[Viewpoint] Some New Twists To The List

It’s been almost 18 months since PCT magazine published its inaugural "Top 100" list of the largest companies in the structural pest control industry. The original list, published in January 2002, caused quite a stir in the marketplace, as we knew it would. Nothing like it had ever been done before, so the PCT staff challenged ourselves to put together the most comprehensive list possible. And now we’ve done it again.

Why do we go through the time-consuming exercise of identifying the largest companies in the pest management industry? There are several reasons. One, it recognizes those companies that represent a large percentage of the industry’s annual service revenues. Second, it’s a fun story to write that creates a "buzz" in the marketplace. Third, it gives us a chance to profile some companies that may not normally make it into the pages of PCT (see story on page 29). We’ve tried to tell these stories in a way that will help you take away ideas for growing your own business.

Here’s a little background on how we collected this year’s data. Most PCT subscribers received an entry form on the cover of their January 2003 issue of PCT. Those who didn’t were faxed the form in the middle of January. A special e-newsletter was sent to all PCT E-newsletter subscribers in March. We even bought lists to fax forms to non-PCT subscribers. In addition, the PCT staff hand faxed and called companies we thought should be on the list. In short, we did all we could to include every company that should be on this list. If we missed you, I apologize. Please drop us a line so that we can include you next year.

Many companies were forthcoming with their numbers. Others were not. For those that did not offer their numbers, we estimated revenues from a variety of sources, including Dun & Bradstreet, discussions with industry consultants and data from other sources.

We made several changes to the list this year. The most obvious change is that we waited to publish the list until 2002 revenue numbers were available. After talking to many pest management professionals, most agreed that the majority of companies would have their company’s 2002 financial information closed in January. We clarified "2002 revenues" to mean January to December 2002 for those companies that have a fiscal year that does not coincide with the calendar year. We also added a question asking firms’ commercial vs. residential revenue.

We said it last year and we’ll say it again: This list does not signify our endorsement of any pest control company. If you’re on the list, congratulations. If you’re not, perhaps you have something to shoot for next year. My hope is that in time, the industry looks forward to and is proud of this "Top 100" list. I already know of at least one reader who would be proud to be a part of the list.

"My hope is to make your list in a couple of years," one reader wrote me. "My company is only four years old and were doing very well so far. I hope to make your list in a couple of years, God willing."

I hope so too.

The author is editor of PCT magazine.