Announced on the US-based Rollins Inc website today (28 February 2018) is the purchase of the stock of Birmingham-based AMES Group Ltd and Hampshire-based Kestrel Pest Control Ltd.
| Not the company’s first UK purchase As predicted at the time of its acquisition of Safeguard Pest Control in July 2016, this was hardly likely to be Rollins’ one and only UK purchase – now AMES and Kestrel are added to its portfolio. The Kestrel acquisition fits well geographically with the activities of Safeguard in the South East and, as the release states, the combining, or ‘roll up’ to Safeguard is not a surprising move. |
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Historically Rollins, best known by its subsidiary pest control brand of Orkin, has grown its business via the franchise route, but in recent years and in certain markets e.g. in Europe and Australia, this has switched to growth by acquisition.
This announcement hots up the acquisition trail of private pest control companies. Rentokil has now bought its way into Rollins’ own home market and now lies in third spot in the USA, as recorded by leading-USA magazine, Pest Control Technology in September 2017.
| The release says: “Rollins, Inc a premier global consumer and commercial services company, today announced that it has purchased the stock of AMES Group Ltd and Kestrel Pest Control Ltd, both companies operating in the UK. “Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom, AMES Group Ltd is a long established pest control company in the UK, with a rich history of providing superior pest control, bird control, and specialist services to commercial customers throughout the Midlands and including London. Owners Alan and Joanne Read will stay on to run the company’s operations.” |
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Purchase of Kestrel
The release continues: “Kestrel Pest Control Ltd, based in Chandler’s Ford, Eastleigh, Hampshire, UK, was founded in 1993. Kestrel Pest Control provides superior commercial pest control to customers in Southampton and surrounding areas of the Southwest. Kestrel Pest Control will roll up to our Safeguard UK brand. Owner Richard Borlase will stay on with the company in a sales position.”
Gary W Rollins, vice chairman and chief executive officer of Rollins stated: “The acquisitions of AMES and Kestrel help us to expand our presence within the United Kingdom. These two additions will help us as we strive to position our organization as industry leaders, and we share a culture of continuous improvement and ongoing investment in training and development.
Further, we are pleased that Alan and Joanne Read as well as Richard Borlase will remain in with the respective companies and look forward to sharing best practices between our organizations,” he concluded.
Steve Leavitt, president Rollins emerging opportunity group concluded by saying: “We are excited about the latest additions to the Rollins Family in Kestrel and Ames. We are impressed at the caliber of people we are meeting and working with throughout the United Kingdom. We will continue to develop relationships with operators that share our vision and to build a quality team in the market.”
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