***Article updated on 11/14 at 10:40 a.m. with a U.S.-focused version press release from Rentokil*****

Rentokil Initial announced it has acquired Vector Disease Acquisition (VDA), a holding company with the largest mosquito control and lake management service divisions in the U.S. The acquisition greatly expands Rentokil North America’s expertise in the mosquito control field and adds to the company’s offerings with a robust lake service division.

Vector Disease Control International is headquartered in Little Rock, Ark., and has more than 50 offices in 31 states. With annual revenues for the 12 months prior to acquisition at approximately $47 million this is Rentoki’s largest U.S. acquisition since it acquired Steritech in 2015.

SOLitude Lake Management serves customers on the east coast from New England to Florida and also serves Texas and Colorado. SOLitude provides a variety of annual recurring services, including controlling invasive aquatic vegetation and algae in lakes and ponds owned by municipal, state and federal government agencies and private entities such as lake associations, golf courses, corporations and private homeowner associations. The Lake Management division is the largest of its type in North America.

In line with this acquisition, Rentokil North America is establishing a new Global Center of Excellence in Mosquito Control. Factors such as climate change and increased global travel make the transmission of vector-borne diseases an increased public health concern, raising the importance of mosquito control in the overall pest management market and heightening the need for experts in the field.

“Mosquito control is a vital part of Rentokil North America’s services, and adding Vector Disease Control to our portfolio and establishing our center of excellence makes our business even stronger. Both VDCI and SOLitude enhance Rentokil’s mission of protecting people and enhancing lives.” said John Myers, President and CEO, Rentokil North America. “Acquiring the lake services division adds to our growing list of capabilities with an entirely new service category.”

“We look forward to a smooth transition as we integrate our business into the Rentokil North America family and become a part of their Global Center of Excellence in Mosquito Control,” said Jason Pananos, co-owner of Vector Disease Acquisition, LLC. “Our team anticipates continuing to provide quality service to our customers throughout the country.”

“Vector Disease Control and SOLitude Lake Management will be great additions to Rentokil North America and will help us reach new customers,” said Jay Davis, co-owner of Vector Disease Acquisition, LLC. “The family of companies has a sterling reputation for service and expertise and we’re proud to become part of the team.”

This acquisition adds more than 250 fulltime employees and an additional 350 seasonal employees to the Rentokil North America family.

Paul Giannamore of The Potomac Company represented and acted as exclusive financial advisor to Vector Disease Acquisition, LLC.

(Pictured: NPMA Past President Chuck Tindol, left, and current NPMA President Bryan Cooksey, after "passing the gavel" at PestWorld)

FAIRFAX, Va. — The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) reported that 3,700 pest management professionals navigated more than 125,000 square feet of exhibit space showcasing the products and services of over 200 companies during PestWorld 2017, held Oct. 24-27, in Baltimore, Md. This made PestWorld 2017, the largest PestWorld in NPMA’s history, the associated reported.

With expert-led educational sessions, attendees discovered the latest business trends and earned valuable recertification credits.  Highlights this year included Technicians’ Day the NPMA Thought Leader Program; and educational tracks on online marketing, integrated pest management, public health, food safety and wildlife control. 

Additionally, PestWorld featured General Session speakers Doc Hendley and Commander Kirk Lippold. During the Opening General Session, Hendley delivered his message that everyone – including a bartender with an idea – can make a difference.   On Thursday, Lippold provided recounted the terrorist attack on the USS Cole. 

“The packed educational sessions and keynote addresses and the well-attended special events demonstrate the industry’s desire for an event with an emphasis on learning and networking,” said NPMA CEO Dominque Stumpf. “This year’s event provided sales leads and nurtured existing client relationships for companies operating within the pest management industry.

Exhibitor feedback was overwhelmingly positive, Stumpf added.  “PestWorld offers an unmatched opportunity to meet in person with thousands of prospective qualified buyers,” she said Stumpf, “and this year, that’s exactly what our exhibitors did.” 

NPMA PestWorld 2018 takes place in Orlando, Fla., Oct. 23-26 for next year’s PestWorld.  If you have any questions or comments, contact npma@pestworld.org. 

SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. — While Shane McCoy is no longer on active duty in the U.S. Air Force, the director of quality and technical training at Sun Prairie, Wis.-based Wil-Kil Pest Control continues to give back to his country by working with veterans.

Through his efforts with the Wisconsin Pest Control Association (WPCA) and PestVets — the veterans group established by the National Pest Management Association — McCoy, who served in the U.S. Air Force from 1995 to 2007, and recently retired from the Air National Guard, is working to help transition veterans to jobs in the pest control industry. McCoy has been giving presentations at WPCA meetings to encourage other pest control companies to consider hiring veterans. Moreover, he is actively working with various veterans’ groups. For example, the Air National Guard has a family support center which McCoy provided with information about career opportunities in the pest control industry; this info is presented to those re-entering civilian life and looking for jobs. He then shared this experience with others in the PestVets committee.

“Most veterans want to give back, so this was a real natural fit for me,” said McCoy, who credits Arnold Ramsey for leading the PestVets charge for sponsor FMC, and for Dave Ramsey (Copesan Service Quality Manager and a veteran himself) for mentoring him and encouraging his PestVets involvement.

Like others in the pest control industry, McCoy understands the benefits of having veterans on staff. “They are used to working outside, and they are used to following operating instructions and protocols. And also setting their own schedules, which is what we do in the Air Force and what we do in pest control,” he said.

And McCoy knows this first-hand from his military experience. When he joined the Air Force in 1995 it was an open enlistment and he was assigned to work in pest control (Environmental Controls). At the various bases he was stationed at in the U.S. and throughout the world, McCoy controlled pests at sites such as base houses, dining halls, base exchange restaurants, etc., and common pests he encountered included termites, bees, wasps and ants.

After returning from a remote deployment in South Korea in 2003, he became a technical school instructor with the U.S. Air Force, teaching the same 6-week pest control course he was taught when he entered the Air Force in 1995. He did this from 2003 to 2007, when he joined Wil-Kil.

Like many of his fellow PestVets members, McCoy is excited about the committee’s future and in continuing to find new ways to recruit veterans into pest control businesses. “I think that in the future we will have to work more closely with the VFW and the American Legion and even the VA hospitals on outreach, and then the next step I think will to get schools and universities involved.

“My observation of veterans working in pest control is that they are more passionate than others. I think it’s that serving that we do as a veteran that gives us that passion. In pest control, we get to serve everyday — serving those to 10 to 12 clients every day and making a difference in their lives.”

McCoy currently lives in Madison with wife Jessica, son Ethan (17) and daughter Ciera (15).

CLINTON, N.C.  – State Pest Control has relocated its Sanford branch to a historic building in downtown Sanford, N.C. Located at 131 Charlotte Avenue, the 2,344-square-foot property once served as a bottling facility for Coca-Cola. 

The relocation will allow State to add a four-person call center to its current operation, which will help the pest control company to centralize incoming calls and provide a more consistent customer experience. The call center will be managed by branch operations manager, Sherrie Read who has almost 20 years in the pest control industry.  

“Downtown Sanford is a great location for our operation because it’s centrally located to all of our branches,” said Read. “We’re excited about the growth that this new space will allow us and look forward to better serving our customers in the area.” 

State Pest Control has branches in Clinton, Fayetteville, Wendell and Sanford. The company has acquired a total of 7 pest control companies in North Carolina since 2009. It is a brand of Environmental Pest Service, one of the fastest-growing pest control companies in the nation. The Sanford branch expects to finish 2017 with roughly $1.3 million in sales.

The company plans to add additional employees, including call center staff and pest control technicians, in 2018.  

“It’s been an exciting year for us, and we’re looking forward to our continued growth in 2018,” said Brad Pitts, Regional Vice President for State. 

The company was previously located at a 1,026-square-foot office property at 2206 Nash Street in Sanford.