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

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

From The Boardroom Buzz: Grow, Sell, or Exit by The Boardroom Buzz

February 12, 2026 · 52 min · Season 4 · Episode 232

About this episode

Gary Journeaux shares his journey of transforming a one-man pest business into 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 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…

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