ServiceMaster
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Service solutions |
| Founded | 1929 in Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Founder | Marion E. Wade |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Naren Gursahaney (CEO) |
| Products | Disaster recovery and restoration, janitorial maintenance, professional home cleaning, biohazard remediation |
| Owner | Roark Capital Group |
Number of employees | 13000 (corporate), 33000+ (franchise workforce) |
ServiceMaster Brands is a U.S.-based privately held company under the ownership of Roark Capital Group, specializing in both residential and commercial service solutions. Since relocating its headquarters to Atlanta, Georgia in 2020, the company manages a portfolio of brands such as ServiceMaster Clean, ServiceMaster Restore, Merry Maids, Two Men and a Truck, Indoor Science, and Aftermath Services. Its primary services encompass disaster recovery and restoration, janitorial maintenance, professional home cleaning, along with biohazard remediation.
Operating more than 7,000 locations worldwide through company-owned outlets and franchises, ServiceMaster employs approximately 13,000 corporate personnel and supports a franchise workforce exceeding 33,000 individuals.
History
Originating in 1929 when Marion E. Wade launched a moth-proofing enterprise in Chicago, ServiceMaster formally incorporated in 1947 and initiated carpet cleaning franchising by 1952. The company broadened its scope into business services, establishing itself as a leading outsourcing provider.
Throughout the 1980s, ServiceMaster expanded its franchise portfolio by acquiring several service companies including Terminix, TruGreen (1991), Merry Maids (1988), and American Home Shield (1989).
In July 2007, the private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) spearheaded a consortium that purchased ServiceMaster, transitioning it to private ownership. Hank Mullany, formerly affiliated with Walmart U.S., assumed the CEO role in 2011, succeeded by Robert J. Gillette in June 2013.
Effective January 1, 2014, TruGreen separated to operate as an independent private entity. On June 25, 2014, ServiceMaster Global Holdings went public with an initial share price of $17 on the NYSE under the ticker symbol SERV. Despite this public offering, majority stakes remained held by private equity groups including CD&R, StepStone Group, Ridgemont Equity Partners, and JPMorgan Chase Funding.
Nikhil Varty led as CEO from July 2017 until his departure in 2020. In mid-2017, ServiceMaster revealed plans to spin off American Home Shield into a separately traded public company.
In 2020, Naren Gursahaney took over as CEO. Later that year, ownership transferred to Roark Capital Group following their acquisition of ServiceMaster Brands.
August 2021 saw ServiceMaster acquire Two Men and a Truck, a family-operated moving franchise headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, alongside pledges to support related nonprofit programs.
Further growth occurred in April 2022 with the purchase of Aftermath Services, specializing in trauma and biohazard cleanup.
Acquisitions
ServiceMaster Clean (founded 1952): provides janitorial and carpet cleaning services.
Terminix (established 1927; acquired 1986; divested October 2020): pest management services; divested through Terminix Global Holdings.
Merry Maids (acquired 1988): residential cleaning services.
American Home Shield (acquired 1989): home warranty services; separated from ServiceMaster in 2018.
Furniture Medic (acquired 1996): furniture repair services; divested to Eagle Merchant Partners in April 2023.
Rescue Industries and American Residential Services (now ARS/Rescue Rooter): Rescue Industries acquired in 1998; merged with American Residential Services in 1999; sold off in 2006.
ServiceMaster Restore (founded 2013): disaster restoration services.
AmandaSpec (acquired 2007): home inspection services; sold together with Furniture Medic to Eagle Merchant Partners in April 2023.
Two Men and a Truck (acquired 2021).
Aftermath Services (established 1996; acquired 2022): trauma and biohazard remediation services.
Indoor Science (acquired 2022).
AmeriSpec functions as a franchisor supporting roughly 300 independently operated residential and commercial inspection franchises throughout the U.S. and Canada. Its main services include general home inspections, relocation inspections, and commercial property assessments. Formerly part of American Home Shield, AmeriSpec became integrated into ServiceMaster Brands following its acquisition in January 2007.
AmeriSpec sources
- SMU Law Review: A Journal from Southern Methodist University School of Law, Southern Methodist University School of Law, vol. 55, no. 2, 2002, pages 1100–1109
- Case Reports from the Georgia Court of Appeals, Georgia Court of Appeals, State Library, 1994, pages 669–671
- Harrington, K., Cohen, M.N., The Top 100 Spare-Time Business Ventures Today, Wiley, 1990, pages 11–12