Who owns Chattanooga's pest control companies?
As of October 21, 2026, we found 21 pest control companies serving Chattanooga whose ownership we could confirm from public sources. Of those, five are owned by publicly traded companies, four by private equity firms, three are franchises of national brands, six are owned by families based elsewhere, and three are locally owned.
Maintained by Pest Tech Chattanooga, a locally owned pest control company that's listed below too. Not affiliated with any company named Chattanooga Pest Control.
Why ownership can matter
- Who answers when something goes wrong. At a small local company, it may be the owner. At a large one, it's usually a branch manager or a call center.
- Your agreement can change hands. When a company is sold, its service agreements usually go to the buyer, and the new owner can change prices or terms as the agreement allows.
- Where the profits go. To the owners, whoever they are: a local family, a family in another state, shareholders, or an investment fund.
- What scale buys. Larger companies can offer bigger call centers and more staff.
Who owns whom
In the directory, 12 of the 21 companies are owned by, backed by or franchised from a publicly traded company or a private equity firm. Each owner comes first, then any company in between, then the company serving Chattanooga. Shaded boxes are in the directory below.
Publicly traded owner
Private equity owner
- Authority Brandsfranchisor, since 2018, thenMosquito Squad of Chattanooga & NW Georgialocal franchise
- Anticimexcontrolled by EQT since 2021, thenWaynes Pest Controlsince August 2019
- Neighborlyfranchisor, since 2021, thenMosquito Joe of Chattanoogalocal franchise
- Main Line Brandsfranchisor, since 2020, thenMosquito Authority of Chattanoogalocal franchise
The directory
Grouped by who owns each company, then alphabetical. "Since" is the year the current owner took over; for a franchise it's when the brand's owner took over, and for a family or local company it's the year the company started. Company names are plain text, and the Source column links to the evidence.
| Company | Ownership | Parent or owner | Since | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publicly traded (5) | ||||
| Critter Control | Publicly traded | Rollins, Inc. (NYSE: ROL)Wildlife control. Rollins has owned the brand since 2015 and also franchises it; the Chattanooga office's page doesn't say which kind of office it is. | March 2015 | |
| Northwest Exterminating | Publicly traded | Rollins, Inc. (NYSE: ROL)Service centers in Hixson, Ooltewah and Ringgold, Ga. Bought Jody Millard Pest Control of Hixson in 2012 and Enviroguard Pest Solutions in 2024. | 2017 | |
| Orkin | Publicly traded | Rollins, Inc. (NYSE: ROL)Chattanooga branch on Shallowford Road. | 1964 | |
| Terminix | Publicly traded | Rentokil Initial plc, a British company traded in London and New YorkChattanooga branch on Hamilton Park Drive. | October 2022 | |
| Volunteer Rid-A-Pest | Publicly traded | Rollins, Inc. (NYSE: ROL), through Northwest ExterminatingBased in Cleveland, Tenn.; serves Chattanooga and Ooltewah. Kept its name after the sale. | January 2026 | |
| Private equity-backed (4) | ||||
| Aptive Pest Control | Private equity-backed | Citation Capital of Dallas, majority ownerIts Chattanooga page says it serves the area from Nashville. | August 2024 | |
| ClearDefense Pest Control | Private equity-backed | Coalesce Capital, through a growth investment; the size of its stake isn't statedChattanooga office on Volunteer Drive. | 2026 | |
| Lookout Pest Control | Private equity-backed | Percheron CapitalBased in Rossville, Ga.; founded in 1983. Bought Lady Bug Exterminating of Chattanooga in 2024. | June 2023 | |
| Waynes Pest Control | Private equity-backed | Anticimex of Stockholm, controlled by EQT since 2021Based in the Birmingham, Ala., area. | August 2019 | |
| Franchise (3) | ||||
| Mosquito Authority of Chattanooga | Franchise | Local franchise; the franchisor, Main Line Brands, is backed by Susquehanna Private CapitalLocally owned and operated. | October 2020 | |
| Mosquito Joe of Chattanooga | Franchise | Local franchise; the franchisor, Neighborly, is owned by KKRLocally owned and operated. | 2021 | |
| Mosquito Squad of Chattanooga & NW Georgia | Franchise | Local franchise; the franchisor, Authority Brands, is majority-owned by Apax Partners fundsBased in McDonald, Tenn. Authority Brands bought Mosquito Squad in 2018, and BCI took a minority stake in Authority Brands in 2022. | 2018 | |
| Family-owned, based elsewhere (6) | ||||
| Arrow Exterminators | Family-owned, based elsewhere | Family-owned, based in AtlantaChattanooga service center on Amnicola Highway, plus a commercial service center that opened in 2019. | 1964 | |
| Bug Busters | Family-owned, based elsewhere | Family-owned, based in the Atlanta areaHas had a Chattanooga branch since 2022, when it bought All Pest Extermination of Signal Mountain. | 1984 | |
| Bulwark Exterminating | Family-owned, based elsewhere | Family-owned, with offices in more than a dozen statesChattanooga office on Talley Road. | Not confirmed | |
| Cook's Pest Control | Family-owned, based elsewhere | Family-owned, founded in Decatur, Ala.Chattanooga branch on Bonny Oaks Drive. | 1928 | |
| Massey Services | Family-owned, based elsewhere | Family-owned, based in Orlando, Fla.Bought Mayfield Brothers Pest Control, which had offices in Chattanooga and Cleveland, Tenn., in 2021. Opened a commercial service center in Chattanooga in 2025. | 1985 | |
| Urbanex Pest Control | Family-owned, based elsewhere | Family- and veteran-owned, founded in NashvilleServes Chattanooga from its Knoxville branch. Sold its Huntsville, Ala., branch to Massey Services in 2026. | 2015 | |
| Locally owned (3) | ||||
| GPM Termite & Pest Solutions | Locally owned | Family-owned and operatedIn business for more than 20 years. | Not confirmed | |
| Peak Pest Control | Locally owned | Locally owned and operatedServing the Chattanooga area since 2011. | 2011 | |
| Pest Tech Chattanooga | Locally owned | Locally ownedFounded in Chattanooga in 2015. Maintains this page. | 2015 | |
Recent changes
Since 2012, at least nine companies based in the Chattanooga area have been sold to larger companies or investment firms, and five of them are now part of Rollins. That includes Chattanooga Pest Control Company, the business that shared this website's name: Volunteer Rid-A-Pest bought it in 2014, and Volunteer has been part of Rollins since January 2026.
- . Coalesce Capital makes a growth investment in ClearDefense Pest Control. Source: Latham & Watkins
- . Massey Services buys Urbanex Pest Control's Huntsville, Ala., branch. Urbanex keeps serving Chattanooga from its Knoxville branch. Source: PMP, Urbanex
- . Northwest Exterminating, part of Rollins, buys Volunteer Rid-A-Pest of Cleveland, Tenn. The Volunteer name continues. Source: PMP
- . Northwest Exterminating buys Enviroguard Pest Solutions of Ringgold, Ga. Northwest said Enviroguard's customers would move to the Northwest name in 2025. Source: PMP, PCT
- . Citation Capital takes a majority stake in Aptive Pest Control. Source: Aptive
- . Lookout Pest Control buys Lady Bug Exterminating of Chattanooga. Lady Bug's website has forwarded to Lookout's since at least August 2024. Source: PitchBook, Wayback Machine, 2024
- . Percheron Capital buys Lookout Pest Control of Rossville, Ga. Source: PE Hub
- . Rentokil completes its purchase of Terminix. Source: Professional Pest Manager
- . BCI agrees to buy a minority stake in Authority Brands, Mosquito Squad's franchisor. Apax Partners funds keep the majority. Source: BCI
- . Bug Busters buys All Pest Extermination of Signal Mountain and opens a Chattanooga branch. Source: PMP
- . Massey Services buys Mayfield Brothers Pest Control, which had offices in Chattanooga and Cleveland, Tenn. Source: Massey, PMP
- . EQT Future takes a controlling stake in Anticimex, which owns Waynes Pest Control. Source: EQT
- . Harvest Partners sells Neighborly, Mosquito Joe's franchisor, to KKR. Source: PMP
- . Susquehanna Private Capital invests in Main Line Brands, Mosquito Authority's franchisor. Source: Main Line Brands, SFNet
- . Anticimex buys Waynes Pest Control of Birmingham, Ala. Source: PMP
- . Authority Brands, owned by Apax Partners funds since that September, buys Mosquito Squad. Source: Simpson Thacher
- . Rollins buys Northwest Exterminating of Marietta, Ga., which keeps its name. Source: Rollins filing, PMP
- . Rollins buys Critter Control, Inc., a wildlife control franchisor. Source: Rollins
- . Volunteer Rid-A-Pest buys Chattanooga Pest Control Company, founded in 1996. Source: PCT
- . Volunteer Rid-A-Pest buys E/R Exterminating of Chattanooga. Source: PCT
- . Northwest Exterminating buys Jody Millard Pest Control of Hixson. Source: Northwest
What the labels mean
- Publicly traded
- Owned by a company whose shares trade on a stock exchange.
- Private equity-backed
- Owned, in whole or in part, by a private investment firm that buys companies with money from its investors.
- Franchise
- A local owner runs the location under a national brand. The brand and its rules belong to the franchisor, which has owners of its own.
- Family-owned, based elsewhere
- Owned by a family, and run from headquarters outside the Chattanooga area.
- Locally owned
- Owned by people in the Chattanooga area.
How to check a company yourself
- Ask them who owns the company. It's a fair question to ask before you sign anything.
- Read the bottom of their website. The copyright line sometimes names the parent company. Terminix's names Rentokil, and Waynes' names Anticimex.
- Search state business records. The Tennessee Secretary of State and the Georgia Secretary of State show where a company is registered and who its registered agent is.
- Search the trade press. PCT and PMP report pest control acquisitions. Search for the company's name with "acquires" or "acquired."
Questions
Who owns Terminix?
Rentokil Initial plc, a British pest control company whose shares trade in London and New York. It completed its purchase of Terminix in October 2022. Terminix has a Chattanooga branch on Hamilton Park Drive.
Who owns Orkin?
Rollins, Inc., an Atlanta company traded on the New York Stock Exchange as ROL. Rollins bought Orkin in 1964. Rollins also owns Northwest Exterminating, which bought Volunteer Rid-A-Pest in January 2026, and the Critter Control wildlife brand.
Is a franchise locally owned?
Partly. A franchise location is usually owned by a local franchisee, who runs it under a national brand and pays fees to the franchisor. The brand, its rules and its marketing belong to the franchisor, which has owners of its own. The three franchises in this directory are all mosquito brands, and each franchisor has had private equity owners: KKR, Apax Partners funds and Susquehanna Private Capital.
What happens to my service agreement if my pest control company is sold?
Usually the buyer takes over the customer accounts, and the agreement continues with the new owner, sometimes under the old name for years. Check what your agreement says about transfers and canceling. If you have a termite warranty, it's worth asking the new owner in writing whether they'll honor it.
What happened to Chattanooga Pest Control Company?
It was a Chattanooga pest control business founded in 1996. Volunteer Rid-A-Pest of Cleveland, Tenn., bought it in August 2014, and Northwest Exterminating, part of Rollins, bought Volunteer in January 2026. This website isn't affiliated with that company, or with any other company named Chattanooga Pest Control.
Who keeps this page up to date, and why?
Pest Tech Chattanooga, a locally owned pest control company that's listed in the directory. A pest control company that's been sold often keeps its old name, so ownership is hard to see from the outside. We put the public record in one place, with a source for every claim, so you can check it yourself instead of taking our word for it. Corrections are welcome.
Corrections
If something here is wrong or out of date, email corrections@chattanoogapestcontrol.com with a link to an appropriate source. We try to make fixes within a couple weeks when information gets submitted.
Page history
- . Published, with every source checked.