BOM Members Reflect on Past, Present and Future

VALLEY VIEW, Ohio —  In the summer of 2020 a group of like-minded individuals and organizations from across the country came together with the goal of supporting Black economic advancement in the field of pest management. Black Ownership Matters has three strategic goals: (1) To identify current Black owners in the pest management industry and support their business growth through mentorship and access to resources; (2) To promote the career advancement of Black industry professionals and support upward mobility in their careers through additional education, certifications, and licensing. (3) To engage in outreach to the Black community at large to inform them of the critical role pest management plays in the lives of all people — and why this is a great industry to be employed in — and to discuss potential business ownership opportunities available in the field. As part of Black History Month, PCT caught up with three members of Black Ownership Matters to get their perspective on how African Americans have helped shaped the pest control industry and what opportunities are available for them in the present and in the future.

 

Wayne Golden, vice president and owner of GSquared Consulting, started his pest control career in sales at Terminix. He rose through the ranks at Terminix, eventually joining the management team. He later joined Rollins and served on its management team as well.  

PCT: Can you give me an example from your personal experiences how African Americans have been involved in the pest control industry?

Wayne Golden: When I started out in the 1970s there were not a lot of us in management at the big companies. You had to excel. Vic Charles (longtime Terminix executive) and I really had to excel at whatever area of the business we were in. Getting to No. 1 in sales in the Northeast got me into management, which permitted me to start recruiting minorities in the areas that I was operating in — such as Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. — areas that were not approached in the past. As I elevated, I worked on recruiting more minorities at HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), which was something that Vic Charles had initiated. We would explain the opportunities in pest control. Part of our presentation was that we work for a Fortune 500 company. We have 10,000 employees. We have the third largest fleet in the world. We trade on the New York Stock Exchange. And by the way, we're Terminix, or we are Orkin. We had success getting minorities into management training programs, as well as the sales side of it. Before long, we had a good representation of minorities in the Northeast. Since I’ve been a consultant and I’ve gotten a chance to meet minority small business owners. I’ve had opportunities to give them advice, or share my knowledge on business growth and regulatory issues.

Dr. Hamilton Allen, Florida regional technical director, HomeTeam Pest Defense, grew up in South Carolina and he did his post-graduate work at Virginia Tech University and Clemson University. Allen said growing up he saw African American service professionals but not owners, so he never considered it as a profession to enter. While he was in graduate school he would often present to small groups in rural areas, which was something he found intimidating. He credited Dr. Dini Miller (Virginia Tech University) and Dr. Pat Zungoli (Clemson University, now retired) with making introductions and helping him feel accepted.

PCT: Are you seeing some positive changes for minorities in the pest management industry?

Hamilton Allen: You are seeing more and more people from different backgrounds at PestWorld, which is a good thing. I think many large-scale organizations are recognizing that DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) is a major factor of being successful and that it is needed. Everyone wants to feel involved at some level, and organizations are realizing that hey, there's a lot more going on than just making money. You want people to feel valued in their workspaces. And there are changes being made. They are very small, incremental changes, but even seeing someone like Lee Barrett being promoted (to president of Nisus Corp) … now he’s someone I can contact. I’ve had a conversation with him already and asked him how he’s done it. Him becoming an executive makes (advancement) more tangible to me.

 

Faye Golden, director of government affairs, Cook’s Pest Control, worked for the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries, Pesticide Management Section, for 14 years, rising from field inspector to manager to program director of certification and training. She came to Cook’s Pest Control in 2013 as governmental affairs manager and was named director of governmental affairs in July 2020.

PCT: Since you have been involved in pest control industry, what type of challenges and opportunities have you observed for African Americans in this industry? 

Faye Golden: The pest control industry is predominantly older, white men; however, women-owned and Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC-owned firms) are some of the fastest growing groups in the industry. With that said, pest control is not a glamorous job. It’s hard to convince people to come work with me — that we protect homes and lives every day — when they have a negative image of pest control operators. The challenge is to attract diverse individuals to this industry. With technology and social media, we have a chance to connect with them and make them aware of opportunities in structural pest control. At PestWorld 2021 in Las Vegas, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) Diversity Council, (with sponsorships from BASF and Target) hosted some students that were part of MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences) and they were just blown away. They had never considered a career in structural pest control. They were pretty much like me while attending college. I never thought about working for a pest control company, but what a great career choice this has been. Again, the challenge is finding diverse candidates. The opportunities are making more people of color aware of the possibilities and giving us a chance.

PCT: You are on track to become the first African American president of NPMA. What is the significance of that to you?