Pest Management Professional, September 2012

Sponsored by Mergers with a larger company offers Boles and company financial security and the ability to grow Schendel brings nine offices 135 employees 13 million in revenue and approximately 14000 clients to the equation Even though the ink has yet to dry on all of the merger contracts Boles is convinced the decision was best for all involved Day One I felt this was the right decision And today I feel stronger than ever that this is the right decision for my co workers clients myself and my family Boles says Retaining autonomy is key Boles adds I needed to know the Schendel brand and the people who made it so successful would be allowed to continue operating as is Terminix shared my feelings and have offered us support and expertise while encouraging us to keep doing what made us successful We are a standalone brand operating as Schendel Finding a perfect fit Mergers can be appealing for a variety of reasons But for a deal to succeed long term both the buyer and seller need to benefit Like a happy marriage a successful business merger should be a case of 1 1 3 A financially sound company might have a location that appeals to a prospective buyer or a set of clients commercial or residential that is easier to buy than to develop from scratch The prospective seller in turn might benefit from access to the larger companys proven people practices and systems Both parties must perform their due diligence I didnt enter into the process half pregnant Boles notes I knew it was the right thing for me and Schendel My advice is Make sure youre committed to the process before walking down the aisle Even with all of the preparation there can be a little trepidation My biggest worry was how the employees at our branches would handle the changes Smith says We had known a lot of our employees for many years they had become really good friends We wanted to be certain their professional and financial needs would be met and theyd be able to adjust to a larger companys culture and policies and thats precisely what our merger delivered Merger experts can help work out the details but even so small speed bumps should be anticipated Sometimes the process kept me up at night when lawyers are involved I tend to lose sleep Boles says We had some things pop up that created a little anxiety but Terminix was committed to making the deal work for everyone Boles adds Terminix really worked hand in hand with us to overcome any challenges The talks were never adversarial Both parties stayed focused on the finish line Brent Boles just merged Schendel Pest Services with Terminix and is excited for all involved Making the union work Boles remains president of Schendel and still runs the operation He offers this piece of advice and for anyone looking to merge Hire a professional to help determine if it makes sense and if so what steps to take Experience helps as well and no one raises an eyebrow when a pest management professional PMP enters more than one business marriage This wasnt the first time I sold an office Smith says And I also have a number of friends who sold their pest control branches to Terminix so I was well aware of what to expect I spent so much time and energy building the company its only natural I initially felt a little sad knowing someone else now is responsible for the customers and employees However it really makes me smile knowing the merger is in the best interest of those very same people I care so much about pmp You can reach Jacobs a Cleveland based contributor at jacobs3927@ sbcglobal net www mypmp net Pest Management Professional September 2012 M11