Bug firm rides growth surge

SARASOTA — Arrow Environmental Services, one of the largest pest control firms in the Sarasota-Manatee region, continues to expand its Gulf Coast presence through acquisitions of other companies.

The latest deal, announced today, is for Naples based Shur-Shot, which includes Alert Termite & Pest Control and Cape Coral Termite & Pest Control. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed.

Sarasota-based Arrow, through chairman George Pickhardt and CEO Bill Hurd, has reformed its strategy over the last two years. In response to the decline in the new homes market, a large source of customers, the firm has sought growth through acquisitions.

The reinvention is working: Since 2010, Arrow has acquired eight companies with combined revenues that surpass $4 million, according to a press release. The company now projects it will reach $10 million in annual revenues by 2013.

Plus, in the last eight months, Arrow has bought four pest control businesses, culminating with the Shur-Shot acquisition. The other three acquisitions were for Port Charlotte-based Ant-Ser Termite & Pest Control; Sarasota-based AmerTermite; and Naples-based Gardener's Choice of SW Florida.

“We've been very pleased that we have maintained our quality of service as we continue to grow,” Pickhardt says in the release. “This is a testament to our employees, and also to the quality of the companies we have merged with.”