Rentokil
of 168-170 Stockwell Road, London, W9. Telephone: Brixton 6426-7 (1947)
Centre of Maidenhead, Berkshire (2007)
1927 The company was founded. Rentokil started out as a small company by Harold Maxwell-Lefroy, professor of entomology at Imperial College London, who in 1924 developed an anti-woodworm fluid called Ento-Kill. The following year he was killed in a laboratory fire; his assistant Elizabeth Eades took over the company. By providing a reliable service, the company soon started to grow.
1939 When war broke out, Rentokil was called to protect the nation's dwindling food stores, which could not afford any losses to pests - so Rentokil stepped in to protect them.
In the post-war years, Rentokil continued to thrive, gradually expanding into other businesses and eventually becoming Rentokil Initial, the blue chip company currently quoted on the London Stock Exchange.
1947 British Industries Fair Advert as Manufacturers of: Insecticides; Germicides; Insect Repellent and Powders; Timber Fluid for the destruction of Wood Worm. Furniture Cream, Dry Cleaner, Pets Insect Powders, Biting Insect Repellent, Mothproofer. (Chemicals Section - Olympia, Ground Floor, Stand No. A.1133) [1]
1957 British Ratin, of which Sophus Berendsen was still its major shareholder, acquired Rentokil Ltd.
1960 The combined company was reorganized, adopting the new name of Rentokil Group Ltd.
1996 Acquired BET after a hostile take-over bid. The merged company was named Rentokil Initial, by including the name of one of BET's subsidiaries.
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] Rentokil Website
- ↑ 1947 British Industries Fair Advert 5; and p231