David Royce

Royce recalled that encouragement from his sixth-grade teacher rebuilt his academic confidence. After losing a pizza-parlor job at 15, he learned about standardized operations at McDonald’s.⁠[1]

He began selling pest-control services door to door during college summers in 2001. He recalled making no sales in his first week, then studying sales books and becoming the company’s top rookie that summer.⁠[2][3]

He graduated from Brigham Young University in 2004. Initially considering investment banking, he decided to start a pest-control business after encouragement from his employer.⁠[4][5]

He licensed the Moxie name for his own Southern California pest-control business, distinct from his former employer and other businesses using that brand.⁠[6][5]

He recalled that commissions at his first company were paid before customer revenue arrived. Rapid growth nearly exhausted its cash, leading him to focus on financing expansion rather than sales alone.⁠[3]

His Moxie business was sold to Terminix in 2008. KCPW reported sales exceeding $10 million before the transaction; that figure referred to revenue, not the purchase price.⁠[2][5]

He then established EcoFirst in Las Vegas, reinvesting proceeds from his previous sale. Its revenue exceeded $24 million within three years before it too was sold to Terminix.⁠[2][5][6]

He established Alterra in Utah. Its headquarters included a basketball court, and company culture and employee experience became part of attracting and retaining staff.⁠[5][3]

Brigham Young University’s Entrepreneurship Founders directory records his membership since 2014 and lists him as a board member.⁠[7]

He and Vess Pearson cofounded Aptive Environmental in 2015, headquartered in Provo, Utah, to provide residential pest-control services. Pearson became CEO while Royce moved to strategic work as chairman.⁠[8][3]

Alterra was sold to Terminix in November 2015. KCPW reported pre-sale revenue above $75 million and more than 400 employees across 16 states.⁠[4][5]

He won the 2015 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year award in the National Emerging Business category, one of ten national category winners. The ceremony took place in Palm Springs, California.⁠[9]

His university’s Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology presented him with its Entrepreneur of the Year award at a semiannual Founders Conference banquet. The university also described his support for the Nothing But Nets malaria-prevention program.⁠[4]

Aptive reached a civil consumer-protection settlement with Pennsylvania involving $101,430 and commitments concerning solicitation permits, contract delivery and cancellation rights.⁠[10][11]

Early in the pandemic, Pearson launched Aptive Strong, encouraging exercise and learning while work was restricted. In their joint interview, Royce credited Pearson with that response and stressed calm decision-making.⁠[6]

In a trade-publication interview, Royce described combining recognition, compensation and advancement with sales competitions, supported by proprietary software intended to improve efficiency and customer retention.⁠[2]

Aptive completed a recapitalization and growth financing with Owl Rock, securing a $125 million senior secured credit facility. Financial adviser Intrepid said it would support staff, technology, infrastructure and growth.⁠[8]

An Allegheny County court entered a consent order resolving allegations that Aptive violated the 2019 settlement. The company was required to pay $220,000: $195,000 in civil penalties and $25,000 in investigative and legal costs. The earlier obligations remained enforceable.⁠[11]

Citation Capital announced its acquisition of a majority interest in Aptive, with Pearson and the leadership team retaining significant stakes. The announcement reported more than 500,000 households served and approximately 4,000 employees; it did not disclose a transaction price.⁠[12]

Aptive appointed Jon Chiazzese CEO with immediate effect, naming Tiffany K. Hagge as board chair in the announcement. Royce’s chairman title in earlier profiles therefore describes a historical role.⁠[13][7]

In a Foundr interview, he said employees received 25% of the company. He also recalled losing buyers during a sale process after results missed forecasts, stressing the need to verify financial execution.⁠[1]

Delaware’s Department of Justice announced a settlement with Aptive and filed it in the Court of Chancery, seeking $600,000 and business-practice changes. Allegations concerned pressure selling, misleading contract descriptions and undisclosed termination fees. The release described a requested court order. The case concerned the company, not a personal criminal judgment against Royce.⁠[14]

School of Hard Knocks Podcast released an approximately 49-minute interview with Royce about door-to-door sales, cash flow, sales training and recurring-revenue businesses. He also publicly confirmed being interviewed by host James Dumoulin.⁠[15][16]

Royce stated publicly that four of his five company-sale prices were subject to nondisclosure agreements and that a host’s combined exit figure was an estimate. Such program titles do not establish his personal net worth.⁠[16]

Aptive: Official website: https://aptivepestcontrol.com/ (opens in a new window). Brigham Young University: Public profile: https://marriott.byu.edu/advisoryboard/cet/directory/member/?member=2565 (opens in a new window). LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry: Public profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-royce-22539425 (opens in a new window).⁠[13][7][16]