[Copesan Supplement] Networking Tops List of Copesan Benefits

Partners agree: Networking with peers tops their list of Copesan benefits.

“One of the original goals of Copesan is to make each of our Partner businesses better,” explained Tom McCloud, chairman emeritus of McCloud Services, an early Copesan Partner. “The active exchange of ideas is one of the strengths of Copesan.”

Sprague Pest Solutions President and CEO Alfie Treleven agreed. “Copesan gives us the opportunity to sit across the table from successful companies from throughout North America” and share best practices.

It’s given Assured Environments of New York City a road map to grow its business, affirmed CEO Andrew Klein. 

For Plunkett’s Pest Control President Stacy O’Reilly, talking with local competitors about operations, human resources, marketing and technology to improve business is impossible. “At Copesan, I have a partnership of companies in the same business to brainstorm with. And even though we sometimes overlap territories and compete, we share everything.” 

Partners can mirror successful programs, explained Wil-Kil General Manager Dale Bauerkemper. “You often don’t have to start from scratch to get a program off the ground. It’s a give and take situation.”

“Partners feel they can really learn and share ideas with some of the finest pest management professionals in the industry,” said Copesan President Deni Naumann. “You have a lot of opportunities for networking and learning from best-in-class organizations.”

“I’ve been involved with Copesan for a number of years and the networking opportunities and the resources that are available are endless,” said Billy Blasingame, Arrow Exterminators, Atlanta.

Copesan benefits include:

Copesan National Conference — Held in late January, the three-day event combines networking, client and business speaker presentations, Partner awards and Copesan’s vision for the coming year. The popular Vendor Expo features nearly 50 product manufacturers, distributors, equipment makers, and software and professional service providers. Break-out sessions of Copesan’s finance, sales, technical, marketing, education and operations committees share best practices.

RapidTrax™ — Copesan’s proprietary electronic data reporting system integrates hand-held technology and barcode scanning. Powered by PestPac and supported by Marathon Data, RapidTrax™ delivers accurate and timely information, so professionals and clients can increase the effectiveness of pest management solutions. Clients have online access to reports and data 24/7.

Copesan University — The online training environment offers programs for specific pests and account protocols, as well as customer service and office skills courses that can be customized for individual companies. Some courses are available to non-Partners through a partnership with PCT magazine.

“One of the great things that we have found with Copesan is the training for all of our salespeople and the training with Copesan University just goes beyond anything else that we’ve been able to capture and anything else that is available to us,” said Ed Bradbury, president, Viking Termite & Pest Control, Bridgewater, N.J.
 
Buying Power — Cooperative purchasing of service vehicles, phone service, promotional marketing materials and, soon, travel and office supplies such as thermal paper for in-field printers, saves Partners money. Alone, O’Reilly couldn’t get a fleet discount for 45 service trucks. As a Copesan shareholder Partner, she realizes a significant rebate. “That’s just tangible money that drops to the bottom line.”

International Support Center — Client satisfaction is the goal of the 70 corporate, administrative and customer service employees at Copesan’s state-of-the-art facility in Menomonee Falls, Wis. “The organization focuses on a national layer of account management to find solutions for clients and Partners,” Treleven explained. The central office also generates service orders, and handles billing.

PestSure Insurance Company — An early Copesan initiative, PestSure is a leading insurance provider offering cost-effective programs to the pest management industry. Copesan is a shareholder of the PestSure operating company.
 
CONCLUSION. “The biggest benefits, by far, have been the training, the various tools Copesan provides, and the opportunity to network and learn from other Copesan Partners,” said Emily Thomas, COO, Arrow Exterminators, Atlanta.

Copesan is an ideal fit for a company like Plunkett’s Pest Control, an early Partner of the organization. “My grandfather saw the opportunity when the organization was just being founded,” said O’Reilly. “Plunkett’s has been involved ever since and we’ve clearly benefited from Copesan every year since then.”