Ratin Laboratory
1902 Founded as Bakteriologisk Laboratorium Ratin by Georg Neumann, a pharmacist working in Aalborg, Denmark.
Neumann's discovery soon caught the attention of the Sophus Berendsen Co, which decided to introduce the poison to the British market as well as the other Scandinavian countries.
The first U.K. sales office for Ratin opened in 1906 and proved a popular product, for which Sophus Berendsen retained the exclusive U.K. license.
In the 1920s, the British arm took on greater importance and began moving toward providing pest control services, rather than simply selling the Ratin poison system.
In 1927, the sales office incorporated as the British Ratin Company, led by Karl Gustav Anker-Petersen.
In 1928, Petersen moved the company from selling Ratin fully into pest control services, beginning the company's expansion throughout the United Kingdom.
WWII As growing numbers of customers began requesting insect control services in addition to the company's rodent control services, British Ratin branched out, acquiring Chelsea Insecticides Ltd. to inaugurate its new division.
Post-WWII British Ratin expanded its insecticides division, establishing a dedicated subsidiary, Disinfestation Ltd.
1952 Disinfestation launched its first treatment for woodworm.
1957 British Ratin, of which Sophus Berendsen was still its major shareholder, acquired Rentokil Ltd.
1960 The company reorganized, adopting the new name of Rentokil Group Ltd.