Vergo Pest Management has been serving the pest control industry for over 50 years. The company provides services to a variety of sectors including residential, food manufacturing, property management, healthcare and the hospitality industry. Hannah Barnett spoke to MD Henry Mott and CCO Richard Bartkow to learn how the business is moving forward.
The pest control industry has evolved dramatically in recent years. With legislation-driven reductions in the use of biocides, combined with a shift in public attitudes, Vergo Pest Management has pioneered what comes next. “We are at the forefront of completely ripping up the rule book on how pest control is carried out and how it will be carried out in the future,” said Henry Mott, MD.
The approach has been demonstrated by the introduction of the PowerShield system, an advanced patented technology that creates an electronic barrier to effectively deter rodents from crossing it. The solution is just one facet of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach that focuses on long-term prevention and moves away from chemical pesticides.
Vergo was established on a small scale back in 1973, but has expanded significantly since. In the last three years alone, revenue grew from around £10 million to close to £35 million. Growth is both organic and through acquisition – Vergo is now part of international pest management group Tyro Group, with a presence across most of Europe and the USA.
“Being part of Tyro has allowed us to learn new skills and develop new technologies,” said Mr Mott. “Europe is ahead of the game because restrictions have come in much earlier there, particularly in Germany and Scandinavia. So, that’s given us a head start on bringing innovation to the UK market.”
Prevention not pesticides
The PowerShield Rail was launched in 2024 as an eco-friendly rodent management and prevention solution, designed to create a protective ‘shield’ against vermin ingress. With a focus on high-risk areas, such as doorways and loading bays, the sustainable system creates a multi-layered approach to effectively guard commercial properties against rodents.
“Our strategy is to advance our customers down a future-proofed IPM approach,” Richard Bartkow, CCO, said. “We have further developed that solution into the PowerShield 360, where we fit a metal rail around the entire perimeter of a building – offering an alternative to far more costly proofing work.
“This is an entirely non-toxic approach; we’re not using any poisons. The other advantage is it provides constant coverage. So, we’re immediately saving carbon emissions by not having to send technicians out. Other ESG benefits to customers could be reduced stock damage and, in turn, reduced wastage.”
Vergo has also developed its own digital reporting platforms and can now largely monitor activity remotely. This means the company does not need to send out technicians as frequently or carry out pre-planned maintenance visits.
“We’re pioneering the development of sensor technology, which effectively detects whether rodents are active through their movement or heat emissions,” explained Mr Mott. “That provides us with a huge amount of data. To a certain extent, we can pinpoint the exact area of ingress and deal with it much more efficiently, which is a significant change from the way the industry used to operate.”
Innovation is far from limited to rodent prevention. Vergo is investing in solutions to treat bed bugs via electric heat treatment, as opposed to the propane used by many competitors. The company also runs a completely non-toxic wildlife division for control of foxes, badgers, rabbits and similar species, and uses laser technology to control birds, all done via remote monitoring.
“These are all really innovative ways of controlling pests without the need to pollute the planet,” said Mr Mott.
Overcoming challenges
While this level of innovation is impressive, there are challenges too. As is the case in many sectors, some customers and third-party auditors are still wedded to traditional approaches.
Much of that comes from the inherent comfort of seeing humans on site or reading a written report, Mr Mott suggested: “People tend to be quite resistant to change. The phrase I often use is that ‘nobody got sacked for hiring IBM.’ Moving from the model of the last 60 years to a more digital-first, sustainable approach can be difficult to conceive.”
What is more, developments in technology mean an increasing level of stakeholder engagement is needed, creating greater complexity when getting solutions agreed by the customer and deployed. This contrasts with the simplicity of the traditional method, with a technician arriving at a site with no fixed assets or need for technology integration.
“While we do find that some customers are driving ESG more,” said Mr Bartkow, “for others it’s not a major priority. We tend to find the more ESG-focused customers are those that are closer to the end consumer or those trying to create a differentiator versus their competition. Facilities management is pushing hard on ESG, as is the food retail sector, and we are probably the largest supplier of pest control services in that area.”
Future ready
Vergo has dedicated the past few years to extensive reporting of its Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. That is under the guidance of the Group’s financial backer, Norvestor, an Oslo-based private equity firm that is driven by ESG and sustainability.
“We’ve been getting better at the detail of our reporting, and that’s driven priority areas,” said Mr Bartkow. “One area is optimising vehicle routing and making sure that we’re more efficient there. Fleet electrification has been challenging. I think any service-based business in the country would agree that there is not an optimal electric van out there that’s as good comparatively as an ICE. But we are trialling some in the fleet.
“There is also a big focus around the standard of reporting, so that we can be more helpful to our customers and get to a more granular level with them. We’re also looking to progress a double materiality assessment, focusing on the key areas that impact both us and our customer base.”
Moving forward, Vergo will continue to pioneer how pest control services are delivered, while investing more in training and upskilling its technicians. The company is also focused on growing its customer base, while always maintaining collaborative partnerships with those customers.
“In pest control, it is key that a customer understands that they have a big part to play in the overall service delivery,” Mr Bartkow explained. “They can’t just outsource responsibility to a supplier and expect that supplier to be entirely accountable. We give recommendations around hygiene, proofing, the future state of technology and adapting service specifications to conform with changes in legislation. But there needs to be a buy-in from the customer to do their part and mitigate the pest risk.”
“Pest control is one of those industries that’s rarely recognised until something goes wrong – and then we’re in the papers,” added Mr Mott, in conclusion. “The reality is that thousands of pest control professionals are out there, protecting public health every single day.
“I’ve been in the industry for 35 years and I believe that the changes that we’re bringing in now are ultimately protecting more people, more effectively, than ever before.”