[January News]

Industry colleagues honor Phillip ‘Doc’ Nichols at luncheon

WINTER PARK, Fla. – Phillip “Doc” Nichols is a beloved figure in the pest management industry. He is so highly regarded, in fact, that a group of his longtime industry colleagues recently hosted a luncheon in his honor at Ruth’s Chris steakhouse in Winter Park, Fla., where they took time out of their busy schedules to let him know how much he means to them, as well as acknowledge his numerous contributions to the pest management industry.

The luncheon, attended by nearly 50 family members, friends and colleagues, was sponsored by BASF, DuPont Professional Products, RJM Contracting and NPD Products Ltd.

“There are a handful of people in every industry who have earned the right to be called an industry icon and Phil ‘Doc’ Nichols is one of those people,” said Michael Howe, president of NPD Products, Ontario, Canada. “Professionally, he’s worked tirelessly on behalf of the industry, and personally he’s been extremely generous to me. He’s been a very good friend.”

“Doc is such a great guy,” added Ray Meyers, president of RJM Contracting, Lake Mary, Fla. “He won’t draw any attention to himself, so his friends had to do it for him and thank him for his years of hard work, industry dedication and perhaps most of all, his friendship.”

The luncheon was a complete surprise to Nichols, who had no idea he was being honored. In fact, he thought it was just another day at the office — or perhaps more accurately in the field — for the veteran technical director. Here’s how the “top secret” event took place. Nichols received a call from Bob Hickman, BASF market development specialist, who told Nichols he wanted him to check out the results of a field trial in the Orlando area, but he would have to sign a confidentiality agreement before proceeding. Nichols agreed, but en route to the field site they passed a Ruth’s Chris steakhouse in Winter Park, Fla., prompting Hickman to say, “I heard on the Sean Hannity radio show that if on the last day of the month you walk into a Ruth’s Chris restaurant and tell the maitre d’, ‘I’m a great American,’ you’ll get a $50 gift certificate for your next visit. Do you want to stop?” Never one to pass up a good deal, Nichols agreed and entered the restaurant with Hickman, where he was led to where “they keep the gift certificates” and greeted with applause and cheers by the assembled group of family, friends and industry colleagues.

Upon entering the room and listening to the kind words said about him, Nichols said he had no idea something was afoot. “You did a great job of sneaking around,” he said.

Among those colleagues in attendance were former PCT Professional of the Year Chuck Steinmetz; Dr. Claude Thomas of B&G Equipment Co.; Dr. Clay Scherer of DuPont Professional Products; Joe Hughes of BASF; Bruce Ryser of FMC Professional Solutions; and PCO Jim Maurer, to name a few.

Chuck Steinmetz, Nichols’ former boss at All America Termite & Pest Control, Orlando, Fla., was particularly complimentary of Nichols. Although they didn’t always agree on everything, Steinmetz said, they had a mutually respectful business relationship. “I’ve always enjoyed a wonderful relationship with Doc,” he said. “He’s unique because he knows how to add the technical expertise to a business plan. That’s why we worked so well together.”

In closing, Steinmetz turned to Nichols and said, “You’re really a worthy person. You’ve never done anything you had to be ashamed of. I’m proud of you and what you’ve accomplished.”

Greg Clendenin, former president at Middleton Lawn & Pest Control, Orlando, Fla., was unable to attend the luncheon due to a family illness, but sent an e-mail to Nichols that was read at the event. “During the greatest of the glory days of Middleton, Doc was a great right-hand man,” he wrote. “Doc always represented us well and in the most professional way,” describing Nichols as a “great family man and a great American.”

“Doc has meant so much to the industry and to our company,” said B&G Equipment Co.’s Claude Thomas. “He looks at things from a different perspective. It’s always been invaluable working with Doc.”

Also in attendance was Nichols’ wife of 32 years, Mary, whom he met while attending graduate school at Mississippi State University, as well as his parents, Ben and Christine. His son, Christopher, and his wife, Stephanie, also attended the luncheon, as did his infant grandsons, Quin and Ian, and his sister Tina Goolsby and her husband, Jay.

Following all of the tributes from his colleagues and hugs from his family, Nichols, who had been diagnosed with cancer earlier in the year and has responded well to treatment, said, “I’m going to cherish this moment forever. It has been a heckuva ride. I’ve really enjoyed (my career) and I’m going to keep on doing it.” — Dan Moreland

Residex recognizes leaders with Great American Awards

CRANFORD, N.J. — In light of the negative image that American CEOs receive from the media and the impression given to the general public that CEO is synonymous with greed and evil, Residex created the American Citizenship Award. This award recognizes great American CEOs and extraordinary citizens related to the pest management industry who have shown a selfless compassion to serve the common good of citizens in need both at home and abroad.

Residex recognizes these great Americans with a statue of President Abraham Lincoln. The company also makes a donation in the name of each award recipient to their favorite charity.

This year’s recipients include:

• Steve Certa, Watch-All Services, Weymouth, Mass., for his dedication to raising funds for leukemia and lymphoma reearch. He also supports the Weymouth Food Pantry, Arc of the South Shore (advocacy for children and adults with mental retardation), Dianna DeVanna Center (prevention of child abuse) and Father Bill’s (homeless shelter).
• Phillip Cooper, Cooper Pest Solutions, Lawrenceville, N.J., for his support of those with multiple sclerosis.
• Roland Rhodes, Rhodes Chemical Co., Kansas City, Mo. The Rhodes family supports the American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, Salvation Army and Harvesters Community Food Network. 
• Lon Records, Target Specialty Products, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., for his contributions of time, service and fund raising to erase cancer from people’s lives.
• Tom Wright, B&G Chemicals & Equipment, Dallas, for his investment in mentoring young people in his community, and providing support to AIDS victims and orphans in India.
• Susan Brown, a Maryland nurse, for donating her liver to her brother and Residex employee Ken Kosiorek at great risk and potential peril to herself. Brown received a statue of Florence Nightingale.

Witt Pest Management patriarch remembered

PITTSBURGH — Albert Witt, who operated Pittsburgh’s oldest pest control company, died in November. He was 93.

Witt helped run Witt Pest Management, a company founded by his father, Harry L. Witt, in 1908. Albert’s son Tom and his grandson Adam now run the company, which celebrated its centennial in 2008.

“There’s no question,” Tom Witt said, “him making it that long and living to that anniversary was very important to him.”

Witt, who lived in Boca Raton, Fla., never officially retired from the company his father started, and kept an office at the Pittsburgh headquarters.

“He kept in touch, never retired and stayed involved in the business,” Tom Witt said. “He was my mentor, he was my confidant, he was my father, but most of all, he was my friend.”

Albert Witt had suffered from health problems, including several cancers and a major stroke 22 years ago that left him completely paralyzed on his right side. But he came back to work, continued to play golf and taught himself to write with his left hand.

Witt Pest Management grew out of the door-to-door sales efforts of Harry Witt in the early 1900s. He formulated his own roach powder — branded “Witt’s Tested” — and started applying it at accounts in Pittsburgh. 

That business eventually grew into three companies covering western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio and northern West Virginia: Witt Pest Management; WatchGard Systems, which serves the food safety and sanitation industries; and DynaTech, a commercial contract cleaning business.

“Our company really has developed a lot through my father’s efforts in the past,” said Tom Witt, president of all three companies.

“It all comes back to here and the family business,” said Adam Witt, vice president and general manager of Witt Pest Management. “We were a very close knit family. We cared very much for each other.” 

Albert Witt served as a 1st lieutenant in the Army in World War II, and was a member of Temple Sinai Congregation, the National Pest Management Association and the International Sanitary Supply Association. He also was one of five founders of Pro-Link, a national janitorial supply organization established in 1984, with more than 70 members and more than 100 distribution points throughout the United States.

Survivors include his daughter, Wendy Goldberg, of Boca Raton, and his son, Tom Witt (Shelda), of Pittsburgh; a sister, Miriam Schoen, of Boca Raton; four grandchildren, Josh Roberts (Katey), Jamie Samrick Hecht (Darin), Adam Witt, and Anney Witt; and three great grandchildren.

Contributions may be made to Hospice of Palm Beach County, 5300 East Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33407 or a charity of the donor’s choice. — Chuck Bowen

Optigard Flex from Syngenta receives California registration

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Syngenta’s Optigard Flex Liquid insecticide has received California state registration. Optigard Flex, introduced nationally in August 2008, is a non-repellent, general pest product that allows indoor and outdoor application as a liquid or foam, with no limitations on application timing.

With its flexible label, Optigard Flex can be applied both indoors and outdoors, as a spray, foam or mist. And there is no restriction on when the product can be re-applied, the company said. Optigard Flex is labeled for a broad spectrum of ants and other nuisance arthropod pests including cockroaches. It uses the same active ingredient, thiamethoxam, as Optigard Ant Gel Bait.

Truly Nolen sells Canadian franchise rights to Weed Man

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — Truly Nolen has sold the Canadian franchise rights to its pest control services to Weed Man. The agreement has resulted in the creation of TN Pest Control, based in Mississauga, Ontario, the master franchise holder for Truly Nolen in Canada.

As such, TN Pest Control holds the exclusive rights to operate Truly Nolen in Canada and to sell additional franchises throughout the country. The agreement marks the first time the Truly Nolen brand will be marketed in Canada.
Mike Kernaghan, a co-owner and president of TN Pest Control, said the partnership was ideal. “This is really an exciting relationship because we’re both private companies, we’re both similar in nature with our culture, our spirit,” he said. “We’re really excited about working together and the synergies that we can bring.”

According to Kernaghan, TN Pest Control will award franchises to both existing and new pest control businesses as well as to lawn and landscape businesses throughout Canada that are a good fit with the Truly Nolen brand. He said the franchise will focus on residential structural pest control and light commercial work. “We believe the time is right,” Kernaghan said. “There is an increasing awareness of the need for structural pest control for residential homeowners.”

Kernaghan explained that TN Pest Control will support and grow the Truly Nolen brand in Canada through marketing and advertising. “We’re going to be branding and introducing the Truly Nolen system to Canada under the supervision of Truly Nolen of America Inc.,” he said. The first Canadian Truly Nolen franchise, located in central Ontario, is expected to be announced within the next few months.

Kernaghan and his business partner, Des Rice, the founder of Mississauga-based Weed Man, have been in the franchising business for close to 40 years. Weed Man now has 340 franchises in North America and more than 300,000 Canadian customers, Kernaghan said. — Lisa McKenna

Industry mourns the loss of DuPont’s Curtis Orrben

WILMINGTON, Del. — Curtis Orrben, whose industry career spanned 25 years, passed away Nov. 28 after a battle with cancer.

Orrben’s diversified car-eer in the industry included positions on the distribution side of the business as well as leading industry chemical manufacturers. As one of the first employees of the DuPont Professional Products business, Orrben is credited with having a major role in building the business from the ground up. He spent the last five years at DuPont leading a team of sales representatives, meeting the needs of professional and consumer customers and exceeding corporate goals. Orrben was highly regarded by his colleagues, his customers and his peers and was the recipient of numerous awards.

“Curtis will be remembered for his many professional contributions, but in particular, for his strong values and ethics, his vast friendships throughout the industry and his warmth and upbeat personality,” said Mike McDermott, global business leader for DuPont Professional Products. “For the many years I have known Curtis, including time prior to DuPont, he always provided unwavering support to his colleagues, always went the extra mile to get a job done and always knew just what to say to make people laugh. He will be greatly missed by us and many, many other personal and professional friends.”

Orrben touched the lives of many throughout the industry. He was active on the membership committee of Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment (RISE), and a member of the Environmental Institute for Golf, the National Pest Management Association and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.

Orrben is survived by his wife, Brenda; his sons, Nick and Oliver; and his daughter, Gina.

FAOPMA meeting a truly international affair

Editor’s note: Robert Kunst, president of Fischer Environmental Services, Mandeville, La., provided PCT with the following recap of the The Federation of Asian and Oceanic Pest Management Associations (FAOPMA) annual convention.

TOKYO — The Federation of Asian and Oceanic Pest Management Associations (FAOPMA) held its annual convention in Tokyo in November.
FAOPMA is an association made up of member countries, not individuals, and as such represents a large segment of the world’s population and pest management firms.

Representatives from China, Hong Kong, Japan, India, Korea, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Israel, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Republic, Qatar, Pakistan, Thailand, Australia, Israel and New Zealand were present with 670 registered pest management firms participating. Katayama Junichiro, president of FAOPMA  said, “Our convention proved to be more successful then we expected and we are very happy at the large turnout for our educational sessions. We had 17 wonderful speakers and attendance was high at all of our sessions.”

A large contingent of speakers from the United States made up more than 35 percent of all the presentations given. Rob Lederer, executive vice president of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), spoke on “The Pest Management Industry and our Challenges for the 21st Century.” Nick Hamon, technical director for Bayer Environmental Science, spoke on “Protecting Human Health Through Pest Management.” Robert Kunst, president of Fischer Environmental Services, spoke on “Pest Management for Hospitals and Ancillary Care Facilities.” Norman Cooper, CEO, Cooper and Associates, spoke on “Business Acquisitions and Selling Strategies.” Judy Dold, of Rose Pest Solutions, spoke on “Change in the Pest Control Industry.”  Michel Maheu, general manager of Maheu and Maheu, spoke on “Eco-Friendly Pest Management.” Naresh Duggal, Santa Clara County (Calif.) IPM manager, spoke on “Structural Integrated Pest Management,” and rounded out a contingent of North American speakers.

Of special interest, long-time NPMA member and attendee Motokazu Hirao was summoned to a personal audience with the Emperor of Japan, where he received the English equivalent of knighthood for his work in the pest management industry, which has benefited the people of Japan in numerous ways. This is a very rare event; only about 30 such audiences have been given in the life of the emperor.

To complement the educational program, a cultural program also was included, complete with sightseeing throughout Japan. The 22nd convention will be held in Beijing in November. For further information about next year’s program go to www.cpca.cn.

Additional winners from PestWorld 2008 announced

WASHINGTON — Several more winners of PestWorld 2008 promotions — from both the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and industry manufacturers  — were recently announced.

Brent Boles, president of Schendel Services, Topeka, Kan., won a Bose home theater system from Syngenta Professional Products in a booth drawing following the trade show and convention. The Syngenta booth hosted a horror movie theme at this year’s show and the grand prize allowed one visitor to take home a piece of the action.

Therma-Stor Products, maker of the Santa Fe and Ultra-Aire brands of high-efficiency dehumidifiers, hosted an ongoing card game during  PestWorld 2008. Dennis Griffin, president of Griffin Exterminating, Goldsboro, N.C., won a free Santa Fe Compact high-efficiency, dehumidifier with a full house. '

Mike Rottler, president of Rottler Pest & Lawn Solutions, St. Louis, and a past president of NPMA, won a smart car from the Pest Management Foundation.

Comings and Goings

Kness Manufacturing Co. has hired a new sales representative to cover the Northeastern United States. George Frank, an independent sales rep with a long history in the pest management industry, signed on with the Iowa-based rodent trap company in November.

Allen and Lynn Hoffer, owners of Al Hoffer’s Pest Protection, recently announced that Eric Hoffer would assume the role of president, replacing Allen Hoffer.

Allen Hoffer will remain with the company, working primarily in public relations, marketing and customer relations.

PCO News

Curtis Jones,  National Exterminating, Newport News, Va., is setting new individual performance records in sales.Jones has sold more than $670,000 in new business as of November 2008.

Mel Whitson is the 2008 recipient of the “Salesperson of the Year” Award for the Zoecon Professional Products Division. He is the regional manager for Florida, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, and is responsible for Central Life Sciences’ vector, professional pest management and wastewater markets.

Falcon Termite & Pest Control, Orlando, Fla., provided pest control for the Toys for Tots of Central Florida so the group’s toy drive could operate pest free. The company has donated its services to the organization for two years in a row.

Julie Ramirez, managing partner of Forsyth Exterminating, Dawsonville, Ga., was awarded the 2008 Professional Women in Pest Management Scholarship.
Massey Services, Orlando, Fla., has been recognized as “Employer of the Year” by the National Corporate Hispanic Achievers.