have five reporting segments, US and Canadian Rental and Cleaning, Manufacturing (“MFG”), Corporate, Specialty Garments Rental and Cleaning (“Specialty Garments”), and First Aid. We refer to the US and Canadian Rental and Cleaning, MFG, and Corporate reporting segments combined as our “core laundry operations.”

Operating costs include merchandise costs related to the amortization of rental merchandise in service and direct sales as well as labor and other production, service and delivery costs, and distribution costs associated with operating our core laundry operations, Specialty Garments facilities, and First Aid locations. Selling and administrative costs include costs related to our sales and marketing functions as well as general and administrative costs associated with our corporate offices and operating locations including information systems, engineering, materials management, manufacturing planning, finance, budgeting, and human resources.

Fiscal Year Ended August 29, 2009 Compared with Fiscal Year Ended August 30, 2008

Revenues

In fiscal 2009, our consolidated revenues decreased by $9.8 million from the comparable period in 2008, or 1.0%. The consolidated decrease was primarily driven by a $7.3 million decrease in revenues from our core laundry operations. Core laundry operations’ revenues decreased from $920.0 million in fiscal 2008 to $912.7 million in fiscal 2009, or 0.8%. This decrease was primarily due to the effect of an extra week in fiscal 2008 compared to 2009, which accounted for a 1.9% decrease in revenues. Unfavorable fluctuations in the Canadian foreign exchange rate also accounted for a 1.3% decrease in revenue. These decreases were offset by organic growth of 1.3% and acquisition-related growth of 1.1%. Organic growth is comprised of new sales, additions to our existing customer base and price increases offset by lost accounts and reductions to our existing customer base. The decrease in our organic growth rate from 7.2% in fiscal 2008 to 1.3% in fiscal 2009 is primarily due to the high rate of wearer reductions in our existing customer base. Throughout fiscal 2009, the deteriorating worldwide economic conditions resulted in increased domestic layoffs, which were reflected in the reduction of wearers throughout our broad customer base. Lost accounts also increased over the prior year as we saw a larger number of accounts either go out of business or in financial distress.

Specialty Garments revenues increased from $71.6 million in fiscal 2008 to $72.3 million in fiscal 2009, or 1.0%. This increase was primarily due to growth in our Canadian customers and our cleanroom operations. Revenues for the First Aid segment decreased 9.9%, from $31.6 million in fiscal 2008 to $28.4 million in fiscal 2009. This segment of our business was particularly impacted by the declining economic conditions in fiscal 2009.

Operating costs

Operating costs decreased as a percentage of revenues from 62.9%, or $643.9 million, to 60.2%, or $609.6 million, for fiscal 2008 and fiscal 2009, respectively. This decrease was primarily driven by lower merchandise costs in our core laundry operations as well as lower fuel costs associated with operating our fleet of delivery trucks and lower natural gas costs for our industrial laundries. As a result of headcount reductions during fiscal 2009, there was a decrease in payroll costs. These benefits were partially offset by higher healthcare and other payroll-related costs as a percentage of revenues.

Specialty Garments operating costs decreased from prior year primarily due to lower merchandise amortization as well as improved direct sale margins. In addition, the segment benefitted from lower production payroll-related costs as a percent of revenues.

Selling and administrative expense

Our selling and administrative expenses decreased as a percentage of revenues from 21.2%, or $216.9 million, to 20.9%, or $212.0 million, for fiscal 2008 and fiscal 2009, respectively. This decrease was primarily due to a decrease in payroll costs, as a result of headcount reductions in fiscal 2009, as well as lower workers’ compensation costs. We also benefitted from reduced travel and other administrative costs as we continued to focus on controlling our expenses. These benefits were partially offset by higher healthcare and other payroll-related costs as a percentage of revenues. We also recorded charges to our environmental reserves totaling $6.2 million in fiscal 2009 compared to adjustments totaling only $2.5 million in fiscal year 2008.

Depreciation and amortization

Depreciation and amortization expense increased $4.0 million, from $53.8 million in fiscal 2008 to $57.8 million in fiscal 2009. The increase in depreciation and amortization expense was due to capital expenditure and acquisition activity.

Income from operations

For the year ended August 29, 2009, the changes in our core laundry operations’, Specialty Garments and First Aid segment’s revenues, as well as the changes in our costs discussed above, resulted in the following changes in our income from operations:

Other expense (income)

Other expense (income), which includes interest expense, interest income and foreign currency exchange (gain) loss, decreased by $2.3 million to $7.6 million in fiscal 2009 compared to $9.9 million in fiscal 2008. Net interest expense decreased due to lower debt outstanding during fiscal 2009 as well as lower interest rates affecting our variable interest borrowings. Our average debt outstanding decreased from $220.8 million during fiscal 2008 to $208.8 million during fiscal 2009.

Provision for income taxes

Our effective income tax rate was 40.0% for fiscal 2009 and 38.2% for fiscal 2008. The increase was primarily due to changes in the Company’s reserves for income tax exposures as well as an increase in U.S state income taxes compared to the prior year.

Fiscal Year Ended August 30, 2008 Compared with Fiscal Year Ended August 25, 2007

Revenues

In fiscal 2008, our consolidated revenues increased by $121.1 million from the comparable period in 2007, or 13.4%. This increase was primarily due to organic growth, which accounted for a 7.2% increase in revenue. The remaining increase was attributable to incremental acquisition-related revenues, which accounted for a 2.9% increase in revenue, the effect of an extra week in fiscal 2008 compared to 2007, which accounted for a 2.2% increase in revenue, and the effect of foreign exchange fluctuations, which accounted for a 1.1% increase in revenue. On a segment reporting basis, the core laundry operation’s revenues increased in fiscal 2008 by 13.9% compared to fiscal 2007. This increase was due to organic growth of 7.5%, acquisition-related growth of 3.2%, the effect of the extra week in fiscal 2008 of 2.2%, and the effect of foreign exchange fluctuations of 1.0%. Specialty Garments’ revenues increased in fiscal 2008 by 13.9% compared to fiscal 2007, which was driven by strong growth in the segment’s Canadian and European business, the benefit of the extra week as well as the effect of favorable foreign exchange fluctuations. First Aid revenues decreased by 0.7% in fiscal 2008 compared to the prior year due to a difficult selling environment as well as the discontinuance of a product line in fiscal 2008.

Operating costs

Operating costs increased to $643.9 million, or 62.9% of revenues, for fiscal 2008 as compared to $572.2 million, or 63.4% of revenues, for fiscal 2007. The decrease in costs as a percent of revenue was primarily attributable to lower merchandise costs in our core laundry business as a percentage of revenues compared to fiscal 2007. In addition, the strong revenue growth within our core laundry operations resulted in a decrease in production payroll as a percentage of revenues. These benefits were partially offset by higher energy costs associated with operating our fleet of delivery trucks, as well as by higher overall operating costs as a percentage of revenues in our Specialty Garments segment.

Selling and administrative expense

Selling and administrative expenses increased to $216.9 million, or 21.2% of revenues, for fiscal 2008 from $197.2 million, or 21.9% of revenues, for fiscal 2007. The decrease in selling and administrative expenses as a percent of revenues was primarily due to the strong revenue growth within our core laundry operations, which resulted in a decrease in certain administrative payroll costs as a percentage of revenues. In addition, we made adjustments to our environmental reserves as well as severance expense related to the departure of one of our senior executives in fiscal 2007, both affecting the core laundry operations. Overall selling and administrative costs associated with our Specialty Garments segment increased as a percentage of segment revenues in fiscal 2008.

Depreciation and amortization

Depreciation and amortization expense increased $5.3 million, from $48.5 million in fiscal 2007 to $53.8 million in fiscal 2008. The increase in depreciation and amortization expense was due to capital expenditure and acquisition activity. As a percent of revenues, however, depreciation and amortization expense decreased to 5.3% in fiscal 2008 compared to 5.4% in fiscal 2007.

Income from operations

For the year ended August 30, 2008, the revenue growth in our core laundry operations and Specialty Garments segments, as well as the change in our costs, discussed above, resulted in the following changes in our income from operations:

Other expense (income)

Other expense (income), which includes interest expense, interest income and foreign currency exchange (gain) loss, decreased by $0.8 million to $9.9 million in fiscal 2008 compared to $10.7 million in 2007. Net interest expense decreased due to lower interest rates affecting our variable interest borrowings under our Floating Rate Notes. The effect of the lower average interest rates more than offset an increase in our average debt outstanding during the period. Our average debt outstanding increased from $208.3 million during fiscal 2007 to $220.8 million during fiscal 2008. In fiscal 2008, we experienced a foreign exchange loss of $0.2 million compared to a gain of $0.1 million in fiscal 2007.

Provision for income taxes

Our effective income tax rate was 38.2% for fiscal 2008 and 38.5% for fiscal 2007. The decrease in our effective income tax rate in fiscal 2008 was primarily due to the reduction of tax reserves the Company determined were no longer required and a lower Canadian tax rate.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

General  

For the fiscal year ended August 29, 2009, we had a net increase in cash and cash equivalents of $34.5 million. As of August 29, 2009, we had cash and cash equivalents of $60.2 million and working capital of $148.3 million. We believe that current cash and cash equivalent balances, cash generated from operations and amounts available under our Credit Agreement (defined below) will be sufficient to meet our currently anticipated working capital and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next 12 months.

Sources and uses of cash

During the fiscal year ended August 29, 2009, we generated cash from operating activities of $159.2 million resulting primarily from net income of $75.9 million, amounts charged for depreciation and amortization of $57.8 million, a decrease in accounts receivable of $4.1 million, a decrease in rental merchandise in service of $19.3 million, and a decrease in inventories of $2.5 million, increases in accrued and deferred income taxes of $4.2 million, and amounts charged to share-based compensation of $1.0 million. These inflows were partially offset by decreases in accounts payable and accruals of $5.1 million and increases in prepaid expenses of $1.2 million. We used cash to, among other things, fund $65.3 million in capital expenditures and fund the acquisition of businesses of approximately $4.7 million. Our long-term debt decreased by approximately $53.1 million as a result of $140.6 million of borrowings offset by $193.7 million of payments during the year ended August 29, 2009

Long-term debt and borrowing capacity

We have a $225.0 million unsecured revolving credit agreement (“Credit Agreement”) with a syndicate of banks, which matures on September 13, 2011. Under the Credit Agreement, we can borrow funds at variable interest rates based on the Eurodollar rate or the bank’s prime rate, as selected by us. Availability of credit requires our compliance with certain financial and other covenants, including a maximum funded debt ratio and minimum interest coverage as defined in the Credit Agreement. We generally test our compliance with these financial covenants on a fiscal quarterly basis. At August 29, 2009, the interest rates applicable to any of the Company’s borrowings under the Credit Agreement would be calculated as LIBOR plus 50 basis points at the time of the respective borrowing. As of August 29, 2009, under the Credit Agreement we had no outstanding borrowings and outstanding letters of credit of $36.5 million, which leaves $188.5 million available for borrowing as of that date.

On June 14, 2004, we issued $165.0 million of fixed and floating rate notes pursuant to a Note Purchase Agreement (“Note Agreement”). Under the Note Agreement, we issued $75.0 million of notes with a seven year term (June 2011) bearing interest at 5.27% (“Fixed Rate Notes”). We also issued $90.0 million of floating rate notes due in ten years (June 2014) (“Floating Rate Notes”). Of the Floating Rate Notes, $15.0 million bore interest at LIBOR plus 75 basis points and were repaid in September 2005. The remaining $75.0 million bore interest at LIBOR plus 70 basis points and were repaid at face value on September 14, 2006.

On September 14, 2006, we issued $100.0 million of floating rates notes (“2006 Floating Rate Notes”) pursuant to a Note Purchase Agreement (“2006 Note Agreement”). The 2006 Floating Rate Notes mature on September 14, 2013, bear interest at LIBOR plus 50 basis points and may be repaid at face value two years from the date of issuance. The proceeds from the issuance of the 2006 Floating Rate Notes were used to first repay the $75.0 million of outstanding Floating Rate Notes and then to pay down outstanding amounts under the Credit Agreement.

As of August 29, 2009, we were in compliance with all the covenants under the Credit Agreement, the Note Agreement and the 2006 Note Agreement.

In January 2008, we entered into an interest rate swap agreement to manage our exposure to interest rate movements and the related effect on our variable rate debt. The swap agreement, with a notional amount of $100.0 million, matures on March 14, 2011. We pay a fixed rate of 3.51% and receive a variable rate tied to the three month LIBOR rate. We have accounted for this instrument as a cash flow hedge under SFAS No. 133 and, as a result, have recorded all changes in the fair value of the swap agreement in accumulated other comprehensive income, a component of shareholders’ equity. For additional information on the interest rate swap, see Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Environmental and Legal Contingencies

We are subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations governing, among other things, the generation, handling, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes and other substances. In particular, industrial laundries currently use and must dispose of detergent waste water and other residues, and, in the past, used perchloroethylene and other dry cleaning solvents. We are attentive to the environmental concerns surrounding the disposal of these materials and have, through the years, taken measures to avoid their improper disposal. Over the years, we have settled, or contributed to the settlement of, actions or claims brought against us relating to the disposal of hazardous materials and there can be no assurance that we will not have to expend material amounts to remediate the consequences of any such disposal in the future.

Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States require that a liability for contingencies be recorded when it is probable that a liability has occurred and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated. Significant judgment is required to determine the existence of a liability, as well as the amount to be recorded. We regularly consult with attorneys and outside consultants in our consideration of the relevant facts and circumstances before recording a contingent liability. Changes in enacted laws, regulatory orders or decrees, management’s estimates of costs, insurance proceeds, participation by other parties, the timing of payments and the input of outside consultants and attorneys based on changing legal or factual circumstances could have a material impact on the amounts recorded for environmental and other contingent liabilities.

Under environmental laws, an owner or lessee of real estate may be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of certain hazardous or toxic substances located on, or in, or emanating from such property, as well as related costs of investigation and property damage. Such laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or lessee knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of such hazardous or toxic substances. There can be no assurances that acquired or leased locations have been operated in compliance with environmental laws and regulations or that future uses or conditions will not result in the imposition of liability upon our Company under such laws or expose our Company to third party actions such as tort suits. We continue to address environmental conditions under terms of consent orders negotiated with the applicable environmental authorities or otherwise with respect to sites located in or related to Woburn, Massachusetts, Somerville, Massachusetts, Springfield, Massachusetts, Uvalde, Texas, Stockton, California, three sites in Williamstown, Vermont, as well as a number of additional locations that we acquired as part of our acquisition of Textilease Corporation in September 2003.

We have accrued certain costs related to the sites described above as it has been determined that the costs are probable and can be reasonably estimated. We continue to implement mitigation measures and to monitor environmental conditions at the Somerville, Massachusetts site. We also have potential exposure related to an additional parcel of land (the “Central Area”) related to the Woburn, Massachusetts site discussed above. Currently, the consent decree for the Woburn site does not define or require any remediation work in the Central Area. Recently, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”) commented on the design and implementation of groundwater and soil remedies at the Woburn site and investigation of environmental conditions in the Central Area. We and the other parties to the consent decree have met with the EPA to discuss its comments. We have agreed to complete additional environmental investigations and reports, and to discuss further with the EPA its comments. We have accrued costs to perform certain work responsive to the EPA’s comments.

We routinely review and evaluate sites that may require remediation and monitoring and determine our estimated costs based on various estimates and assumptions. These estimates are developed using our internal sources or by third-party environmental engineers or other service providers. Internally developed estimates are based on:

There is usually a range of reasonable estimates of the costs associated with each site. We generally use the amount within the range that constitutes our best estimate. When we believe that both the amount of a particular liability and the timing of the payments are reliably determinable, we adjust the cost in current dollars using a rate of 3% for inflation until the time of expected payment and discounts the cost to present value using the current risk-free interest rates. As of August 29, 2009, the risk-free interest rates utilized by the Company ranged from 3.5% to 4.2%.

For environmental liabilities that have been discounted, we include interest accretion, based on the effective interest method, in operating costs on the Consolidated Statements of Income. The changes to the amounts of our environmental liabilities for the years ended August 29, 2009 and August 30, 2008 are as follows (in thousands):

In fiscal 2009 and 2008, we made adjustments to increase our environmental related reserves by $6.2 million and $2.5 million, respectively. These increases were primarily due to ongoing investigation and remediation efforts at two of our environmental exposure sites.

Anticipated payments and insurance proceeds of currently identified environmental remediation liabilities as of August 29, 2009 for the next five years and thereafter as measured in current dollars are reflected below (in thousands).