2002 Professional of the Year: Bobby Corrigan

Webster defines the word "passion" as "strong, barely controllable emotion, strong enthusiasm." These half-dozen words aptly describe industry expert and respected consultant Bobby Corrigan. In fact, that’s the way Corrigan describes himself: "a person passionate about moving things forward, being progressive, creative, who sets the bar high; a student in the complex science of pest control."

For 20 years, PCT has awarded a Professional of the Year Award to an individual who exemplifies what the pest control industry has become — a dynamic moving force that serves a vital purpose to the customers served. This year, the award is presented to a man whose exemplary career is marked with significant accomplishments that, in many others, would take a lifetime.

Talk with Bobby Corrigan and you’ll quickly determine where his passion lies — in the pest control industry, the environment, his 70-acre farm and his marriage. He knows what he’s about. His priorities are set. Corrigan describes his priorities in life as: 1) making a contribution at work, 2) enjoying life and having fun and, 3) doing something to protect the planet.

MAKING A CONTRIBUTION. Corrigan determined early in his career that he wanted his greatest contribution to be in the field of pest control. After hearing a dynamic lecture by industry veteran Dr. Austin Frishman, Corrigan soon changed his college major from oceanography to pest control in his freshman year at the State University of New York in Farmingdale. "From that day on, I was in love with pest control!" Corrigan said. Austin Frishman became one of Corrigan’s good friends and remains in this position today.

After receiving his associate’s degree in pest control, Corrigan worked for three years in a large Long Island pest control company. "Bobby came into our company full of enthusiasm with a great attitude and the ability to get along with everyone. He strived for high ideals and raised the bar on whatever he tried to accomplish. He was an extraordinary technician who took care of the customers and did a fantastic job all around. He enjoyed life and his close-knit family. I’m very proud to have been his first boss," said Steve Schwimmer, retired owner of Fumex Termite & Pest Control.

This practical experience convinced Corrigan to pursue his academic degrees in pest control. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in just four years at Purdue University, the institution where his mentor, Austin Frishman, also attended.

Corrigan entered the pest control industry after graduation and became a regional technical director for Terminix International. But Purdue called one more time. After just a year at Terminix, he was asked to take a one-year commitment as a vertebrate pest management specialist where 80 percent of his work was with rats and mice. He pursued his Ph.D. part time and is now one of the few individuals in the United States with a Ph.D. focused on rodents and their control. What was intended to be a one-year stint lasted more than 16 years.

After a fulfilling career with Purdue University, Corrigan left formal academic life to follow a personal dream — marrying, owning a farm and pursuing his own business.

In 1996, he formed RMC Pest Management Consulting and was busy from the day he established the business. During the first two years, he traveled 80 percent of the time as he worked to build the business. "I love being an entrepreneur," Corrigan says. "It’s wonderful to be able to be totally creative and make choices in my work. I’m a risk taker, so being on my own makes taking risks a little easier. Whatever happens as a result of the risk then becomes solely my responsibility."

Though Corrigan enjoys virtually every aspect of his work, he says that working with technicians is a highlight. Friend and long-time colleague, John Gedeon of General Pest Control, Cleveland, said he believes Corrigan’s success is due in part by his ability to connect with technicians without embarrassing them. After all, he remembers being in the technician’s shoes early in his career. Even today, at industry events, you’ll find Corrigan hanging out with technicians. "I love their stories direct from the job and I seem to be drawn to them," Corrigan says.

Known as the industry’s No. 1 rodent expert and as one of the most sought-after speakers in the pest management industry, Corrigan is most proud of the teaching he’s done in the industry. Following the example of his mentors, he loves solving problems with his students. "I love to help technicians learn to think progressively in their everyday pest management operations. When I began working with rodents, I realized that there were a lot of questions no one ever asked in food accounts," he said. "Using these questions, I’ve always tried to move rodent control forward using the least hazardous control.

"Motivating technicians and helping them get excited about pest control is another passion of mine," he continues. "Because I thoroughly enjoy what I do, I want the technicians and people in the industry to be as excited about it as I am."

During his career at Purdue, he was instrumental in developing programs for the Purdue Conference, one of the nation’s premier pest control conferences. Having been associated with the conference for 25 years, Corrigan says, "The Purdue conference is rich in tradition and is the grandfather of all pest control conferences. It is really an intense, four-day think tank where professionals can gather to learn not only from the instructors but from each other. It’s one of the highlights of my year."

A proponent of IPM principles in any public area, Corrigan has become an advocate for IPM in schools. "IPM in schools is not a new concept," he says. "It was discussed as early as 1992 but it has become a trend, one that we’ll continue to see, especially in areas such as schools and day-care centers." Corrigan advocates for IPM in sensitive accounts in his private consulting practice as he works with pharmaceutical and biotech accounts, zoos, day-care centers, health-care centers, schools and more.

2002 has been a great year for Corrigan. He lists among this year’s activities the Rodent Summit, Urban IPM Conference, IPM in Schools and numerous writing assignments, including Revising the Rodent chapter in the Mallis Handbook and the Industrial Termite Manual for Purdue. (See related story on page 26.)

ENJOYING LIFE AND HAVING FUN. Corrigan’s second priority is enjoying life and having fun — and that he has always done.

With eight siblings in a close-knit second-generation Irish immigrant family, Corrigan found the true joys of life coming, not from material wealth, but from the closeness of his supportive family. His father was a laborer and mother was a housewife in urban New York City. He learned the value of hard work and the beauty of a job well done in everything he pursued — from being a grocery clerk to being a pest control technician. Even as a child, Corrigan was fascinated by insects, trees and animals.

He met his wife, Amy, at Purdue during graduate school in the 1980s. They married a few years later and she accepted a tenure-track position in molecular biology at Earlham College in Richmond, Ind., 140 miles from Purdue University. The long-distance relationship was difficult as they each attempted to pursue their respective careers and their marriage. "Amy is my best friend, my anchor. She’s everything," Corrigan says.

Leaving Purdue was difficult for Corrigan, but the end result fulfilled a two-fold dream — living together with his wife and living in a rural area of the United States.

"It was a life-long dream to live in the country, own some property and ‘get back to nature’ so when Amy found this beautiful 70-acre property, we knew this was what we should do," Corrigan says.

The Corrigans rehabbed the 100 year-old farmhouse, moved in and proceeded to return the land to its natural state. They took the farm out of farm production and re-established wetlands, prairies and a hardwood forest. A forestry consultant helped with the plan and soon 30,000 native trees had taken root on 30 of the 70 acres.

A hardwood forest is budding in Indiana, where, when the wind blows, you can hear a pleasant, wind-chime clinking sound. More than 200 trees on the Corrigan property are tagged in honor of friends and associates. "It started when a couple of friends suggested that we name the trees. Then one by one, other people in the pest control industry heard about it until now we have over 210 trees with tags bearing the names of our friends and associates. Most of the trees are oaks, so they’ll be here a long time," Corrigan states proudly.

A three-acre wetlands area was established and later, a prairie complete with native grasses, wildflowers and plants was growing vigorously.

The ultimate goal is to see that these 70 acres remain native and not become a victim of growing cities and urban areas.

"We are kind of ‘nature nerds,’" laughs Corrigan. "Our idea of fun is hiking in national parks, kayaking, taking walks in the woods and studying nature. I love to take nature photos as well."

Besides nature photography feeding his creative side, Corrigan writes poetry about nature, about the environment or any other topics that inspire him.

PROTECT THE PLANET. Bobby Corrigan is proud to be a member of an industry that sets its sights on protecting the health and property of the community. "The pest control industry’s main contribution to the world is eliminating the potential for diseases without anyone really measuring or applauding our efforts," Corrigan says. "Our local communities are healthier as a result of what we do."

Corrigan believes the environment is in trouble, citing specifically ocean depletion, urban sprawl, global warming and loss and stress of natural resources. "Even though what we do may seem small, it’s an important part of protecting the planet."

The three ecosystems on 70 acres near the Ohio border attract birds, frogs, fish, mammals and all kinds of other insects and animals and represent the Corrigans’ efforts at helping the planet.

ABOUT AWARDS AND ACCOLADES. "It’s a great honor to receive this Professional of the Year Award but the real honor is working in an industry where there are more givers than takers, where people genuinely want to help and solve problems, where the major stars don’t seek recognition and accolades and where we are making a real contribution to our communities, our industry and our world."

"What makes Bobby so special is that he started in this industry from the ground up," says one of Corrigan’s mentors, Austin Frishman. "As he grows and assumes more responsibilities, he uses those responsibilities in a wonderful way making a significant impact on the people he contacts."

The author owns Compelling Communications, a firm specializing in helping pest management companies market their services. She can be reached via e-mail at jvanklaveren@pctonline.com.