September Pest Index Increased Nine Percent YOY

The total U.S. William Blair/PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists Pest Index increased nine percent year-over-year in September, showing continued deceleration from August (up 11 percent) and July (up 12 percent). The September results are slightly below the historical average index growth rate of 12 percent.

“September’s below-average results are in line with recent commentary from several large players,” said William Blair Equity Researcher Tim Mulrooney. “Specifically, Rentokil referenced a ‘softer consumer demand environment’ in its third-quarter trading update, and Rollins said that digital leads were ‘flat or maybe even slightly down’ in the third quarter.”

Dan Gordon, managing member of PCO Bookkeepers & M&A Specialists, said, “Our clients are expressing the same sentiments regarding the price of digital media as well. However, many are finding alternatives such as door-to-door sales and smaller reasonably priced acquisitions in order to grow.”

The August results by segment include:

• The Residential Pest Index increased 13 percent year-over-year.
• The Commercial Pest Index increased 10 percent year-over-year.
• The Termite Index decreased 1 percent year-over-year.
• The Bed Bug Index increased 17 percent year-over-year.
• The Mosquito Index decreased 11 percent year-over-year.

View the full report and the archive of past reports at SellMyPCOBusiness.com.