UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016

Commission file No. 1-4422

ROLLINS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (404) 888-2000

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to section 12(g) of the Act: None.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes x No o

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    Yes o No x

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes x No o

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer x       Accelerated filer o    Non-accelerated filer o Smaller Reporting Company o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes o No x

The aggregate market value of Rollins, Inc. Common Stock held by non-affiliates on June 30, 2016 was $2,781,648,386 based on the reported last sale price of common stock on June 30, 2016, which is the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter.

Rollins, Inc. had 218,032,223 shares of Common Stock outstanding as of January 31, 2017.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the Proxy Statement for the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Rollins, Inc. are incorporated by reference into Part III, Items 10-14.

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, Australia, and Europe with international franchises in Central America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean, Europe, Africa, Canada, Australia, and Mexico. 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 the world’s largest pest and termite control company. It provides customized services from over 400 locations. Orkin either serves customers, directly or through franchise operations, in the United States, Canada, Central America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean, Europe, Africa, and Mexico 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 Orkin Canada^® 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 Orkin Canada brand name provides similar brand recognition throughout Canada.

Orkin Canada, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Orkin founded in 1952, was acquired by Orkin in 1999. Orkin Canada 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^® tubes in the wall pest control system, was recognized as a premier pest control business and ranked as the 4th largest company in the industry. HomeTeam services home builders nationally.

Rollins Australia (“Rollins Australia”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, acquired Allpest WA (“Allpest”), in February 2014. Allpest was established in 1959 and is headquartered in Perth, Australia. Allpest provides traditional commercial, residential, and termite service as well as consulting services on border protection related to Australia’s biosecurity program and provides specialized services to Australia’s mining and oil and gas sectors.

Rollins Wildlife Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, acquired Critter Control on February 27, 2015. Critter Control was established by 1983 and has operations in 40 states and 2 Canadian provinces.

Rollins UK was formed as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company to acquire Safeguard Pest Control (“Safeguard”). Safeguard, which was acquired in June 2016, is a pest control company established in the United Kingdom in 1991 with a history of providing superior pest control, bird control, and specialist services to residential and commercial customers.

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, Australia, Central America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean, Europe, Africa, and Mexico are included in Item 8 of this document, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” on pages 25 and 26. 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

All share and per share data presented have been adjusted to account for the three-for-two stock split effective March 10, 2015. At the July 24, 2012 Board of Directors’ meeting, the Board authorized the purchase of 7.5 million shares of the Company’s common stock. During the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company repurchased on the open market 0.8 million shares and 19 thousand shares at a weighted average price of $27.19 and $22.42, respectively. In total, there are 5.1 million additional shares authorized to be repurchased under prior Board approval. The repurchase program does not have an expiration date.

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.

Franchising Programs

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 franchise agreements also contain an optional buyback provision; however, the franchisee has the prior right of renewal of agreement. 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, South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean, Europe, Africa, and Mexico.

Critter Control Franchises

The Company expands its animal control growth through Critter Control’s franchise program. The Company has purchased several Critter Control locations from its franchise owners while renaming and converting several TruTech locations to Critter Control. The majority of Critter Control’s locations are franchised. Critter Control had 94 franchises and 108 franchises in the United States and Canada as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 respectively. The Company purchased Critter Control in 2015.

Murray Pest Control Franchises

The Company has Australian franchises through Rollins Australia’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Murray Pest Control. Murray Pest Control had four franchises as of December 31, 2016. The Company purchased Murray Pest Control in 2016.

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 presence 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 relationships with a national pest control product distributor and other vendors for pest and termite control treatment products. The Company 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, Orkin Canada, HomeTeam Pest Defense, Western Pest Services, The Industrial Fumigant Company, Crane Pest Control, Waltham Services, Trutech, Permatreat, Rollins Australia, Critter Control and Safeguard Pest Control compete favorably with competitors as the world’s largest pest and termite control company. The Company’s competitors include Terminix, Ecolab and Rentokil.

The principal methods of competition in the Company’s pest and termite control markets are quality of service, customer proximity and guarantee terms, reputation for safety, technical proficiency, and price.

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 scientists, educators, 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 impact 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.

Employees

The number of persons employed by the Company as of January 31, 2017 was approximately 12,000.

Available Information

Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to these reports, are available free of charge on our web site at www.rollins.com as soon as reasonably practicable after those reports are electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Item 1.A.        Risk Factors

We may not be able to maintain our competitive position in the pest control industry in the future.

We operate in a highly competitive industry. Our revenues and earnings may be affected by changes in competitors’ prices, and general economic issues. We compete with other large pest control companies, as well as numerous smaller pest control companies, for a finite number of customers. We believe that the principal competitive factors in the market areas that we serve are service quality, and product availability, terms of guarantees, reputation for safety, technical proficiency and price. Although we believe that our experience and reputation for safety and quality service is excellent, we cannot assure investors that we will be able to maintain our competitive position.

Economic conditions may adversely affect our business

Pest and termite services represent discretionary expenditures to many of our residential customers. As consumers restrict their discretionary expenditures, we may suffer a decline in revenues from our residential service lines. Economic downturns can also adversely affect our commercial customers, including food service, hospitality and food processing industries whose business levels are particularly sensitive to adverse economies. For example, we may lose commercial customers and related revenues because of consolidation or cessation of commercial businesses or because these businesses switch to a lower cost provider.

Our business depends on our strong brands, and failing to maintain and enhance our brands could hurt our ability to retain and expand our base of customers.

Our strong brands, Rollins, Orkin, HomeTeam Pest Defense, Western Pest Services, The Industrial Fumigant Company, Crane Pest Control, Waltham Services, Trutech, Perma Treat, Critter Control, Allpest, and Safeguard Pest Control have significantly contributed to the success of our business.  Maintaining and enhancing our brands increases our ability to enter new markets and launch new and innovative services that better serve the needs of our customers.  Our brands may be negatively impacted by a number of factors, including, among others, reputational issues and product/technical failures.  Further, if our brands are significantly damaged, our business, operating results, and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected.  Maintaining and enhancing our brands will depend largely on our ability to remain a service leader and continue to provide high-quality, pest control products and services that are truly useful and play a meaningful role in people’s lives.

We may not be able to identify, complete or successfully integrate acquisitions.

Acquisitions have been and may continue to be an important element of our business strategy. We cannot assure investors that we will be able to identify and acquire acceptable acquisition candidates on terms favorable to us in the future. We cannot assure investors that we will be able to integrate successfully the operations and assets of any acquired business with our own business. Any inability on our part to integrate and manage the growth from acquired businesses could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our operations are affected by adverse weather conditions.

Our operations are directly impacted by the weather conditions worldwide. The business of the Company is affected by the seasonal nature of the Company’s pest and termite control services. The increase in pest presence 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 and income of the Company’s pest and termite control operations during such periods. The business of the Company is also affected by extreme weather such as drought which can greatly reduce the pest population for extended periods.

Our inability to attract and retain skilled workers may impair growth potential and profitability.

Our ability to remain productive and profitable will depend substantially on our ability to attract and retain skilled workers. Our ability to expand our operations is in part impacted by our ability to increase our labor force. The demand for skilled employees is high, and the supply is very limited. A significant increase in the wages paid by competing employers could result in a reduction in our skilled labor force, increases in wage rates paid by us, or both. If either of these events occurred, our capacity and profitability could be diminished, and our growth potential could be impaired.

Our operations could be affected if we fail to protect the security of personal information about our customers, employees and third parties, we could be subject to interruption of our business operations, private litigation, reputational damage and costly penalties.

We rely on, among other things, commercially available vendors, cyber protection systems, software, tools and monitoring to provide security for processing, transmission and storage of confidential information of customers, employees and third parties, such as payment card and personal information. The systems currently used for transmission and approval of payment card transactions, and the technology utilized in payment cards themselves, all of which can put payment card data at risk, meeting standards set by the payment card industry (“PCI”). We continue to evaluate and modify our systems and protocols for PCI compliance purposes, and such PCI standards may change from time to time. Activities by third parties, advances in computer and software capabilities and encryption technology, new tools and discoveries and other events or developments may facilitate or result in a compromise or breach of our systems. Any compromises, breaches or errors in applications related to our systems or failures to comply with standards set by the PCI could cause damage to our reputation and interruptions in our operations, including our customers’ ability to pay for our services and products by credit card or their willingness to purchase our services and products and could result in a violation of applicable laws, regulations, orders, industry standards or agreements and subject us to costs, penalties and liabilities which could have a material adverse impact on our reputation, business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Also, a breach of credit card data security could expose us to customer litigation.

Our operations could be affected by pending and ongoing litigation.

In the normal course of business, some of the Company’s subsidiaries are defendants in a number of lawsuits or arbitrations, which allege that plaintiffs have been damaged.  The Company does not believe that any pending claim, proceeding or litigation, either alone or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position; however, it is possible that an unfavorable outcome of some or all of the matters, however unlikely, could result in a charge that might be material to the results of an individual year.

Our operations may be adversely affected if we are unable to comply with regulatory and environmental laws.

Our business is significantly affected by environmental laws and other regulations relating to the pest control industry and by changes in such laws and the level of enforcement of such laws. We are unable to predict the level of enforcement of existing laws and regulations, how such laws and regulations may be interpreted by enforcement agencies or court rulings, or whether additional laws and regulations will be adopted. We believe our present operations substantially comply with applicable federal and state environmental laws and regulations. We also believe that compliance with such laws has had no material adverse effect on our operations to date. However, such environmental laws are changed frequently. We are unable to predict whether environmental laws will, in the future, materially affect our operations and financial condition. Penalties for noncompliance with these laws may include cancellation of licenses, fines, and other corrective actions, which would negatively affect our future financial results.

The Company’s management has a substantial ownership interest; public stockholders may have no effective voice in the Company’s management.

The Company has elected the “Controlled Company” exemption under Section 303A of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) Listed Company Manual. The Company is a “Controlled Company” because a group that includes the Company’s Chairman of the Board, R. Randall Rollins and his brother, Gary W. Rollins, who is the Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and a director of the Company and certain companies under their control, controls in excess of fifty percent of the Company’s voting power. As a “Controlled Company,” the Company need not comply with certain NYSE rules.

Rollins, Inc.’s executive officers, directors and their affiliates hold directly or through indirect beneficial ownership, in the aggregate, approximately 57 percent of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock. As a result, these persons will effectively control the operations of the Company, including the election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions such as acquisitions and approval of matters requiring stockholder approval. This concentration of ownership could also have the effect of delaying or preventing a third party from acquiring control of the Company at a premium.

Our management has a substantial ownership interest, and the availability of the Company’s common stock to the investing public may be limited.

The availability of Rollins’ common stock to the investing public would be limited to those shares not held by the executive officers, directors and their affiliates, which could negatively impact Rollins’ stock trading prices and affect the ability of minority stockholders to sell their shares. Future sales by executive officers, directors and their affiliates of all or a portion of their shares could also negatively affect the trading price of our common stock.

Provisions in Rollins, Inc.’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws may inhibit a takeover of the Company.

Rollins, Inc.’s certificate of incorporation, bylaws and other documents contain provisions including advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals and staggered terms for the Board of Directors. These provisions may make a tender offer, change in control or takeover attempt that is opposed by the Company’s Board of Directors more difficult or expensive.

Item 1.B.        Unresolved Staff Comments

None

Item 2.            Properties.

The Company’s administrative headquarters are owned by the Company, and are located at 2170 Piedmont Road, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30324. The Company owns or leases over 500 branch offices and operating facilities used in its business as well as the Rollins Training Center located in Atlanta, Georgia, the Rollins Customer Service Center located in Covington, Georgia, and the Pacific Division Administration and Training Center in Riverside, California. None of the branch offices, individually considered, represents a materially important physical property of the Company. The facilities are suitable and adequate to meet the current and reasonably anticipated future needs of the Company.

Item 3.            Legal Proceedings.

In the normal course of business, certain of the Company’s subsidiaries are defendants in a number of lawsuits, claims or arbitrations which allege that the subsidiaries’ services caused damage.  In addition, the Company defends employment related cases and claims from time to time. We are involved in certain environmental matters primarily arising in the normal course of business. We are actively contesting each of these matters. 

On December 2, 2014, Plaintiff Killian Pest Control sued Rollins, Inc. and its subsidiary HomeTeam Pest Defense alleging that HomeTeam’s exclusive use of its “tubes in the walls” system violates the federal Sherman Antitrust Act, and California’s Cartwright Act and Business and Professions Code. Plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that the alleged misconduct violates the Sherman and Cartwright Acts, and the Business and Professions Code; a permanent injunction against continuing alleged violations; and monetary damages. The lawsuit is pending in the United States District Court, Northern District of California. Because discovery remains open and there are unresolved questions of fact and law, the Company cannot currently estimate the loss, if any, and intends to defend this matter vigorously.

On December 2, 2014, Plaintiff Jose Luis Garnica, on behalf of himself and a class of similarly situated customers, sued Rollins, Inc. and its subsidiary HomeTeam Pest Defense alleging that HomeTeam’s exclusive use of its “tubes in the walls” system violates the federal Sherman Antitrust Act. A second Plaintiff, Cora Potter, subsequently was added. Plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that the alleged misconduct violates the Sherman Act; a permanent injunction against continuing violations; and monetary damages. On February 3, 2017, the Court issued an order denying Plaintiffs’ Motion for Class Certification. At a hearing on February 9, 2017, the Court granted Plaintiffs leave to seek certification of a class of customers limited to their own geographic market, the Bakersfield, California area. The lawsuit is pending in the United States District Court, Northern District of California. Because discovery remains open and there are unresolved questions of fact and law, the Company cannot currently estimate the loss, if any, and intends to defend this matter vigorously.

Management does not believe that any pending claim, proceeding or litigation, either alone or in the aggregate will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or liquidity; however, it is possible that an unfavorable outcome of some or all of the matters, however unlikely, could result in a charge that might be material to the results of an individual quarter or year.

Item 4.            Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not applicable.

Item 4.A.        Executive Officers of the Registrant.

Each of the executive officers of the Company was elected by the Board of Directors to serve until the Board of Directors’ meeting immediately following the next Annual Meeting of Stockholders or until his earlier removal by the Board of Directors or his resignation. The following table lists the executive officers of the Company and their ages, offices within the Company, and the dates from which they have continually served in their present offices with the Company.

PART II

The Common Stock of the Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is traded on the Philadelphia, Chicago and Boston Exchanges under the symbol ROL. The high and low prices of the Company’s common stock and dividends paid for each quarter in the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, with all share and per share data adjusted for the Company’s three-for-two stock split effective March 10, 2015, were as follows:

STOCK PRICES AND DIVIDENDS
Rounded to the nearest $.01

As of January 31, 2017, there were 2,200 holders of record of the Company’s common stock. However, a large number of our shareholders hold their shares in “street name” in brokerage accounts and, therefore, do not appear on the shareholder list maintained by our transfer agent.

On January 27, 2015, the Board of Directors at its quarterly meeting authorized a three-for-two stock split of the Company’s common shares by the issuance on March 10, 2015 of one additional common share for each two common shares held of record at February 10, 2015. The stock split increased the Company’s outstanding shares from 145,783,052 to 218,674,578 shares.

On January 24, 2017 the Board of Directors approved a quarterly cash dividend per common share of $0.115 payable March 10, 2017 to stockholders of record at the close of business February 10, 2017. On October 25, 2016, the Board of Directors declared its regular $0.10 per share as well as a special year-end dividend of $0.10 per share both payable December 9, 2016 to stockholders of record at the close of business November 10, 2016. The Company expects to continue to pay cash dividends to the common stockholders, subject to the earnings and financial condition of the Company and other relevant factors.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

During the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company repurchased on the open market 0.8 million shares and 19 thousand shares at a weighted average price of $27.19 and $22.42, respectively. In total, there remain 5.1 million additional shares authorized to be repurchased under prior Board approval. The repurchase program does not have an expiration date.

October 2016: 0; November 2016: 0; and December 2016: 0.

PERFORMANCE GRAPH

The following graph sets forth a five year comparison of the cumulative total stockholder return based on the performance of the stock of the Company as compared with both a broad equity market index and an industry index. The indices included in the following graph are the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Commercial Services Index.

COMPARISON OF FIVE YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN*

ASSUMES INITIAL INVESTMENT OF $100

*TOTAL RETURN ASSUMES REINVESTMENT OF DIVIDENDS

NOTE: TOTAL RETURNS BASED ON MARKET CAPITALIZATION

The following summary financial data of Rollins highlights selected financial data and should be read in conjunction with the financial statements included elsewhere in this document.

FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL SUMMARY

Rollins, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Presentation

This discussion should be read in conjunction with our audited financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this document. The following discussion (as well as other discussions in this document) contains forward-looking statements. Please see “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements.

The Company

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, Australia, and Europe with international franchises in Central America, South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean, Europe, Africa, and Mexico. Services are performed through a contract that specifies the treatment specifics and the pricing arrangement with the customer.

The Company has only one reportable segment, its pest and termite control business. 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.

Overview

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

General Operating Comments

2016 marked the Company’s 19th consecutive year of improved revenues and profits. Revenues for the year rose 5.9 percent to $1.573 billion compared to $1.485 billion for the prior year. Income before income taxes increased 7.2% to $260.6 million compared to $243.2 million the prior year. Net income increased 10.0% to $167.4 million, with earnings per diluted share of $0.77 compared to $152.1 million, or $0.70 per diluted share for the prior year.

All of our business lines experienced growth for the year, with residential pest control revenues up 7.3%, commercial pest control revenues up 4.4% and termite revenues up 6.3%.

The Company experienced growth in our Specialty Brands, Emerging Opportunity and Wildlife Brands all of which reported impressive growth numbers for the year. These results underscore the value that the Company is experiencing in selectively acquiring, market-leading specialty pest control, and wildlife companies.

Rollins continued to make inroads in expanding brand recognition through growing the Company’s international presence in 2016 both through expansion in Australia and entry into the United Kingdom. The Company also announced it established 23 new Orkin international franchises during the year. Twelve of these franchises are located in China, while the others are located in Brazil, Mongolia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia, Malaysia and the Kingdom of Cambodia. All of these franchises will offer commercial and residential pest control as well as termite services where applicable. With the addition of these new franchises we have now established Orkin’s presence in 45 countries through 70 international franchises.

The Company is pleased with the successful Orkin rollout of the customer relationship management (CRM) system (BOSS), and is benefiting from the investments made updating this system to improve the customer experience.

Strategic acquisitions remain a priority for Rollins, and as in the past, we will continue to seek out companies that are a “fit” for us in both, the pest control and wildlife areas of our business.

Results of Operations—2016 Versus 2015

Overview

The Company’s revenues increased to $1.573 billion in 2016, a 5.9% increase compared to 2015. Gross margin increased to 50.9% for 2016 from 50.4% in 2015. Sales, general and administrative expense remained flat at 31.2% of revenues in 2016 compared to 2015. The Company’s depreciation and amortization margin increased 0.2 percentage points to 3.2% in 2016 compared to 3.0% in 2015. Rollins’ net income of $167.4 million in 2016 was an increase of $15.2 million or 10.0% over $152.1 million in 2015. Net profit margin improved to 10.6% in 2016 from 10.2% in 2015. Rollins continued to expand our global brand recognition with acquisitions in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom as well as expanding our Orkin international franchise program in numerous countries around the globe. The Company is now in 47 countries and continues to seek new opportunities.

Revenues

Revenues for the year ended December 31, 2016 were $1.573 billion, an increase of $88.2 million or 5.9% from 2015 revenues of $1.485 billion. Growth occurred across all service lines and brands with our Canadian and Australian companies being hindered by unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates. Organic growth and pricing accounted for approximately 5.2% of our increase and our acquisitions contributed the remaining revenue growth. Commercial pest control represented approximately 40% of the Company’s revenue in 2016 and grew 4.4% due to increases in sales, increased bed bug revenue, an increase in commercial fumigations, and acquisitions. Commercial pest control was negatively impacted by foreign currency exchange as Orkin Canada and Rollins Australia are heavily commercial. Residential pest control which represented approximately 42% of the Company’s revenue, increased 7.3% driven by increased leads, the improved closure and pricing as well as increased TAEXX® homebuilder installations, bed bug revenues and acquisitions. The Company’s termite business, which represented approximately 17% of the Company’s revenue, grew 6.3% in 2016 due to acquisitions, increases in drywood fumigations and ancillary service sales, (such as moisture control and insulation).

The Company implemented its traditional price increase program in June 2016. Less than 2% of the Company’s revenue increase came from pricing actions. Approximately 80% of the Company’s pest control revenue was recurring in 2016 as well as 2015.

The Company’s foreign operations accounted for approximately 7% of total revenues for each of the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Foreign currency exchange translation and increased domestic revenues have reduced the percentage in both years. The Company established new franchises in several international countries around the globe in 2016 for a total of 70 Orkin international franchises, two Canadian Critter Control franchises, and four Australian franchises operated by Murray Pest Control at December 31, 2016, compared to 48 Orkin international franchises and two Canadian Critter Control franchises at December 31, 2015.

International and domestic franchising revenue was less than 1% of the Company’s revenues for 2016. Orkin had 120 and 99 franchises (domestic and international) at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The Company had 94 Critter Control franchises and 4 Murray Pest Control franchises at December 31, 2016, down 14 from 2015. Critter Control Operations, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, has begun the process of purchasing Critter Control franchises. Revenue from franchises was up 8.4% in 2016 compared to 2015.

Cost of Services Provided

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2016 cost of services provided increased $36.4 million or 4.9%, compared to the twelve months ended December 31, 2015. Gross margin for the year increased to 50.9% for 2016 compared to 50.4% for 2015 due to favorable service salary cost as we finalized the roll-out of BOSS, our CRM and operating system, improving our routing and scheduling to maximize efficiencies, lower personnel related expenses as healthcare claims were lower than expected, and insurance and claims were lower as a percentage of revenues as we continue to focus on efficiency and safety. The favorable margins were partially offset by professional fees as we used outside sources to roll-out BOSS. We experienced good cost controls across most spending categories during 2016 compared to 2015.

Depreciation and Amortization

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2016, depreciation and amortization increased $6.4 million, or 14.3% compared to the twelve months ended December 31, 2015. The dollar increase was due primarily to depreciation increasing $5.4 million as we began to depreciate our CRM software BOSS, while amortization of intangible assets increased as we acquired 34 companies in 2016.

Sales, General and Administrative

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2016, sales, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses increased $26.8 million, or 5.8% compared to the twelve months ended December 31, 2015. SG&A remained flat at 31.2% of revenues for each of the years 2016 and 2015. The Company had a one-time tax event to dissolve its subsidiary, Kinro Investment Inc. This increased SG&A expense $9.1 million or 0.6 percentage points due to the one-time tax event that was offset as a credit in income tax expense. Sales salaries increased due to the increase in sales commissions and service contracts increased as a result of maintaining the BOSS system. The increases were offset by decreases as a percentage of revenue by administrative salaries as we continue to grow revenue with a static headcount, personnel related expense margin decreased due to lower than expected healthcare claims, and decreases in insurance claims as we continue to focus on efficiency and safety, and telephone costs we negotiate contracts for Internet service.

Gain on Sales of assets, Net

Gain on sales of assets, net decreased to $0.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to $2.0 million gain in 2015. The Company recognized gains from the sale of owned vehicles and owned property in 2016 and 2015. The decrease was due to the Company selling two buildings in 2015.

Interest (Income)/Expense, Net

Interest income, net for each of the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 was $0.2 million. Interest income for each year is due to interest received on cash balances in the Company’s various cash accounts.

Taxes

The Company’s effective tax rate decreased to 35.8% in 2016 compared to 37.4% in 2015, due primarily to a one-time tax event in 2016 and differences in state and foreign income taxes.

Results of Operations—2015 Versus 2014

Overview

The Company’s gross margin increased to 50.4% for 2015 from 49.9% in 2014. Sales, general and administrative expense decreased in 2015 to 31.2% of revenue versus 31.3% in 2014. The Company’s depreciation and amortization margin decreased 0.1 point to 3.0 % in 2015 compared to 3.1% in 2014. Rollins’ net income of $152.1 million in 2015 was an increase of $14.5 million or 10.5% over $137.7 million in 2014. Net profit margin improved to 10.2% in 2015 from 9.8% in 2014.

Revenues

Revenues for the year ended December 31, 2015 were $1.485 billion, an increase of $73.7 million or 5.2% from 2014 revenues of $1.412 billion. Growth occurred across all service lines and brands with our foreign companies being hurt by unfavorable exchange rates. Organic growth and pricing accounted for approximately 4.2% of our increase and our acquisitions contributed the remaining revenue growth. Commercial pest control represented approximately 41% of the Company’s revenue in 2015 and grew 3.3% in 2015 due to increases in sales, improvements in cancellations, increased bed bug revenue, an increase in commercial fumigations, and acquisitions. Residential pest control which also represented approximately 41% of the Company’s revenue, increased 6.6% driven by increased leads, closures and pricing as well as increased TAEXX® homebuilder installations, bed bug revenues and acquisitions. The Company’s termite business, which represented approximately 17% of the Company’s revenue, grew 4.6% in 2015 due to increases in drywood fumigations and ancillary service sales, and acquisitions.

The Company implemented its traditional price increase program in June 2015. Less than 2% of the Company’s revenue increase came from pricing actions. Nearly 80% of the Company’s pest control revenue was recurring in 2015 and 2014.

The Company’s foreign operations accounted for approximately 7% and 8% of total revenues for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Currency exchange translation is the cause of the decreased percentage. The Company established new franchises in China, El Salvador, Mexico, Colombia, the Republic of Georgia, Bahrain, Qatar, Hong Kong, Macau, and South Korea in 2015 for a total of 48 international franchises at December 31, 2015 with 37 at December 31, 2014. Orkin had 99 and 92 franchises (domestic and international) at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Cost of Services Provided

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2015 cost of services provided increased $28.2 million or 4.0%, compared to the twelve months ended December 31, 2014. Gross margin for the year increased to 50.4% for 2015 compared to 49.9% for 2014 due to reduced fleet costs due to the drop in gasoline prices, favorable service salaries as we continue to improve our routing and scheduling to maximize efficiencies and favorable administrative salary margins as we continue to focus on efficiency. The favorable margins were partially offset by our casualty claim development, increases in supplies as a result of increased sales and increases in personnel related costs as group premiums continue to increase. We experienced good cost controls across most spending categories.

Depreciation and Amortization

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2015, depreciation and amortization increased $1.0 million, or 2.3% compared to the twelve months ended December 31, 2014. The dollar increase was due primarily to depreciation increasing $2.7 million as we depreciate our customer relationship management software “BOSS”, while amortization of intangible assets decreased as we fully amortized several intangible assets during the 12 month period.

Sales, General and Administrative

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2015, sales, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses increased $22.0 million, or 5.0% compared to the twelve months ended December 31, 2014. SG&A decreased to 31.2% of revenues compared to 31.3% of revenues in the prior year. As a percentage of revenues, SG&A decreased due to the Company’s leveraging our SG&A expenses against higher revenues, reducing our bad debt expense with our collections efforts and experiencing lower gasoline costs, partially offset by higher sales salaries.

Gain on Sales of assets, Net

Gain on sales of assets, net increased to $2.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to $0.6 million gain in 2014. The Company recognized gains from the sale of owned vehicles and property in 2015 and 2014. The increase was due to the Company selling two buildings in 2015.

Interest (Income)/Expense, Net

Interest income, net for the year ended December 31, 2015 was $0.2 million, a decrease of $0.1 million compared to $0.3 million in 2014. Interest income for the year is due to interest received on cash balances in the Company’s various cash accounts.

Taxes

The Company’s effective tax rate increased to 37.4% in 2015 compared to 37.3% in 2014, due primarily to differences in state and foreign income taxes.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Cash and Cash Flow

Cash from operating activities is the principal source of cash generation for our businesses.

The most significant source of cash in Rollins’ cash flow from operations is customer-related activities, the largest of which is collecting cash resulting from services sales. The most significant operating use of cash is to pay our suppliers, employees, tax authorities and others for a wide range of material and services.

The Company’s cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014 were $142.8 million, $134.6 million, and $108.4 million, respectively.

Cash Provided by Operating Activities

The Company’s operations generated cash of $226.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 primarily from net income of $167.4 million, compared with cash provided by operating activities of $196.4 million in 2015 and $194.1 million in 2014. The Company believes its current cash and cash equivalents balances, future cash flows expected to be generated from operating activities and available borrowings under its $175.0 million credit facility will be sufficient to finance its current operations and obligations, and fund expansion of the business for the foreseeable future.

The Company made contributions totaling $3.3 million to the Rollins, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries’ defined benefit retirement plans (the “Plans”) during the year ended December 31, 2016 and $5.0 million and $5.3 million during the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, as a result of the Plans’ funding status. The Company is considering making contributions to its Plans of approximately $5.5 million during fiscal year 2017. In the opinion of management, additional Plan contributions will not have a material effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

Cash Used in Investing Activities

The Company used $76.8 million on investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to $69.9 million and $89.5 million during 2015 and 2014, respectively, and of that, invested approximately $33.1 million in capital expenditures during 2016 compared to $39.5 million and $28.7 million during 2015 and 2014, respectively. Capital expenditures for the year consisted primarily of property purchases, equipment replacements and technology related projects. The Company expects to invest between $25.0 million and $28.0 million in 2017 in capital expenditures. During 2016, the Company’s subsidiaries acquired several small companies totaling $46.3 million compared to $33.5 million in acquisitions during 2015 and $63.3 million in 2014. The expenditures for the Company’s acquisitions were funded with cash on hand. The Company continues to seek new acquisitions.

Cash Used in Financing Activities

The Company used cash of $136.4 million on financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2016, compared to $97.2 million and $106.5 million during 2015 and 2014, respectively. A total of $109.0 million was paid in cash dividends ($0.50 per share) during the year ended December 31, 2016 including a special dividend paid in December 2016 of $0.10 per share, compared to $91.8 million paid in cash dividends ($0.42 per share) during the year ended December 31, 2015, including a special dividend paid in December 2015 of $0.10 per share and $75.8 million ($0.35 per share) during the year ended December 31, 2014, including a special dividend paid in December 2014 of $0.07 per share.

The Company used $22.7 million to repurchase on the open market 0.8 million shares of its common stock at a weighted average price of $27.19 per share during 2016 compared to $0.4 million to purchase 19 thousand shares at an weighted average price of $22.42 in 2015 and $29.3 million to purchase 1.5 million shares at a weighted average price of $19.46 in 2014. There remain 5.1 million shares authorized to be repurchased under prior Board approval. In addition to the shares purchased on the open market, the Company repurchased $8.4 million, $7.0 million and $6.2 million of common stock for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively, from employees for the payment of taxes on vesting restricted shares.

The Company’s $142.8 million of total cash at December 31, 2016, is primarily cash held at various banking institutions. Approximately $54.4 million is held in cash accounts at international bank institutions and the remaining $88.4 million is primarily held in Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insured non-interest-bearing accounts at various domestic banks which at times may exceed federally insured amounts.

The Company’s international business is expanding and we intend to continue to grow the business in foreign markets in the future through reinvestment of foreign deposits and future earnings as well as acquisitions of unrelated companies. Repatriation of cash from the Company’s foreign subsidiaries is not a part of the Company’s current business plan.

The Company maintains a large cash position in the United States while having no third-party debt to service. Rollins maintains adequate liquidity and capital resources, without regard to its foreign deposits, that are directed to finance domestic operations and obligations and to fund expansion of its domestic business.  

On October 31, 2012, the Company entered into a Revolving Credit Agreement with SunTrust Bank and Bank of America, N.A. for an unsecured line of credit of up to $175.0 million, which includes a $75.0 million letter of credit subfacility, and a $25.0 million swingline subfacility. The Credit Agreement was amended on October 30, 2014 to extend the maturity date to October 31, 2018 and add three optional one year extensions. On October 27, 2015 the Company exercised a one year extension option to extend the maturity date to October 31, 2019. As of December 31, 2016, no borrowings were outstanding under the line of credit or under the swingline subfacility. The Company maintains approximately $35.0 million in letters of credit. These letters of credit are required by the Company’s fronting insurance companies and/or certain states, due to the Company’s self-insured status, to secure various workers’ compensation and casualty insurance contracts coverage. The Company believes that it has adequate liquid assets, funding sources and insurance accruals to accommodate such claims.

The Revolving Credit Agreement is guaranteed by certain of Rollins’ domestic-subsidiaries. The maturity date of the Credit Agreement is October 31, 2019, subject to up to two optional extensions of the Credit Agreement for one year each. Revolving loans under the Revolving Credit Agreement bear interest at one of the following two rates, at the Company’s election:

The Revolving Credit Agreement contains customary terms and conditions, including, without limitation, certain financial covenants including covenants restricting the Company’s ability to incur certain indebtedness or liens, or to merge or consolidate with or sell substantially all of its assets to another entity. Further, the Revolving Credit Agreement contains financial covenants restricting the Company’s ability to permit the ratio of the Company’s consolidated debt to EBITDA to exceed certain limits.

The Company remained in compliance with applicable debt covenants at December 31, 2016 and expects to maintain compliance throughout 2017.

Litigation

For discussion on the Company’s legal contingencies, see note 13 to the accompanying financial statements.

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements, Contractual Obligations and Contingent Liabilities and Commitments

Other than the operating leases disclosed in the table that follows, the Company has no material off balance sheet arrangements.

The impact that the Company’s contractual obligations as of December 31, 2016 are expected to have on our liquidity and cash flow in future periods is as follows:

Critical Accounting Policies

The Company views critical accounting policies to be those policies that are very important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results of operations, and that require management’s most difficult, complex or subjective judgments. The circumstances that make these judgments difficult or complex relate to the need for management to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. We believe our critical accounting policies to be as follows:

Accrual for Termite Contracts—The Company maintains an accrual for termite claims representing the estimated costs of reapplications, repairs and associated labor and chemicals, settlements, awards and other costs relative to termite control services. Factors that may impact future cost include termiticide life expectancy and government regulation. It is significant that the actual number of claims has decreased in recent years due to changes in the Company’s business practices. However, it is not possible to precisely predict future significant claims. Accruals for termite contracts are included in other current liabilities and long-term accrued liabilities on the Company’s consolidated statements of financial position.

Accrued Insurance—The Company self-insures, up to specified limits, certain risks related to general liability, workers’ compensation and vehicle liability. The estimated costs of existing and future claims under the self-insurance program are accrued based upon historical trends as incidents occur, whether reported or unreported (although actual settlement of the claims may not be made until future periods) and may be subsequently revised based on developments relating to such claims. The Company contracts an independent third party actuary on a semi-annual basis to provide the Company an estimated liability based upon historical claims information. The actuarial study is a major consideration in establishing the reserve, along with management’s knowledge of changes in business practice and existing claims compared to current balances. Management’s judgment is inherently subjective and a number of factors are outside management’s knowledge and control. Additionally, historical information is not always an accurate indication of future events. The Company continues to be proactive in risk management to develop and maintain ongoing programs to reduce claims. Initiatives that have been implemented include pre-employment screening and an annual motor vehicle report required on all its drivers, post-offer physicals for new employees, pre-hire, random and post-accident drug testing, increased driver training and a post-injury nurse triage program for employees.

Revenue Recognition—The Company’s revenue recognition policies are designed to recognize revenues at the time services are performed. For certain revenue types, because of the timing of billing and the receipt of cash versus the timing of performing services, certain accounting estimates are utilized. Residential and commercial pest control services are primarily recurring in nature on a monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly basis, while certain types of commercial customers may receive multiple treatments within a given month. In general, pest control customers sign an initial one-year contract, and revenues are recognized at the time services are performed. For pest control customers, the Company offers a discount for those customers who prepay for a full year of services. The Company defers recognition of these advance payments and recognizes the revenue as the services are rendered. The Company classifies the discounts related to the advance payments as a reduction in revenues.

Termite baiting revenues are recognized based on the delivery of the individual units of accounting. At the inception of a new baiting services contract, upon quality control review of the installation, the Company recognizes revenue for the installation of the monitoring stations, initial directed liquid termiticide treatment and servicing of the monitoring stations. A portion of the contract amount is deferred for the undelivered monitoring element. This portion is recognized as income on a straight-line basis over the remaining contract term, which results in recognition of revenue in a pattern that approximates the timing of performing monitoring visits. The allocation of the purchase price to the two deliverables is based on the relative selling price. There are no contingencies related to the delivery of additional items or meeting other specified performance conditions. Baiting renewal revenue is deferred and recognized over the annual contract period on a straight-line basis that approximates the timing of performing the required monitoring visits.

Revenue received for conventional termite renewals is deferred and recognized on a straight-line basis over the remaining contract term; and, the cost of reinspections, reapplications and repairs and associated labor and chemicals are expensed as incurred. For outstanding claims, an estimate is made of the costs to be incurred (including legal costs) based upon current factors and historical information. The performance of reinspections tends to be close to the contract renewal date and while reapplications and repairs involve an insubstantial number of the contracts, these costs are incurred over the contract term. As the revenue is being deferred, the future cost of reinspections, reapplications and repairs and associated labor and chemicals applicable to the deferred revenue are expensed as incurred. The Company accrues for noticed claims. The costs of providing termite services upon renewal are compared to the expected revenue to be received and a provision is made for any expected losses.

All revenues are reported net of sales taxes.

Contingency Accruals—The Company is a party to legal proceedings with respect to matters in the ordinary course of business. In accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 450 “Contingencies,” Management estimates and accrues for its liability and costs associated with the litigation. Estimates and accruals are determined in consultation with outside counsel. Because it is not possible to accurately predict the ultimate result of the litigation, judgments concerning accruals for liabilities and costs associated with litigation are inherently uncertain and actual liabilities may vary from amounts estimated or accrued. However, in the opinion of management, the outcome of the litigation will not have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition or results of operations. Contingency accruals are included in other current liabilities and long-term accrued liabilities on the Company’s consolidated statements of financial position.

Defined benefit pension plans — In 2005, the Company ceased all future benefit accruals under the Rollins, Inc. defined benefit plan, although the Company remains obligated to provide employees benefits earned through June 2005. The Company also includes the Waltham Services, LLC Hourly Employee Pension Plan to the Company’s financial statements. The Company accounts for these defined benefit plans in accordance with the FASB ASC Topic 715 “Compensation- Retirement Benefits”, and engages an outside actuary to calculate its obligations and costs. With the assistance of the actuary, the Company evaluates the significant assumptions used on a periodic basis including the estimated future return on plan assets, the discount rate, and other factors, and makes adjustments to these liabilities as necessary.

The Company chooses an expected rate of return on plan assets based on historical results for similar allocations among asset classes, the investments strategy, and the views of our investment adviser. Differences between the expected long-term return on plan assets and the actual return are amortized over future years. Therefore, the net deferral of past asset gains or losses ultimately affects future pension expense. The Company’s assumption for the expected return on plan assets is 7.0% which is unchanged from the prior year.

The discount rate reflects the current rate at which the pension liabilities could be effectively settled at the end of the year. In estimating this rate, the Company utilizes a yield curve approach. The approach utilizes an economic model whereby the Company’s expected benefit payments over the life of the plans is forecast and then compared to a portfolio of corporate bonds that will mature at the same time that the benefit payments are due in any given year. The economic model then calculates the one discount rate to apply to all benefit payments over the life of the plan which will result in the same total lump sum as the payments from the corporate bonds. The discount rate was 4.45% as of December 31, 2016 compared to 4.7% in 2015 and 4.15% in 2014. A lower discount rate increases the present value of benefit obligation.

As set forth in note 14 to the Company’s financial statements, included among the asset categories for the Plan’s investments are real estate, tactical composite and alternative investments comprised of investments in real estate and hedge funds. These investments are categorized as level 3 investments and are valued using significant non-observable inputs which do not have a readily determinable fair value. In accordance with Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2009-12 “Investments In Certain Entities That Calculate Net Asset Value per Share (Or Its Equivalent),” these investments are valued based on the net asset value per share calculated by the funds in which the plan has invested. These valuations are subject to judgments and assumptions of the funds which may prove to be incorrect, resulting in risks of incorrect valuation of these investments. The Company seeks to mitigate against these risks by evaluating the appropriateness of the funds’ judgments and assumptions by reviewing the financial data included in the funds’ financial statements for reasonableness.

As of December 31, 2016, the defined benefit plans were under-funded and the recorded change within accumulated other comprehensive income increased stockholders’ equity by $3.0 million before tax and $1.7 million after tax.

New Accounting Standards

Recently adopted accounting standards

In May 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2015-07, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosures for Investments in Certain Entities That Calculate Net Asset Value per Share (or Its Equivalent) (“ASU 2015-07”). Under the guidance, investments measured at NAV, as a practical expedient for fair value, are excluded from the fair value hierarchy. Removing investments measured using the practical expedient from the fair value hierarchy is intended to eliminate the diversity in practice that currently exists with respect to the categorization of these investments. The new guidance is effective in 2017, however early adoption is permitted. We have elected to early adopt ASU 2015-07 retrospectively for the investments eligible for the NAV practical expedient.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. (ASU) 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes, which requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. The amendments in this update apply to all entities that present a classified statement of financial position. The current requirement that deferred tax liabilities and assets of a tax-paying component of an entity be offset and presented as a single amount is not affected by the amendments in this update. The amendments in this update are effective for the Company’s financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018. Earlier application is permitted for all entities as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period. The amendments in this update may be applied either prospectively to all deferred tax liabilities and assets or retrospectively to all periods presented. We have elected to early adopt ASU 2015-17 retrospectively in the first quarter of 2016. As a result, we have presented all deferred tax assets and liabilities as noncurrent on our consolidated balance sheets, and have reclassified current deferred tax assets and liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2015. There was no net impact on our results of operations as a result of the adoption of ASU 2015-17.

Recently issued accounting standards to be adopted in 2017 or later

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The ASU will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in GAAP when it becomes effective. In July 2015, the FASB approved a one-year deferral of this standard, with a revised effective date for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted, although not prior to fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. The standard permits either of the following transition methods: (i) a full retrospective approach reflecting the application of the standard in each prior reporting period with the option to elect certain practical expedients, or (ii) a retrospective approach with the cumulative effect of initially adopting ASU 2014 – 09 recognized at the date of adoption (which includes additional footnote disclosures). The new standard is effective for the Company in its fiscal year 2018 and permits the use of either the retrospective or a cumulative effect transition method. The Company is evaluating the new standard on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. The Company anticipates using the modified retrospective approach and intends to engage a consultant to assist the Company with implementation of this standard.

In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14 (Topic 606): Revenue from Contracts with Customers. ASU 2015-14 defers the effective date of Update 2014-09 for all entities by one year. Public business entities, certain not-for-profit entities, and certain employee benefit plans should apply the guidance in Update 2014-09 to annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. Earlier application is permitted only as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. All other entities should apply the guidance in Update 2014-09 to annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim reporting periods within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. All other entities may apply the guidance in Update 2014-09 earlier as of an annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. All other entities also may apply the guidance in Update 2014-09 earlier as of an annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2016, and 2 interim reporting periods within annual reporting periods beginning one year after the annual reporting period in which the entity first applies the guidance in Update 2014-09. The new standard is effective for the Company in its fiscal year 2018 and permits the use of either the retrospective or a cumulative effect transition method. The Company is evaluating the new standard on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. The Company anticipates using the modified retrospective approach and intends to engage a consultant to assist the Company with implementation of this standard.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases, which require lessees to recognize assets and liabilities on the balance sheet for the rights and obligations created by all leases with terms of more than 12 months. The ASU also will require disclosures designed to give financial statement users information on the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. These disclosures include qualitative and quantitative information. The amendments in this update are effective for the Company’s financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018. Earlier application is permitted as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this standard on its consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which involve several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. Some of the areas for simplification apply only to nonpublic entities. The amendments in this update are effective for the Company’s financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within annual periods. Earlier adoption is permitted for any entity in any interim or annual reporting period. If an entity early adopts the amendments in an interim period, any adjustments should be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year that includes that interim period. An entity that elects early adoption must adopt all of the amendments in the same period. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this standard on its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flow Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, which addresses eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. The amendments in this update are effective for the Company’s financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within annual periods. Earlier adoption is permitted for any entity in any interim or annual reporting period. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this standard on its consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business, which requires an entity to evaluate if substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets; if so, the set of transferred assets and activities is not a business. The guidance also requires a business to include at least one substantive process and narrows the definition of outputs by more closely aligning it with how outputs are described in ASC 606. The amendments in the update are effective for the Company’s financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those years. Early adoption is permitted. We do not expect this standard to have a material impact on the Company’s reported results of operations or financial position.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, which eliminates the requirement to calculate the implied fair value of goodwill (i.e., Step 2 of today’s goodwill impairment test) to measure a goodwill impairment charge. Instead, entities will record an impairment charge based on the excess of a reporting unit’s carrying amount over its fair value (i.e., measure the charge based on today’s Step 1). The standard in this update is effective for the Company’s financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning in 2020. Early adoption is permitted for annual and interim goodwill impairment testing dates after January 1, 2017. We do not expect this standard to have a material impact on the Company’s reported results of operations or financial position.

Forward-Looking Statements 

This Annual Report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding management’s belief that the Company maintains sufficient supplies to fulfill its immediate needs and to alleviate potential short-term shortages in such supplies; environmental remediation costs estimated to be incurred are not material to the Company’s financial condition or operating results; management’s belief in the adequacy of the Company’s facilities to meet its future needs; the outcome of litigation, as discussed in the Legal Proceedings section and elsewhere, and the Company’s belief that such litigation will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or liquidity; the Company’s expectation to continue its payment of cash dividends; plans regarding acquisitions; the adequacy of the Company’s resources and borrowings to fund operations, obligations, and expansions; management’s belief that any additional pension plan contributions will not have a material effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operation or liquidity; the Company’s projected 2017 capital expenditures; the plans to grow the business in foreign markets through reinvestment of foreign deposits and future earnings and through acquisitions of unrelated companies; the Company’s expectation to maintain compliance with the covenants contained in its Revolving Credit Agreement throughout 2017; the impact and amount of the Company’s contractual obligations; management’s expectations regarding termite claims and factors that impact future costs from those claims; the expected cost of termite renewals; the expected collectability of accounts receivable; expected tax consequences; expectations and plans regarding any losses from franchisees; the impact of recent accounting pronouncements; and interest rate risks and foreign exchange currency risk on the Company’s financial position, results of operations and liquidity. The actual results of the Company could differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements because of various risks, timing and uncertainties including, without limitation, the possibility of an adverse ruling against the Company in pending litigation; general economic conditions; market risk; changes in industry practices or technologies; the degree of success of the Company’s termite process reforms and pest control selling and treatment methods; the Company’s ability to identify potential acquisitions; climate and weather trends; competitive factors and pricing practices; potential increases in labor costs; and changes in various government laws and regulations, including environmental regulations. All of the foregoing risks and uncertainties are beyond the ability of the Company to control, and in many cases the Company cannot predict the risks and uncertainties that could cause its actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements.

Market Risk

The Company maintains an investment portfolio subject to short-term interest rate risk exposure. The Company is also subject to interest rate risk exposure through borrowings on its $175 million credit facility. Currently, the Company has no outstanding borrowings. However, the Company does maintain approximately $35.0 million in Letters of Credit. The Company is also exposed to market risks arising from changes in foreign exchange rates. The Company believes that this foreign exchange rate risk will not have a material effect upon the Company’s results of operations or financial position going forward. For a discussion of the Company’s activities to manage risks relative to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, see note 10 to the accompanying financial statements.

MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROLS OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

To the Stockholders of Rollins, Inc.:

The management of Rollins, Inc. is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for the Company. Rollins, Inc. maintains a system of internal accounting controls designed to provide reasonable assurance, at a reasonable cost, that assets are safeguarded against loss or unauthorized use and that the financial records are adequate and can be relied upon to produce financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The internal control system is augmented by written policies and procedures, an internal audit program and the selection and training of qualified personnel. This system includes policies that require adherence to ethical business standards and compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of internal controls over financial reporting, as of December 31, 2016 based on criteria established in the 2013 Internal Control—Integrated framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on this evaluation, management’s assessment is that Rollins, Inc. maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016.

The independent registered public accounting firm, Grant Thornton LLP has audited the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2016, and has also issued their report on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, included in this report on page 23.

Atlanta, Georgia
February 24, 2017

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

Board of Directors and Stockholders’

Rollins, Inc.

We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of Rollins, Inc. (a Delaware corporation) and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2016, based on criteria established in the 2013 Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Controls over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016, based on criteria established in the 2013 Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by COSO.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated financial statements of the Company as of and for the year ended December 31, 2016, and our report dated February 24, 2017 expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements.

/s/ GRANT THORNTON LLP

Atlanta, GA

February 24, 2017

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM ON CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SCHEDULE 

Board of Directors and Stockholders’

Rollins, Inc.

We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of financial position of Rollins, Inc. (a Delaware corporation) and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive earnings, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows, for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2016. Our audits of the basic consolidated financial statements included the financial statement schedule listed in the index appearing under item 15(a)2. These financial statements and financial statement schedule are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial statement schedule based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Rollins, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2016 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the related financial statement schedule, when considered in relation to the basic consolidated financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016, based on criteria established in the 2013 Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO), and our report dated February 24, 2017 expressed an unqualified opinion.

/s/ GRANT THORNTON LLP

Atlanta, GA

February 24, 2017

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY