Why Ehrlich

J C Ehrlich History

Ehrlich Pest Control was founded in 1928 in Reading, Pennsylvania by Julius C. Ehrlich.

Mr. Ehrlich was a salesman who sold insecticides and fogging equipment. At this time, pest control was very much a do-it-yourself venture. When one of his customers, a department store, had no one who could apply the materials Mr. Ehrlich offered to do it for them - a novel idea at that time.

With that gesture in 1928, Mr. Ehrlich established his new service company using the principles that still guide Ehrlich today: initiative, ingenuity, and exceeding customer expectations.

In these early days, the service team consisted of Mr. Ehrlich, his wife and daughter placing rat bait in small pieces of bread.

From these humble beginnings, Ehrlich has grown to 45 local offices serving the Mid-Atlantic states - Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and the District of Columbia. And, in addition Residential Pest Control and Commercial Pest Control, the company offers Termite Control, Bird and Bat Control, Vegetation Management, and Bioremediation in commercial kitchens. Today, there are Ehrlich specialists who focus exclusively on mushrooms, pharmaceutical research, health care, and military facilities.

Long lasting relationships with coworkers and customers is a cornerstone of our success. Many Ehrlich co-workers have been with the company for 25, 30, and 40-plus years. And the company’s first customer - the department store - remains a customer today, over 80 years later.

Our leading industry trade publication – Pest Control Technology Magazine – recognized Ehrlich as America’s Finest Pest Control Company out of 18,000 providers nationwide.

A privately held company for 78 years, Ehrlich proudly became part of the Rentokil family of brands in 2006. Mr. Ehrlich’s great grandson still serves as Ehrlich CEO and guides the company’s daily activities.