Top 100 Takes

The last time Rollins wasn’t No. 1 on the PCT Top 100 list, Taylor Swift was still performing country music; Tom Brady had only won three Super Bowls (he ended up with seven); Teslas were expensive sports cars for tech bros; and your main means of communicating with customers probably was still a landline phone.

Atlanta-based Rollins finally passed Terminix International for No. 1 on our list in 2012, after coming in second the year before (and the year before that, and the year before that — all the way back to the first list in 2002).

If you’re keeping score: Terminix was No. 1 for 10 years, Rollins (Orkin) for 12 years. (This year’s list is the 23rd — you do the math.)

Now, Terminix is back on top. Sorta. Rentokil Initial completed its acquisition of the company in October 2022, resulting in a combination of the two firms that had occupied Nos. 2 and 3 on Top 100 lists dating back to 2016.

What’s as notable is that Rollins is just $722 million behind Rentokil Terminix for No. 1 this year. I know that sounds like a lot (and it is), but think about it: The third-biggest company bought the second-biggest company, and the distance between them and Rollins is nearly our total estimated revenue for Ecolab, which has been Nos. 3 or 4 on the list since every year since 2002. As writer Frances McKim noted in “The More Things Change ...” on page 36, a big part of Rollins keeping pace is the acquisition of Fox Pest Control, which was No. 13 on last year’s list.

There are additional fascinating stories unfolding further down the list as well.

For example, Senske Services, Kennewick, Wash., jumped from No. 22 to No. 13 after going on a private equity-backed acquisition spree during the last couple years. After debuting on the list last year at No. 87, Ridd Pest Control, Lehi, Utah, jumped 27 spots to No. 60.

Two other companies that were new to last year’s list made notable leaps as All U Need Pest Control, Fort Myers, Fla., and Native Pest Management, Tallahassee, Fla., jumped out of the 90s and into the 60s. Both companies are led, in part, by a younger generation of PMPs who are active in the industry. In fact, another younger generation-led company made a big leap: Pest-End, Plaistow, N.H., jumped from No. 98 to No. 80.

I prefer to see that level of success as another example that younger PMPs in the industry can bring fresh ideas and new ways to potentially solve old problems.

Taking a wider view of the overall list, one thing that’s hard to miss is that the top of the list keeps getting bigger, while Nos. 99 and 100 are under $8 million a year in revenue.

But there’s a lot more to this year’s Top 100 coverage than the list. McKim’s story also highlights the state of the global mergers and acquisitions market. In “Under Cover,” page 42, Publisher Jodi Dorsch takes a fun look back at some previous PCT covers that help us understand the rise of Rentokil and more.

We also profiled three companies that are new to the list this year: Kilauea Pest Control, Kailua, Hawaii, which is the third company from the island state to be on the list since 2002; Brooks Pest Control, Orem, Utah, which reported a whopping 209% revenue growth in 2023 compared to 2022; and Paul’s Termite & Pest Control, Tallahassee, Fla., a family-run business that started in 1971.

Our coverage also has plenty to offer companies who aren’t on the list (yet). “Face the Change,” page 50, has advice on how making continuous improvements can lead to success. “Count On It,” page 62, digs into why your accounting team shouldn’t wall itself off from the rest of the company.

In “Happy Place,” page 58, Erin Richardson, CEO and owner of All-American Pest Control, Nashville, Tenn., shares how her company focuses on employee morale to create a work environment that prioritizes flexibility, develops leaders and gives back.

“Understanding that workplace culture can directly affect customer satisfaction and, ultimately, your bottom line, it’s probably a good idea to make sure you boost your team’s morale,” Richardson wrote.

Top 100 company or not, that kind of advice never goes out of style.

The author is managing editor of PCT.