Pest index posted for May, with 16 percent increase

Dan Gordon, CPA

PCO M&A Specialists, the Newton, N.J.-based advising firm led by Pest Management Professional magazine’s financial columnist, Dan Gordon, CPA, and global banking and asset management company William Blair have released their May 2021 findings of following their U.S. pest control index. The index increased 16 percent in May, above the historical average monthly growth trend.

According to a news release, the total U.S. pest index increased 16.2 percent year-over-year in May, a deceleration from April (up 21 percent), primarily due to an easier comparison with the commercial pest index in April 2020. On a sequential basis, the index decreased 2 percent from April 2021. The index typically sees a sequential increase in May (up 3 percent in May 2020 and 4 percent in May 2019).

“Growth of 16 percent year-over-year in May remains well above the long-term historical average monthly growth trend of 8 percent to 9 percent,” William Blair Equity Researcher Tim Mulrooney said in the news release.

The Residential Pest Index increased 16.9 percent year-over-year and contracted 0.5 percent on a sequential basis. The Commercial Pest Index increased 22.7 percent year-over-year and contracted 0.2 percent on a sequential basis. The Wood Destroying (Termite) Index increased 8.4 percent year-over-year and contracted 8.9 percent on a sequential basis. The Bed Bug Index decreased 3.1 percent year-over-year and decreased 0.5 percent on a sequential basis.

The index, which is available at SellMyPCOBusiness.com, debuted Sept. 29, 2020, with August 2020 data. As a joint venture between PCO M&A Specialists and William Blair, it tracks the monthly performance of 140 privately held pest control companies across 30 states, with combined annual 2019 revenue of $320 million. View the full May report and the archive of past reports at SellMyPCOBusiness.com.