New Tampa insurance exec ran Sears Auto, stomped bugs

TAMPA — Baldwin Risk Partners named Joe Finney, a former executive of a fast-growing Sarasota pest control firm, president of its Mainstreet Insurance Group unit.

Finney was CEO of Sarasota-based Environmental Pest Service from January 2014 until last September. He helped the company grow through an acquisition strategy, where it bought more than 20 pest control firms statewide and into Georgia. It had $45.7 million in revenues in 2015, up 30.2% from $35.1 million in 2014, and it was ranked No. 19 on Pest Control Technology magazine's 2016 “Top 100” list of the nation's largest pest control firms.

Prior to EPS Finney oversaw Sears Automotive Group, which grew to $1.6 billion in sales and 14,000 employees spread through 800 Sears Auto Centers and 1,200 Kmart locations under his watch. Finney's other career stops include CEO of Tire Centers, a $1 billion Michelin subsidiary, and a top senior executive at Terminix and ServiceMaster, where he led significant turnarounds.