Over 100 years of service
About us
Rentokil Initial named as one of Britain's Most Admired Companies for quality of products and services.
Rentokil Initial announces the completion of the acquisition of Terminix Global Holdings, creating a new global leader in pest control.
Rentokil Initial announces the acquisition Environmental Pest Service (‘EPS’), a full-service, commercial and residential pest control company based in Tampa, Florida with 30 branches across East Florida, West Florida, North Georgia and North Carolina.
Rentokil is awarded a second Queen's Award for Enterprise for Innovation for Lumnia, the world's first commercial range of insect light traps that use LED lighting rather than traditional fluorescent tubes, reducing energy usage by up to 70%.
Rentokil Initial has been awarded two prestigious awards. Britain's Most Admired Company for Diversity & Inclusion and also topped the league table of the UK's Best Workplaces in the private sector, according to data released by the world's biggest job site, Indeed.
Rentokil Initial acquires Florida Pest Control. Based in Gainesville, Florida Pest Control was established in 1949 with 20 branches throughout central and northern Florida (including Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville).
Rentokil Initial announces that it is taking the lead in a new initiative to use unclaimed shareholder dividends and unclaimed shares to fund charitable causes. A new fund, named Rentokil Initial Cares, was established.
Rentokil Initial plc and the Trustee of the Rentokil Initial 2015 Pension Scheme agree to a bulk annuity buy-in for the Scheme with Pension Insurance Corporation, a specialist insurer of defined benefit pensions. This will guarantee the benefits of 14,200 members of the scheme.
Rentokil Pest Control is awarded The Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation, recognising the Company’s leadership position in digital innovation, in particular its RADAR and PestConnect systems.
Rentokil Initial plc announces a new partnership with Cool Earth to support its work in Papua New Guinea, protecting around 1,000 acres of rainforest and so preventing the release of at least 228,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, equivalent to the company’s entire carbon footprint.
The Royal Society of the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) awards Rentokil Initial a Gold Award in recognition of this high level of safety performance, well developed occupational health and safety management systems, outstanding control of risk and very low levels of error, harm and loss.
In Australia, Rentokil launches a ‘Women in Pest Control’ workshop to promote gender diversity in the industry and promote its goal to triple the number of women working as pest control technicians. Creating a diverse and gender balanced workforce is part of the company’s RIGHT WAY plan.
Rentokil Initial celebrates a milestone of £200,000 pounds raised for Malaria No More UK. Colleagues continue to raise funds through bike rides, marathons and cake sales.
Rentokil Pest Control is awarded The Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade, recognising the business’s outstanding achievement in global trade.
Launch of Lumnia, a new generation of energy-efficient LED fly killers designed to attract, kill and encapsulate insects hygienically, eliminating the risk of contamination in hygiene-critical areas
Rentokil launches RapidPro Riddance, a new rodenticide aimed to tackle infestations of rodenticide-resistant mice. Our scientists have studied the way mice feed to develop the RapidPro Riddance solution which is faster-acting and tastes irresistible to rodents.
Rentokil Initial forms a joint venture with PCI Pest Control. PCI’s operations in 250 locations and 6,900 colleagues join forces with the existing Rentokil team to become the biggest pest control service in India.
Rentokil provided an intensive range of preventative pest control services to the Athletes' Village, Operating Village, three Media Villages, arenas, stadiums and the Olympic Parks, including hospitality areas.
Apps, Hangouts and G+ social media have become embedded within the company, boosting productivity and efficiency. Virtual communities are used to share knowledge, sales leads and best practice.
In the Netherlands, Initial launched the world’s first washroom monitoring and display system which leads to improved hand-washing habits.
Signature washroom units are made available in 9 colours, giving customers the opportunity to customise the mood in their washrooms. The No-touch range is also extended to meet increasing consumer demand to touch fewer products in the washroom and reduce the risk of cross infection.
Rentokil made its 50th acquisition in the US – consolidating its position as one of the largest national pest control companies in the world’s biggest pest control market.
Rentokil launched its first global 24-hour Pestaurant event, with pop-up stands serving edible insects to 20,000 people in 12 cities from Washington to Sydney.
Rentokil Initial South Africa began to install and service Signature and Reflection units in the tourist facilities of Robben Island, one of Cape Town’s most visited tourist attractions and one-time ‘home’ to Nelson Mandela.
Rentokil kept the main football stadium in Curitiba, training facilities, team hotels and transport hubs free of pests.
Our RADAR mousetraps are enabled with technology to automatically alert technicians and update service records in myRentokil (our customer extranet) in the event of a mouse being detected.
Initial Cleanroom’s CleanVision garment saw off tough competition from other German, Portuguese, Austrian and British companies to be awarded Cleanroom Technology’s Cleanroom Award for 2014.
The ‘City of Adelaide’, a clipper ship built in 1864 had lain on the banks of the River Clyde in Scotland. An international ‘Bring her Home’ campaign was launched in Adelaide and in late 2013 the ship bearing the City’s name began its voyage home. Before the ship could move, however, Rentokil experts were called in to undertake bird proofing and specialist cleaning and disinfection to ensure the ship met with strict Australian import regulations.
Initial Workwear launched 8 new collections including their premium Evolution collection of general workwear. Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) collections (Alpha and Delta) are designed for specific tasks such as welding and are certified against the latest EU legislation, making Initial the first company in the textiles services industry to achieve this certification.
Initial launched Signature – a stylish range of quality washroom products made from durable materials with an integral antibacterial surface that helps reduce the spread of germs. Signature won the prestigious Red Dot Design award in 2014.
Industry leading R&D has always been a feature of Rentokil Initial's operations. In 2012 a Global Science Centre was established to undertake research, development and regulatory work for the Pest Control and Hygiene businesses.
Our operations expanded to new territories with acquisitions in Turkey, Brazil, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. In North America, the acquisition of Western Exterminator makes Rentokil one of the largest players in the US pest control market.
Rentokil was called in by the Ministry for Public Utilities of Libya to deal with rats in its major cities. In Tobruk a crack team supported the World Health Organisation to tackle an outbreak of the Bubonic plague.
Rentokil Initial announced an agreement with Google to move its global email and communication platform to Google Apps.
Rentokil was selected as the preferred supplier of pest control services and products to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Rentokil Tropical Plants was renamed Ambius and began to expand its service offering to include ambient scenting and corporate artwork.
Rentokil Initial entered Asia’s fastest growing economies of Brunei, India, and China.
Rentokil launched the world’s smartest mousetrap – RADAR – the Rodent Activated, Detection And Riddance device which combines CO2 and infrared technology
Initial opened its new state-of-the-art laundry in Lokeren, Belgium – the biggest industrial laundry in Europe. It has its own water treatment installation which allows maximum re-use of pumped water, and also makes significant savings on energy. The laundry operates 24 hours a day for 5 days a week in order to achieve greatest efficiency savings.
Stiftsgården, Norway's Royal Residence discovered an infestation of clothes moths. Rentokil treated over 300 items of furniture, including the original Crowning Chairs, using their unique Controlled Atmosphere Technology system.
Rentokil Tropical Plants negotiated a high-profile contract to maintain exotic plant displays aboard two of P&O’s world-class super liners, Aurora and Oriana, the start of a long and rewarding relationship between Ambius and many luxury cruise liners today.
Rentokil Tropical Plants won their first gold medal at Britain’s most celebrated horticultural events, the Chelsea Flower Show. They went on to win many more gold and silver gilt awards at the Hampton Court Flower show and BBC Gardeners’ World Live events.
Rentokil made its largest acquisition to date, BET (British Electric Traction) and the Initial brand passed to Rentokil.
Rentokil treated the soil around the new Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur, to keep what was then the world’s tallest building free of termites.
Our washroom hygiene business was established in Asia with the acquisition of Wellcome Hygiene marking our entry into Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines.
Rentokil acquired Thomas Cowan and cemented its position as the leading pest control provider in Malaysia and Singapore.
In the early 80s BET increased its stake in Initial to 40%, and in 1985 BET acquired the remaining 60%. This allowed it to merge Initial with Advance Service's laundry operations while retaining the Initial brand name.
Rentokil secured a pest control contract for the newly-built NatWest Tower in the City of London – at that time it was Britain’s tallest building.
Rentokil was called upon to carry out termite treatment to the foundations of the newly completed Sydney Opera House as guided tours and test performances took place ahead of its official opening.
Rentokil Group Ltd was listed on the London Stock Exchange with one of the largest new issues of shares the City had seen. In the same year, it established the basis of a hygiene division with the purchase of Rashbrooke Chemical Company and in 1970 acquired Thames Services for £1million.
Rentokil was awarded a contract to repel birds at Buckingham Palace and pest control at the newly opened Post Office Tower (BT Tower).
Rentokil signed a 10-year contract with the City Fathers of Hamelin – the first since a certain Pied Piper had been called in 1284!
Rentokil commenced operations in Asia through the acquisition of Anti Pest in Hong Kong and Fumigation & Pest Control in Singapore.
On 1 January 1962 all the UK trading companies became divisions of Rentokil Laboratories Ltd, shortened to Rentokil Limited.
By the mid 1950s, the synergies between British Ratin and Rentokil Ltd had become obvious and British Ratin acquired Rentokil Ltd and its service arm, Woodworm and Dry Rot Control Ltd.
Shortly after WW2 Reykjavik found itself overrun with rats. Out of 4858 City properties, 3905 were infested with brown rats and the docks were teaming with black rats. Rentokil was called in to deal with the problem and within a few weeks the rats were eradicated. The Mayor of Reykjavik wrote to express his appreciation for the work that was not only successful, but that also “received no complaints of accident or illness among people or pets”.
Dr Norman Hickin joined Rentokil Limited as an entomologist. He started a servicing section which became Woodworm and Dry Rot Control Ltd in 1952.
Demand for pest control services began extending beyond rodent control to insect control. British Ratin made its first acquisition, Chelsea Insecticides Ltd.
The Initial Towel Supply Company floated on the stock market and during the 1930s BET (British Electric Traction) acquired a small stake in Initial.
The company was registered in 1925 as Rentokil Limited due to trade name objections preventing the name 'Entokill'.
Harold Maxwell-Lefroy started supplying bottles of woodworm fluid from a small factory in Hatton Garden, which he called 'Ento-kill fluids – an amalgam of the Greek work 'entomon' meaning insect and the English word 'kill'.
Harold Maxwell-Lefroy, Professor of Entomology at Imperial College London, was asked to study ways of exterminating the beetles in Westminster Hall and in time began receiving regular orders.
Danish pharmacist, Georg Neumann of Aalborg discovered a strain of bacteria lethal to rats and mice, which became known commercially as Ratin. The first London sales office opened in 1906.
Mr A. P. Bigelow introduced a towel rental service to businesses in London. Each towel was marked with the customer's initials, which ensured that customers only received their own towels, leading to the name, 'Initial Towel Supply Company'.