Business description of ROLLINS-INC from last 10-k form

PART I

Item 1.    Business

General

Rollins, Inc. (the "Company") was originally incorporated in 1948 under the laws of the state of Delaware as Rollins Broadcasting, Inc.

The Company is an international service company with headquarters located in Atlanta, Georgia, providing pest and termite control services through its wholly-owned subsidiaries to both residential and commercial customers in North America with international franchises in Central America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean and Europe. Services are performed through a contract that specifies the pricing arrangement with the customer.

Orkin, LLC. ("Orkin"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company founded in 1901, is one of the world's largest pest and termite control companies. It provides customized services from over 400 locations. Orkin serves customers, either directly or indirectly through franchises, in the United States, Canada, Central America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean and Europe providing essential pest control services and protection against termite damage, rodents and insects to homes and businesses, including hotels, food service establishments, food manufacturers, retailers and transportation companies. Orkin operates under the Orkin®, and PCO Services, Inc.® trademarks and the Acurid^SM service mark. The Orkin® brand name makes Orkin the most recognized pest and termite company throughout the United States. The PCO Services brand name provides similar brand recognition throughout Canada.

PCO Services ("PCO"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Orkin founded in 1952, was acquired by Orkin in 1999. PCO Services is Canada's largest pest control provider and a leader in the development of fast, effective and environmentally responsible pest control solutions.

Western Pest Services ("Western"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company founded in 1928, was acquired by Rollins, Inc. in 2004. Western is primarily a commercial pest control service company and its business complements most of the services Orkin offers focusing on the northeastern United States.

The Industrial Fumigant Company ("IFC"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company founded in 1937, was acquired by Rollins, Inc. in 2005. IFC is a leading provider of pest management and sanitation services and products to the food and commodity industries.

HomeTeam Pest Defense ("HomeTeam"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company established in 1996, was acquired by Rollins, Inc. in April 2008. At the time of the acquisition, HomeTeam, with its unique Taexx in the wall system, was recognized as a premier pest control business and ranked as the 4th largest company in the industry. HomeTeam services home builders nationally.

The Company has several smaller wholly-owned subsidiaries that in total make up less than 5% of the Company's total revenues.

The Company has only one reportable segment, its pest and termite control business. Revenue, operating profit and identifiable assets for this segment, which includes the United States, Canada, Central America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean and Europe are included in Item 8 of this document, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" on pages 37 and 38. The Company's results of operations and its financial condition are not reliant upon any single customer or a few customers or the Company's foreign operations.

Common Stock Repurchase Program

During the year ended December 31, 2010, the Company repurchased 1.9 million shares at a weighted average price of $13.95 with 2.5 million shares repurchased in 2009 at a weighted average price of $11.03. In total, there are 2.5 million additional shares authorized to be repurchased under prior Board approval.

The program does not have an expiration date. All share and per share repurchases are adjusted for the 3-for-2 stock split effective December 10, 2010.

Backlog

Backlog services and orders are usually provided within the month following the month of order receipt, except in the area of prepaid pest control and bait monitoring services, which are usually provided within twelve months of order receipt. The Company does not have a material portion of its business that may be subject to renegotiation of profits or termination of contracts at the election of a governmental entity.

Orkin Franchises

The Company continues to expand its growth through Orkin's franchise program. This program is primarily used in smaller markets where it is currently not economically feasible to locate a conventional Orkin branch. Domestic franchisees are subject to a contractual buyback provision at Orkin's option with a pre-determined purchase price using a formula applied to revenues of the franchise. International franchises have no contractual buyback provision. The Company through its wholly-owned Orkin subsidiary began its Orkin franchise program in the U.S. in 1994, and established its first international franchise in 2000 and since has expanded to Central America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean and Europe.

Seasonality

The business of the Company is affected by the seasonal nature of the Company's pest and termite control services. The increase in pest pressure and activity, as well as the metamorphosis of termites in the spring and summer (the occurrence of which is determined by the timing of the change in seasons), has historically resulted in an increase in the revenue of the Company's pest and termite control operations during such periods as evidenced by the following chart.

Inventories

The Company has a relationship with a national pest control product distributor and other vendors for pest and termite control treatment products. Rollins maintains a sufficient level of chemicals, materials and other supplies to fulfill its immediate servicing needs and to alleviate any potential short-term shortage in availability from its national network of suppliers.

Competition

The Company believes that Rollins, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries Orkin, PCO Services, HomeTeam Pest Defense, Western Pest Services, The Industrial Fumigant Company, Crane Pest Control, Waltham Services and TruTech competes favorably with competitors as one of the world's largest pest and termite control companies. The Company's competitors include Terminix, Ecolab and Rentokil.

The principal methods of competition in the Company's pest and termite control business are quality of service and guarantees, including money-back guarantees on pest and termite control, and the termite re-treatment and damage repair guarantee to qualified homeowners.

Research and Development

Expenditures by the Company on research activities relating to the development of new products or services are not significant. Some of the new and improved service methods and products are researched, developed and produced by unaffiliated universities and companies. Also, a portion of these methods and products are produced to the specifications provided by the Company.

The Company maintains a close relationship with several universities for research and validation of treatment procedures and material selection.

The Company conducts tests of new products with the specific manufacturers of such products. The Company also works closely with leading entomologists, industry consultants and suppliers to improve service protocols and materials.

Environmental and Regulatory Considerations

The Company's pest control business is subject to various legislative and regulatory enactments that are designed to protect the environment, public health and consumers. Compliance with these requirements has not had a material negative effect on the Company's financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodentcide Act ("FIFRA")

This federal law (as amended) grants to the states the responsibility to be the primary agent in enforcement and conditions under which pest control companies operate. Each state must meet certain guidelines of the Environmental Protection Agency in regulating the following: licensing, record keeping, contracts, standards of application, training and registration of products. This allows each state to institute certain features that set their regulatory programs in keeping with special interests of the citizens' wishes in each state. The pest control industry is impacted by these federal and state regulations.

Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 ("FQPA")

The FQPA governs the manufacture, labeling, handling and use of pesticides and does not have a direct impact on how the Company conducts its business.

Environmental Remediation

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act ("CERCLA"), also known as Superfund, is the primary Federal statute regulating the cleanup of inactive hazardous substance sites and imposing liability for cleanup on the responsible parties. Responsibilities governed by this statute include the management of hazardous substances, reporting releases of hazardous substances, and establishing the necessary contracts and agreements to conduct cleanup. Customarily, the parties involved will work with the EPA and under the direction of the responsible state agency to agree and implement a plan for site remediation. Consistent with the Company's responsibilities under these regulations, the Company undertakes environmental assessments and remediation of hazardous substances from time to time as the Company determines its responsibilities for these purposes. As these situations arise, the Company accrues management's best estimate of future costs for these activities. Based on management's current estimates of these costs, management does not believe these costs are material to the Company's financial condition or operating results.