Rentokil Initial

Rentokil Initial (LSE: RTO) is a major British business services group. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

History

The Company was founded in 1925 by Harold Maxwell-Lefroy, Professor of entomology at Imperial College, London, who had been investigating ways to kill Death watch beetles that had infested Westminster Hall, next door to the Houses of Parliament. Lefroy and his assistant produced an anti-woodworm fluid called Ento-Kill Fluids ("ento" coming from the Latin name for insect). In 1925 he tried to register the name Entokill, but due to existing trademarks, had to choose Rentokil instead, which became the name of his company, Rentokil Ltd. On 14 October 1925, Lefroy was killed in a laboratory when an experiment produced poisonous fumes. His assistant, Elizabeth Eades, took over the running of the company.

British Ratin

British Ratin was established in 1927 as a pest control company by its Danish owner Sophus Berendsen A/S, the company used a bacillus developed by a Danish Scientist George Neumann to control rats and mice. Demand for pest control services began extending beyond rodent control to insect control. British Ratin made its first acquisition, Chelsea Insecticides Ltd in 1940. In 1957 British Ratin acquired Rentokil, the combined businesses continued to use the Rentokil name, becoming Rentokil Laboratories Ltd. in 1960.