Terminix

Terminix International Company, L.P. is one of the largest pest control companies in the world, operating in 47 states in the United States and 22 countries around the world. It is a subsidiary of ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc.

In 1927, E. L. Bruce, owner of the E. L. Bruce Company in Memphis, Tennessee, wanted to find a way to protect the hardwood floors they manufactured from damage by termites and founded the Bruce Terminix Research Laboratory. In 1932, senior chemist Frank Lyons created the first termiticide, an insecticide specifically designed to kill termites. The company began to franchise under the name Bruce Terminix. In 1955, Terminix was the first company to offer a termite protection contract, with annual inspections and a guarantee. In 1957, franchisees began offering residential and commercial pest control services.

In 1968, the E. L. Bruce Company, including Bruce Terminix, was sold to Cook Industries. The company began looking to expand its business both inside and outside of the United States and purchased a pest control company in Mexico. Terminix partnered with Sears, Roebuck and Company to offer pest control services under the Sears Termite and Pest Control name. In 1972, the company changed their name to Terminix International to highlight their expanded operations.

ServiceMaster, a global holding company, purchased Terminix from Cook Industries in 1986. It continued to acquire pest control companies, including former franchisees, to become the largest pest control company in the world by 1990. The company expanded into Europe in 1994 with the acquisition of Peter Cox PLC, a pest-control and wood-preservation business in Britain. In 2001, Terminix purchased its former partner, Sears Termite and Pest Control. In 2007, ServiceMaster moved its main offices from Downers Grove, Illinois to the site of Terminix's headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee.

Over the first three months of 2009, Terminix acquired nine pest management companies across seven states. In December 2012, Terminix closed six acquisitions adding over $10 million in revenue. In 2013, Terminix acquired two Canadian pest control companies, Magical Pest Control, based in Toronto, and Vancouver-based Care Pest & Wildlife Control. During the first five months of 2014, Terminix acquired eight pest and wildlife control companies in ten states. Terminix's parent company, ServiceMaster, held its IPO in June 2014. In November 2015, Terminix acquired the Utah-based company, Alterra Pest Control.