In Memoriam: Gary Muldoon

TORONTO – Gary Muldoon, longtime leader of Orkin Canada, passed away on March 15, at 71. Muldoon’s storied pest control career included helping integrate PCO Services into Orkin, which purchased the company from S.C. Johnson in 1999.

A native of Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, Muldoon began his career in pest control in 1974, running commercial routes in Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, for PCO Services. He worked his way through the ranks at PCO Services, including roles as general sales manager for the company’s Toronto office, general manager of operations for Ontario and vice president of operations Canada-wide.

In 1987, PCO Services was purchased by S.C. Johnson, one of the world’s largest consumer products companies, and in late 1999, Orkin negotiated with S.C. Johnson to acquire PCO Services for $25 million. During a two week-span, Muldoon and Glen Rollins, then-senior operations manager at Orkin, visited all 24 PCO Services offices to explain the marriage. "We went from Newfoundland to Vancouver and got belly-to-belly with 98 percent of the company," Muldoon recalled in his 2006 PCT Leadership article. 

Under Muldoon’s leadership, Orkin/PCO Canada flourished, realizing strong growth and profits as well as excellent coworker and customer retention rates. One of the companies Orkin/PCO Canada acquired was West Dale Pest Control, whose operations manager, Dale Kurt (now Orkin Canada Toronto Regional Manager), worked with Muldoon during the transition. He recalled, “As a smaller company being acquired by this large company people were nervous, but Gary was very supportive. I remember he said, ‘We didn't just buy your customers — we bought you and your team. You have grown this into a company with a good name and good reputation. We want to learn from you.’”

In 2001, Muldoon and his family moved to Atlanta, where he headed Orkin’s North America commercial division. In this position, Muldoon introduced Canada’s Gold Medal program to the U.S.

In 2005, Muldoon and his family moved back to Canada, where served as president of Orkin Canada until his retirement in 2017. Rob Quinn, president of Orkin Canada, worked closely with Muldoon upon his return to Orkin Canada. Quinn’s career path was similar to Muldoon’s in that he started as a service technician and worked his way through numerous management positions. Muldoon served as a role model and mentor to him. “Gary had a calming effect,” Quinn said. “If the walls were burning down around you, Gary would come into a room, and all was right with the world. He commanded a room when he walked into it, and you knew he was the leader not because of his title but because of the way he treated people."

Remembered for his dry wit and sense of humor, Muldoon in 2013 appeared on the W Network's “Undercover Boss Canada,” swapping his usual management tasks for frontline duties. PCT interviewed Muldoon about this experience in a podcast. 

Muldoon served as president of the Canadian Pest Management Association (CPMA) from 1992-1994 and was the inaugural winner of the Steven Graff award in 2018, which recognizes individuals for their contributions to the pest management industry in Canada.

Muldoon is survived by wife Karen and daughters Shannon and Erin, and will be reunited with son Cody, who passed away in 2018.