Industry up 8 percent in March, 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 8 percent year-over-year in March 2024, down from 14 percent growth in February. For the first quarter, the total pest index increased 11 percent year-over-year, similar to the result observed in the fourth quarter of 2023. The long-term historical growth rate of the total pest index is 11 percent.

“March’s results were softer than expected, particularly following a strong reading in February,” William Blair Equity Researcher Tim Mulrooney said in a news release. “Based on Rentokil’s first-quarter results and management commentary, we believe the Easter holiday — which typically falls during early April versus late March — may have been a contributing factor to the softer index reading. Rentokil noted encouraging lead volumes through the first two weeks of April.”

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 growth seems to be down off of prior months, it still far exceeds the growth in the overall U.S. economy. That said, we usually look to see how sales look after the spring and summer selling seasons.”

The March results by segment include:

• The Residential Pest Index increased 11 percent year-over-year.
• The Commercial Pest Index increased 11 percent year-over-year.
• The Termite Index was flat year-over-year.
• The Bed Bug Index decreased 7 percent year-over-year.
• The Mosquito Index decreased 28 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.