Work Life Balance Concept, Businessman take off his Working Oxford Shoes and leave it on the Sand Beach for Walk into the Sea on Sunny Day

J. Phillip Holloman, president and chief operating office of Cintas, has announced his retirement. According to The Cincinnati Enquirer, the decision marked the end of a 22-year stint in which Holloman helped transform Cintas from a big uniform rental company into a Fortune 500, multi-line business.

Holloman began his career as vice president of engineering and construction and succeeded in many roles at Cintas over the years. In a companywide email, he was praised as "a mentor to anyone and a strategist."

Hired in 1996, Holloman was Cintas' first African-American senior manager. He was named the president and chief operating officer February 2008.

Of his retirement, Holloman had this to say to Cincinnati Enquirer staff: "I feel great about taking on this new aspect of my life. ... I feel like I'm going out on a high note, but it's not the highest note that Cintas is going to achieve."

To read more about Holloman's struggles and achievements over his career at Cintas, click here for the full article.