Western Pest Services
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Pest management |
| Founded | 1928 |
| Founder | J.E. Sameth |
| Fate | Acquired by Rollins Inc. in 2004 |
| Headquarters | Parsippany , United States |
Area served | New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware |
Key people | J.E. Sameth (founder) |
| Products | Commercial, residential, and fumigation pest control services |
| Owner | Rollins Inc. |
| Parent | Rollins Inc. |
| Website | www |
Western Pest Services is a pest management firm providing commercial, residential, and fumigation solutions throughout the Mid-Atlantic area. Its headquarters are located in Parsippany, New Jersey, with operations spanning New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The company functions as a fully owned division of Rollins Inc..
Naming
The company’s name, "Western," was selected by founder J.E. Sameth by randomly drawing it from a hat after considering alternatives such as Eastern, National, and Federal.
History
Established in 1928 by J.E. Sameth prior to the Great Depression, Western Pest Services began as a family-operated enterprise with Sameth working as a technician, his sister overseeing customer service, and his father handling sales. Today, the company employs Integrated Pest Management strategies across various sectors including health care, education, and food processing industries. In 2004, Western transitioned from private ownership to become part of the public sphere when it was acquired by Rollins Inc.. At that time, it was ranked as the eighth largest pest control firm in the nation.
Timeline
Originally, Western’s branding featured cowboy and cowgirl imagery to reflect its name. During the 1950s, the cowgirl figure was phased out in favor of a “branding cowboy,” and the company’s name changed from “Western Exterminating Co.” to “Western Termite and Pest Control.” The 1970s brought the removal of the cowboy symbol, replaced by a logo incorporating “hockey sticks.” The 1980s introduced the tagline “caring people, caring solutions,” followed by a teal-colored background in the 1990s. The branding adopted in 2005 remains in use today. Currently, Western operates 18 branch locations across five states.
Industry involvement
J.E. Sameth played a key role in founding the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) in 1933, an organization pivotal for industry standards in education, certification, and advocacy. Additionally, he co-established Copesan in 1958, which is a cooperative network of family-owned pest control companies. Western’s Commercial division holds active memberships in prominent industry organizations such as the American Council on Science and Health, American Institute of Baking, BOMA, and the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association.