[Family Business Summit] All in the Family

The pest control industry, more than many others, is one built on family businesses. Companies are handed down from first- to second-generation owners, second to third, and on, and on. Running any business is difficult, but running it with your family can be even extra challenging.

To help companies navigate the often-complex world of family businesses, PCT magazine is hosting its first Family Business Summit, Nov. 14-16, in Atlanta. And while the conference will focus on the ins and outs of family enterprises, the speakers and topics covered will apply to anyone running a pest control company.

“The PCT Family Business Summit is a one-of-a-kind event designed to assist pest management professionals in growing their businesses,” said PCT Publisher Dan Moreland. “The speakers will be offering their insights about how family businesses can survive — and thrive — in a highly competitive business climate. And since so many of the keys to business success are universal in nature, even those PCOs not directly involved in family pest control businesses could benefit from attending the summit.”
 
FAMILY BUSINESS EXPERT. The seminar’s keynote address will be given by Ira Bryck, director of the UMass Amherst Family Business Center. Since founding the center in 1994, Bryck has worked with family-owned companies to make their businesses more organized, more professional and more successful.

Drawing on his 17 years at his family’s fourth-generation childrenswear business on Long Island, working in every position — from tailor to president — Bryck will provide conference attendees with a set of family business survival skills, designed to make sure companies can survive from generation to generation. He also will present a session entitled “Managing Complex Family Relationships.”

“It takes a knack to know that those are artificial barriers. If you work with your sibling, he’ll always be your sibling,” Bryck said. “How come that brother who always got the bigger allowance is now getting the bigger salary? Here’s how to have the discussion about where family ends and business begins — how to treat business as a business and family like a family.”

GENERATION GAP. Other speakers at the conference include Scott Stevenson, a third-generation PCO from Maine, who along with his father and two brothers operates Modern Pest Services, the largest family-owned pest control business in northern New England; Bob Dold, Jr., whose father, mother and grandfather served as presidents of the National Pest Management Association, and who will discuss tips for transitioning your business from one generation to the next; and Tony Massey, a second-generation PCO who will discuss Massey Services’ state-of-the-art quality assurance procedures and the important role they have played in the success of the firm.

Also scheduled to speak is Daniel Gordon, owner of PMP Wealthbuilders. He is a CPA with extensive experience in the pest management industry. He’s going to provide attendees with practical strategies for building their net worth in a session titled “Building Wealth in Your Family Business.”

Joey Harris, vice president of Cook’s Pest Control, has nearly two decades of pest control industry sales experience. He’ll discuss sales programs that have worked — and haven’t worked — for Cook’s Pest Control, focusing on developing a sales department, and specific sales programs to increase your company’s growth and profitability.

Chuck Russell, who operates Eradico Services with his younger brother, will discuss the important role add-on services can play in providing business opportunities for family members. In his case, Chuck Russell runs Eradico’s pest control operations, while his brother runs the company’s lawn care operation — a Weed Man franchise — providing each of them with the opportunity to make their mark on the business.

PCO PLANNING. The final day of the conference will be devoted to the topics of growth through acquisition and succession planning in family businesses. Pamela Jordan, president of Acquisition Strategies and a woman who owned her own family pest control business early in her career, will provide valuable insights about succession planning for pest control businesses.
Ryan Bradbury, a second-generation PCO from Viking Termite & Pest Control, only recently began purchasing pest control companies in his market area. He’ll talk about what he and his father and brother did to “ramp up’” their acquisition efforts, along with what they did right and what they did wrong in the process.

Thomas Wolf, an entrepreneurs’ coach and consultant, will provide his tips on jump-starting businesses. Wolf has an MBA from Temple University in Philadelphia, and has started a half dozen businesses.

BEST (LIFE) PRACTICES. But how do you separate your professional life and your family life when your professional life is your family life? All working people struggle to develop a healthier work/life balance, but it’s an even bigger problem for family run businesses. 

Randy Moser, president and CEO of TMMG, High Point, N.C., will provide practical advice and concepts for PCOs to improve the quality of both their professional and personal lives. Moser works as a consultant and life coach, and brings more than 15 years of pest control industry experience to his presentation.

“There’s a gap here between what the employer wants and what the employee needs. At the end of the day, your employer’s not accountable. You’re accountable,” Moser said. “You have to have parameters around (your life), clearly defined, because you end up becoming a workaholic, and that’s not good for yourself or your relationships.”

MULTIPLE MESSAGES. No matter if your business is all in the family or just feels like one, the PCT Family Business Seminar will provide valuable information for all PCOs.

“Family businesses have been the foundation of the pest management industry for many years, contributing to the growth and professionalism of the industry, but family businesses have their own unique challenges and opportunities,” Moreland said. “And while every family business is unique, even those not involved in family businesses could benefit from attending this conference.”

Family Business Summit speakers and schedule

Day 1 — Wednesday, November 14

12:00 p.m. — 6:30 p.m. 
Registration Open

1:30 p.m. — 1:45 p.m. 
Welcome Remarks/Summit Preview
Dan Moreland, PCT Magazine

1:45 p.m. — 3:15 p.m. 
Keynote Speech:
Family Business Survival Skills
Ira Bryck, Center for Family Business,
University of Massachusetts

3:15 p.m. — 3:45 p.m. 
Networking Break

3:45 p.m. — 4:30 p.m. 
Panel Discussion: The Pros and Cons of
Operating a Family Pest Control Business
Dan Moreland, PCT Magazine, Moderator

Surviving Sibling Rivalry
Chuck Russell, Eradico Services
 
Transitioning Tips 
Bob Dold, Jr., Rose Pest Solutions
  
4:30 p.m. — 5:00 p.m. 
Speaker Questions & Answers

5:00 p.m. — 6:00 p.m. 
Welcome Reception

Day 2 — Thursday, November 15

Human Resources & Business Issues

7:00 a.m. — 8:00 a.m.  
Registration/Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m. — 9:00 a.m. 
Managing Complex Family Relationships:
Conflict Resolution in Family Businesses
Ira Bryck, Center for Family Business,
University of Massachusetts

9:00 a.m. — 10:30 a.m. 
Interactive Session ­
Family Business Personality Dynamics:
Where Does Your Personality Fit?
Tom Wolf, Entrepreneur Coach & Consultant

10:30 a.m. — 11:00 a.m. 
Networking Break

11:00 a.m. — 11:45 a.m.
Successful Marketing Strategies for
Family-Owned Pest Control Businesses
Scott Stevenson, Modern Pest Services
  
11:45 a.m. — 12:30 p.m. 
Quality Assurance Programs:
The Key to Satisfied Customers 
Tony Massey, Massey Services

12:30 p.m. — 1:30 p.m. 
Group Lunch

Day 2 — Thursday, November 15 

Sales & Wealth Building Strategies

1:30 p.m. — 2:30 p.m.
Building Wealth in Your Family Business
Daniel Gordon, PMP Wealthbuilders
  
2:30 p.m. — 3:15 p.m.
Sell, Sell, Sell: Sales Programs That Work!
Joey Harris, Cook’s Pest Control

3:15 p.m. — 3:45 p.m.  
Networking Break

3:45 p.m. — 4:30 p.m.  
Add-On Services: Providing Additional
Opportunities for Family Members
Chuck Russell, Eradico Services
  
4:30 p.m. — 5:00 p.m.
Speaker Questions & Answers

5:00 p.m. — 6:00 p.m.
Reception

Day 3 — Friday, November 16

Succession Planning & Acquisitions

7:00 a.m. — 8:00 a.m.
Registration/Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m. — 9:00 a.m.
Succession Planning
Pamela Jordan, Acquisition Strategies

9:00 — 9:45 a.m.
Growth Through Acquisitions:
Trends & Tips
Dan Moreland, PCT Magazine

One Company’s Experience
Ryan Bradbury, Viking Termite & Pest Control
  
9:45 a.m. — 10:15 a.m.
Networking Break

10:15 a.m. — 11:30 a.m.
Nobody’s Winning:
The Battle for Work/Life Balance
Randy Moser, LifeZone
  
11:30 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.
Conference Wrap-Up
Dan Moreland, PCT Magazine