[December News]

Purdue University honors Charlie and Frankie Hromada

WEST LAFAYETTE, IND. — Charlie Hromada, Purdue BS’52, MS’54, has stared into the black-as-coal eyes of cancer three different times. And three times he has made cancer blink first.

Hromada (pronounced like the hotel chain) would be the first to admit that it wasn’t easy and it wasn’t cheap. Colon cancer kicked him around a bit in 1995, cost him two-thirds of his liver in 1997 and spread to a lung in 2001.

Somewhere between rounds two and three of the stare down with the highest stakes imaginable, Hromada’s eyes were opened to what he had only noticed peripherally during his phenomenal 45-year career to the very top of the pest control business.

The rest of his life.

"It was just a good time to leave," Hromada says of his gold watch day back in 1998, when friends and co-workers gathered in Memphis, Tenn., to say goodbye, good luck and thank you to the man who, as senior vice president, helped make Terminix a billion-dollar-a-year business with 500 offices in 44 states.

"My career was exciting," says Hromada. "It was a lot of fun for 45 years, seeing a company grow and knowing you had something to do with it."

Charlie and his wife of 49 years, Frankie, still live in Memphis, where Charlie occasionally consults to the pest control industry he knows so well.

But between spending time with their five grandchildren, maintaining a winter home in Florida, building a new, smaller home in Memphis and traveling the country, there is little time for consulting. The days are just too full.

And none, perhaps, more full than June 2, 2004, when his university got to offer its congratulations and say thank you in the Hromada Grand Foyer inside Pfendler Hall.

Yes, the Hromada Foyer.

How appropriate that the grand entryway in this sparkling trophy of a building is named after Charlie and Frankie Hromada. It’s directly above the research lab where Hromada toiled for two years, researching a procedure that would not only earn him a master’s degree in entomology but also launch him into a 45-year career with Terminix.

About the same time Hromada was earning his bachelor’s degree in forestry, the E.L. Bruce Co., a wood flooring manufacturer, looked to Purdue for help.

Some Bruce customers had found termites eating through their wood floors. The Bruce Co. called John Osmun for help.

Osmun, then head of Purdue’s entomology department, found Hromada on a recommendation from Eric Stark, a Purdue forestry professor. This was a pesticide application procedure that required someone with an understanding of wood.

"I guess I was just in the right place at the right time," Hromada admits.

For the next two years, Hromada spent many hours hunkered down in a lab in the basement of Pfendler (then Entomology) Hall, working on his master degree’s research project. Hromada injected chemical solutions into structural timbers to test their ability to penetrate wood and kill termites.

"Alumni like Charlie Hromada are wonderful role models for our current students," says Steve Yaninek, head of Purdue’s entomology department.

"Charlie’s success in the pest control industry is a testament to his ability to make the most of the opportunity provided by his training in entomology at Purdue."

With his research completed, Hromada headed for Memphis in 1954, seeking his fortune with Terminix, a subsidiary of the same E.L. Bruce Co. whose floorboards Hromada’s research had helped debug.

"Students studying entomology today have many of the same opportunities, and alumni like Charlie help show where those opportunities can lead," Yaninek adds.

Now, 50 years later, Charlie and Frankie were enjoying their own private Purdue Homecoming with a style and flair no football game could ever match.

During a tour Pfendler, Hromada looked at the squeaky-clean facility where once his lab had stood and wondered aloud where his life’s journey had taken him.

"When I was a student, we studied insects in a lab right over there," Hromada said, pointing over his shoulder. "Now they are studying DNA…It’s just amazing."

As she spoke, Frankie journeyed even further back and far into the future at the same time.

"Charlie’s dad came to this country from a small village (Tuzina) in Czechoslovakia when he was 16 years old," Frankie explained. "He had very little, aside from a dream of seeking his fortune in the new world.

"Charlie is an only child, there are no more Hromadas. I think it is very important that his name is carried on, that people won’t forget the Hromada name."

It’s a name now etched in bronze and in perpetuity on the wall of Pfendler Hall in West Lafayette.

Familiar company adopts new name

TROY, Mich. — One of the most familiar names in pest control — Rose Exterminator Co. — has a slightly new twist. Rose recently changed its name, dropping the familiar ‘Exterminator’ in favor of the more contemporary Rose Pest Solutions.

"We were probably a lot slower than others in the industry to adopt that sort of change, but one of the defining characteristics of this company is that its heritage dates back to 1860 and in some ways our name was an indicator of that heritage," said Russ Ives, president of Bio-Serv Corp (of which Rose Exterminator Co. is a division).

Ives said the change was made to better reflect the company’s progressive direction, noting that the old name was an identity that spoke to older generations and that the company was looking to forge an identity that spoke to younger generations and emerging markets.

"The name ‘Exterminator’ is somewhat outdated in regards to our customers’ expectations of us," Ives said. "They expect pests to be kept off their premises by any means, whether it be killing the pests or preventing them access. We wanted a description that more appropriately describes the value we provide."

Ives said that Rose has been considering a change for years and that the company began serious discussions and preparations during the past year. Ives said that Rose is gradually introducing the new name and that the company is making preparations to unveil its new logo. Items that will need to be updated with the new Rose Pest Solutions name and logo include letterhead, business cards, advertising, Web site, trucks, uniforms, invoices, service tickets and phone listings.

Bio-Serv Corporation also is evaluating the possibility of bringing other service operations, which operate under names left over from previous acquisitions, under the umbrella of the Rose Pest Solutions name. — Brad Harbison

Rodent seminar Web site up and running

CLEVELAND, OHIO — PCT’s Web site for next year’s series of Rodent Seminars, which feature Dr. Bobby Corrigan, is live. The site, www.rodentseminars.com, is fully functional with all the information — schedule, seminar description, online registration, etc. — PCOs need.

For additional information, or to register, call 800/456-0707.

Whitmire Micro-Gen announces Quarterly drawing winner

ST. LOUIS, MO. — In the September issue of Quarterly magazine, which was featured in PCT magazine, Whitmire Micro-Gen sponsored a promotion for pest management professionals to win a $250 American Express gift certificate. Pest management professionals visited the given Web address and completed a simple survey. Everyone who completed the survey was eligible for the drawing. Bill Bacon of Bill Bacon’s Termite & Pest Control in Glenarm, Ill., was the winner.

Be sure to watch for other upcoming promotions featured in Quarterly, which will be found in the January issue of PCT magazine. Whitmire Micro-Gen promotions are just another way for the company to say thank you to its many loyal customers, the firm says.

New Weed Man franchises in United States

Mississauga, Ontario — Turf Holdings Inc., the master franchiser of Weed Man in the United States, recently announced the sale of two new franchises. The company now has 79 American franchises and 13 sub-franchises.

One new franchise was sold to Lonnie and Jeff Todd in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The Knoxville, Tenn., franchise was sold to Brian and Jennifer Light and Dan and Debbie Myers.

For more information about Weed Man, visit www.weed-man.com.

24 states approve

Termidor EP/LIT label

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — BASF Professional Pest Control announced the state approval of EP/LIT directions-for-use for Termidor termiticide-insecticide in the key termite states of Florida, Kentucky and Arizona.

The directions-for-use — described by BASF as a PerimeterPLUS treatment — provide a new option for effective post-construction control of subterranean termites, with a labeled application that is significantly less invasive to the structure than a "conventional" post-construction liquid termiticide treatment, according to BASF. Termidor is the only liquid termiticide to receive U.S. EPA approval of EP/LIT directions-for-use.

With the addition to the aforementioned states, the Termidor PerimeterPLUS use-directions have been approved (as of press time) in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Washington.

Pest control professionals can begin using the new directions-for-use once the amended Termidor label is registered in each of their respective states, anticipated in time for the 2005 use season.

As states continue to approve the amended Termidor label, BASF will shift its focus to training current and new Termidor customers on the PerimeterPLUS directions-for-use. "Ensuring that pest control professionals are educated on the details and complexities of the PerimeterPLUS directions-for-use is the best way we can guarantee its future effectiveness and viability," said Karl J. Kisner, senior marketing manager, BASF Professional Pest Control.

Supplementing BASF’s face-to-face regional training efforts, online PerimeterPLUS training will also be available Jan. 1 at www.PestControlFacts.com. PerimeterPLUS training is required for all Termidor Partners, and must be completed by May 31.

PerimeterPLUS directions-for-use require an exterior perimeter application plus localized interior applications to areas with known termite activity. For accessible crawl space constructions, pest control professionals must also treat around all piers and pipes inside the crawl, regardless if termites are present or not.

The new Termidor label includes both conventional and PerimeterPLUS use-directions.

Expanded Bora-Care label for non-wood areas granted EPA registration

ROCKFORD, TENN. — Nisus Corporation recently announced that following specific efforts with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and regulators from other states, Bora-Care is now registered for use on some non-wood areas, including concrete.

Louisiana State University conducted successful research and testing of Nisus’ Bora-Care product on non-wood materials, and Nisus has gained the Environmental Protection Agency’s registration for a revised Bora-Care label that includes treatment of some of these materials, including concrete.

The extended label will allow Bora-Care new construction applicators to not only spray the wood, but also to treat the inside of foundation walls in crawl space construction 2 feet up from the ground and 2 to 8 inches in from the base plate on slab construction. The new label also requires treatment of expansion joints, bath traps and plumbing penetrations.

Bora-Care new construction treatments have, for more than five years, effectively eliminated access to subterranean termites, and this new label is expected to enhance the performance still further, the company says. These new applications are also registered for post-construction and remedial treatments for active subterranean termite infestations.

Revised labels will be issued as the labels are approved in each state.

For more information, contact Nisus at 800/264-0870 or visit www.nisuscorp.com.

Wellmark targets end-of-season mosquitoes

PHOENIX — Wellmark International, makers of PreStrike mosquito larvicide for homeowners, recently visited Maricopa County, Ariz., to provide end-of-season mosquito control. The area emerged this year as an epicenter of West Nile outbreaks with nearly 400 cases. Representatives from Wellmark rode along with members of the Phoenix Association of Realtors in their efforts to identify "green pools," which are neglected swimming pools where mosquitoes are breeding, and donated PreStrike larvicide to Maricopa County for their abatement efforts.

"Even though (warmer weather) is cooling down, families and individuals shouldn’t let their guard down. Phoenix and many other areas of the country still are experiencing conditions for mosquitoes to breed and hatch," said Mark Newberg, Wellmark director of corporate affairs. "The end of the season is particularly important in controlling mosquitoes because those that linger can go into hibernation or overwinter, harboring disease for next year. Wellmark has the opportunity to do something about it."

In a unique partnership, Realtors in Phoenix have been working with the Maricopa County Vector Control office to identify and report those "green pools" so they can be treated with larvicide. The abandoned or neglected swimming pools are one of the main sources of standing water and mosquito breeding grounds in the area — an otherwise dry environment. Acknowledging that effort, Wellmark went home to home with representatives from the Realtors to see the work first hand. Wellmark also donated nearly 10 cases of PreStrike larvicide to the County to aid in their abatement and outreach efforts.

"We wanted to do what we could in Phoenix, where West Nile virus struck with little warning this year," Newberg said. "PreStrike larvicide kills mosquitoes in the larval stage before they grow into breeding, biting, disease-spreading adult mosquitoes. Using the larvicide in Phoenix can help prevent the same thing from happening again next year."

International Fumigants & Pheromones Conference to be held in March

Indianapolis — The 7th International Fumigants & Pheromones Conference and Workshop will be held March 8-10, in Monterrey, Mexico, and feature simultaneous translation in Spanish and English. Speakers from throughout the world will discuss new techniques in protecting stored grain, food-processing facilities, tobacco, timber, new requirements for quarantine and pre-shipment, ships and the most current alternatives to methyl bromide. The theme for this meeting is "Real Solutions for Real Pests."

The conference will be held at the Radisson Plaza Gran Hotel Ancira & Conference Hall in downtown Monterrey. The workshop will feature a demonstration on various techniques of grain fumigation, inspection, new gas monitoring equipment, pest control products, insect resistance screening, and methyl bromide alternatives. This international conference is organized by Insects Limited of Indianapolis and Pheromone Service & Supply of Monterrey.

For more information and details about the stored product protection conference and workshop, go to www.insectslimited.com, or contact Barb Bass at barblbass@aol.com or at 317/896-9300.

In addition, a series of continuing education seminars will be organized by Insects Limited. These continuing education seminars will discuss new techniques in protecting stored grain, food-processing facilities, flour mills, wood, and the most current alternatives to methyl bromide. Methyl bromide replacements will be evaluated at these seminars.

The dates for these one-day skill building workshops are:

• Jan. 18, Kansas City, Mo.

• Jan. 20, Chicago, Ill.

• Jan. 25, 26, 27, Indianapolis

• Feb. 9, Memphis, Tenn.

• Feb. 16, Columbus, Ohio

• July 22, Western Kentucky

To register or receive more information about either of these conferences, visit www.insectslimited.com or contact insects ltd@aol.com or 800/992-1991.