Rollins President and CEO Jerry Gahlhoff Shares Insights on Leadership and Industry Growth

CHICAGO — At last week's PCT Top 100 Executive Summit in Chicago, PCT Publisher Jodi Dorsch sat down with Rollins President and CEO Jerry Gahlhoff for a discussion on leadership, acquisitions, workforce development and the future of the pest management industry.

Patrick Rhonemus | PCT Digital Editor

The session began with a video message from former HomeTeam Pest Defense CEO Rob Swartz, an early mentor of Gahlhoff from their time together at HomeTeam. Swartz congratulated Gahlhoff on his career and leadership accomplishments. HomeTeam was acquired by Rollins in 2008, and Gahlhoff reflected on the profound influence Swartz had on his career, describing him as a visionary leader who challenged him to think bigger and practice servant leadership. Gahlhoff also credited the late Bob Wanzer, former president of HomeTeam, as a key mentor, saying Wanzer's operational discipline, high standards and direct leadership style taught him invaluable lessons about influence, perseverance and leading through challenges.

A career that began in technical services before evolving into operations leadership gave Gahlhoff a firsthand appreciation for the value of technical expertise, customer service and building strong teams, which are principles he said have guided his leadership throughout his career.

Gahlhoff shared Rollins' acquisition philosophy, including that the company looks beyond financial performance, prioritizing organizations with healthy cultures, strong customer retention and a genuine commitment to employees. He noted that Rollins' decision to preserve acquired brands stems from lessons learned after challenges integrating Redd Pest Control (acquired in 1999), reinforcing the value of protecting local identities and cultures. “That was a crucible moment for us,” Gahlhoff said.

Other topics Gahlhoff addressed during the discussion included commercial pest control opportunities, technician safety, route optimization technology and the challenges of attracting and retaining younger employees. He encouraged Top 100 company leaders in attendance to "remain authentic" rather than reshaping their companies solely to attract buyers, while also building relationships with potential acquirers well before considering a sale.

Looking ahead, Gahlhoff expressed confidence in the industry's long-term growth, citing its essential-service status, resilient business model and dedicated workforce as reasons for optimism.