WILMINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 21, 2003--UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF) today announced a delay in filing a Form 8-K/A with the Securities and Exchange Commission for financial statements related to the acquisition of Textilease Corporation.

As previously disclosed, UniFirst acquired Textilease Corporation on September 2, 2003. UniFirst was required to file a Form 8-K/A by November 17, 2003. This Form 8-K/A will include the audited financial statements of Textilease for the year ended December 31, 2002 and the unaudited financial statements of Textilease for the six month periods ended June 30, 2002 and 2003. It will also include pro forma income statements for UniFirst and Textilease for the year ended August 31, 2002 and the nine months ended May 31, 2003 and a pro forma balance sheet as of May 31, 2003.

Subsequent to the audit of the December 31, 2002 financial statements of Textilease, Textilease determined that it had not properly accounted for a postretirement obligation to one of its key executives, which may require these audited financial statements to be restated. Textilease's independent accountants are in the process of reviewing this issue.

This review has caused a delay in the filing of the Form 8-K/A. The independent accountants are unable to provide a firm date when this review will be completed.

The potential restatement will not have a material impact on the acquisition or the pro forma financial statements which will be included in the filing. This filing will be made as soon as Textilease's independent accountants complete their review and provide their consent to include their report in Textilease's audited financial statements for December 31, 2002 in UniFirst's Form 8-K/A.

CONTACT: UniFirst Corporation John B. Bartlett, 978-658-8888 Ext 520 jbartlett@unifirst.com SOURCE: UniFirst Corporation