Over the past century, Flick has grown from humble roots into Australia’s leading pest and hygiene company.
Today, Flick Anticimex operates over 50 national branches, employs over 1,500 staff and services around 325,000 customer sites annually. We protect over 55,000 commercial sites and 200,000 residential customers from pests every year. We also keep our commercial customers premises hygienically clean by servicing over 60,000 washroom sites. Providing services to residential homes and the majority of Australia’s major commercial facilities, we’re at the very heart of the Australian community.
The Flick story is a deeply Australian one. Founded by William and Phyllis Flick in 1918 with an ingenious termite powder, over the next century we grew into one of the biggest pest control companies in the country. Discover our incredible history.
1913
William Albert Flick was born in Lismore on February 14, 1890 and lived an ordinary life. He married Phyllis Pearl Jamison on the 3rd of February 1915. Two hard-working farmers, they found that termites had become a problem on their property at Tyagarah (just North of Byron Bay). Building on their experience as beekeepers they invented a deadly red powder, an arsenic compound, which was fine enough that the worker termites would carry the poison all the way back to the queen. It was Phyllis who saw the potential of the business and by 1918 they began to offer their services commercially.
1918
Flick Pest Control is founded in New South Wales, Australia by William Albert Flick (1890- 1980), pest exterminator. A humble and well humoured man, its hard to say if he could have ever known the legacy an business that he and his sons would create.
Over the next 20 years the Flick’s moved all over Australia from Rural NSW to Perth and finally settled in Sydney. William shared his knowledge and techniques with many people during those years and they left behind a strong legacy in the form of a growing army of “Flickmen”.
1930’s
In the 30’s W.A Flick began to successfully expand into cockroach fumigation. This rapid expansion also saw the introduction of William’s sons to the business. Albert “Jack” Flick quickly became a prominent part of Flick and would lead the company once his father retired. Also at this time it was at the Sydney Easter show when a sign-writer coins the new iconic slogan “One Flick and They’re Gone”, which is still in use today!
1950’s
During and after WWII the company saw hectic growth as they became a government protected service, offering pest control to army barracks and hospitals. To accommodate the rapid growth the business was incorporated as W.A. Flick & Co. Pty Ltd. The company only grew stronger from there, hiring more staff and expanding into 15 overseas branches around the pacific. It was around this time when a range of Flick retail products were launched.
1986
By the time the Flick family decided to sell the business in 1986 Flick had become the biggest Pest Control company in Australia and one of the largest in the world. In the 1990’s the company began to expand into hygiene services, specialising in commercial food industries.
2001
Flick expands into hygiene washroom services and hygiene consumables, offering premium washroom services to meet industry regulations. Flick offers tailored made hygiene solutions within all major market sectors including food manufacturing, retail and wholesale, commercial property management, warehouse, logistics, health care, education, government, defence establishments, mining, financial institutions, aviation and maritime and so much more.
2013
Flick is acquired by Anticimex, Sweden’s largest pest control company operating in 14 countries and providing services to over 2.2 million customers globally. Anticimex was founded in 1934 in Sweden as a family business, which expanded during the 1950s and 1960s to include insurance in connection with its pest control services in Sweden. Anticimex expanded its operations internationally in the following decades, beginning with its launch in Norway in 1973. In the 2000s, Anticimex further expanded across Europe into Denmark, Finland, Germany and the Netherlands. Since then, Anticimex has grown to become a global business.
2015
Flick Anticimex acquired the Enviropest Group of Companies and becomes Australia’s largest pest control company. Enviropest provided residential pest control services with a strong focus on termites and timber pests, complementing Flick’s comprehensive range of services including pest control, hygiene services and hygiene consumables. The acquisition enabled Flick to become a frontrunner in the Australian pest control market and expand its geographical footprint across the continent.
2015
Flick revolutionised commercial pest control and introduced SMART Digital Pest Control for small to large-scale premises. SMART is an intelligent system that keeps an eye on things you don’t want to see. By constantly monitoring and instantly reacting, it prevents costly infestations in an environmentally-friendly way by using non-toxic methods to trap rodents, cockroaches and moths, and prevent the spread of pesticides.
2016
Flick Anticimex acquired Amalgamated Pest Control creating the greatest pest control servicing network throughout Queensland and Australia. Amalgamated Pest Control grew from two small family companies back in 1923 into Australia’s largest privately-owned pest control company.
2020
In the era of streaming services and subscription mindset, Flick has revolutionised pest control in Australia with affordable monthly subscription pest control plans that act as insurance against pests. Homeowners can now subscribe and save on a range of Home Protection plans to suit their budget, location and life stage. All Home Protection plans come with year round pest protection for pests covered in their plan. Homeowners now have peace of mind knowing their home is protected from pests 24/7, 365 days a year.
2022
Flick Anticimex continues its acquisition initiative in Victoria. The acquisition of Dawson’s Australia along with a number of local pest control companies strengthens the local operations in Melbourne, especially within the residential termite, general pest and commercial services. Led by the third generation of the Dawson family, Dawson’s has grown to be a brand name with a strong reputation in Melbourne. The acquisition will support a geographical expansion of Flick services within the greater Melbourne region.
2022
We’re disrupting the Australian market once again with SMART Digital Rodent Monitoring for homes.
A first for Australia, SMART Digital Rodent Monitoring replaces poisonous bait boxes with a discreet sensor system which detects rodent movement around the clock. This sustainable solution is safer for families and pets and monitors for rodents around the clock.
Our homes have been getting smarter for years, and it’s time for our pest control to catch up.
Anticimex
In 2013, Flick joined forces with Anticimex, a modern pest control company that is a global leader in preventative pest control.
Founded in Sweden in 1934, Anticimex and Flick share the same values – outstanding service, long customer relationships and a dedication to innovation. Through prevention, new technologies and sustainable solutions Anticimex meets the new demands for healthy environments for both individuals and businesses. Anticimex employs more than 10,000 people, servicing more than 3 million customers in 21 countries worldwide.
Together, we’re bringing global innovation to Australia.
At Flick Anticimex, we harness a global/local approach. We offer Best in Practice international products and methods, delivered with Australian expertise and flair.
Our highly-trained technicians apply the latest technology to eradicate common Aussie pests, plus we keep the community safe with exceptional hygiene control.
Get world-class protection at home with Flick Anticimex.
