Bug Out

Why it matters: Environmental Pest Service is on the cusp of a major leap in annual revenue, using an all out grow-through-acquisition strategy.

In the race to become one of the largest pest control businesses in the country, consider Environmental Pest Service a tiger beetle — one of the fastest insects in the world.

The end of 2017 marks seven years of growing by acquiring other pest control firms, both in Florida and the Southeast. During that time, Environmental Pest Service, once based in Sarasota and now with a Tampa headquarters, has grown from $6 million in annual sales in 2011 to $50 million in 2017. While that kind of growth — 7,333% — would be cause for cartwheels-in-the-street celebrations for some companies, top EPS executives have pegged 2018 as another year of rapid expansion.

“We have a really good pipeline” for more potential acquisitions says Environmental Pest Service CFO David Bradford. “We think in 2018 we will almost double the pipeline we had in 2017.”