From 43 Customers to $25 Million: How Burns Pest Elimination Scaled

Austin Burns, third-generation leader at Burns Pest Elimination, shares how a family business that began with one truck and 43 customers grew into a company with more than 200 employees and roughly $25 million in revenue. The conversation explores scaling a pest control operation, building a strong culture, using technology and AI, and the value of industry relationships.

Key topics

• Austin explains how his grandfather entered pest control by trading real estate commissions for one truck and 43 customers, then brought the family back to Arizona to build the company.
• He shares his path from professional motorcycle racing to joining the family business at 21 after injuries ended his racing career.
• The transition from paper route sheets to digital software became a major turning point for efficiency and scale.
• Culture is described as a key driver of growth, with an emphasis on employee buy-in, customer experience, and treating staff as an extension of the Burns family.
• Burns Pest Elimination has a roughly 55% commercial and 45% residential mix, which Austin says has worked well for profitability and stability.
• Organic growth is the priority. Acquisitions are used sparingly and strategically, in part because of strong competition and private equity activity in Arizona.
• The company’s marketing mix includes TV, radio, billboards, LSAs, Google PPC, Bing, Yelp, Angie, and social media. Austin says LSAs and Google PPC currently deliver the strongest ROI.
• Austin and his cousin split top leadership duties, while his dad and uncle remain involved in strategy, bringing 43 years of business experience to major decisions.
• Burns U provides weeklong onboarding in culture, communication, sales, technical skills, licensing, safety, and driver training.
• The company uses AI to automate reporting and dashboards, and for after-hours phone support and service documentation.
• Austin discusses fleet management, vehicle cameras, telematics, and in-house mechanics as tools for protecting the business and reducing liability.
• His involvement with NPMA and the Arizona association—including the Executive Leadership Program, state board leadership, and peer groups—has helped him build industry relationships.

Notable quotes

• “Our culture is what allows us to continue to grow.”
• “I hope that they look at me as a leader.”

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