NOTE 4.      CONTINGENCIES

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

Presently, the Company and a subsidiary, The Industrial Fumigant Company, LLC, are named defendants in Severn Peanut Co. and Meherrin Agriculture & Chemical Co. v. Industrial Fumigant Co., et al.  The Severn lawsuit, a matter related to a fumigation service, has been filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.  The court dismissed plaintiffs’ claim for breach of contract on March 15, 2014; plaintiffs’ pending claim for damages is for negligence.

On April 29, 2014, Foster Poultry Farms sued Orkin, LLC and Orkin Services of California, Inc., for breach of contract, breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and negligence.  The lawsuit is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.  Foster Farms is seeking damages related to pest control services performed at its chicken processing facility during a nine month period. The Company intends to defend this matter vigorously. 

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