[Convention Extra] Q&A: Raleigh Jenkins

In this exclusive interview with PCT magazine, NPMA President Raleigh Jenkins talks about his family, the benefits of NPMA membership, and how earlier this year he was able to leave his company for more than a month to take a bike ride through the U.S. with his brothers.

A second-generation pest control operator, Raleigh Jenkins is the third member of his immediate family to serve as NPMA president. Jenkins, president, ABC Pest Pool & Lawn Services, Houston, Texas, graduated with a degree in agricultural business from Texas A&M University in 1983. (His brothers, Bobby and Dennis, graduated from A&M as well. So did his father. And his wife. And two of his three children — the other is still in high school. Get the picture?)

Raleigh’s parents, Robert and Sandy Jenkins, purchased ABC Pest Control in 1965. Each of the Jenkins brothers (Bobby, Raleigh and Dennis) currently operate ABC businesses in Texas. Raleigh’s turf is Houston, and he’s grown the firm to a $15-million-a-year service business. But it’s not all business for the middle Jenkins brother.

Jenkins sat down with PCT magazine at NPMA Academy in Phoenix, Ariz., in July, to talk about his tenure as president of the National Pest Management Association.

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Three Brothers, Three Charities, One Cross-Country Bike Ride

The Jenkins brothers — Bobby, Raleigh and Dennis — have always been close and believe strongly in serving one’s family and community. This summer, the brothers took this bond and commitment to another level by embarking on the “Brothers in Arms: Ride for Charity” bike ride. The 2,300-mile, 37-day journey from Austin, Texas to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, began on May 24 and ended on June 29.

The ride was a re-creation of one that Bobby took one summer while in college. This time the Jenkins brothers used the ride to raise money for each of their favorite charities. Together they raised $135,000 total for their charities. Raleigh rode for the National Kidney Foundation of Southeast Texas; Dennis rode for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; and Bobby rode for Caritas of Austin.

Each of the brothers, as well as mother Sandy (who was driving behind the boys with their supplies), updated the progress of their ride on their blog at www.goanteater.com/blog. Here is an excerpt from Raleigh’s blog.

Day 5: Raleigh’s Memoir
Friday, May 29, 2009
Hello from Snyder, Texas! Well day 5 is coming to a close and what a day! We started our day in Abilene, Texas. We got up at 5:20 a.m., did our exercises and stretching routine, had our smoothies and headed out on our ride.

The great thing is in the morning, there was almost no wind. So we had a blazing traveling speed of about 18 miles per hour, compared to yesterday’s 10 to 12 miles per hour. We were setting the world on fire. The roads were rougher but no wind, so we rode about 53 miles before lunch. Quite a morning.

We broke for lunch in Hermleigh, Texas, (bet you did not even know it existed). You would never have guessed it was a restaurant! It was a very small house with three old pick-up trucks parked outside. The only way we knew it was there is an old rancher we tracked down on the road said it was the closest place to eat. The ladies had named the restaurant “Burritos,” so you guessed it, they served five different burritos and a hamburger, we all had a hamburger. We were four of eight people there and every table was full (three tables).

First of all, if I saw the three of us in public I would have avoided us (the shorts and all) but we have met several folks that have just amazed us. Again at the restaurant, we met a couple who listened to our story, and as they were leaving (the man) offered to buy our lunch. We said, “no thank you,” but mom said if they wanted to make a donation to our charities we would appreciate it — and they did! This is the third time this has happened, and each time I would have thought the folks (offering their donations) would be the ones asking for a hand-out. My faith in people has been renewed.

We finished our day in Snyder, Texas, rode about 67 miles and it is 7:50 p.m. We are heading to Post, Texas, in the morning. I will touch base at the end of the day.

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What are your goals for your NPMA presidency? My hope is that people will realize the value and the opportunities that NPMA provides. I want to encourage new members to get involved and to help them become aware of all the services and the technical and business courses that are available to them as a member of this association. And to remind all of the members, that what they give to this association will come back to them 10-fold. As NPMA members, there are opportunities for all of us to contribute in some way that benefits each of us personally and professionally.

How do you convince people who are on the fence about joining NPMA, especially in light of today’s economic climate, that membership is a good investment? “It’s a bad year – I can’t afford to join NPMA” is along the same lines as thinking that “it’s a bad year so I’m going to hold back on spending any money on marketing.” More so, now than ever before, the economic climate is the best reason to join NPMA and I think it will be harder on those companies who don’t. There is a wealth of knowledge that can be learned from our members who have been in this industry for a long time. Their “tricks of the trade”  can help prevent members from making mistakes already made by others.  As a member, you won’t have to forge your own trail and you can follow the trails of others who have been successful and learn from what they’ve done. Of all times to get involved with NPMA, the best time is now.

Can you talk about your family’s involvement in NPMA and the pest management industry as a whole? I can remember my mom and dad attending NPMA conventions when I was really young. My dad always talked about how much he would learn from all of the sessions and I saw how he relied on the connections that he made over the years. As an adult, I knew that being a part of NPMA would be a given. I started attending conventions in 1983 and I think we’ve only missed one since then. My dad knew that this association was an important element to his success and so it was important that he gave back to the industry that had provided so much to him. My dad (Bob Jenkins) was president of NPMA from 1987 to 1988. Following in his footsteps, my older brother, Bobby, was president in 2002, and now I’m the third member of the Jenkins family to serve as president.  As a second-generation pest control operator, I couldn’t be more thrilled that my kids have become the third generation.  My oldest daughter, Tiffani, and her husband, Ben, have come into the family business, and my son, Dylan, and my other daughter, Vanessa, work at ABC when they can during the summers and school year. Then, of course, there’s my wife, Kim, who has always worked with me since we came to Houston back in ’86. As a family, and that’s including my brothers, we’ve supported this association and this industry for over 40 years because we believe in the value of NPMA — Legislative Day, Academy, conventions,  and let’s not forget the networking and friendships that are made. The pest management industry is the ideal family business and I know I am lucky to have the entire family involved. It’s allowed our businesses to blend into our families. For me, being in a family business is like a great tradition and the Jenkins family is big on tradition!

Your business is diverse. You don’t just offer pest control. How have your other service businesses — pool services, lawn services, etc. — helped your business overall? I look at ABC as a brand in my market — a brand the people in Houston have grown to trust. So with our brand, we’ve been able to spin off into other types of services. We are not a pest control business — we are a service business that sells pest control, pool and lawn (services) and that’s allowed us to capitalize on our relationship with the customer. It’s a win-win situation for both of us.

What advice would you give to a service professional who is just offering pest control but wants to look at adding a new service? The most important advice is to first get the process of “service” refined. But once you decide to add another service type to deliver to your customers, make sure you are knowledgeable in all aspects. Look for all the road blocks that are going to occur. For instance, we’re looking at going into air conditioning and heating but it won’t happen overnight. Before we introduce the new service to the customers, we need to have complete knowledge of the technical side.

So everything you’re talking about is a service. It doesn’t matter what service it is, it’s about taking care of the customers, is that right? Yes, that’s how I look at ABC. If you look at your pest control business — there is a customer service department, a sales department, an accounting department  — and all those aspects of your business  don’t care what type of service they are supporting. The most important thing is the brand that stands behind it. Understand that every service you perform can help or hurt your brand.

Have any of your service offerings hurt your brand? We went into pool construction and we turned over a lot of work to subcontractors. When we lost that control factor, it allowed them the opportunity to hurt our brand. When the other party doesn’t deliver what your company promised, it doesn’t affect them if it hurts you. If it’s ever necessary to release control of a service, I’d make sure that those who are delivering (on your behalf) understand your expectations and that they are as committed as you are.

You, your brothers and your mom (driving the supply vehicle) went on a 2,300-mile bike ride from Austin to Calgary this summer to raise money for charity (see related story, page 14) What did you get out of that ride? A sense of accomplishment. It was great bonding with my brothers and mom. I don’t know any other opportunity that we could have had that would put us together for 37 days, day in and day out, doing something that is as challenging as riding 70 miles (on average) every day. We had a close bond — one which I would have said couldn’t get any closer. But it did. It helped entrench things. I’m 48 years old and I was blessed with the opportunity to spend one-on-one time (literally!) with my two brothers, who I love dearly, and my mother, who I adore, as we dedicated ourselves to doing an adventure to cycle across the U.S. for a great cause. 

How were you able to leave your business for more than a month? This is a prime example of why this industry is so wonderful, because I don’t think I could have done it if I was in another. But there are several reasons why this bike trip could take place. The obvious is that I wouldn’t have done it without my brothers and Mom and that I had complete support from my family. The other factors were that all three of us were physically prepared and our businesses were financially positioned. But along with that, I couldn’t have left my business without having key people to totally entrust my business to. My vice president, Norm Nelms, who has been with me for 23 years, and Steve Martin, who is my general manager, were both willing to step up and take on my normal duties. They were the key and they did a fabulous job. I knew they could run the business, but I was surprised about how the entire company benefitted from me making this trip. There was a renewed
camaraderie and spirit within the office.  They all “bought in” to the sacrifice and effort that was being made to support the Kidney Foundation. It brought the office together as they supported me on a daily basis to finish the ride. They were doing everything in their power to raise money for the charity. It was their encouragement through the prayers, the e-mails, and the text messages that helped me through some pretty rough days. So my entire staff made it all possible for me to leave and to finish. So what does this mean to anyone else out there? Find a way to give back to your community and engage your staff to become involved as well.

What other thoughts do you want to pass along to PCT’s readers about your upcoming year as president of NPMA? My presidency of NPMA is during “a different time” than in recent years — economically speaking. Sponsors and members, and potential members, are all trying to budget themselves accordingly. But despite what it costs financially to be involved with NPMA, the benefits are so much more. This association has an incredible staff that works hard to provide the membership the opportunity to grow and to learn both personally and professionally. So, I just want to really encourage everyone to become actively involved. As a second-generation owner/operator, I’ve grown up with this association and I know that I’m fortunate to have been able to attend the annual conventions, the Academies, and Legislative Days. But I made it a priority. My hope is that everyone realizes the value of the people and the resources that are available to them through NPMA.

The author is editor of PCT magazine.