The Potomac Pest Control Group

It is one thing to look at the best industry performers, but what happens when you dig deeper into profit and loss statements? Anticimex CEO Jarl Dahlfors attended ‘Pest World Congress in Nashville USA’ to research best in class in the industry to understand what was possible for Anticimex. Paul explains how Jarl now focuses on internal benchmarking. Taking a play from Michael Porter’s value chain analysis, Paul breaks down benchmarking like Jarl would at Anticimex. Paul is... going to release a standardized P&L chart of accounts for The Boardroom Buzz listeners. Where does margin development max out in the pest control industry? Apples to apples : compare margins with other pest control owners and world-class companies. One of Paul's current sell-side clients recently spoke to a potential acquirer that operates in his area :I don't even care about what you guys do. I don't even pay attention to what you guys do... I'm a market leader and sometimes market leaders have to forget what the competition is doing and they just have to get out and lead. Talk about not biting the hands that feed you how do employee [unexpected] emotions change after an acquisition? Also, what is the importance of the last three years before selling? The Buzz’s pilot episode was ‘Deals, Contingencies, and Gotchas’. Listen to Paul’s new take on due diligence and his stance on contingencies. Speaking of due diligence gone awry, who is to blame for attrition after Terminix acquired Alterra? Oil and water don’t mix. How could foosball-playing, segway-riding, hipster kids integrate with Terminex guys, or was the culture clash inevitable? Paul answers several listener-submitted questions, including : Provide a little more insight into Anticimex’s benchmarking process. How does it actually work in practice and how can I utilize it in my own business? Assuming it would be Anticimex, will Jarl eventually transition the US brands into one brand? With acquisitions in general, what are the first priorities in transitioning employees and customers to the new brand (assuming a brand change) or management? To put yourself on the list to receive the pest control P&L chart of accounts, send an email to [email protected] https://www.potomacpestcontrol.com//episode-26-benchmarkin

A whole bunch of BUZZ words ... https://www.potomacpestcontrol.com//episode-25-is-the-buzz

There's a lot to unpack in our boardroom conversation with Jim McHale, CEO Anticimex-platform JP McHale Pest Management Inc. https://www.potomacpestcontrol.com//episode-25-is-the-buzz

Paul literally steps into Anticimex's boardroom in Stockholm and sits down face-to-face with CEO Jarl Dahlfors, for this intimate and hard-hitting interview. Although Paul prides himself in being the preeminent, global expert on pest control valuation and M&A, our team here at The Boardroom Buzz is wondering if he missed his calling as a 20/20 journalist. As CEO of Loomis, Jarl turned a low-performing business into the darling of the cash management and armored car services i...ndustry by decentralizing its business model and changing its culture. As head of a direct competitor of Brinks, it was Jarl who dethroned at least two Brinks’s CEOs according to equity research analyst Jamie Clement earning Jarl the 'Swedish Beast' moniker. In the middle of an extremely successful career in the security industry, EQT, owner of Anticimex tapped Jarl to do what he does best, shake up and decentralize a sleepy Nordic business that had been around for almost a century. Decentralizing Loomis paid dividends for him, but how would that play out in another similar route-based business? Jarl battled his critics, but he could see that there was so much more potential for quality, profit, and growth. As the protector of the branch manager, Jarl decentralized Anticimex, established benchmarking protocol and has lead his highly-motivated team in building one of the largest pest control companies in the world. Following the interview, Paul and Patrick are joined by guest co-host David Billingsly, President at American Pest, for additional commentary on what it’s like to be a country president at Anticimex. https://www.potomacpestcontrol.com//episode-24-the-stockho

High pricing for pest control got Svein Olav’s attention as COO of Swedish retail coffee chain, Espresso House. Little did he know that he’d follow the white rabbit into pest control ownership, and bring a company back from the brink of bankruptcy. After taking over as Nomor’s CEO, Svein Olav quickly made the rounds conducting interviews with both employees and customers. His employees didn’t know what they wanted, but Svein Olav knew what they needed. Svein Olav resurrected... a ‘given up’ culture. Take notes on his unique insights on female employees, language diversity, fitness, pay for performance, and celebrating success. The underdog, Nomor, grew to be the 4th largest pest control company in Europe and solid competitor with capabilities to service Sweden’s insurance demands. Nomor’s turn around tale is one for the ages. Potomac advised Nomor on its sale to ServiceMaster in 2019. The transaction was nominated for Nordic M&A deal of the year. https://pod.co//episode-23-the-stockholm-sessions-part-1-s

Accountability is the word... a vision card... core values... No accountability? Lack intensity? That's ok elsewhere :) https://pod.co//ep-22-open-book-a-transparent-conversation

Jeff Annis avoided #pestcontrol growing up. In fact, it’s the last thing on earth that he would choose to do. Which path led Jeff to building a flagship company in Augusta, Georgia? If you could summarize Jeff Annis and Dena Thomas’s business, Advanced Services, then it may be unique. Or it could be innovation. Or it could be culture. Maybe it’s accountability. It’s hard to pin down a single takeaway from their sustainable success. Jeff’s #TedX talk gives extra insight on his... core belief of ‘great, not big’. Taking a page from Zingerman’s Deli, their open book accounting method sets them apart. Listen how their employee buy-in has taken them to a new level of profitability. If you can pass their core value test, video job interviews, random pre-employments drug screenings, and ride alongs, then you may find yourself a self-selecting profit sharing participant. Stick around for the post-Boardroom #franchise discussion. The franchise chat quickly spun into Paul and Patrick scratching the surface on partnerships in pest control. #pestcontrolpodcast #theboardroombuzz https://pod.co//ep-22-open-book-a-transparent-conversation

Joe had to make some changes when he bought the #pestcontrol business... https://pod.co//episode-21-the-irony-u-s-army-officer-to-h

Sometimes it's the non-tangibles... #pestcontrolpodcast #theboardroombuzz

As you can imagine, only a few people ever dream or imagine of getting into pest control as a career. Joe definitely took a unique path for his world to collide with the pest industry. Although law school was Joe’s best idea after hanging up his uniform, he found himself at Harvard Business School where he adapted by learning from his private equity and consulting experienced classmates. Paul and Joe revisit their early conversations as Joe was looking to go from no pest cont...rol background to owning a $3.5 million business. Joe shares the risks and realities of stepping into a business sight unseen. Also, Paul gives answers as Buzz listeners have asked about the M&A environment in this COVID climate. #pestcontrol #pestcontrolpodcast #TheBoardroomBuzz https://pod.co//episode-21-the-irony-u-s-army-officer-to-h

Brandon Hier thinking back on selling the family business #theboardroombuzz #pestcontrol #pestcontrolpodcast https://pod.co//episode-20-life-after-a-death-how-brandon-

Door to door pest control businesses can get a bad wrap. Futhermore, the premise of door to door (d2d) sales affect business valuations. The School of Hard Knocks is largely a casual conversation about transaction multiples for door-to-door companies in the pest control industry past, present and future. What you can do to position your pest control business for a successful exit?... Email [email protected] for access to the full-length presentation, including Q&A, and also to request an invitation to future live events.

Brandon Hier recalls his experience responding to the responsibilities he inherited when his dad passed away and then ultimately selling the family business five years later. As a young teen, Brandon donned a respirator as he followed in his father's footsteps. His life took a turn as he shelved his college education to return home to run the business. Brandon was thrust into an impossible work-life balance as he struggled to build the family business in his father's absence.... Not only did Brandon take the leadership position at the family pest control company, but to further the matter, he found himself responsible for his mother’s financial future and retirement. Join Paul and Patrick, as Brandon looks back on his time running the family business, selling it and ultimately exceeding expectations with his new life at Rentokil. Paul and Patrick also chat about ServiceMaster selling their Brands business to do pure play pest. #pestcontrolpodcast #theboardroombuzz #pestcontrol https://pod.co//episode-20-life-after-a-death-how-brandon-