EP232 – From One-Man Van To National Player: Gary Journeaux On Building Australia’s Largest Independent Pest Company

In this episode of The Boardroom Buzz, the Blue Collar Twins sit down with Gary Journeaux, founder of Competitive Pest Services (CPS) – the largest independent, 100% Australian‑owned pest company with national coverage and a 200% money‑back guarantee. Gary bought a tiny one‑man pest business at 24, with zero experience on the tools, and grew it into a 200‑person operation with teams across Australia and Myanmar, national commercial portfolios, and technicians who are some of the best paid in the industry. He did it without private equity, without big marketing budgets (zero AdWords for 5+ years), and without becoming “just another multinational.” Instead, he bet everything on customer experience, culture, and being the underdog that big clients actually like. You’ll learn: How Gary went from ad-agency employee to buying a one‑man pest route at 24Why CPS is 95% commercial, 5% residential, and how that kills seasonality riskThe 200% money-back guarantee that forced competitors to copy himHow he scaled nationally (Australia + Myanmar) with no PE money and brutal cashflow constraintsWhy CPS pays techs top-of-market and still wins big national tendersHow “one tech, one child” and free work for Ronald McDonald House became recruiting superpowersWhy Gary is comfortable turning down multinationals and focused on doubling revenue by 2026 Ready for boardroom-level help with your own business? • Grow, sell, or exit your service company with Potomac: https://www.potomaccompany.com Connect with the hosts: • Blue Collar Twins – Jason & Jeremy Julio: https://bluecollartwins.com Connect with Paul: • Paul Giannamore – Managing Director & M&A advisor at Potomac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulgiannamore