Waynes acquires Preferred Pest

From left are Preferred Pest, Termite and Turf Management Owner Sam Oliver, Waynes Pest Control North Region VP Shawn Hollis, and Waynes Pest Control President Eric Frye. IMAGE: WAYNES PEST CONTROL

Waynes Pest Control, an Anticimex company based in Birmingham, Ala., has acquired Preferred Pest, Termite and Turf Management, based in Knoxville, Tenn. With reported 2019 revenue of more than $32 million and locations in Alabama, Tenneessee and Mississippi, Waynes operates in the Greater Knoxville market as Daytons Pest Control. Terms were not disclosed.

Founded five years ago, Preferred Pest’s services also include termite inspections, crawlspace cleaning, insulation and moisture control. Sam Oliver, owner of Preferred Pest, noted in a news release that the company is in good hands with Waynes President Eric Frye and North Region VP Shawn Hollis.

“Their business model, human resources team, and management style matched up perfectly with Preferred Pest,” he said. “I only see my team members having greater opportunities being a part of the Waynes organization.”

Oliver, a Knoxville native with more than 15 years of combined experience in the pest control and lawn care industries, is a graduate of the University of Tennessee with a degree in plant science, and an emphasis on turfgrass management. He is also a graduate of the Advanced Urban/Industrial Integrated Pest Management Program at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.

Founded in 1973, Waynes began as a pest and termite control company, but has since expanded its offerings to other home-care services. It was acquired by Stockholm, Sweden-based Anticimex in 2019. Waynes acquired Dayton’s Pest Control last September.

ABOUT ANTICIMEX

According to its online history, “when Anticimex was founded in Sweden in 1934, we offered property owners a ‘no bed bugs guarantee’ via an annual contract at a fixed price. The service was highly successful, and we soon broadened our offer to include other pests.

“Anticimex expanded out of Sweden in the 1970s, and today we are operating in 17 countries, offering not only pest control, but also food safety, building environment services, fire protection and insurance.”