Industry up 14 percent in February, per Blair/PCO M&A Specialists index

The William Blair/PCO M&A Specialists Pest Index is a proprietary compilation of the monthly sales for 158 different U.S. pest control companies across 36 states. The total U.S. William Blair/PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Pest Index increased 14 percent year-over-year in February 2024, up from 12 percent growth in January. The long-term historical growth rate of the total pest index is 11 percent.

“February’s results were surprisingly strong, as growth in both the residential and commercial pest indices accelerated from January,” William Blair Equity Researcher Tim Mulrooney said in the news release. “February did have a slightly easier comparison with last year, which may have contributed to the pickup. Regardless, February’s results indicate a healthy start to the year. This is in line with recent commentary from Rollins, which expects another strong year of organic growth in 2024. February’s results are in stark contrast to recent commentary from Rentokil, which expects organic growth of only 2 percent in the first quarter.”

Dan Gordon, CPA, who is Pest Management Professional’s financial columnist as well as a partner in PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists, added, “While the economy is in flux, it appears that good quality companies that provide best-in-class sales and service will excel in terms of growth and profitability.”

The February results by segment include:

• The Residential Pest Index increased 16 percent year-over-year.
• The Commercial Pest Index increased 18 percent year-over-year.
• The Termite Index increased 6 percent year-over-year.
• The Bed Bug Index increased 9 percent year-over-year.
• The Mosquito Index increased 11 percent year-over-year.

About the William Blair/PCO M&A Specialists Pest Index

The William Blair/PCO M&A Specialists Pest Index tracks the monthly performance of 149 privately held pest control companies across 38 states with combined annual 2022 revenue of $520 million. The purpose of the report is to track the monthly performance of several different U.S. pest markets. It does not include residential door-to-door companies.