The Boardroom Buzz: Grow, Sell, or Exit

Tracy Judnich along with his two business partners, Joe and Jeremiah, led  The Bug Guys  to a solid (and speedy) exit. Certus has taken over, but looking back, what would  Tracy  do differently? Paul gives props to Tracy's unique capabilities. You'll be hard pressed to find a denser service map. That mad focus went straight to the bottom-line. Join the conversation as The Rule of 23 goes under the...

Paul Utts directed RID Pest Control to provide a more than comfortable lifestyle. Now writing the last chapter of his pest control career, he still has some work to do before sailing into the sunset. With this transaction completed, it is time to tell the story of how Paul Utts stumbled into the industry. What ends an era in pest control services for Paul, began as a waiter at a kosher hotel. Whil...

Why not wait until Episode 50 to start at the beginning? The beginning of M&A (mergers and acquisitions) that is. In the miniseries foretold, legal structure sits as the first building block of M&A.  You'll hear about asset purchases and stock purchases. Don't get drowned out in the verbiage. Hear how the role you play in an M&A deal determines your preferences. For previous reference,...

Before you can judge Patrick for his inability to explain Profit First , it's a better idea to ask the author. Mike Michalowicz gets his formal introduction to the pest control industry in this extended interview. Hear how Mike leverages human nature to establish predictable profit. Sales - Expenses = Profit. True, but Mike creates a cash management tool by flipping the traditional GAAP formula. P...

It’s time to catch-up with some listener submitted questions. Serial entrepreneur Patrick can’t find a way to dodge the first question about franchising. Six years ago, Patrick and Bobby franchised their business. With properly placed intentions, what advice can Patrick give looking back at the experience? Patrick goes into detail about what he would do differently if he had to make the decision a...

Succession plans may sound easy compared to the alternatives. Hear how ripping off the Band-Aid compares to family buy-outs with strings attached. From managing the business to managing their health, Jeff Phillips's parents never enjoyed their golden years in retirement. It may be an extreme reaction, but at 47-years old, Jeff decided it was time to exit after his dad’s passing.  Although his fath...

Step into The Boardroom to hear how Sean McCauley built his empire. As the owner of Aantex Pest Control , Sean is now on pest control company number three. While pest control runs through his veins, it's not the only ‘egg in his basket’. Sean has monetized his previous pest control investments to venture into other assets. Sean shares his opportunistic outlook: there are different advantages in ev...

There was little warning before WorkWave CEO David Giannetto walked into The Boardroom. Patrick's past PestPac experience sets the tone for this real conversation. Since all the skeletons are coming out, why not spin an extra 'nickel and dime' into the chat? David stepped into the CEO role two years ago. Support tickets counts ran high, and the tech became more indebted by the day. The customers w...

The ink is still wet and the emotions are raw. Jason Byer opens up about his team and the guilty conscience he hid last year as he sold the family business. Jason led Suburban Exterminating up to and through their sale to Rentokil in late 2020.  The service and billing decoupling discussion returns to The Buzz, but Suburban was unique. Listen for how Door Knockers rang-in a new billing method.  If...

Mike Stanczyk makes time between closings for an encore appearance in The Boardroom. On this occasion, Mike fields shareholder agreement questions. From formal arrangements to napkins to none, hear how preparation and sophistication varies. Don’t feel alone if you find yourself without a proper agreement in place. Learn from others. Have these discussions. Proper agreements are borne from previous...

Patrick survives the un-Texas weather to only later hear Paul tell him what he’s (not) worth. Between upcoming tax rate hikes and inflated valuations, wouldn’t you know that Paul is keeping busy (or at least The Angry Mex is)? In other current events, Patrick *felt* special for a hot minute. You'll hear how about "a top pest control provider in the southeast that is actively seeking to expand its...

Jeff Bain knows how to learn from others. Taking notes from his insurance colleagues, Jeff knew he had to build an annuity-based pest control business. His top priority was to protect the residential-heavy business from wild seasonality as he took over the reins at Bain Pest Control . During Jeff’s collegiate days, he found himself getting paid to learn from American Pest’s former leader, Jay Nixo...

Step into the Boardroom with one of Paul’s favorite pest control people. Mitch Smith discusses experiences which shaped his management style. He shares leadership lessons learned throughout his 35+ year career. This Boardroom guest started in the industry as a technician and rose in the ranks at both TruGreen and Centex . Before Mitch’s current position as COO of Edge , Mitch was the Pacific Divis...

The U Group held its semi-annual meeting in Tampa, and called on Paul Giannamore to present. Call it a press pass or Paul’s paparazzi; Patrick managed to find his way into the meeting. Even the Senator Scott Stevenson made the drive to hang out with Paul, Patrick, and his U Group colleagues. While in Tampa, Paul made time to visit Seth Garber’s Pest Daily studio for some buy-side lessons. What hap...

Set aside what you think about routing for two hours, and step into the Boardroom with Pam Blauvelt of PCT Top 100 Griffin Pest Solutions ( now a Rentokil company... finally ). What Doug Stevenson is to financial systems, Pam is to operational efficiencies. Find the path to the  Holy Grail  as you consider same-day scheduling changes. Tune-in to hear how an acquisition accident left Pam and her bu...

Last week’s inspirational episode with Shelby Hawkins still has The Boardroom picking up the pieces. Paul summed up Shelby’s interview best: ‘no excuses’.  It’s a good time to catch up on Paul’s New Year’s Day board meeting . Paul gives feedback on the P&L’s, incentive structures, and management reports. There is a give and take to incentive structures. Who knew that a hedge fund conference on...

Shelby Hawkins found herself in pest control with 3 kids, 2 college degrees, 1 ex-husband, and 0 business experience. Her maternal determination brought her from food stamps to financial freedom. As a pest control pioneer, Shelby broke the glass ceiling but in her humility, she credits providing for her kids. It wasn't hard enough that she was outnumbered as a female in pest control, but she found...

What has Paul learned from The Boardroom Buzz, and how it has changed his perspective? It's only a matter of minutes before Paul reminds Patrick of his Anticimex HQ boardroom conversation. Jarl Dahlfors shared his Quality, Profit, and Growth philosophy in Episode 24 . With a quality-first priority, it’s time to hear the realities of chasing shiny objects vs. making internal improvements. What make...

'Twas the night before Christmas, a Boardroom or house, Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The live traps were set by the chimney with care, It’s showtime, Paul G, let’s get on the air; Jamie Clement chimed in with Milo his cat, The Boardroom opens up for a hot mic chat; Listeners sent in questions and summoned the bookies; Will Patrick give mad props to Milk Bottle Cookies? Knowing wh...

Mark O’Hara stepped out to step up the family business. Is this wisdom for future generations of Buzz listeners? Mark served his time at both the US Army and Anheuser-Busch before rejoining Anderson Pest Solutions . Mark built on his non-pest experience to rise in the ranks at Anderson. His dad started it, his brother primed it, and Mark and his nephew, JT Barnard, scaled it. Mark and his nephew u...

Exciting opportunities abound for David Billingsly, Shane Hoy, Ben Hoy, Jon Hoy, and the Pro Pacific Pest Control team. As Anticimex goes west, J. Peterman pays a special visit to congratulate Paul and The Mex aka Franco. Guest co-host David 'General' Billingsly returns to discuss his new role at Anticimex , and is greeted with his new nickname.  While David frowns on the nickname, it's the title...

What could be worse : a multi-million dollar wiring snafu or another extortion at the closing ? If that question is being posed, then you know it has been another long week in Paul's busiest M&A season. It sounds like these uninvited experiences will remind listeners of previous episode discussions. Some acquirers are sitting on their announcements, but not Anticimex . AX is proud to announce...

Doug Stevenson and his brothers grew Modern Pest Services to $18 million before selling to Anticimex . It would be hard to find a process at Modern in which Doug did not include in a financial system.  Doug found himself entrenched in cost analysis study after study. It was his tenacity that helped  5x  Modern's net income in one year. Adjustable initial service charges and subscription billing he...

If Scott Stevenson is the Senator, then Paul Giannamore is the Brother Whisperer. Paul has an epiphany moment as Scott turned the tables and questioned him about his custom communication methods. As a third generation co-owner with brothers Doug and Rich, Scott takes us back to Modern's early days. Who knew it would involve repairing a toaster of all things? In his twenties, Scott visited with Har...

For more than twelve years, John Myers, Rentokil North America CEO, has scaled a regional pest control business into a national empire. John describes the nuanced difference between success and excellence as his company has grown. John opens up about fear of failure, a trait he shares with Rentokil Initial CEO Andy Ransom. Speaking of Ransom. How does John talk about their relationship between fla...