The Potomac Company is pleased to announce the acquisition of its client, Killingsworth Environmental (“Killingsworth”) in North Carolina, by Anticimex. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Killingsworth operates in South and North Carolina and has a strategic position in one of U.S. fastest-growing geographies. With the acquisition of Killingsworth, Anticimex further strengthens its market position on the U.S. east coast as well as creates a platform for further long-term growth in the Carolinas. Killingswoth has 180 employees and is a $21 million firm.
Killingsworth’s Current Service Footprint
Mike Rogers, a former Yellow Pages salesperson, purchased Killingsworth Environmental of the Carolinas in May 2007. He and wife Debbie have steadily grown the company by capitalizing on its brand and branching into lawn care, carpet cleaning, mold remediation, water restoration and more.
Mikael Vinje, regional president, Anticimex North America, said: “The Rogers family has built a terrific business based on relentless focus on customer experience and second-to-none quality. The strong entrepreneurial culture in Killingsworth is very much aligned with Anticimex’ DNA and we are very excited to partner with the talented team in Charlotte to embark on an accelerated growth journey in the Carolinas in the years to come”
Commenting on the transaction, Rogers said, “Anticimex’ core values – trust, innovation and passion – are perfectly aligned with ours and I’m confident that as part of the Anticimex team Killingsworth has the opportunity to accelerate its growth and achieve even greater success. We anticipate tremendous opportunities for our business, our employees, as well as, our customers. My two sons, Andrew and Mathew, will stay on with the dedicated team at Anticimex. They are as excited, as I am, about the global growth and expansion opportunities that we all see in this move.”
Rogers on Working with Potomac
In regard to working with Potomac, Mike Rogers said:
Paul clearly recognized the value of a brand. His contacts, inside our industry, were immense and his experience through the process was invaluable. I thought, initially, that this was something I could do myself. After going through it I am truly convinced that would have been a total mistake.
Paul was extremely professional and did a great job of keeping my emotions in check. He knew what was going to happen at each and every turn, anticipating the acquirers’ moves and strategies and kept us in the know through the whole process. During our sale his father passed away, and other than a few days out of pocket, he never seemed to lose focus on what he was doing. Not only was that amazing but it truly was a testament to his professionalism. Not sure I could’ve done that. One thing that I was most impressed with was his dedication to my sons. He impressed them and they, in turn, did the same to him and he constantly reminded me of that. A true professional.
I would have to say, and have said, your business is your pride and joy. Selling it is like cutting out a little piece of your heart. Paul Giannamore truly realizes that and combines those emotions with industry knowledge, M&A experience and dedication to his client to make sure you get the best deal. I would say if you are selling your business you, absolutely, could not make a better decision than to put Paul in charge and listen to him.