Preserving Culture, Providing Opportunities Key in Hoffman’s Decision

MANTUA, N.J. — After 36 years building Hoffman’s Exterminating into one of the Philadelphia region’s largest independent pest control companies, owner Bill Hoffman told PCT the decision to sell to Atlanta-based Arrow Exterminators came down to two priorities: (1) protecting the company’s culture; and (2) securing a long-term future for its employees.

Hoffman said the deal allows both businesses to combine resources while maintaining the relationships and culture Hoffman has built.

“We kept saying the same thing through the whole process — it’s about the people. Kevin Burns [Arrow’s chief development officer] and I are both in our mid-60s. We won’t be here forever, so we had to do right by the Arrow people and the Hoffman people,” said Hoffman, whose children have careers outside of pest control.

Hoffman said discussions about a possible sale began about a year ago, when Hoffman co-owner Bob Schwenker turned 65. The two realized the company needed a long-term succession plan for its employees and customers.

The search for a partner focused less on financial terms and more on cultural fit, Hoffman said. Throughout the process, Hoffman and Burns agreed that “at any point, if it didn’t feel right, smell right or taste right, we would just walk away as friends,” he said. “But we kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and it never did.”

PREVIOUS PARTNERSHIP. Hoffman’s has pest control provider partners in the Northeast (Pest-End), California (Advanced IPM) and Southeast (Arrow Exterminators) that service food safety accounts in these regions.

This Arrow partnership allowed Hoffman to see how the company operated and helped build trust between the organizations. “They wanted to expand into the Northeast, and I wanted more work in the South,” Hoffman said. “We each had things the other could offer.”

Joining Arrow also gives Hoffman’s team access to larger training programs and operational support while allowing employees to focus more closely on their specialties.

“In a smaller company, people wear a lot of hats,” Hoffman said. “This allows us to put people in the right seats and create more growth opportunities.”

FUTURE PLANS. Hoffman plans to remain involved with the company and will focus heavily on expanding commercial pest control operations across Arrow’s footprint. While Hoffman’s Exterminating generates roughly half its revenue from commercial accounts, Arrow’s business is more robust in the residential segment.

Shifting that balance could create significant growth opportunities, Hoffman said, especially in sectors such as hospitals, food manufacturing and large commercial facilities.

“Commercial work isn’t seasonal,” Hoffman said. “It’s steady year-round, and it requires a team approach with sales, service and management working together.”

Back home, Hoffman said the existing leadership team will continue overseeing residential operations, with additional support from Arrow executives and returning staff.

For employees, Hoffman said the sale provides stability that an independently owned company approaching leadership transition could not guarantee on its own.

“If you’re working for a company owned by two people in their mid-60s without a succession plan, you might wonder what happens next,” he said. “Now they know there’s a long-term future.”

Hoffman said preserving the company’s reputation for community involvement and employee career growth remains a top priority under Arrow’s ownership.

“We’ve always said we want people to hire here and retire here,” he said. “Pest control is what we do, but giving back to the community is part of who we are.”