The Potomac Pest Control M&A Commentary

As one of the largest pest management firms in the country we have been contacted by every advisor you can imagine. For over a decade now Paul has been advising our firm and his abilities and professionalism are second to none. There is no way that we would have ever considered anyone else and believe, everyone else has called us a million times.

Paul is the most professional advisor I have ever worked with in my entire life. I can honestly say that without his abilities to navigate sensitive shareholder and acquirer dynamics this deal would have never gotten done. If the M&A market ever goes down the tubes Paul should consider being a psychologist or therapist.

When deciding to sell our family pest control business after 35 years, we knew it would be a complicated and emotional process. Paul Giannamore of Potomac provided the comfort and experience that only a true professional could. Paul was present every step of the way maximizing the value of JP McHale and addressing the insane amount of little details in the process. His knowledge of the industry is second to none, but more importantly, he’s a true M&A banker, not a former pest control business owner who now dabbles in the extremely complicated and high stakes arena of mergers & acquisitions. I give Paul the highest recommendation possible, you should get to know him today if you don’t already.


Doug McHale
JP McHale Pest Management
PCT Top 100

Simply put, Paul delivers precisely what he promises, and he doesn't make promises he can't deliver. My initial thought was an advisor would only be concerned with the deal and not me. Paul Giannamore wins your trust by earning it. Would never work with anyone else, he and Potomac are the best.

Excellent in all categories. I can't say enough good about Paul. He's very knowledgeable generally about business, but more importantly understands our industry very well, which gives him an advantage over most other generic advisors. Equally as important is Paul's humility and ability to admit what he doesn't know. His honesty, candor and truthfulness are both unique, rare and refreshing.

Paul started as my advisor and ended as a new dear friend. I love the guy. He is simply the best at what he does, and I would highly recommend him, in fact I would only recommend Paul Giannamore hands down to anyone considering selling their business. Honest, trustworthy and forthright, he brings a skill set that is invaluable and second to none. Our successful consummation of this transaction would not have been possible without the diligent efforts and tenacity of Paul Giannamore. Thank you, Paul!

Tony Sfreddo
Triple S Services
PCT Top 100

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, 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.


Mike Rogers
Killingsworth
PCT Top 100

Paul Giannamore was everything one could want in a seller's agent. His knowledge, aggressive approach, and follow-through were top notch. Surrounding yourself with people who are more intelligent than you are in their given field is how a man stays ahead in business. Paul Giannamore and the Potomac Company guided me through every step of selling my business. Paul had a sales plan put together within hours of me contacting him and executed that plan with confidence and aggression. He helped us with every little detail from setting the sale price, to negotiating, to document reviews. Now that the transaction is over and I know everything that went into this, the money spent on the Potomac Company's service was the best money I have ever spent. If you could work on being a little less awesome that would help me tolerate other businesses sub-standard service. I hope that is not too unprofessional of me.

Buck Hempel
Moleman Services

OMG...I was completely blown away with Paul’s everything.... I don't have the words to say how impressed I was and still am with Paul’s sincerity and dedication to not just my project but with his dedication to me personally. I truly can't say enough about him as a person and also at this point a friend. He made me feel that I was the most important person in his life during my project. Even after the deal went through, Paul continued his personal contact with me. I do consider Paul my friend for life. Anyone that connects with Paul will be amazingly surprised.

Dan Tulp
Liberty Pest
PCT Top 100

We have a Home Security company and a Pest control company.  Selling home security accounts and offices is very easy. Selling a Pest Control company can be very difficult.  There are so many pest control companies and offices for sell, it is hard to even get in front of these companies.  Paul has the close relationships with all of the key players in the industry.  He literally talks to his friends at these companies every day.  When I sell home security offices and accounts, people line up to buy them.  With Pest Control, these companies are very cautious, and it is hard to gain their trust.  Paul can bridge this huge gap and help build the credibility needed to maximize your transaction.  When you sell an office or a company it is a battle with the purchaser.  The acquisitions managers are really smart and are great at what they do.  Paul has the relationships to help you avoid the pitfalls and make it a smooth process.  You may be good at adding pest control customers and running a pest control company.  Selling your company is an entirely different process.  If you have ever sold a pest control office or company, you will understand how difficult it is.  If you haven't, then Paul is your guy.  When I talk to the guys at the different big companies they love and respect Paul.  He sells more pest control companies than anyone else for a reason.  Paul has refined the process of selling a company.  His team helps before and after the sell to make sure that your customers, the purchaser, and you are taken care of.  There are a lot of different reasons to sell your company, but at the end of day you want to make sure that your customers are happy and that is where Paul thrives.

Lance Riddoch
Crazy Frog

This was my first sale / merger, and Paul was excellent. He took the time to explain everything and was always available, including nights and weekends. The after-hours availability was extremely important as it allowed me to perform the day-to-day duties of running my business.

Paul was extremely professional and effective in leveraging a purchase price above my expectations with a buyer that fit with my company; he listened and delivered. In addition, Paul understood how to explain the process including offering advice on handling the initial meeting and due diligence with our acquirer.

I would highly recommend Paul to anyone looking to sell their pest control company. Paul is a true professional who handled every aspect of our sale, addressing the financial, business and personal details. He understood that when selling something you have invested so much time into growing, the bottom line is important, but so is the way it is handled.

Brandon Hier
LR Pest Elimination Services

The thoughts of engaging an advisor was wrought with apprehension. Do they know this type of business? Do they have a one size fits all strategy? Will I be paying someone who will truly be available, and will they challenge my ideas and allow me to challenge theirs? Will I feel intimidated by their process or will it be a respectful relationship. These were the things I asked myself as I considered engaging someone to help navigate the most important decision of my life.

Paul does have connections and insights into the industry that has allowed him to cut through the forest and expose the view. He has a great sense of humor; without that great attribute I think most clients would have a difficult time shaking off anxiety levels that build as the deal gets closer and the waters get muddy. I felt we worked together as a team at every stage and we got to know each other because each party felt they could be forthright and honest about the process. Although we never met in person there was a great sense of trust and respect, I think that kind of result can only come from the best in their class....and Paul is that...simply the best.

Paul is the bridge to your future. Trust him, lean on him, do your part, respect the process and he will get you to the other side. Any journey starts with the first step, engage Potomac and let the adventure begin.

Nancy Collins
Lloyd Pest Control Services of Ontario

Our main concern was finding and advisor that was experienced M&A specifically in the Pest Control Industry.

Paul was recommended to us by Patrick Quigley with Sales Training by Design. After briefly speaking with Paul we knew his company had extensive experience in Mergers and Acquisitions with all of the major pest control companies.

Paul is extremely knowledgeable in the pest control arena and has excellent negotiation skills. He has extensive connections to many Pest Control Companies across the world and was able to bring sold, quality companies to the bidding process.

It was a pleasure working with Paul. Paul communicated closely with us to ensure the structure and outcome of the acquisition met our specific goals of retaining both our employees and customers. We were very happy with the outcome of the acquisition and would highly recommend him to all our business contacts looking to sell their business.

Dorene Norris
Your Pest Control Company

My son and I have had the pleasure of meeting Paul over two years ago and from the outset it was obvious he conducted his business the same way we do - a gentleman's (or gentlewoman's) handshake and through his representation of Potomac we knew this was the only company we would ever have represent us in the sale of our company.

I have been in the pest management side of the business for 27 years including 5 years at NPMA and I have not met anyone involved in M&A in our business that is more professional and knowledgeable than Paul. Through the entire process involving lawyers, accountants, tax advisers, etc. he was the go-to guy for the final answer. I would trust no one else with the sale of my pest management business.

The decision to sell a business that my son and I had nurtured over the past 14 years was one of the most difficult decisions I have made in my life. We started discussions with Paul more than two years prior to the sale and he walked us through the pros and cons of a sale now or later and at no time pushed one way or the other. He provided sage advice to guide us to our ultimate decision. One would think that's the end of the story but as negotiations progressed and then stalled (due to our reflection on what we were about to do) he patiently and continuously advised on the options we were considering. Once we had decided to move forward with the sale, he connected us with an accountant and other parties who could answer questions outside his expertise. Every day until the time of closing he was by our side insuring that the merger process was smooth and seamless. After the closing he continues to be a trusted adviser. I would trust no one else with the sale of my pest management business.


Dr. Richard Kramer
Innovative Pest Management