About Rentokil

Rentokil History

1920 – The Beginnings

The history of Rentokil Initial began, not unexpectedly, with a pest problem and a professor of entomology (the study of insects) at Imperial College London. The pest in question was a family of plaster beetles, which had taken up residence in London’s famous Westminster Abbey. The professor, Harold Maxwell Lefroy, was commissioned in the 1920s by the Minister of Labour Sir Frank Baines to provide a study on how to control and eliminate the Abbey’s unwanted guests.

In the course of his research, Lefroy developed several highly successful pest control products, from which regular business assignments ensued. In 1924, he and his assistant, Elisabeth Eades, began to market a product for the treatment of woodworms. Made and bottled in a small factory in Hatton Garden, the product was called “Ento-Kill Fluid“. The word is a combination of the Greek word for insect, ENTO, and the English word KILL.

1925

Encouraged by this success, the two founded a company under the name of ENTO–KILL in 1925. When the name failed to receive official approval, Lefroy decided to modify it, coming up with a less “direct” variant, namely Rentokil Limited.

Unfortunately, Lefroy was killed the following year in a laboratory accident. Few people thought the newly founded company could survive for very long. Elisabeth Eades, who owned a small share in the venture, proved them wrong, successfully assuming the role of company chief in the aftermath of Lefroy’s death.

1927 – From Pest Control Products to Service Provider

Following initial difficulties, a young Dane called Karl Gustav Anker-Petersen was appointed to manage the company’s UK business and improve profitability.

That was in 1927. By the following year – the company had been re–launched as British Ratin Company – Anker-Petersen realised that it would be far more profitable to sell a complete pest control service, say, rodent control, instead of merely selling the products used to control rodent pests. The company’s focus changed accordingly, leading to sustained growth over the next ten years.

The Second World War brought serious problems; with the exception of government contracts to protect food supplies and prevent the spread of epidemics by pests, demand for commercial pest control was very slack indeed.

1970 – IPO

In one of the biggest UK share emissions at the time, 1969 saw the flotation of the Rentokil Group Ltd on the London Stock Exchange. The acquisition of Rashbrooke Chemical Co. in the same year led to the creation of our Hygiene Division, expanded one year later by the takeover of Thames Services (Kingston) at a price of £1 million.

A pest prevention system developed for the food industry by Rentokil Pest Control became a leader in its field, making the company the biggest pest control provider in the UK. In the following years, the company began expanding and gaining market leadership in numerous countries worldwide. Germany is a good example, with many well-known companies in all kinds of industries insisting on the exemplary quality of pest control services provided by Rentokil.

1996 – Rentokil Initial, a Truly Global Player

From 1970 to 1990, Rentokil initiated a policy of worldwide expansion. The acquisition of firms specialising in contract cleaning, interior plants landscaping (i.e. rental of tropical plants) and office machine servicing extended the range of services in the company’s portfolio. During this time, the Washroom Services Division was also established.

Rentokil’s biggest acquisition to date was the takeover of BET (British Electric Traction) in 1996. Again, discussion began on whether the company and brand name should be modified. Should the brand name Rentokil, which remained as strong as ever, be retained? Or should the company opt for BET’s brand name, Initial? The problem with Rentokil was that, although world–famous, it seemed less appropriate for non–pest services. In the end, it was decided to combine the best of both worlds, leading in October 1996 to the foundation of Rentokil Initial.