Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Group revenues increased by 3.1% to $3,360,000,000 with organic growth of 1.6% [2][8] - Group adjusted profit before tax (PBT) was $418,000,000, and the operating margin was 15.2%, down 120 basis points year-on-year [2][9] - Cash flow conversion was strong at 93%, exceeding the guidance of 80% [9][19] - Net debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio stood at 2.8 times, slightly up from the year-end [9][21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America revenue increased by 2% to $2,106,000,000, with organic growth of 1.1% [10][12] - International revenue rose by 5.1% to $1,251,000,000, with organic growth of 2.7% [13][14] - Pest Control organic growth was strong at 3.8%, while Hygiene and Well-being grew at 1.1% [14][15] - Adjusted operating profit for North America decreased by 7.3% to $356,000,000, reflecting cost inflation and lower volumes [10][11] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America accounted for 63% of group revenues, with pest control making up 81% of that segment [31][32] - The international region represented 37% of group revenues, with strong performance in Europe and Asia [30][31] - The pest control market is projected to grow at a CAGR of around 6.2% over the next ten years, reaching approximately $50,000,000,000 by 2034 [28][29] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on improving customer retention, pricing, and new customer contracts to drive contract portfolio growth [27][36] - Plans to optimize satellite branches and increase their number to around 150 by year-end [5][43] - The divestment of the French workwear operations is expected to enhance cash generation and focus on core pest control and hygiene sectors [17][22] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the long-term growth of the pest control market, driven by factors such as urbanization and increased hygiene standards [28][29] - The company is optimistic about improving lead flow and sales performance in the second half of the year, following positive trends in June [25][72] - Management acknowledged the challenges in contract revenue growth but emphasized ongoing efforts to enhance customer retention and pricing strategies [36][37] Other Important Information - The company acquired eight businesses with combined revenues of approximately $18,000,000 in the year prior to purchase [11][16] - The sale of the French workwear business is expected to complete by late Q3 or early Q4, with net cash proceeds of approximately €370,000,000 [17][18] - The predictive churn model is being developed to identify at-risk customers and improve retention efforts [73][74] Q&A Session Summary Question: Discussion on termite provision claims and future changes - Management indicated that the increase in termite provision is based on recent experiences, with costs for settling claims up by 9% [54][55] - Future provisions may vary based on the cost per claim, which remains volatile [55] Question: Insights on quarterly growth rates and lead flow - Management noted improvements in lead flow in June but did not provide specific insights on July performance [56] Question: Clarification on digital and organic lead generation - Management confirmed a shift in marketing spend from paid to organic channels, resulting in improved lead performance [60][61] Question: One-off jobs growth slowdown - Management acknowledged variability in one-off job revenues and emphasized the focus on improving contract sales [64] Question: Confidence in brand investments and funding - Management expressed confidence in reallocating marketing spend to support brand investments without needing additional funding [82][88] Question: Clarification on cost savings and integration timelines - Management clarified that while the path to $100,000,000 in cost savings remains, not all branches may be fully integrated by 2026 [91][92]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Consolidated revenues for Q3 2025 were $610.8 million, an increase of 1.2% from $603.3 million in Q3 2024 [6][12] - Consolidated operating income decreased to $48.2 million from $48.5 million, a decline of 0.6% [12] - Net income increased to $39.7 million or $2.13 per diluted share, up from $38.1 million or $2.03 per diluted share [12] - Consolidated adjusted EBITDA increased to $85.8 million from $84.8 million, reflecting a 1.2% growth [12] - Effective tax rate increased to 25.7% compared to 22.9% in the prior year [12] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Core Laundry operations revenues were $533.2 million, an increase of 0.9% from the previous year [13] - Core Laundry organic growth was 1.1%, adjusting for acquisitions and currency fluctuations [14] - Specialty Garments segment revenues increased to $47.8 million from $47.6 million, a growth of 0.5% [15] - First Aid segment revenues increased to $29.8 million from $27.3 million, reflecting a 9% growth [17] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Customer retention improved compared to Q3 2024, although there was some softness in customer wearer levels [8] - Direct sales revenues were lower compared to the same quarter last year, impacting overall growth [9][66] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on enhancing customer experience and operational execution through investments in people, technology, and infrastructure [5][10] - The ongoing ERP project is expected to drive long-term benefits, with current costs being capitalized rather than expensed [41][42] - The company aims to improve strategic pricing, procurement sourcing, and inventory management [10] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted a cautious mood among existing customers regarding investments, particularly in manufacturing sectors [21] - The pricing environment remains challenging, with potential future impacts from tariffs on vendor costs [24][45] - The company maintains its annual revenue guidance between $2.422 billion and $2.432 billion, while increasing diluted earnings per share guidance to $7.6 to $8 [18] Other Important Information - The company incurred approximately $5.7 million in advisory and legal costs during the quarter, with some related to prior strategic discussions [17][58] - Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments totaled $211.9 million, with no long-term debt [17] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you unpack organic growth further? - Management characterized the existing customer base as cautious, with some targeted reductions in employment levels impacting growth [21][22] Question: Can you provide insight into pricing dynamics? - Management noted a fluid situation regarding pricing, with companies recovering from high inflation and potential tariff impacts [24][25] Question: How is the new sales environment today? - Management indicated that new sales have shown incremental positive momentum compared to six months ago, but not dramatically different [31] Question: What is the status of key initiatives and cost reductions? - Key initiative costs are primarily related to the ongoing ERP implementation, which is progressing well [40][41] Question: What impact are tariffs expected to have on costs? - Management explained that tariffs could impact garment sourcing costs, but the situation remains fluid [45][47] Question: How are labor costs currently? - Labor costs are stable, with improvements in execution and efficiency noted [55] Question: Can you clarify the strategic advisory and legal expenses? - The costs were related to prior strategic discussions and an ongoing legal matter, with an increased reserve built for the latter [58]