[News]

Changes at EcoSMART

Alpharetta, Ga. — EcoSMART Technologies has hired Dr. Harlan Feese as technical director for the Commercial Division following a brief consulting assignment with the company. Feese brings to EcoSMART more than 25 years experience in the pesticide industry, and recently served as vice president, technical services, at Orkin Pest Control.

In conjunction with the hiring of Feese, EcoSMART has opened a support office in Alpharetta, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta. "The Atlanta location will be our sales support, technical support and customer support office for the Commercial Division," says Steve Bessette, president of EcoSMART. "David Murphy, Harlan Feese and Judy Hight will be working together in Atlanta, while the main office and laboratory will remain in Nashville."

J.C. Ehrlich acquires York, Pa.-based The Exterminators

READING, Pa. — Ehrlich Termite and Pest Control Company has entered an agreement to purchase York, Pa.-based The Exterminators, Inc.

The Exterminators was founded in 1982 by Gerald Held, who is retiring from the pest control industry. Ehrlich was founded in 1928 and currently offers residential and commercial pest control, termite control, bird control, bioremediation and vegetation management services.

All of The Exterminators’ technicians will be retained by Ehrlich as coworkers at the company’s York offices, J.C. Ehrlich officials said.

Termiticide scientific review panel announced

Washington, D.C. — In cooperation with the National Pest Management Association and the Association of Structural Pest Control Regulatory Officials (ASPCRO), RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment) announces the creation of the Termiticide Scientific Review Panel (TSRP) for the purpose of reviewing proposals from prospective registrants for termite control products using new technologies that do not fall within current guidelines established by EPA. The panel is now accepting applications from registrants for review.

The panel will make recommendations to registrants regarding suggested testing protocols, efficacy requirements and other registration and performance requirements. The goal of the panel is to provide registrants with guidance that likely will strengthen acceptance of the registration package at EPA and state pesticide regulatory agencies.

"We are excited to provide this opportunity to companies in an effort to increase the chances that their product will pass the EPA’s testing," Allen James, RISE president said. "This panel is a welcome resource within our industry."

Bob Rosenberg, NPMA’s vice president of government affairs, said, "The real winners are the American public, who can purchase pest control services knowing that the products that are being used will protect their most valuable investment…their home."

Qualified scientists, selected by a cooperative effort of ASPCRO, RISE and NPMA, will compose the panel. They all are internationally recognized experts in the field of termite control and biology. ASPCRO, RISE, and NPMA recommended and selected members of the panel and conducted an orientation meeting with panel members. The members of the panel are Dr. Brian Forschler, Chair, University of Georgia; Dr. Brad Kard, Oklahoma State University; Dr. Faith Oi, University of Florida; Dr. Susan Jones, The Ohio State University; and Dr. Barbara Thorne, University of Maryland.

The findings and recommendations of the committee will be provided to the registrant who will submit these results to EPA with the registration package.

Olathe, Kan. — The Industrial Fumigant Company (IFC) has been designated the primary distributor and marketer of the TurboCide and TurboCide GOLD product lines in an arrangement announced by McLaughlin Gormley King Company.

TurboCide is an industrial aerosol of 0.5% synergized pyrethrin in a high-pressure CO2 cylinder. TurboCide GOLD is a 4.03% ready-to-use synergized pyrethrin product that is custom packed for industrial customers and dispensed as an aerosol through a patented CO2 aspiration system. Carbon dioxide delivery systems produce aerosols with excellent hang times, and without the petroleum odor or flammability potential of some other space treatments.

IFC, based in Olathe, Kan., specializes in providing comprehensive pest management products and services for the food and commodity industries throughout the United States and Mexico. IFC has been a major distributor of TurboCide products for many years and offers a unique ability to support the business in the future. Customers can look forward to support from IFC food industry specialists to properly integrate fogging in their sanitation and integrated pest management programs.

Chem-Tech, Ltd., Des Moines, Iowa, will be assuming the roles of formulating, packaging, registration and cylinder fleet management for the TurboCide and TurboCide GOLD product lines. Chem-Tech, Ltd. is a leading formulator of a full range of products for the agricultural, industrial and private label markets. IFC and Chem-Tech have had a long history of cooperation on product development and marketing, including other CO2-based formulations of pyrethrin and Vapona, which will complement the TurboCide line.

McLaughlin Gormley King Company, Golden Valley, Minn., acquired the TurboCide pest control system in May 2004.

U.S. pesticide demand to exceed $8 billion in 2008

CLEVELAND — After several years of fairly substantial market value declines, U.S. demand for pesticide active ingredients is projected to rebound, growing 1.3 percent per year to $8.1 billion in 2008, according to a new study from The Freedonia Group. Gains will be prompted by modest volume growth in all three market segments — agriculture, commercial and consumer. Moreover, industry analyst Mike Richardson expects that the pricing climate, which had been especially difficult in recent years due to patent expirations and overall market maturity, will improve slightly. Growth will also be boosted by rising use of biopesticides and reduced risk conventional pesticides.

Biopesticides are expected to register the fastest growth of any product type, due to new biopesticide active ingredient introductions, and the greater use of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and similar products. Richardson predicts, "Gains will be based on the market penetration of new products, and supported by growing user acceptance of alternatives to traditional pesticide products, coupled with efforts to reduce the use of organophosphate insecticides and other products considered to be environmental threats."

Herbicides will remain the dominant product type, accounting for about 60 percent of the market in both volume and value terms. However, projected growth for herbicides will be only one percent per year, due in part to pricing constraints for the off-patent products that lead the market, such as atrazine, glyphosate and 2,4-D. Insecticides and fungicides are expected to register comparable growth, although insecticide volume in the large agricultural market is expected to decline, due to wider use of Bt and transgenic seeds that are more resistant to pests. Among insecticides, the best growth prospects will be for products that can replace organophosphates.

The consumer market is expected to register the fastest growth through 2008, with gains fueled by a shift in the product mix favoring ready-to-use products. Opportunities will also arise from continued growth in vegetable and flower gardening, and from products that require minimal handling. Agriculture will remain the largest market, accounting for nearly two-thirds of value demand and more than three-quarters of volume demand. The mature U.S. agriculture market will not expand dramatically, as total planted acreage remains virtually constant.

These and other trends are presented in Pesticides, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industrial market research firm.

Syngenta creates regional rodent research initiative

Greensboro, N.C. — Syngenta Professional Products announces it has provided support to develop a regional Rodent Research Initiative (RRI). The effort that began with rodent research by Bobby Corrigan and RMC Pest Management, Inc., now moves to independent research supported by Syngenta, and conducted by some of the industry’s leading pest management professionals.

The RRI began with research on the basics of rodent control, including results recently published by Corrigan. The Syngenta initiative will now focus on uncovering best practices while providing pest management professionals with technical information to support current rodent control techniques. Syngenta hopes the RRI data will help pest management professionals increase their profitability and build their businesses by using scientifically based rodent control practices. The RRI is the newest component of the Syngenta SecureChoice Innovative Technologies and Business Solutions.

"As a leading manufacturer of rodenticides like Talon-G and WeatherBlok XT, and the Multiplex Station, Syngenta is pleased that our leading position in the rodent control market allows us to create and maintain this unique research opportunity," said Dale Kaukeinen, senior technical representative for Syngenta Professional Pest Management. "We’re excited to offer this valuable information to the marketplace. We are confident the RRI will uncover new findings of general application to the improvement of rodent control."

The RRI plans to release further rodent research data to the industry as it becomes available.

ALCA and PLCAA announce intent to merge

MARIETTA, GA. — After three years of discussions, the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) and the Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA) announced they will consolidate into a new green industry association effective Jan. 1, 2005, pending ratification by their memberships.

Final details on the new association are still being developed, including a new governing body comprising ALCA and PLCAA leaders, unified membership and personnel, and a name for the new organization.

"At the May board meeting, the PLCAA board agreed to sign a letter of intent to dissolve both associations and create a new association under a new name that will better represent the needs of our members and the needs of the industry," wrote PLCAA President Jim Campanella in a letter addressed to PLCAA members.

Campanella adds in his letter that further consolidations by other associations will likely lead to declining membership and activity for independent organizations. "For our association and members this is great forward motion," Campanella added. "More importantly, we will strengthen our voice on key issues that are important to you by adding over 2,900 members to our ranks."

Syngenta receives California registration for Impasse Termite Blocker

Greensboro, N.C. — The California Department of Agriculture issued registration for Impasse Termite Blocker. With this registration, Syngenta may now offer Impasse Termite Blocker for commercial sale in California.

Impasse Termite Blockers protect utility penetrations and bath trap areas from termite invasion, and are ideal for residential construction, according to the manufacturer. Termites often use gaps along pipes in the slab foundation as highways into a home, but Impasse Termite Blocker seals long-term protection right into the foundation, ensuring defense at these common entry points.

In other news at Syngenta regarding Impasse Termite Blocker, the company has relaunched the Impasse Termite Blocker Web site, www.impasse.com, as an informative resource for builders, homebuyers and pest management professionals.

Impasse.com has a new look, offering more graphics and images, as well as innovative new functions and a wealth of termite-focused information. The new site puts Impasse Termite Blocker product information, high-resolution images, general termite facts and pest management and construction industry links at the user’s fingertips. In addition, the Web site makes it easy for consumers to search for a local pest management professional by zip code.

For more information visit the new Web site at www.impasse.com.

Liphatech unveils Spanish MSDS and Labels

MILWAUKEE — Liphatech has introduced Spanish versions of its MSDS and labels to make it easier for Spanish-speaking PCOs to safely and effectively service their accounts.

Al Smith, director, marketing and business development, said Liphatech’s Spanish MSDS and labels have been specifically developed to proactively meet the needs of the growing PCO Spanish population in the United States and elsewhere.

MSDS and product labels provide information on ingredients, first aid, storage and handling, and physical and chemical properties, among others. The EPA requires that all PCOs have this information on hand and readily available.

Liphatech’s MSDS and labels are available for download at www.rodent-control.com.

PestWest launches

gasoline card promotion

Bradenton, Fla. — Through Aug. 31, 2004, PCOs will receive a $10 prepaid gasoline card or national retail gift card for every $200 worth of PestWest products purchased. For more information call1-886-IPM-PEST or visit PCT Online’s Product Promotions at www.pctonline.com/promos.

Nofireants.com goes live

MONTVALE, N.J. — Bayer ES recently launched www.nofireants.com, a new consumer Web destination showcasing TopChoice, Bayer’s professionally-applied fire ant control product. The Web site provides homeowners with information on all aspects of fire ant control, including fire ant biology and identification, research and trial data for TopChoice, how TopChoice works, as well as testimonials from both homeowners and professionals who have experience with the product. Homeowners can also find Bayer-certified TopChoice professionals in their neighborhoods via an online search tool.

"We feel that an important step in growing the fire ant control market is to educate homeowners," says Bryan Gooch, business manager, insecticides, Bayer Environmental Science. "Our new Web site allows us to provide the specifics about fire ant control that today’s savvy consumers demand."

Fire ants, which currently infest more than 325 million acres across the southern U.S., pose a serious and growing public health threat — injuring more than 20 million people each year with their stings. They currently infest Arkansas, Alabama, California, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas (and Puerto Rico). They are moving northward and westward into Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri and Virginia.

The Web site is another example of how Bayer is providing value-added marketing support to the pest control industry, according to Gooch.