EP232 – From One-Man Van To National Player: Gary Journeaux On Building Australia’s Largest Independent Pest Company
- S4E232
- 52:19
- February 12th 2026
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 24
- Why CPS is 95% commercial, 5% residential, and how that kills seasonality risk
- The 200% money-back guarantee that forced competitors to copy him
- How he scaled nationally (Australia + Myanmar) with no PE money and brutal cashflow constraints
- Why CPS pays techs top-of-market and still wins big national tenders
- How “one tech, one child” and free work for Ronald McDonald House became recruiting superpowers
- Why 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
The Boardroom Buzz: Grow, Sell, or Exit
Boardroom Buzz is the straight-talk playbook for owners who built their service businesses from the crawlspace up and want to master the next move—whether that’s doubling down on growth or preparing for a life-changing exit.
Hosted by Jason & Jeremy Julio—“The Blue-Collar Twins” who turned a service-truck start-up into a multimillion-dollar success—and mentored by veteran deal-maker Paul Giannamore, the show turns boardroom finance into stories you’d swap over a tailgate. Expect 40-minute deep-dives that unwrap one real transaction and one valuation lever you can pull today, plus quick “Market Pulse” riffs that flag shifts every operator should watch.
If you’re a majority or significant-minority owner eyeing the $5 M–$100 M revenue range, tune in for gritty war stories, step-by-step tactics, and the confidence to choose your own endgame. New episodes every Thursday. Presented by POTOMAC M&A.