[2009 Leadership Profiles] Rick Swope

While revenue growth and financial success is important, developing the next generation of company leaders is what motivates Antimite’s longtime COO.

Whoever said business and pleasure don’t mix hasn’t worked with Rick Swope. The chief operating officer of Antimite Termite and Pest Control, Chino Hills, Calif., says he’s still having a great time there after three decades.

It’s easy to see why: Swope has been pivotal in growing Antimite from $1 million in annual revenues in 1977 to $45 million today, and from 35 employees to 405. By helping orchestrate strategic acquisitions while evolving the company’s operations to accommodate steady internal growth, he has helped make Antimite one of the fastest-growing pest management firms in the nation. Antimite ranks #14 in PCT’s Top 100 list — up a notch from #15 in 2008.

But for Swope, it’s much more than simply growth that makes getting up every day to go to work so enjoyable: “I love this business,” he says. “I would never consider doing anything else. The most gratifying part of it is watching the young people here learn and grow, building success stories for themselves and the company.”

THE PASSION. He was one of those up-and-comers himself not so long ago, a self-proclaimed “fire-breather” ready to take on the world.

“We were young,” he says of himself and Owner/President Lee Blevins, who pulled Swope into the family business shortly after they attended Cal State Fullerton together. “I was promoted from termite inspector to branch manager to general manager by the time I was 27. At that age, you think you can do no wrong, but you find out quickly that’s not the case. I learned to pay very close attention to how the veteran employees did things. I found out I had a lot to learn.”

THE EXPERTISE. And learn he did. Today, Swope is well-respected in the industry, noted for his knowledge and insights into virtually every aspect of pest management operations. He and Blevins set the example for younger Antimite team members, demonstrating daily how an effective management team works.

“Lee is the brains and Rick is the blood,” says Technical Director Dave Taylor, who has been with Antimite for 20 years.

Swope puts it another way: “Lee is brilliant with business and money matters. My expertise is in hands-on teaching and the operations side of the business. We share ideas across these lines but also respect each other’s areas of expertise.”
Blevins agrees. He says that Swope is so adept at handling the day-to-day issues that Blevins can focus on the company’s future, with respect to financial issues, organizational decisions and personnel. “Rick gives me great advice when we talk about making our next move. He has an amazing ability to take in all of the facts and assess situations and opportunities objectively.”

By way of example, Blevins shares an instance in the early 1980s when Swope encouraged him to shut down one of their peripheral businesses: roofing and re-roofing. The costs of the young business were outweighing the profits, and Swope was able to stand back and offer objective advice, which Blevins eventually took. “It was a smart move,” Blevins said, “and it freed us up to do what we do best.”

THE COMMITMENT. What they do best is pest management, and everybody knows it. Their peers respect their commitment to their customers as well as to the industry.

“Antimite is one of the good companies out there that make sure everything they do is in the best interest of the customer,” says Bob Gordon, owner of Gordon Termite Control, Bellflower, Calif. “Rick started [in the field], so he knows all phases of the industry. He has perspective on what it’s like to work and what it’s like to lead.”

Lee Whitmore, vice president of Beneficial Exterminating in Los Angeles, talks about the leadership Swope and Blevins provide in the industry, as part of Pest Control Operators of California (PCOC) and other professional organizations.
“Lee and Rick run a quality organization, and they’re extremely proactive in dealing with industry issues,” Whitmore observes. “They do whatever it takes to protect our livelihood when we face legislative issues or regulatory challenges. They’ve been very instrumental in protecting our industry as a whole.”

Swope also champions the 400-plus employees who work at Antimite. He stays in close communication with all 38 of the departments that comprise the company.

“Rick understands the people who dug the well and who carry the water,” Blevins says. “He’s grounded, with a great sense of right and wrong. Probably his number one strength is being able to read people and determine the right course of action based on that. He studied to be a marriage counselor, you know. I tease him sometimes that he would work for free just to be able to practice his counseling skills. He definitely puts those to use here.”

THE FUTURE. “In the next decade, our younger team members will take more and more control over the day-to-day operations,” Swope says. “I’d like to stick around a few more years to help them grow and equip themselves for success. My role right now is to share our history with them — tell them what works and what doesn’t — and help them learn from our mistakes so that they don’t have to make the same ones. There are some shining stars here. I have no worries that they’ll succeed.”

Two of those shining stars are Swope’s sons, Travis, 31, and Trapper, 28. They started doing summer work with Antimite when they turned 16, and today, Travis is the pest division manager who helped the company establish its commercial division and Trapper holds a management position in sales. Swope’s daughter, Jacqueline, is pursuing a graduate degree in occupational therapy at ATSU Phoenix.

“I’m really proud of how they’ve all progressed,” Swope says. “They are faster, quicker and sharper than I was. It’s an absolute joy watching them.”

*****

Up Close: Rick Swope
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Company/Affiliation: Antimite Termite & Pest Control
Location: Chino Hills, Calif.
Personal: Three children, including two sons — Travis and Trapper — who are part of the Antimite team, and a daughter, Jacqueline, whose fiancé, Chris, works for Antimite as an inspector. Rick’s hobbies include flying (he’s a pilot), racquetball, hiking, kayaking, cycling, mountain climbing, snowshoeing and gardening.
Career Highlights:

• Attended  California State University, Fullerton with an early career goal of becoming a marriage counselor
• Joined Antimite in 1977 as a termite inspector
• Promoted to branch manager, 1981; general manager, 1984; and COO, 1987
• Has held numerous leadership positions and served on various committees with the Pest Control Operators of California