UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

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FORM  i 10-K

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For the fiscal year ended  i  i December 31 / , 2019

or

Commission file number  i 001-36507

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 i ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 i 150 Peabody Place,  i Memphis,  i Tennessee  i 38103

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

 i 901- i 597-1400

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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

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

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.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

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

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

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

As of June 30, 2019, there were 135,953,492 shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding, and the aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates (assuming only for purposes of this computation that individuals then serving as our directors and executive officers may be affiliates) was approximately $ i 7 billion based on the closing price of common stock on the NYSE on June 28, 2019 of $52.09 per share.

The number of shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding as of February 24, 2020:  i 135,444,913 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share.

 i Documents incorporated by reference:

Portions of the registrant’s proxy statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the registrant’s 2020 annual meeting of stockholders (the “Proxy Statement”) are incorporated by reference into Part III hereof. Such Proxy Statement will be filed within 120 days of the registrant’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2019. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

The following discussion of our business contains “forward-looking statements,” as discussed in Part II, Item 7 below. Our business, operations and financial condition are subject to various risks as set forth in Part I, Item 1A below. The following information should be read in conjunction with Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, the Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes and the Risk Factors included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Overview

ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. and its majority-owned subsidiary partnerships, limited liability companies and corporations (collectively, “ServiceMaster,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our”) is a leading provider of essential services to residential and commercial customers in the termite, pest control, cleaning and restoration markets, operating through an extensive service network of company-owned Terminix branches, Terminix franchise and license agreements and ServiceMaster Brands company-owned locations and franchise and license agreements. Our mission is to simplify and improve the quality of our customers’ lives by delivering services that help them protect and maintain their homes or businesses, typically their most highly valued assets. Our portfolio of well-recognized brands includes AmeriSpec (home inspections), Copesan (commercial national accounts pest management), Furniture Medic (cabinet and furniture repair), Merry Maids (residential cleaning), Nomor (European pest control), ServiceMaster Clean (commercial cleaning), ServiceMaster Restore (restoration), Terminix (residential termite and pest control) and Terminix Commercial (commercial termite and pest control). Our strategy is to provide a differentiated service offering promoting convenient service through improving service levels and the customer experience.

For the year ended December 31, 2019, we had revenue, net income and Adjusted EBITDA of $2,077 million, $128 million and $417 million, respectively. In 2019, Terminix, our largest segment, represented approximately 87 percent of our revenue, while ServiceMaster Brands represented approximately 12 percent of our revenue. The remaining one percent of our revenue is derived primarily from our European pest control operations which are included in Corporate and Other Operations. For a reconciliation of net income (loss) to Adjusted EBITDA, see “Selected Financial Data.”

Approximately 97 percent of our 2019 revenue was generated by sales and services in the United States. A significant portion of our assets are located in the United States, and the consolidated book value of all assets located outside of the United States is not material. Organized in Delaware in 2007, ServiceMaster is the successor to various entities dating back to 1929. Financial information for each reportable segment and Corporate and Other Operations for 2019, 2018 and 2017 is contained in Note 4 to the consolidated financial statements.

We believe that our customers understand the financial and reputational risks associated with inadequate maintenance of their homes or businesses and that our high-quality, professional services are low-cost expenditures when compared to the alternative of failing to perform essential maintenance. We strive to be the service provider of choice and believe our customers have recognized our value proposition, as evidenced by our long-standing customer relationships and the high rate at which our customers renew their contracts from year to year.

We believe our significant size and scale provide a competitive advantage in our purchasing power, route density and marketing and operating efficiencies compared to smaller local and regional competitors. Our scale also facilitates the standardization of processes, shared learning and talent development across our entire organization.

We believe our businesses are strategically positioned to benefit from a number of favorable demographic and secular trends, including growth in population, household formation, new and existing home sales increasing regulation of commercial pest control services and increasing pest populations driven by the increasing temperatures of climate change. In addition, we believe there is increasing demand for outsourced services, fueled by a trend toward “do-it-for-me” as a result of an aging population and shifts in household structure and behaviors, such as dual-income families and consumers with “on-the-go” lifestyles.

Exploring Strategic Alternatives for ServiceMaster Brands

On January 21, 2020, we announced we are exploring strategic alternatives relating to ServiceMaster Brands, including the potential sale of the business. The ServiceMaster Brands segment is reported in this Annual Report on Form 10-K in continuing operations. Beginning with our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ending March 31, 2020, the ServiceMaster Brands segment will be classified as held for sale and reported in discontinued operations.

Our financial statements will include non-recurring costs incurred to evaluate, plan and execute the exploration of strategic alternatives related to ServiceMaster Brands, including the potential sale of the business. Costs will primarily be related to third-party consulting and other incremental costs directly associated with the strategic alternatives process. Our results for the year ended December 31, 2019 included charges of less than $1 million related to the initiative. We expect to incur charges, which may be significant, in 2020 related to the initiative. In addition, we expect incremental capital expenditures will be required to effect the initiative, which may be significant, principally reflecting costs to replicate information technology systems historically shared by our business units.

CEO Transition

On January 21, 2020, Nikhil M. Varty, resigned from his position as Chief Executive Officer and as a member of our board of directors. Our board of directors appointed our current Chairman of the Board, Naren K. Gursahaney, as interim Chief Executive Officer until a replacement Chief Executive Officer is identified. While Mr. Gursahaney is in the interim Chief Executive Officer role Mark Tomkins will serve as Lead Independent Director.

Refinancing of Indebtedness

On November 5, 2019, we entered into a $600 million Term Loan B due 2026, as well as a $400 million revolving credit agreement due 2024. The proceeds of the transaction were used to repay approximately $171 million of debt outstanding under our previous Term Loan B due 2023, $120 million outstanding under our previous revolving credit agreement due 2021, as well as $150 million from a recent short-term borrowing entered on October 4, 2019. In conjunction with the debt refinancing, we entered into a seven year interest rate swap agreement with a notional amount of $550 million. During the term of the agreement, the effective interest rate on $550 million of the new Term Loan B is fixed at a rate of 3.365%.

Our Reportable Segments

Our current operations are organized into two reportable segments: Terminix (which includes Terminix, Terminix Commercial, Copesan and other pest control brands) and ServiceMaster Brands (which includes ServiceMaster Restore, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and AmeriSpec). Our European pest control operations are reported within Corporate and Other Operations, and primarily include the operations of Nomor Holdings AB (“Nomor”), a pest control company operating in Sweden and Norway.

Terminix

Terminix is a leading provider of residential and commercial termite and pest control services in the United States, specializing in protection against termite damage, rodents, insects and other pests, including cockroaches, spiders, wood-destroying ants, ticks, fleas, mosquitos and bed bugs. Our services include termite remediation, annual termite inspection and prevention treatments with termite damage repair guarantees, periodic pest control services, insulation services, crawlspace encapsulation and wildlife exclusion.

For the year ended December 31, 2019, Terminix recorded revenue of $1,798 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $319 million, with revenue generated from services in the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 as follows:

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(1)On April 1, 2019, we divested the assets associated with our fumigation service line and now provide fumigation services to our customers through arrangements with third parties.

Approximately 80 percent of Terminix revenue comes from customers who enter into contracts with the option to renew annually. Typically, termite services require an initial inspection and the installation of a protective bait station or liquid barrier surrounding the home. Termite contracts can be either service contracts or protection plans. The protection plan contracts provide a guarantee for the repair of new damage resulting from termite infestation. After the first year, a customer has the option to renew the contract at a significantly reduced cost that extends the guarantee. Consequently, revenue generated from a renewal customer is less than revenue generated from a first-year termite customer.

We believe that the strength of the Terminix brand, along with our history of providing a high level of consistent service, allows us to enjoy a competitive advantage in attracting, retaining and growing our customer base. We believe our investments in systems and processes, such as our new contract with salesforce.com, inc. (“Salesforce”), as well as our routing and scheduling optimization, on-the-way notifications and mobile customer management solutions, and the national footprint in our commercial business enable us to deliver a higher level of customer service when compared to smaller regional and local competitors.

Our focus on attracting and retaining customers begins with our employees in the field, who interact with our customers every day and bring a strong level of passion and commitment to the Terminix brand. Our field organization is supported by dedicated customer care center personnel. Our culture of continuous improvement drives an intense focus on the quality of the services delivered, which we believe produces high levels of customer satisfaction and, ultimately, customer retention and referrals.

The Terminix national branch structure includes approximately 330 company-owned locations and approximately 100 franchise locations, which serve approximately 2.8 million customers in 47 states and the District of Columbia. Terminix’s approximately 10,500 employees made a daily average of over 50,000 visits to residential and commercial customer locations during 2019. Terminix also provides termite and/or pest control services through subsidiaries in Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central

America, as well as through a joint venture in India. In addition, licensees of Terminix provide these services in Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Central America and the Middle East. In 2019, substantially all Terminix revenue was generated in the United States, with approximately two percent derived from international markets. Terminix has a presence in a total of 22 countries outside the United States. Franchise fees from Terminix franchisees represented less than one percent of Terminix revenue in 2019. Customer-level revenue represents the total of our estimate of revenue generated by our franchisees, a portion of which is included in our reported revenue from royalty fees, and revenue generated by our company-owned operations, and is calculated as follows:

In 2019, we completed 32 acquisitions at Terminix, including Assured Environments, Gregory Pest Solutions and McCloud Services at Terminix. We believe these acquisitions will enhance service and other capabilities, including increasing the breadth of our service offerings to strengthen our capabilities in commercial pest control.

Terminix Competitive Strengths

·#1 recognized brand in U.S. termite and pest control services

·Passionate and empowered employees focused on delivering superior customer service

·Expansive scale and deep presence across a national footprint

·Effective multi-channel customer acquisition strategy

·History of innovation leadership and introducing new products and services

ServiceMaster Brands

ServiceMaster Brands consists of ServiceMaster Restore (restoration), ServiceMaster Clean (commercial cleaning), Merry Maids (residential cleaning), Furniture Medic (cabinet and furniture repair) and AmeriSpec (home inspection) businesses. Our businesses in this segment operate principally through franchisees. We serve our franchises and customers through a base of approximately 700 Company employees. Our franchisees are independent business owners, so they and their employees are not included in our employee count.

For the year ended December 31, 2019, ServiceMaster Brands recorded revenue of $257 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $92 million. In 2019, approximately 52 percent of our revenue in this segment consisted of ongoing monthly royalty fees. Royalty fees are the amounts paid to us by our franchisees and are based upon a percentage of our franchisees’ customer-level revenue. Customer-level revenue is calculated as follows:

We believe that each business holds a leading position in its respective category and that our scale and national presence create competitive advantages for us in attracting and retaining franchisees, commercial customers and insurance partners. We are able to invest in best-in-class systems, training and process development, provide multiple levels of marketing support and direct new business leads to our franchisees through our relationships with major insurance carriers and national account customers. ServiceMaster Brands serves both residential and commercial customers across all 50 states and the District of Columbia through approximately 4,600 franchise agreements, with additional locations in 13 other countries.

On January 21, 2020, we announced we are exploring strategic alternatives relating to ServiceMaster Brands, including the potential sale of the business. The ServiceMaster Brands segment is reported in this Annual Report on Form 10-K in continuing operations. Beginning with our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ending March 31, 2020, the ServiceMaster Brands segment will be classified as held for sale and reported in discontinued operations.

ServiceMaster Brands Competitive Strengths

·Strong and trusted brands with leading positions in their respective categories

·Infrastructure and scale supporting our ability to sell and service national accounts

·Attractive value proposition to franchisees

·Exceptional focus on customer service

·National network and 24/7/365 service availability supports mission-critical nature of the ServiceMaster Restore business

·Long-standing and strong relationships with 9 of the top 10 insurance carriers

American Home Shield Spin-off

On October 1, 2018, we completed the previously announced separation of our American Home Shield business (the “Separation”). The Separation was effectuated through a tax-free, pro rata dividend (the “Distribution”) to our stockholders of approximately 80.2 percent of the outstanding shares of common stock of frontdoor, inc. (“Frontdoor”), which was formed as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company to hold our American Home Shield business. As a result of the Distribution, Frontdoor is an independent public company that trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “FTDR.” The American Home Shield segment is reported in this Annual Report on Form 10-K in discontinued operations. See Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements for further information.

The Distribution was made to our stockholders of record as of the close of business on September 14, 2018 (the “Record Date”), and such stockholders received one share of Frontdoor common stock for every two shares of ServiceMaster common stock held as of the close of business on the Record Date. Subsequent to the Distribution, we retained 16,734,092 shares, or approximately 19.8 percent, of the common stock of Frontdoor immediately following the Distribution.

On March 27, 2019, we completed a non-cash debt-for-equity exchange in which we exchanged the 16.7 million retained shares of Frontdoor common stock and proceeds from a short-term credit facility to extinguish $600 million of our indebtedness under the short-term credit facility. The sale of the Frontdoor common stock resulted in a realized gain of $40 million, which was recorded within (Gain) loss on investment in frontdoor, inc. on the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income for the year ended December 31, 2019.

Our Opportunity

U.S. Termite and Pest Control Industry

The outsourced segment for residential and commercial termite and pest control services in the United States was approximately $9 billion in 2019, according to Specialty Consultants, LLC. We estimate that there are approximately 20,000 U.S. termite and pest control companies, nearly all of which have fewer than 100 employees.

Termites are responsible for an estimated $5 billion in home damage in the United States annually, according to the National Pest Management Association. The termite control industry provides treatment and inspection services to residential and commercial property owners for the remediation and prevention of termite infestations. We believe homeowners value quality and reliability over price in choosing professional termite control services, as the cost of most professional treatments is well below the potential cost of inaction or ineffective treatment. As a result, we believe the demand for termite remediation services is relatively insulated from changes in consumer spending. In addition to remediation services, the termite control industry offers periodic termite inspections and preventative treatments to residential and commercial property owners in areas with high termite activity, typically through annual contracts. These annual contracts carry guarantees that protect the property owner against the cost of structural damage caused by a termite infestation. Termites can cause significant damage to a structure before becoming visible to the untrained eye, highlighting the value proposition of professional preventative termite services. As a result, the termite control industry experiences high renewal rates on annual preventative inspection and treatment contracts and revenues from such contracts are generally stable and recurring.

Pest infestations may damage a home or business while also carrying the risk of the spread of diseases. Moreover, for many commercial facilities, pest control is essential to regular operations and regulatory compliance (e.g., hotels, restaurants and healthcare facilities). As a result of these dynamics, the pest control industry experiences high rates of renewal for its pest inspection and treatment contracts. Pest control services are often delivered on a contracted basis through regularly scheduled service visits, which include an inspection of premises and application of pest control materials.

Both termite and pest activity are affected by weather. Termite activity increases during the spring and summer months, the intensity of which varies based on weather and is changing due to the effects of climate change. Similarly, pest activity tends to accelerate in the spring months when warmer temperatures arrive in many U.S. regions. However, the high proportion of termite and pest control services which are contracted and recurring, as well as the high renewal rates for those services, limit the effect of weather anomalies on the termite and pest control industry in any given year.

European Pest Control Industry

Through acquisitions and minority investments completed in 2019, we provide pest control services in Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, Spain and Ireland. We estimate that the European pest control market was approximately $3.8 billion in 2019 with approximately 8,000 service providers. While currently one percent of our revenue, we plan to pursue additional organic and inorganic growth opportunities in this attractive and growing market.

ServiceMaster Brands Industries

Restoration (ServiceMaster Restore). We estimate that the North American restoration segment was approximately $40 billion in 2019, just over one-half of which is related to residential customers and the remainder related to commercial customers. This market primarily includes mitigation and reconstruction of fire and flood related damages for both commercial and residential customers. Most emergency response mitigation and reconstruction needs result from regularly occurring emergency situations, such as burst pipes and kitchen fires, for residential and commercial customers. Extreme weather events and natural disasters also provide demand for mitigation and reconstruction services. Critical factors in the selection of an emergency response service provider are the

firm’s reputation, relationships with insurers, available resources, proper insurance and credentials, quality of service, timeliness and responsiveness.

Cleaning (ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids). We estimate that the U.S. cleaning market was approximately $145 billion in 2019. This market includes commercial cleaning national accounts in the commercial market serviced through ServiceMaster Clean as well as residential cleaning provided through the Merry Maids brand. The segment is highly fragmented with most competition coming from local, independently-owned firms the majority of which has five or fewer employees. We believe our strong brand name and nationwide footprint give us a differentiated offering and competitive advantage in the market.

Our Competitive Strengths

#1  Positions in Large, Fragmented and Growing Segments. We are a leading provider of essential residential and commercial services in the majority of segments in which we operate. Our segments are generally large, growing and highly fragmented, and we believe we have significant advantages over smaller local and regional competitors. We have spent decades developing a reputation built on reliability and superior quality and service. As a result, we enjoy industry leading brand awareness and a reputation for high-quality customer service, both of which serve as key drivers of our customer acquisition efforts. Our nationwide presence also allows our brands to effectively serve both local residential customers and large national commercial accounts and to capitalize on lead generation sources such as large real estate agencies and insurance carriers.

Diverse Revenue Streams Across Customers and Geographies. ServiceMaster is diversified in terms of customers and geographies. We operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with approximately three percent of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2019 generated internationally. Our Terminix business, which accounted for 87 percent of our revenue in 2019, served approximately 2.8 million customers. Our diverse customer base and geographies help to mitigate the effect of adverse market conditions and other risks in any particular geography or customer segment we serve. We therefore believe the size and scale of our Company provide us with added protection from risk relative to our smaller local and regional competitors.

High-Value Service Offerings Resulting in High Retention and Recurring Revenues. We believe our high annual customer retention demonstrates the highly valued nature of the services we offer and the high level of execution and customer service that we provide. Many of our technicians have built long-standing, personal relationships with their customers. We believe these personal bonds, often forged over decades, help to drive customer loyalty and retention. As a result of our high retention and long-standing customer relationships, we enjoy significant visibility and stability in our business, and these factors limit the effect of adverse economic cycles on our revenue base.

Capital-Light Business Model. Our business model is characterized by strong Adjusted EBITDA margins and limited capital requirements. For the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, our net cash provided from operating activities from continuing operations was $245 million, $229 million and $204 million, respectively, and our property additions were $28 million, $41 million (net of government grants received of $7 million) and $66 million (net of government grants received of $2 million), respectively. Free Cash Flow was $216 million, $187 million and $139 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. For a reconciliation of Free Cash Flow to net cash provided from operating activities from continuing operations, which we consider to be the most directly comparable financial measure presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), see “Selected Financial Data.”

Resilient Financial Model with Track Record of Consistent Performance.

Solid revenue and Adjusted EBITDA growth through business cycles. Our consolidated revenue and Adjusted EBITDA compound annual growth rates from 2014 through 2019 were five percent and three percent, respectively. We believe that our strong performance is attributable to the essential nature of our services, our strong value proposition and management’s focus on driving results through strategic investment and operational execution.

Solid margins with attractive operating leverage and productivity improvement initiatives. Our business model enjoys inherent operating leverage stemming from route density and fixed investments in infrastructure and technology, among other factors. This allows us to generate productivity to expand margins through a variety of initiatives, including metric-driven continuous improvement in our customer care centers, application of consistent process guidelines at the branch level, leveraging size and scale to improve the sourcing of labor and materials and deploying shared services models. We have also deployed mobility solutions and routing and scheduling systems across many of our businesses in order to enhance overall efficiency and reduce operating costs.

Multi-Channel Marketing Approach Supported by Sophisticated Customer Analytic Modeling Capabilities. Our multi-channel marketing approach focuses on building the value of our brands and generating revenue by understanding the decisions consumers make at each stage in the purchase of residential and commercial services. We also have been deploying increasingly sophisticated consumer analytics models that allow us to more effectively segment our prospective customers and tailor campaigns towards them and, as a result, we have kept cost per sale relatively flat. In addition, we are seeing success with innovative ways of reaching and marketing to consumers, including content marketing, online reputation management and social media channels.

Operational and Customer Service Excellence Driven by Superior Employee Development. We are constantly focused on improving customer service. The customer experience is at the foundation of our business model and we believe that each employee is an extension of ServiceMaster’s reputation. We employ rigorous hiring and training practices and continuously analyze our operating metrics to identify potential improvements in service and productivity. Technicians in our Terminix branches create continuity in

customer relationships and ensure the development of best practices based on on-the-ground experience. We also provide our field personnel with access to sophisticated data management and mobility tools which enable them to drive efficiencies, improve customer service and ultimately grow our customer base and profitability.

Experienced Management Team. We have assembled a management team of highly experienced leaders with significant service industry expertise. Our senior leaders have track records of producing profitable growth in a wide variety of industries and economic conditions. We also believe that we have a deep bench of talent across each of our business units, including long-tenured individuals with significant expertise and knowledge of the businesses they operate. Our management team is highly focused on execution and driving growth and profitability across our Company. Our compensation structure, including incentive compensation, is tied to key performance metrics and is designed to incentivize senior management to seek the long-term success of our business.

Our Strategy

Grow Our Customer Base. We are focused on the growth of our businesses through the introduction and delivery of high-value services to new and existing customers.

To accelerate new customer growth, we make strategic investments in sales, marketing and advertising to drive new business leads, brand awareness and market share. In addition, we employ multiple initiatives to improve customer satisfaction and service delivery, which we believe leads to improved retention and growth in our customer base across our business segments.

Develop and Expand New Service Offerings. We intend to continue to leverage our existing sales channels and local coverage to deliver additional value-added services to our customers. Our product development teams draw upon the experience of our technicians in the field, combined with in-house scientific expertise, to create innovative customer solutions for both our existing customer base and identified service/category adjacencies. We have a strong history of new product introductions, such as Terminix’s crawlspace encapsulation, mosquito control and wildlife exclusion services, that we believe will appeal to new potential customers as well as our existing customer base. Mosquito, wildlife exclusion and crawl space encapsulation are being offered in substantially all U.S. geographic segments where we believe substantial opportunity exists. We are now focusing our efforts on increasing our share in these product lines.

National Accounts Platform. Our acquisition of Copesan Services, Inc. (“Copesan”) in 2018 broadened our national account service offerings in commercial pest control and provides us with the opportunity to expand into combined offerings in the future. These national accounts customers operate multi-location businesses that pair well with our national footprint.

Grow Our Commercial Business. Our revenue from commercial customers comprised approximately 25 percent of our 2019 revenue. We believe we are well positioned to leverage our national coverage, brand strength and broad service offerings to target both large multi-regional accounts and local and regional commercial customers. We believe these capabilities provide us with a meaningful competitive advantage, especially compared to smaller local and regional competitors. With respect to the large, multi-regional customer base, we recognize these companies seek to outsource or reduce the number of vendors used for certain services and, accordingly, we have reenergized our marketing approach in this channel. At Terminix, for example, we have hired a dedicated sales team to focus on the development of commercial sales. Our commercial expansion strategy targets industries with a demonstrated need for our services, including healthcare, manufacturing, warehouses, hotels and commercial real estate.

Expand Our Geographic Segments. Through detailed assessments of local economic conditions and demographics, we have identified target segments for expansion, both in existing segments, where we have capacity to increase our local position, and in new geographies, where we see opportunities. In addition to geographic expansion opportunities within the United States, we may also continue to grow our international presence through strategic acquisitions and franchise expansions, additional licensing agreements and/or Company operated subsidiaries.

Enhance Our Profitability. We have and will continue to invest in initiatives designed to improve our margins and drive profitable growth. We have been able to increase productivity across our segments through actions such as continuous process improvement, targeted systems investments, sales force initiatives and technician mobility tools. We also focus on strategically capitalizing on our purchasing power to achieve more favorable pricing and terms. In addition, we have implemented tools and processes to centralize and systematize pricing decisions. These tools and processes enable us to optimize pricing at the local and product levels while creating a flexible and scalable pricing architecture that is fully scalable across our business. We intend to leverage these investments as well as identify further opportunities to enhance profitability. We also evaluate our brands periodically to determine which vehicle to market or ownership strategy optimizes total value creation and our profitability.

Pursue Selective Acquisitions. Historically, we have a track record of being able to source and purchase targets at attractive prices and successfully integrate them into our business to increase branch density and improve operating margins. From 2015 through 2019, we have completed approximately 90 acquisitions. In 2019, we completed 39 acquisitions and eight minority investments for a total purchase price, net of cash acquired, of $513 million. Our acquisitions in 2019 included Assured Environments, Nomor, Gregory Pest Solutions, McCloud Services and the reacquisition of three ServiceMaster Brands franchisees. In 2018, we completed a total of 20 acquisitions, including Copesan and the acquisitions of a Terminix franchisee and a ServiceMaster Restore master distributor, for a total purchase price, net of cash acquired, of $254 million. The Nomor acquisition is the beginning of our strategic expansion into the $3.8 billion European pest control market. In addition, we acquired a smaller national and global accounts focused business in the UK, to help us build foundational capabilities to serve Europe based national and global accounts. We anticipate that the highly fragmented

nature of our market segments will continue to create opportunities for further consolidation. In the future, we intend to continue to take advantage of tuck-in as well as strategic acquisition opportunities, including Terminix franchise repurchases, particularly in underserved geographies where we can enhance and expand our service capabilities. We seek to use acquisitions to expand our capabilities, geographic footprint and talent levels.

Sales and Marketing

We market our services to both homeowners and businesses on a national and local level through various means, including the internet, direct mail, television and radio advertising, print advertisements, marketing partnerships, door-to-door summer sales programs, telemarketing, various social media channels and through national sales teams.

Franchises

Franchises are important to the Terminix, ServiceMaster Restore, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and AmeriSpec businesses. Nearly all of the franchise fees received by our ServiceMaster Brands segment are derived from the ServiceMaster Restore, ServiceMaster Clean and Merry Maids businesses. Franchise fees from our Terminix franchisees represented less than one percent of Terminix revenue for each of those years. We evaluate the performance of our franchise businesses based primarily on operating profit before corporate general and administrative expenses, interest expense and amortization of intangible assets. Franchise agreements entered into in the course of these businesses are generally for a term of five years. The majority of these franchise agreements are renewed prior to expiration. Internationally, we have license agreements, whereby licensees provide services under our brand names that would ordinarily be provided by franchisees in the United States. The majority of international licenses are for 10-year terms. The following table provides a summary of the financial information from our franchised operations:

Customers and Geographies

We have no single customer that accounts for more than two percent of our consolidated revenue. Neither of our reportable segments are dependent on a single customer or a few customers, the loss of which would have a material adverse effect on the segment. A significant percentage of our revenue is concentrated in the southern and western regions of the U.S. In our Terminix segment, California, Texas and Florida collectively accounted for approximately one-third of our revenue in 2019.

Competition

We compete in residential and commercial services industries, focusing on residential and commercial termite and pest control, commercial national accounts pest management, restoration, commercial cleaning, residential cleaning, cabinet and furniture repair and home inspections. We compete with many other companies in the sale of our services, franchises and products. The principal methods of competition in our businesses include quality and speed of service, brand awareness and reputation, customer satisfaction, pricing and promotions, professional sales forces, contractor network and referrals. While we compete with a broad range of competitors in each distinct market segment, we do not believe that any of our competitors provides all of the services we provide in all of the market segments we serve. All of the primary market segments in which we operate are highly fragmented.

Residential and Commercial Termite and Pest Control

Competition in the industry for professional termite and pest control services in the United States and Europe comes primarily from smaller regional and local, independently-owned firms, as well as from Orkin, Inc. (a subsidiary of Rollins, Inc.), Ecolab, Inc., Rentokil Initial, plc. and Anticimex International AB, all of which compete internationally.

Commercial National Accounts Pest Management

Competition in industry for national account pest management services in the United States comes primarily from Orkin, Inc. and Rentokil Initial, plc., both of which compete nationally.

Restoration, Emergency Response and Related Services

This segment is highly fragmented and competition in the industry for restoration, emergency response and related services comes mainly from local, independently-owned firms and a few national professional cleaning companies, such as Servpro Industries, Inc., Belfor, a subsidiary of Belfor Europe GmbH, Interstate Restoration and FirstOnSite (operating brands of Global Restoration Holdings, LLC and Bellwether FOS Holdco, Inc.), BMS CAT, Inc., Paul Davis Restoration, Inc. and Stanley Steemer International, Inc.

Commercial Cleaning

Competition in the industry for commercial cleaning services comes mainly from local, independently-owned firms and a few national professional janitorial firms such as ABM Industries Incorporated, Jani-King International, Inc., Aramark and Jan-Pro Franchise International, Inc.

Residential Cleaning

Competition in the industry for residential cleaning services comes mainly from local, independently-owned firms, and from a few national companies such as The Maids International, Inc., Molly Maid, Inc. and The Cleaning Authority, LLC.

Information Technology

We have invested in information systems and software packages designed to allow us to grow efficiently and scale across our organization, while retaining local and regional flexibility. We believe this capability provides us with a competitive advantage in our operations. Our sophisticated IT systems enable us to provide a high level of convenience and service to our customers. In 2018, we announced our contract with Salesforce to replace legacy operating systems as part of a fundamental reimagining of our operating model which will provide a full 360-degree vision of the customer and enable more data driven decision making.

Employees

The average number of persons employed by us during 2019 was approximately 12,000.

Intellectual Property

We hold various service marks, trademarks and trade names, such as ServiceMaster, Terminix, Copesan, Nomor, ServiceMaster Restore, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and AmeriSpec, that we deem particularly important to the advertising activities conducted by each of our reportable segments as well as the franchising activities conducted by certain reportable segments. As of December 31, 2019, we had marks that were protected by registration (either by direct registration or by treaty) in the United States and approximately 80 other countries.

Insurance

We maintain insurance coverage that we believe is appropriate for our business, including workers’ compensation, auto liability, general liability, umbrella and property insurance. In addition, we provide various insurance coverages, including deductible reimbursement policies, to our business units through our wholly-owned captive insurance company.

Regulatory Compliance

Our businesses are subject to various international, federal, state, provincial and local laws and regulations, compliance with which increases our operating costs, limits or restricts the services provided by our reportable segments or the methods by which our businesses offer, sell and fulfill those services or conduct their respective businesses, or subjects us and our reportable segments to the possibility of regulatory actions or proceedings. Noncompliance with these laws and regulations can subject us to fines or various forms of civil or criminal prosecution, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

These international, federal, state, provincial and local laws and regulations include laws relating to consumer protection and data privacy, wage and hour, deceptive trade practices, permitting and licensing, state contractor laws, real estate settlements, workers’ safety, tax, healthcare reforms, franchise-related issues, collective bargaining and other labor matters, environmental and employee benefits. The Terminix business must also meet certain Department of Transportation and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requirements with respect to certain vehicles in its fleet. Terminix is regulated by federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations which are enforced by pest control boards, environmental protection agencies and similar government entities. Terminix, Copesan, ServiceMaster Clean and Merry Maids use products containing ingredients regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”), and ServiceMaster Clean is subject to licensing and certification requirements for applying disinfectants, sanitizers and other EPA registered products in certain states. AmeriSpec is regulated by various state and local home inspection laws and regulations.

Environmental, Health and Safety Matters

Our businesses are subject to various international, federal, state and local laws and regulations regarding environmental, health and safety matters. Among other things, these laws regulate the emission or discharge of materials into the environment, govern the use, storage, treatment, disposal, transportation and management of hazardous substances and wastes and protect the health and safety of our employees. These laws also impose liability for the costs of investigating and remediating, and damages resulting from, present and past releases of hazardous substances, including releases by prior owners or operators of sites we currently own or operate.

Compliance with environmental, health and safety laws increases our operating costs, limits or restricts the services provided by our reportable segments or the methods by which they offer, sell and fulfill those services or conduct their respective businesses, or subjects us and our reportable segments to the possibility of regulatory or private actions or proceedings.

Terminix is regulated under many federal and state environmental laws, including the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, the Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act of 1972, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act of 1947, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, the Clean Air Act, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and the Clean Water Act of 1977, each as amended.

We cannot predict the effect of possible future environmental laws on our operations. Changes in, or new interpretations of, existing laws, regulations or enforcement policies, the discovery of previously unknown contamination, or the imposition of other environmental liabilities or obligations in the future, may lead to additional compliance or other costs. During 2019, there were no material capital expenditures for environmental control facilities, and there are no material expenditures anticipated for 2020 or 2021 related to such facilities.

Consumer Protection and Solicitation Matters

We are subject to international, federal, state, provincial and local laws and regulations designed to protect consumers, including laws governing consumer privacy and fraud, the collection and use of consumer data, telemarketing and other forms of solicitation.

The telemarketing rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission pursuant to the Federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act and the Federal Telemarketing Sales Rule issued by the Federal Trade Commission govern our telephone sales practices. The CAN-SPAM Act regulates email solicitations and the Consumer Review Fairness Act regulates consumer opinions on social media regarding products and services. In addition, some states and local governing bodies have adopted laws and regulations targeted at direct telephone sales and “do-not-knock,” “do-not-mail” and “do-not-leave” activities. If we were to fail to comply with any applicable law or regulation, we could be subject to substantial fines or damages, be involved in lawsuits, enforcement actions and other claims by third parties or governmental authorities, suffer losses to our reputation and our business or suffer the loss of licenses or penalties that may affect how the business is operated, which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Franchise Matters

Terminix, ServiceMaster Restore, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and AmeriSpec are subject to various international, federal, state, provincial and local laws and regulations governing franchise sales, marketing and licensing and franchise trade practices generally, including applicable rules and regulations of the Federal Trade Commission. These laws and regulations generally require disclosure of business information in connection with the sale and licensing of franchises. Certain state regulations also affect the ability of the franchisor to revoke or refuse to renew a franchise. We seek to comply with regulatory requirements and deal with franchisees and licensees in good faith. From time to time, we and one or more franchisees may become involved in a dispute regarding the franchise relationship, including payment of royalties or fees, location of branches, advertising, purchase of products by franchisees, non-competition covenants, compliance with our standards and franchise renewal criteria. There can be no assurance that compliance problems will not be encountered from time to time or that significant disputes with one or more franchisees will not arise.

From time to time, we receive communications from our franchisees regarding complaints, disputes or questions about our practices and standards in relation to our franchised operations and certain economic terms of our franchise arrangements. If franchisees or groups representing franchisees were to bring legal proceedings against us, we would vigorously defend against the claims in any such proceeding, but our reputation, business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows could be materially adversely impacted and the price of our common stock could decline.

Available Information

ServiceMaster maintains a website at http://www.servicemaster.com that includes a hyperlink to a website maintained by a third party where ServiceMaster’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports are available without charge as soon as reasonably practicable following the time that they are filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The information found on the Company’s website is not a part of this or any other report filed with or furnished to the SEC.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

 You should carefully consider the factors described below, in addition to the other information set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. These risk factors are important to understanding the contents of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and of other reports. Our reputation, business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows are subject to various risks. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones relevant to us. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial may also materially and adversely affect our reputation, business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows. The risk factors generally have been separated into four groups: risks related to our businesses and our industries, risks related to our substantial indebtedness, risks related to our common stock and risks related to the strategic alternatives being explored as it relates to ServiceMaster Brands.

The materialization of any risks and uncertainties set forth below or identified in Forward-Looking Statements contained in this report and our other filings with the SEC or those that are presently unforeseen could result in significant adverse effects on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” below.

Risks Related to the Review of Strategic Alternatives for ServiceMaster Brands

We are subject to risks and uncertainties related to our review of strategic alternatives for our ServiceMaster Brands segment.

In January 2020, we announced plans to explore strategic alternatives for our ServiceMaster Brands reporting segment, including a potential sale of the segment. There can be no assurance that the strategic review will result in a transaction. We will incur expenses in connection with this review and our future results may be affected by the pursuit or consummation of any specific transaction or other strategic alternative resulting from the strategic review. In addition, this review exposes us to potential risks and uncertainties, including, among other things, in retaining and attracting employees during the review process; exposure to potential litigation in connection with the review process; risks and uncertainties with respect to franchisees, licensees and other business relationships; our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of any strategic alternatives we may pursue; the potential for disruption to our business and diversion of management’s attention from other aspects of our business; and the possibility that any strategic alternative will not be completed on terms that are advantageous to the Company or at all, all of which could disrupt and negatively affect our business. Speculation regarding any developments related to our review of strategic alternatives and perceived uncertainties related to the future of our ServiceMaster Brands business could cause our stock price to fluctuate.

Risks Related to Our Businesses and Our Industries

Our industries are highly competitive. Competition could reduce our share and adversely affect our reputation, businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

We operate in highly competitive industries. Changes in the source and intensity of competition in the industries served by us impact the demand for our services and may also result in additional pricing pressure. Regional and local competitors operating in a limited geographic area may have lower labor, employee benefits and overhead costs than us. The principal methods of competition in our businesses include customer service, brand reputation, fairness of contract terms, including price, and timely response to service claims. We may be unable to compete successfully against current or future competitors, and the competitive pressures that we face may result in reduced share, reduced pricing or an adverse impact to our reputation, businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Weakening general economic conditions, especially as they may affect home sales, unemployment or consumer confidence or spending levels, may adversely impact our businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Our results of operations are dependent upon consumer spending. Deterioration in general economic conditions and consumer confidence, particularly in California, Texas and Florida, which collectively represented approximately one-third of our revenue in 2019, could affect the demand for our services. Consumer spending and confidence tend to decline during times of declining economic conditions. A worsening of macroeconomic indicators, including weak home sales, higher home foreclosures, declining consumer confidence or rising unemployment rates, could adversely affect consumer spending levels, reduce demand for our services and adversely impact our businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

We may not successfully implement our business strategies, including achieving our growth objectives.

We may not be able to fully implement our business strategies or realize, in whole or in part within the expected time frames, the anticipated benefits of various growth or other initiatives. Our business strategies and initiatives, including growth of our customer base, introduction of new service and product offerings, geographic or segment expansion and enhancement of profitability, are subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control.

We will incur certain costs to achieve efficiency improvements and growth in our businesses, and we may not meet anticipated implementation timetables or stay within budgeted costs. As these efficiency improvement and growth initiatives are implemented, we may not fully achieve expected cost savings and efficiency improvements or growth rates, or these initiatives could adversely impact customer retention or our operations. Also, our business strategies may change in light of our ability to implement new business initiatives, competitive pressures, economic uncertainties or developments or other factors.

Termite damage claims and lawsuits related thereto could increase our legal expenses, and impact our businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Our Terminix business is subject to a significant number of damage claims related to termite activity in homes for which we provide termite control services, often accompanied by a termite damage warranty. Our termite damage warranty is a differentiator in the industry that has enabled us to become the market leader of this product line. Damage claims include circumstances when a customer notifies us that they have experienced damage and we reach an agreement to remediate that damage (a “Non-litigated Claim”); and circumstances when we do not reach an agreement with a customer to remediate the damage and that customer initiates litigation or arbitration proceedings (a “Litigated Claim”). Recently we have experienced higher Non-Litigated Claim activity concentrated in our branches in Mobile, Alabama and Gulf Shores, Alabama, which comprise all of our customers in the area, (collectively, the “Mobile Bay Area”) related to Formosan termites, an invasive species, which has driven higher Non-Litigated claims expense. In addition, since the beginning of 2017, we have been served with an increasing number of Litigated Claims, again primarily concentrated in the Mobile Bay Area and related to Formosan termite activity, which has driven higher Litigated Claim expense. Some plaintiffs have sought to demonstrate a pattern and practice of fraud in connection with Litigated Claims and have sought awards, in addition to repair costs, which included punitive damages and damages for mental anguish. We defend these Litigated Claims vigorously, and we are taking decisive actions to mitigate increasing claims costs, however, we cannot give assurance that these mitigation actions will be effective in reducing claims or costs related thereto, nor can we give assurance that lawsuits or other proceedings related to termite damage claims will not materially affect our reputation, business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Adverse credit and financial market events and conditions could, among other things, impede access to or increase the cost of financing, which could have a material adverse impact on our businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Disruptions in credit or financial markets could make it more difficult for us to obtain, or increase our cost of obtaining, financing for our operations or investments or to refinance our proposed indebtedness, or cause the proposed lenders to depart from prior credit industry practice and not give technical or other waivers under credit facility or other agreements to the extent we may seek them in the future, thereby causing us to be in default. Market changes in the real estate segment could also affect the demand for our services as home buyers elect not to purchase our services, which could have a material adverse impact on our businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Weather conditions and seasonality affect the demand for our services and our results of operations and cash flows.

The demand for our services and our results of operations are affected by weather conditions, including, without limitation, potential impacts, if any, from climate change, known and unknown, and by the seasonal nature of our termite and pest control services, home inspection services and restoration services. Adverse weather conditions (e.g., cooler temperatures or droughts), whether created by climate change factors or otherwise, can impede the development of termite swarms and lead to lower demand for our termite control services. Extreme or unpredictable weather conditions could materially adversely impact our businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Increases in raw material prices, fuel prices and other operating costs could adversely impact our businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Our financial performance may be adversely affected by increases in the level of our operating expenses, such as fuel, chemicals, raw materials, wages and salaries, employee benefits, health care, vehicle maintenance, contractor costs, self-insurance costs and other insurance premiums, as well as various regulatory compliance costs, all of which may be subject to inflationary pressures.

Fuel prices are subject to market volatility. Our fleet has been negatively impacted by significant increases in fuel prices in the past and could be negatively impacted in the future. Previous increases in fuel prices increased our costs of operating vehicles and equipment. Although fuel prices remained relatively stable during 2019, there can be no assurances that rates will not fluctuate materially in future years. We cannot predict what effect global events could have on fuel prices, but it is possible that such events could lead to higher fuel prices. Although we hedge a significant portion of our fuel costs, we do not hedge all of those costs. We expect to use approximately 14 million gallons of fuel in 2020. As of December 31, 2019, a 10 percent change in fuel prices would result in a change of approximately $4 million in our annual fuel cost before considering the impact of fuel swap contracts. Fuel price increases can also result in increases in the cost of chemicals and other materials used in our businesses. We cannot predict the extent to which we may experience future increases in costs of fuel, chemicals, refrigerants, appliances and equipment, parts, raw materials, wages and salaries, employee benefits, health care, vehicle maintenance, contractor costs, self-insurance costs and other insurance premiums, as well as various regulatory compliance costs and other operating costs. To the extent such costs increase, we may be prevented, in whole or in part, from passing these cost increases through to our existing and prospective customers, which could have a material adverse impact on our businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

We rely on the experience and skills of key personnel. Failure to manage our Chief Executive Officer transition, failure to attract and retain other qualified employee, and the loss of senior management or other key personnel could harm our business.

On January 21, 2020, we announced the appointment of an interim Chief Executive Officer. We are currently conducting a search for a new Chief Executive Officer. Competition for this experienced talent is intense and our process to search for a successor may be time-consuming and divert the board of directors’ and management’s attention and resources away from our business. This search and any eventual transition to a permanent Chief Executive Officer may be disruptive to our operations and create uncertainty about our performance and future direction among investors, employees and others. Until a new Chief Executive Officer is identified, it may be more difficult for us to hire and retain other key personnel. Any delay or failure in identifying, attracting or retaining a permanent Chief Executive Officer, and successfully managing this leadership transition could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may not be able to attract and retain qualified key executives or transition smoothly to new leadership, which could adversely impact us and our businesses and inhibit our ability to operate and grow successfully.

The execution of our business strategy and our financial performance will continue to depend in significant part on our executive management team and other key management personnel. Any inability to attract in a timely manner qualified executives, retain our leadership team and recruit other important personnel could have a material adverse impact on our businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Compliance with, or violation of, environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including laws pertaining to the use of pesticides, could result in significant costs that adversely impact our reputation, businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

International, federal, state, provincial and local laws and regulations relating to environmental, health and safety matters affect us in several ways. In the United States, products containing pesticides generally must be registered with the EPA, and similar state agencies before they can be sold or applied. The failure to obtain, or the cancellation of, any such registration, or the withdrawal from the marketplace of such pesticides, could have an adverse effect on our businesses, the severity of which would depend on the products involved, whether other products could be substituted and whether our competitors were similarly affected. The pesticides we use are manufactured by independent third parties and are evaluated by the EPA as part of its ongoing exposure risk assessment. The EPA may decide that a pesticide we use will be limited or will not be re-registered for use in the United States. We cannot predict the outcome or the severity of the effect of the EPA’s continuing evaluations.

In addition, the use of certain pesticide products is regulated by various international, federal, state, provincial and local environmental and public health agencies. Although we strive to comply with such laws and regulations and have processes in place designed to achieve compliance, given our dispersed locations, distributed operations and numerous employees and franchise associates, we may be unable to prevent violations of these or other laws and regulations from occurring. Even if we are able to comply with all such laws and regulations and obtain all necessary registrations and licenses, the pesticides or other products we apply or use, or the manner in which we apply or use them, could be alleged to cause injury to the environment, to people or to animals, or such products could be banned in certain circumstances. The laws and regulations may also apply to third-party vendors who are hired to repair or remediate property and who may fail to comply with environmental laws, health and safety laws and regulations and subject us to risk of legal exposure. The costs of compliance, non-compliance, investigation, remediation, combating reputational harm or defending civil or criminal proceedings, products liability, personal injury or other lawsuits could have a material adverse impact on our reputation, businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

International, federal, state, provincial and local agencies regulate the disposal, handling and storage of waste, discharges from our facilities and the investigation and clean-up of contaminated sites. We could incur significant costs, including investigation and clean-up costs, fines, penalties and civil or criminal sanctions and claims by third parties for property damage and personal injury, as a result of violations of, or liabilities under, these laws and regulations. In addition, potentially significant expenditures could be required to comply with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including requirements that may be adopted or imposed in the future.

On January 20, 2017, Terminix International USVI, LLC (“TMX USVI”) and The Terminix International Company Limited Partnership (“TMX LP”), each an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, entered into a revised Plea Agreement (the “Plea Agreement”) in connection with the investigation initiated by the United States Department of Justice Environmental Crimes Section (the “DOJ”) into allegations that a local Terminix branch used methyl bromide as a fumigant at a resort in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Under the terms of sentencing handed down on November 20, 2017, in addition to fines paid and reimbursement of clean-up costs, both TMX USVI and TMX LP will serve a five-year probation period.

Public perceptions that the products we use and the services we deliver are not environmentally friendly or safe may adversely impact the demand for our services.

In providing our services, we use, among other things, pesticides and other chemicals. Public perception that the products we use and the services we deliver are not environmentally friendly or safe or are harmful to humans or animals, whether justified or not, or our improper application of these chemicals, could reduce demand for our services, increase regulation or government restrictions

or actions, result in fines or penalties, impair our reputation, involve us in litigation, damage our brand names and otherwise have a material adverse impact on our businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Laws and government regulations applicable to our businesses and lawsuits, enforcement actions and other claims by third parties or governmental authorities could increase our legal and regulatory expenses, and impact our businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Our businesses are subject to significant international, federal, state, provincial and local laws and regulations. These laws and regulations include laws relating to consumer protection, wage and hour requirements, franchising, the employment of immigrants, labor relations, permitting and licensing, building code requirements, workers’ safety, the environment, insurance coverages, sales tax collection and remittance, employee benefits, marketing (including, without limitation, telemarketing) and advertising, the application and use of pesticides and other chemicals. In particular, we anticipate that various international, federal, state, provincial and local governing bodies may propose additional legislation and regulation that may be detrimental to our businesses or may substantially increase our operating costs, including increases in the minimum wage; environmental regulations related to chemical use, climate change and other environmental matters; health care coverage; or “do-not-call” or other marketing regulations.

We are also subject to various consumer protection laws and subject to receiving inquiries or investigative demands by regulatory bodies, including the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection and state attorneys general and other state agencies. It is difficult to predict the future impact of the broad and expanding legislative and regulatory requirements affecting our businesses and changes to such requirements may adversely affect our businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, if we were to fail to comply with any applicable law or regulation, we could be subject to substantial fines or damages, be involved in lawsuits, enforcement actions and other claims by third parties or governmental authorities, suffer harm to our reputation, suffer the loss of licenses or incur penalties that may affect how our businesses are operated, which, in turn, could have a material adverse impact on our businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

We are dependent on labor availability at our customer care centers and branches.

Our ability to conduct our operations is in part affected by our ability to increase our labor force, including on a seasonal basis at our customer care centers, which may be adversely affected by a number of factors. In the event of a labor shortage, we could experience difficulty in responding to customer calls in a timely fashion or delivering our services in a high-quality or timely manner, and could be forced to increase wages to attract and retain employees, which would result in higher operating costs and reduced profitability. Long wait times by customers during peak operating times could have a material adverse impact on our reputation, businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Decisions and rules by the National Labor Relations Board, including “expedited elections” and restrictions on appeals, could lead to increased organizing activities at our subsidiaries or franchisees. If these labor organizing activities were successful, it could further increase labor costs, decrease operating efficiency and productivity in the future, or otherwise disrupt or negatively impact our operations. In addition, potential competition from key employees who leave ServiceMaster could impact our ability to maintain our segment share in certain geographic areas.

Our franchisees, subcontractors, third-party distributors and vendors could take actions that could harm our businesses.

For the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, $150 million, $149 million and $143 million, respectively, of our consolidated revenue was received in the form of franchise revenues. Accordingly, our financial results are dependent in part upon the operational and financial success of our franchisees. Our franchisees, subcontractors, third-party distributors and vendors are contractually obligated to operate their businesses in accordance with the standards set forth in our agreements with them. Each franchising brand also provides training and support to franchisees. However, franchisees, subcontractors, third-party distributors and vendors are independent third parties that we do not control, and who own, operate and oversee the daily operations of their businesses. As a result, the ultimate success of any franchise operation rests with the franchisee. If franchisees do not successfully operate their businesses in a manner consistent with required standards, royalty payments to us will be adversely affected and our brands’ image and reputation could be harmed, which in turn could adversely impact our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Similarly, if third-party distributors, subcontractors, vendors and franchisees do not successfully operate their businesses in a manner consistent with required laws, standards and regulations, we could be subject to claims from regulators or legal claims for the actions or omissions of such third-party distributors, subcontractors, vendors and franchisees. In addition, our relationship with our franchisees, third-party distributors, subcontractors and vendors could become strained (including resulting in litigation) as we impose new standards or assert more rigorous enforcement practices of the existing required standards. These strains in our relationships or claims could have a material adverse impact on our reputation, businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

From time to time, we receive communications from our franchisees regarding complaints, disputes or questions about our practices and standards in relation to our franchised operations and certain economic terms of our franchise arrangements. If franchisees or groups representing franchisees were to bring legal proceedings against us, we would vigorously defend against the claims in any such proceeding, but our reputation, businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows could be materially adversely impacted and the price of our common stock could decline.

Disruptions or failures in our information technology systems could create liability for us or limit our ability to effectively monitor, operate and control our operations and adversely impact our reputation, business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Our information technology systems facilitate our ability to monitor, operate and control our operations. Changes or modifications to our information technology systems could cause disruption to our operations or cause challenges with respect to our compliance with laws, regulations or other applicable standards. As the development and implementation of our information technology systems (including our operating systems) evolve, we may elect to modify, replace or abandon certain technology initiatives, which could result in write-downs.

Any disruption in our information technology systems, including capacity limitations, instabilities, or failure to operate as expected, could, depending on the magnitude of the problem, adversely impact our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows, including by limiting our capacity to monitor, operate and control our operations effectively. Failures of our information technology systems could also lead to violations of privacy laws, regulations, trade guidelines or practices related to our customers and employees. If our disaster recovery plans do not work as anticipated, or if the third-party vendors to which we have outsourced certain information technology, contact center or other services fail to fulfill their obligations to us, our operations may be adversely affected, and any of these circumstances could adversely affect our reputation, businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

We may experience difficulties implementing our new Salesforce platform.

We are engaged in a multi-year implementation of a new system in contract with Salesforce that will integrate all legacy operating systems onto a single platform accessible by all. The new system will continue to require significant investment of human and financial resources. In implementing the system, we may experience significant delays, increased costs and other difficulties. Any significant disruption or deficiency in the design and implementation of the system could adversely affect our ability to process work orders, send invoices and track payments, fulfill contractual obligations or otherwise operate our business. In addition, our efforts to centralize various business processes within our organization in connection with this implementation may disrupt our operations and negatively impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Changes in the services we deliver or the products we use could affect our reputation, businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows and our future plans.

Our financial performance is affected by changes in the services and products we offer to customers, including termite warranties. There can be no assurance that our strategies or product offerings will succeed in increasing revenue and growing profitability. An unsuccessful execution of strategies, including the rollout or adjustment of our new services or products, the effectiveness of sales and marketing plans and our handling of cases and claims for termite damages, particularly in the Mobile Bay Area, could cause us to reevaluate or change our business strategies and could have a material adverse impact on our reputation, businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

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 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 cards 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, are central to meeting standards set by the payment card industry (“PCI”). We continue to evaluate and modify these 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 these systems. Any compromises, breaches or errors in applications related to these systems or failures to comply with standards set by the PCI could cause damage to our reputation and interruptions in our operations, including customers’ ability to pay for 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. We are subject to risks caused by data breaches and operational disruptions, particularly through cyber-attack or cyber-intrusion, including by computer hackers, foreign governments and cyber terrorists. The frequency of data breaches of companies and governments have increased in recent years as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. The occurrence of any of these events could have a material adverse impact on our reputation, businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

We may not be able to adequately protect our intellectual property and other proprietary rights that are material to our businesses.

Our ability to compete effectively depends in part on our rights to proprietary information, service marks, trademarks, trade names and other intellectual property rights we own or license, particularly our registered brand names, ServiceMaster, Terminix, Copesan, ServiceMaster Restore, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and AmeriSpec. We have not sought to register or protect every one of our marks either in the United States or in every country in which they are or may be used. Furthermore, because of the differences in foreign trademark, patent and other intellectual property or proprietary rights laws, we may not receive

the same protection in other countries as we would in the United States. If we are unable to protect our proprietary information and intellectual property rights, including brand names, it could cause a material adverse impact on our reputation, businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Litigation may be necessary to enforce our intellectual property rights and protect our proprietary information, or to defend against claims by third parties that our products, services or activities infringe their intellectual property rights.

Future acquisitions or other strategic transactions could negatively affect our reputation, businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

We may pursue strategic transactions in the future, which could involve acquisitions or dispositions of businesses or assets. Any future strategic transaction could involve integration or implementation challenges, business disruption or other risks, or change our business profile significantly. Any inability on our part to consolidate and manage growth from acquired businesses or successfully implement other strategic transactions could have an adverse impact on our reputation, businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Any acquisition that we make may not provide us with the benefits that were anticipated when entering into such acquisition. The process of integrating an acquired business may create unforeseen difficulties and expenses, including the diversion of resources needed to integrate new businesses, technologies, products, personnel or systems; the inability to retain employees, customers and suppliers; the assumption of actual or contingent liabilities (including those relating to the environment); failure to effectively and timely adopt and adhere to our internal control processes and other policies; write-offs or impairment charges relating to goodwill and other intangible assets; unanticipated liabilities relating to acquired businesses; and potential expense associated with litigation with sellers of such businesses. Any future disposition transactions could also impact our businesses and may subject us to various risks, including failure to obtain appropriate value for the disposed businesses, post-closing claims being levied against us and disruption to our other businesses during the sale process or thereafter.

We may be required to recognize impairment charges.

We have significant amounts of goodwill and intangible assets, such as trade names. In accordance with applicable accounting standards, goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized and are subject to assessment for impairment by applying a fair-value based test annually, or more frequently if there are indicators of impairment, including:

·significant adverse changes in the business climate, including economic or financial conditions;

·significant adverse changes in expected operating results;

·adverse actions or assessments by regulators;

·unanticipated competition;

·loss of key personnel; and

·a current expectation that it is more likely than not that a reporting unit or intangible asset will be sold or otherwise disposed of.

Based upon future economic and financial market conditions, the operating performance of our reporting units and other factors, including those listed above, we may incur impairment charges in the future. It is possible that such impairment, if required, could be material. Any future impairment charges that we are required to record could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.

We are subject to various restrictive covenants that could materially adversely impact our businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

From time to time, we enter into noncompetition agreements or other restrictive covenants (e.g., exclusivity, take or pay and non-solicitation obligations), including in connection with business dispositions or strategic contracts, that restrict us from entering into lines of business or operating in certain geographic areas into which we may desire to expand our businesses. We also are subject to various non-solicitation and no-hire covenants that may restrict our ability to solicit potential customers or employees. If we do not comply with such restrictive covenants, or if a dispute arises regarding the scope and interpretation thereof, litigation could ensue, which could have an adverse impact on our businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Further, to the extent that such restrictive covenants prevent us from taking advantage of business opportunities, our businesses, financial position, results of operations and cash flows may be adversely impacted.

Our business process outsourcing initiatives have increased our reliance on third-party vendors and may expose our businesses to harm upon the termination or disruption of our third-party vendor relationships.

Our strategy to increase profitability, in part, by reducing our costs of operations includes the implementation of certain business process outsourcing initiatives. Any disruption, termination or substandard performance of these outsourced services, including possible breaches by third-party vendors of their agreements with us, could adversely affect our brands, reputation, customer relationships, financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Also, to the extent a third-party outsourcing provider relationship is terminated, there is a risk of disputes or litigation and that we may not be able to enter into a similar agreement with an alternate provider in a timely manner or on terms that we consider favorable, and even if we find an alternate provider, or choose to insource such services, there are significant risks associated with any transitioning activities. In addition, to the extent we decide to terminate outsourcing services and insource such services, there is a risk that we may not have the capabilities to perform these services internally, resulting in a disruption to our businesses, which could adversely impact our reputation, businesses, financial

position, results of operations and cash flows. We could incur costs, including personnel and equipment costs, to insource previously outsourced services like these, and these costs could adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows.

Risks Related to Our Significant Indebtedness

We have significant indebtedness and may incur substantial additional indebtedness, which could adversely affect our financial health and our ability to obtain financing in the future, react to changes in our businesses and satisfy our obligations.

As of December 31, 2019, we had approximately $1.7 billion of total consolidated long-term indebtedness, including the current portion of long-term debt, outstanding.

As of December 31, 2019, there were $23 million of letters of credit outstanding and $370 million of available borrowing capacity under the Revolving Credit Facility. In addition, we are able to incur additional indebtedness in the future, subject to the limitations contained in the agreements governing our indebtedness. Our substantial indebtedness could have important consequences to you. Because of our substantial indebtedness:

·our ability to engage in acquisitions without raising additional equity or obtaining additional debt financing is limited;

·our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements or general corporate purposes and our ability to satisfy our obligations with respect to our indebtedness may be impaired in the future;

·a large portion of our cash flow from operations must be dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on our indebtedness, thereby reducing the funds available to us for other purposes;

·we are exposed to the risk of increased interest rates on approximately 10% of our outstanding indebtedness because a portion of our borrowings are or will be at variable rates of interest;

·it may be more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations to our creditors, resulting in possible defaults on, and acceleration of, such indebtedness;

·we may be more vulnerable to general adverse economic and industry conditions;

·we may be at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors with proportionately less indebtedness or with comparable indebtedness on more favorable terms and, as a result, they may be better positioned to withstand economic downturns;

·our ability to refinance indebtedness may be limited or the associated costs may increase;

·our flexibility to adjust to changing market conditions and ability to withstand competitive pressures could be limited; and

·we may be prevented from carrying out capital spending and restructurings that are necessary or important to our growth strategy and efforts to improve operating margins of our businesses.

A lowering or withdrawal of the ratings, outlook or watch assigned to our debt securities by rating agencies may increase our future borrowing costs and reduce our access to capital.

Our indebtedness has primarily non-investment grade ratings, and any rating, outlook or watch assigned could be lowered or withdrawn entirely by a rating agency if, in that rating agency’s judgment, current or future circumstances relating to the basis of the rating, outlook or watch, such as adverse changes to our businesses, so warrant. Any future lowering of our ratings, outlook or watch likely would make it more difficult or more expensive for us to obtain additional debt financing.

The agreements and instruments governing our indebtedness contain restrictions and limitations that could significantly impact our ability to operate our businesses.

The agreements governing the $600 million Term Loan Facility maturing November 4, 2026 and the $400 million revolving credit facility maturing November 4, 2024 (collectively, the “Credit Facilities”) contain covenants that, among other things, restrict our ability to:

·incur additional indebtedness (including guarantees of other indebtedness);

·receive dividends from certain of our subsidiaries, redeem stock or make other restricted payments, including investments and, in the case of the Revolving Credit Facility, make acquisitions;

·prepay, repurchase or amend the terms of certain outstanding indebtedness;

·enter into certain types of transactions with affiliates;

·transfer or sell assets;

·create liens;

·merge, consolidate or sell all or substantially all of our assets; and

·enter into agreements restricting dividends or other distributions by our subsidiaries.

The restrictions in the agreements governing the Credit Facilities and the instruments governing our other indebtedness may prevent us from taking actions that we believe would be in the best interest of our businesses and may make it difficult for us to execute our business strategy successfully or effectively compete with companies that are not similarly restricted. We may also incur future debt obligations that might subject us to additional restrictive covenants that could affect our financial and operational flexibility. We may be unable to refinance our indebtedness, at maturity or otherwise, on terms acceptable to us, or at all.

Our ability to comply with the covenants and restrictions contained in the agreements governing the Credit Facilities and the instruments governing our other indebtedness may be affected by economic, financial and industry conditions beyond our control including credit or capital market disruptions. The breach of any of these covenants or restrictions could result in a default that would permit the applicable lenders to declare all amounts outstanding thereunder to be due and payable, together with accrued and unpaid interest. If we are unable to repay indebtedness, lenders having secured obligations, such as the lenders under the Credit Facilities, could proceed against the collateral securing the indebtedness. In any such case, we may be unable to borrow under the Credit Facilities and may not be able to repay the amounts due under such facilities or our other outstanding indebtedness. This could have serious consequences to our financial position and results of operations and could cause us to become bankrupt or insolvent.

Our ability to generate the significant amount of cash needed to pay interest and principal on our indebtedness and our ability to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness or obtain additional financing depends on many factors beyond our control.

We are a holding company, and as such we have no independent operations or material assets other than ownership of equity interests in our subsidiaries. We depend on our subsidiaries to distribute funds to us so that we may pay obligations and expenses, including satisfying obligations with respect to indebtedness. Our ability to make scheduled payments on, or to refinance our obligations under, our indebtedness depends on the financial and operating performance of our subsidiaries and their ability to make distributions and dividends to us, which, in turn, depends on their results of operations, cash flows, cash requirements, financial position and general business conditions and any legal and regulatory restrictions on the payment of dividends to which they may be subject, many of which may be beyond our control. If we cannot make scheduled payments on our indebtedness, we will be in default, the lenders under the Credit Facilities could terminate their commitments to loan money, the secured lenders could foreclose against the assets securing their borrowings and we could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation.

Despite our indebtedness levels, we and our subsidiaries may be able to incur substantially more indebtedness. This could further exacerbate the risks associated with our substantial indebtedness.

We and our subsidiaries may be able to incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future. The terms of the instruments governing our indebtedness do not prohibit us or fully prohibit our subsidiaries from doing so. The Credit Facilities permit additional borrowings beyond the committed amounts under certain circumstances. If new indebtedness is added to our current indebtedness levels, the related risks we face would increase, and we may not be able to meet all of our debt obligations.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

ServiceMaster is a holding company with no operations of its own, and it depends on its subsidiaries for cash to fund all of its operations and expenses, including to make future dividend payments, if any.

ServiceMaster’s operations are conducted entirely through our subsidiaries, and our ability to generate cash to fund our operations and expenses, to pay dividends or to meet debt service obligations is highly dependent on the earnings and the receipt of funds from our subsidiaries through dividends or intercompany loans. Deterioration in the financial condition, earnings or cash flows of our subsidiaries for any reason could limit or impair their ability to pay such distributions. Additionally, to the extent that ServiceMaster needs funds, and its subsidiaries are restricted from making such distributions under applicable law or regulation or under the terms of our financing arrangements, or are otherwise unable to provide such funds, it could materially adversely affect our businesses, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.

We do not currently expect to declare or pay dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future. Payments of dividends, if any, will be at the sole discretion of our board of directors after taking into account various factors, including general and economic conditions, our financial condition and operating results, our available cash and current and anticipated cash needs, capital requirements, contractual, legal, tax and regulatory restrictions and implications of the payment of dividends by us to our stockholders or by our subsidiaries to us, and such other factors as our board of directors may deem relevant. In addition, Delaware law may impose requirements that may restrict our ability to pay dividends to holders of our common stock. To the extent that we determine in the future to pay dividends on our common stock, none of our subsidiaries will be obligated to make funds available to us for the payment of dividends.

The market price of our common stock may be volatile and could decline.

The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly. Among the factors that could affect our stock price are:

·industry or general market conditions;

·domestic and international economic factors unrelated to our performance;

·lawsuits, enforcement actions and other claims by third parties or governmental authorities;

·changes in our customers’ preferences;

·new regulatory pronouncements and changes in regulatory guidelines;

·actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly operating results;

·changes in securities analysts’ estimates of our financial performance or lack of research coverage and reports by industry analysts;

·action by institutional stockholders or other large stockholders;

·failure to meet any guidance given by us or any change in any guidance given by us, or changes by us in our guidance practices;

·announcements by us of significant impairment charges;

·speculation in the press or investment community;

·investor perception of us and our industry;

·changes in market valuations or earnings of similar companies;

·announcements by us or our competitors of significant contracts, acquisitions, dispositions or strategic partnerships;

·war, terrorist acts and epidemic disease;

·any future sales of our common stock or other securities; and

·additions or departures of key personnel.

The stock markets have experienced volatility in recent years that has been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our common stock. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, class action litigation has often been instituted against the affected company. Any litigation of this type brought against us could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources, which would harm our businesses, operating results and financial condition.

Future sales of shares by existing stockholders could cause our stock price to decline.

Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could cause the market price of our common stock to decline. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, also might make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate.

In July 2014, we filed a registration statement on Form S-8 under the Securities Act to register the shares of common stock to be issued under our equity compensation plans and, as a result, all shares of common stock acquired upon exercise of (i) stock options granted under these plans and (ii) other equity based awards granted under the ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. 2014 Omnibus Incentive Plan (“Omnibus Incentive Plan”), including approximately 5.1 million shares of our common stock that have been sold in the public market through the exercise of stock options as of December 31, 2019, are freely tradable under the Securities Act, unless purchased by our affiliates. As of December 31, 2019, there were stock options outstanding to purchase a total of 1,230,520 shares of our common stock and there were 692,926 shares of our common stock subject to restricted stock units and there were 187,746 shares of our common stock subject to performance share units. In addition, 4,920,142 shares of our common stock are reserved for future issuances under our Omnibus Incentive Plan.

On February 24, 2015, our board of directors approved and recommended for approval by our stockholders the ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“Employee Stock Purchase Plan”), which became effective for offering periods commencing July 1, 2015. The Employee Stock Purchase Plan was intended to qualify for the favorable tax treatment under Section 423 of the Code. Under the plan, eligible employees of the Company may purchase common stock, subject to IRS limits, during pre-specified offering periods at a discount established by the Company not to exceed 10 percent of the then current fair market value. On April 27, 2015, our stockholders approved the Employee Stock Purchase Plan with a maximum of one million shares of common stock authorized for sale under the plan. On November 3, 2015, we filed a registration statement on Form S-8 under the Securities Act to register the one million shares of common stock that may be issued under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan and, as a result, all shares of common stock acquired under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan will be freely tradable under the Securities Act, unless purchased by our affiliates. As of December 31, 2019, there were 829,155 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuances under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

Our Compensation Committee amended the Employee Stock Purchase Plan in February 2019 to allow for more frequent purchase periods and to change the allowed 10 percent discount to a company match of 10 percent of employee contributions. The authorized number of shares remaining in the Employee Stock Purchase Plan was not changed. The expiration date of the plan was not changed from April 27, 2025. The first purchase under the amended Employee Stock Purchase Plan began in July 2019.

In the future, we may issue additional shares of common stock or other equity or debt securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of our common stock in connection with a financing, acquisition, litigation settlement or employee arrangement or otherwise. Any of these issuances could result in substantial dilution to our existing stockholders and could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish misleading or unfavorable research about our businesses, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our common stock depends in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our businesses. If one or more of the analysts that covers our common stock downgrades our stock or publishes misleading or unfavorable research about our businesses, our stock price would likely decline. If one or more of the analysts ceases coverage of our common stock or fails to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our common stock could decrease, which could cause our common stock price or trading volume to decline.

Future offerings of debt or equity securities which would rank senior to our common stock may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

If, in the future, we decide to issue debt or equity securities that rank senior to our common stock, it is likely that such securities will be governed by an indenture or other instrument containing covenants restricting our operating flexibility. Additionally, any convertible or exchangeable securities that we issue in the future may have rights, preferences and privileges more favorable than those of our common stock and may result in dilution to owners of our common stock. We and, indirectly, our stockholders, will bear the cost of issuing and servicing such securities. Because our decision to issue debt or equity securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of our future offerings. Thus, holders of our common stock will bear the risk of our future offerings reducing the market price of our common stock and diluting the value of their stock holdings in us.

Anti-takeover provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated by-laws could discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our Company and may affect the trading price of our common stock.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated by-laws include a number of provisions that may discourage, delay or prevent a change in our management or control over us that stockholders may consider favorable. For example, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated by-laws collectively:

·authorize the issuance of “blank check” preferred stock that could be issued by our board of directors to thwart a takeover attempt;

·provide for a classified board of directors, which divides our board of directors into three classes, with members of each class serving staggered three-year terms, which prevents stockholders from electing an entirely new board of directors at an annual meeting;

·limit the ability of stockholders to remove directors;

·provide that vacancies on our board of directors, including vacancies resulting from an enlargement of our board of directors, may be filled only by a majority vote of directors then in office;

·prohibit stockholders from calling special meetings of stockholders;

·prohibit stockholder action by written consent, thereby requiring all actions to be taken at a meeting of the stockholders;

·establish advance notice requirements for nominations of candidates for election as directors or to bring other business before an annual meeting of our stockholders; and

·require the approval of holders of at least 66²/3% of the outstanding shares of our common stock to amend our amended and restated by-laws and certain provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.

These provisions may prevent our stockholders from receiving the benefit from any premium to the market price of our common stock offered by a bidder in a takeover context. Even in the absence of a takeover attempt, the existence of these provisions may adversely affect the prevailing market price of our common stock if the provisions are viewed as discouraging takeover attempts in the future.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated by laws may also make it difficult for stockholders to replace or remove our management. These provisions may facilitate management entrenchment that may delay, deter, render more difficult or prevent a change in our control, which may not be in the best interests of our stockholders.

We do not intend to pay cash dividends on our common stock and, consequently, your ability to achieve a return on your investment will depend on appreciation in the price of our common stock.

We do not intend to declare and pay cash dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future. We currently intend to use our future earnings, if any, to repay debt, to repurchase shares of our common stock, to fund our growth, to develop our businesses and for working capital needs and general corporate purposes. Therefore, you are not likely to receive any cash dividends on your common stock for the foreseeable future, and the success of an investment in shares of our common stock will depend upon any future appreciation in their value. There is no guarantee that shares of our common stock will appreciate in value or even maintain the price at which our stockholders have purchased their shares. In addition, ServiceMaster’s operations are conducted almost entirely through our subsidiaries. As such, to the extent that we determine in the future to pay cash dividends on our common stock, none of our subsidiaries will be obligated to make funds available to ServiceMaster for the payment of dividends. Further, the agreements governing the Credit Facilities may restrict the ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends, make loans or otherwise transfer assets to us.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation designates the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the exclusive forum for certain litigation that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed to us or our stockholders by any of our directors, officers, employees or agents, (iii) any action asserting a claim against us arising under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. By becoming a stockholder in our Company, you will be deemed to have notice of and have

consented to the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation related to choice of forum. The choice of forum provision in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

We lease our corporate Global Service Center and the headquarters for Terminix in Memphis, Tennessee. We also own or lease a variety of facilities, predominantly in the United States, for branches and service centers, offices, storage, customer care centers, data processing and training. We believe that these facilities are suitable and adequate to support the current needs of our business.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

Our Terminix business is subject to a significant number of damage claims related to termite activity in homes for which we provide termite control services, often accompanied by a termite damage warranty. Our termite damage warranty is a differentiator in the industry that has enabled us to become the market leader of this product line. Damage claims include Non-litigated Claims and Litigated Claims. Recently we have experienced higher Non-Litigated Claims activity concentrated in the Mobile Bay Area of the United States related to Formosan termites, an invasive species, which has driven higher Non-Litigated Claims expense. In addition, since the beginning of 2017, we have been served with an increasing number of Litigated Claims, again primarily concentrated in the Mobile Bay Area and related to Formosan termite activity, which has driven higher Litigated Claim expense. Some plaintiffs have sought to demonstrate a pattern and practice of fraud in connection with Litigated Claims and have sought awards, in addition to repair costs, which included punitive damages and damages for mental anguish. We defend these Litigated Claims vigorously, and we are taking decisive actions to mitigate increasing claims costs, however, we cannot give assurance that these mitigation actions will be effective in reducing claims or costs related thereto, nor can we give assurance that lawsuits or other proceedings related to termite damage claims will not materially affect our reputation, business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

On December 16, 2016, the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Justice filed a civil complaint in the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands related to a fumigation incident in a matter styled Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. The ServiceMaster Company, LLC, The Terminix International Company Limited Partnership, and Terminix International USVI, LLC. The amount and extent of any potential penalties, fines sanctions, costs and damages that the federal or other governmental authorities may impose, investigation or other costs and reputational harm, as well as the impact of any civil, criminal or other claims or judicial, administrative or regulatory proceedings resulting from or related to the U.S. Virgin Islands fumigation matter, which could be material, is not currently known, and any such penalties, fines, sanctions, costs or damages would not be covered under the Company’s general liability policies.

In addition to the matters discussed above, in the ordinary course of conducting business activities, we and our subsidiaries become involved in judicial, administrative and regulatory proceedings involving both private parties and governmental authorities. These proceedings include insured and uninsured matters that are brought on an individual, collective, representative and class action basis, or other proceedings involving regulatory, employment, general and commercial liability, automobile liability, wage and hour, environmental and other matters. We have entered into settlement agreements in certain cases, including with respect to putative collective and class actions, which are subject to court or other approvals. If one or more of our settlements are not finally approved, we could have additional or different exposure, which could be material. Subject to the paragraphs above, we do not expect any of these proceedings to have a material effect on our reputation, business, financial position, results of operations or cash flows; however, we can give no assurance that the results of any such proceedings will not materially affect our reputation, business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows. See Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements for more details.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

None.

PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Market Information

Our common stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol ‘‘SERV.’’ Our common stock began trading on the NYSE on June 26, 2014.

The graph below presents our cumulative total stockholder returns relative to the performance of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Composite Stock Index and Standard & Poor’s 400 Consumer Services Index, commencing on June 26, 2014, our initial day of trading. The graph assumes $100 invested at the opening price of our common stock on NYSE and each index on December 31, 2014. On October 1, 2018, we completed the previously announced separation of our American Home Shield business. Our stockholders received one share of Frontdoor common stock for every two shares of ServiceMaster common stock held as of the close of business on the Record Date. The graph below assumes, similar to a cash dividend, that the shares of Frontdoor that were distributed on October 1, 2018, were sold and the proceeds from such sale were reinvested into additional shares of ServiceMaster common stock.

Dividends

We did not pay any cash dividends in 2017, 2018 or 2019. As a result of the spin-off of American Home Shield, each ServiceMaster stockholder as of the Record Date, received a dividend of one share of Frontdoor common stock for every two shares of ServiceMaster common stock held. The Company distributed 67,781,527 shares of common stock of Frontdoor in the Distribution. Stockholders received cash in lieu of fractional shares they would have otherwise received in the Distribution.

We currently intend to use our future earnings, if any, to fund our growth, to develop our business, repay debt, make acquisitions, repurchase shares of our common stock and for working capital needs and general corporate purposes. Our ability to pay cash dividends to holders of our common stock may be restricted by the Credit Facilities, insofar as we may seek to pay dividends out of funds made available to us by our subsidiaries. Any future determination to pay dividends on our common stock is subject to the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon various factors, including our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity requirements, capital requirements, level of indebtedness, contractual restrictions with respect to payment of dividends, restrictions imposed by applicable law, general business conditions and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. See “Liquidity—Limitations on Distributions and Dividends by Subsidiaries” for a description of the impact of our restrictions under our debt instruments on our ability to pay dividends.

‎

Share Repurchase Program

On February 23, 2016, our board of directors authorized a three-year share repurchase program, under which we could repurchase up to $300 million of outstanding shares of our common stock. On February 19, 2019, our board of directors approved a three-year extension of the share repurchase plan allowing for $150 million of repurchases though February 19, 2022. Under the share repurchase program, we may repurchase shares in accordance with all applicable securities laws and regulations, including Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The extent to which we repurchase our shares, and the timing and manner of such repurchases, will depend upon a variety of factors, including market conditions, regulatory requirements and other corporate considerations, as determined by us. The repurchase program may be suspended or discontinued at any time. We expect to fund the share repurchases from net cash provided from operating activities. The share repurchase program is part of our capital allocation strategy that focuses on sustainable growth and maximizing stockholder value. As of December 31, 2019, we had $103 million of purchases available remaining under this program.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

___________________________________

(1)On February 23, 2016, our board of directors authorized a three-year share repurchase program (that expired February 23, 2019), under which we were authorized to repurchase up to $300 million of outstanding shares of our common stock. Of the total amount authorized, $155 million was remaining on the date the program expired. On February 19, 2019, our board of directors approved a three-year extension of the share repurchase plan allowing for an aggregate of $150 million of repurchases through February 19, 2022.

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

The following table sets forth our selected financial data derived from our audited consolidated financial statements for each of the periods indicated. The selected financial data presented below should be read in conjunction with Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our consolidated financial information may not be indicative of our future performance.

Five-Year Financial Summary

__________________________________

(1)Represents incremental legal, accounting and other expenses associated with completed or contemplated acquisitions.

(2)Represents an adjustment to our reserves for termite damage claims as described in Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements.

(3)Represents a corrective contribution related to our 401(k) Plan.

(4)Represents charges for fumigation related matters described in Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements.

(5)Represents an adjustment to our accrued self-insured claims related to automobile, general liability and workers’ compensation risk.

(6)For 2017 and 2016, represents the impairment of software and other related costs relating to our decision to replace certain software.

(7)For 2019, represents a realized gain on sale of our investment in Frontdoor. For 2018, represents a mark-to-market loss on the retained shares in Frontdoor described in Note 19 to the consolidated financial statements.

(8)For 2019, 2018 and 2017, represents a loss on extinguishment of debt as described in Note 12 to the consolidated financial statements. For 2016, represents a loss on extinguishment of debt related to the repayment of a term loan facility in

connection with the entrance into a new term loan facility. For 2015, represents a loss on extinguishment of debt related to the redemption of the then-existing credit facility in connection with our initial public offering.

(9)Includes American Home Shield data for periods prior to the October 1, 2018 Distribution. See Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements for information on the divested net assets.

(10)We use Adjusted EBITDA to facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period. Adjusted EBITDA is a supplemental measure of our performance that is not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA is not a measurement of our financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income (loss) or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP or as an alternative to net cash provided by operating activities or any other measures of our cash flow or liquidity. Adjusted EBITDA means net income (loss) before: depreciation and amortization expense; acquisition-related costs; termite damage claims reserve adjustment; 401(k) Plan corrective contribution; fumigation related matters; insurance reserve adjustment; non-cash stock-based compensation expense; restructuring and other charges; gain on sale of Merry Maids branches; non-cash impairment of software and other costs; (gain) loss on investment in frontdoor, inc.; (loss) gain from discontinued operations, net of income taxes; provision (benefit) for income taxes; loss on extinguishment of debt; interest expense; and other non-operating expenses.

We believe Adjusted EBITDA facilitates company-to-company operating performance comparisons by excluding potential differences caused by variations in capital structures (affecting net interest income and expense), taxation, the age and book depreciation of facilities and equipment (affecting relative depreciation expense), restructuring initiatives, acquisition activities (affecting amortization and acquisition-related costs) and equity-based, long-term incentive plans, which may vary for different companies for reasons unrelated to operating performance.

Adjusted EBITDA is not necessarily comparable to other similarly titled financial measures of other companies due to the potential inconsistencies in the methods of calculation.

Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analyzing our results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are:

·Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs;

·Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect our interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments on our debt;

·Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect our tax expense or the cash requirements to pay our taxes;

·Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect historical capital expenditures or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments;

·Although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced in the future, and Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements; and

·Other companies in our industries may calculate Adjusted EBITDA differently, limiting its usefulness as a comparative measure.

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The following table sets forth Adjusted EBITDA for each of our reportable segments and Corporate and Other Operations and reconciles Net Income (Loss) to total Adjusted EBITDA for the periods presented, which we consider to be the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure: