[Online Extra] Life in Mobile Getting Better Each Day

With many businesses still closed and “houses we serviced which don’t exist,” Cook’s Pest Control is still assessing business losses associated with Hurricane Katrina; the company has one technician who lost everything, others who lost their vehicles or have flooded homes, and still more with muscle or back injuries from working to prevent or deal with damage before or after the hurricane. But through it all, the company is keeping its focus on the positive and moving forward with teamwork and optimism. Vice President of Sales and Service Joey Harris attributes the active, upbeat momentum of its Mobile, Ala., office to District Manager, Tommy Stutts, and his management team. Although Stutts went through several days of dealing with hurricane damage himself, “he is keeping the folks together,” Harris said. “He did a remarkable job putting aside the personal and keeping the focus on the positive.” As soon as possible, Stutts opened up the office to employees, making it available for anyone who needed electricity or a shower, or just a place to go. The office organized a cookout for Cook’s family, providing food for anyone who needed it, they organized a committee made up of managers and technicians to assist the hurricane victims, and established an all-company relief fund for employees in need. Harris realizes that his employees are among the lucky ones. The Mobile office covers south Alabama and the Mississippi coast, which didn’t have the devastation of those areas further west. “We had a bad situation, but it wasn’t as bad as other areas,” he said. “And it’s getting better each day.” In fact, the business side is already picking up, Harris said. “All of a sudden in the last few days [of mid-September], we’re getting a lot of calls.” Some homeowners have who had damage to their homes have found termites, and, as is typical in such situations, there has been a surge in the activity of pest such as rats and mice which were, themselves, displaced by the flooding. And the rebuilding will provide opportunity in a number of areas. Harris holds a very positive outlook for the future. “Our industry has so many positives to it, we need to stay focused on that,” he said. “I think the American people are resilient. They will put thing back together and it will be even better than before.” — Lisa Lupo