Convention Conversation Justin McCauley

As the leader of McCauley Services, Bryant, Ark., Justin McCauley knows more than most the joys and challenges that come with running a family-owned business. But the McCauleys have figured out how to make it work. Recently, Justin and brother Zac purchased the company from parents Kay and Mike McCauley. “Mike is officially retired,” Justin said. “His favorite line is ‘Hold my calls and send my check!’”

Zac, Justin’s brother, is director of business development, while Justin’s wife, Jen, is director of marketing. In addition, Justin’s sister-in-law, Loren McCauley, is HR manager and his brother-in-law, Justin Marlowe, is director of training.

How do the McCauleys make it work? “The challenges are pretty much the same with any other business, except people’s emotions can get a little more charged because you are working with people you love and care for on a deep level,” he said. “We all try to stay as respectful as possible and do our best to separate business from personal when having difficult conversations. Honestly, those are few and far between for us. The thing that is amazing about a family-run company is that we all want the company and our team to succeed so we are all invested and united behind the same goals.”

In the last 10 years, McCauley Services has grown both in terms of geographic footprint and services offered. For the longest time, McCauley Services only operated in southern Arkansas (until 2010). It now services Arkansas, parts of Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. Recent successes include the addition of a handyman/electrical service. The handyman service was born out of having a skilled carpenter on staff who the company wanted to keep busy when not performing termite repair work. The electrical service offering came about after one of Justin’s high school friends mentioned he was looking for a change. It just so happened McCauley Services was looking to expand its line of services.

“We have been successful at both service offerings because we have a very focused approach,” he said. “With both service lines we wanted to focus on two things: One, what do our current pest and termite customers need repaired that our technicians notice while at their home or business? And two, we will do small jobs that bigger contractors or electrical companies don’t want to mess with.”

Photo: PPMA

PCT sat down with McCauley to get an update on McCauley Services — including how it fared throughout the pandemic — and to find out his goals as NPMA president.

PCT: When and why did the company change its name from The Bugman to McCauley Services?

Justin McCauley: We changed our name in 2010. There were two things that drove the change for us. We wanted the opportunity to expand into different lines of service, like electrical and handyman, and others possibly, in the future. We felt like The Bugman limited our marketing potential for those additional lines of service. The second reason for our name change is that we shared The Bugman name in Arkansas with my grandfather’s and uncle’s company, which restricted us geographically to southern Arkansas. Zac and I always wanted to build a strong regional company. So changing names also freed us up to build that dream to add and grow additional service lines.

PCT: How did McCauley Services pivot during COVID and what excites you about the company’s future?

JM: We are blessed to operate where we do, so we didn’t have as much of a pivot as other parts of the country. Our residential programs are all outside only and since our states didn’t shut down, it had a minimal effect on commercial work. The one thing I think COVID changed for us was that we became more flexible with staff around their work schedules and we got more creative for overcoming people calling in sick, needing to pick up kids, etc. That has turned out to be a very positive adjustment and made us a better company. I also think that knowing our industry was being recognized as “essential” boosted our teams’ sense of pride and appreciation for what we do in the face of challenging circumstances. I am excited for what the future holds as we continue to build a well-run business that hopefully one day we can pass down to my kids and nieces and nephews.

PCT: How have you seen NPMA change/evolve since you’ve been involved in the pest control industry?

JM: NPMA continues to be on the forefront of strategic planning to protect and grow all of our businesses. Each year, NPMA meets with industry leaders (called P3) to understand challenges and opportunities. NPMA responds to these challenges and opportunities with programs, materials or whatever the industry may need to keep us moving forward, be professional and grow our businesses. The industry continues to grow and be resilient through even the worst of times. The recent pandemic and past recessions are a testament to the essential work our industry does to protect people, homes and businesses from pests and pest-related diseases and destruction. As far as consumer outreach, I’ve been involved with PPMA for years and currently sit on the board of directors. This organization, for 25 years, has grown our industry through consumer outreach and education. They have also helped my business grow and prosper.

Photo: PPMA

PCT: What benefits does NPMA offer small- to mid-sized operators? Why is their involvement in NPMA important?

JM: NPMA works to identify and offer benefits and resources that small- and mid-size members can take advantage of. This is important as the majority of NPMA members are under $500,000, and we strive to elevate the industry at all levels. Specific benefits include, access to our HR consultant, Sandy Seay, to assist with personnel questions/concerns; discounts of up to $4,000 on Nissan vehicles; discounts off of insurance through our partnership with Weisburger; online education; technical materials; and access to our team of entomologists for bug IDs and consultations on pest biology and behavior. NPMA also creates a wealth of networking opportunities for us to learn and grow together as a membership and industry.

PCT: Can you talk about the recent changes to NPMA’s Public Policy team?

JM: While we are in the process of finding a replacement for [former vice president of public policy] Ashley Amidon’s position, who accepted a job to lead another association, we have a solid infrastructure in place, with the addition of the director of public policy position and newly created position of public policy coordinator. These positions, in addition to our contract D.C. lobbyists, are working together with NPMA’s senior vice president of technical and regulatory affairs and COO to advocate for the industry at the local, state and federal levels.

PCT: Why has preemption been such a focus of NPMA’s Public Policy team? Why is this issue important to a PCO like yourself?

JM: We feel that [not having] preemption has the ability to be a negative disruptor to our industry in the coming years. By passing a federal preemption bill as part of the 2023 U.S. Farm Bill, we will avoid having to fight preemption rollbacks each year. In states without preemption, localities have the ability to regulate the sale and use of pesticides. This makes it very difficult for a service technician who has 10 stops a day in multiple counties to track and follow different service protocols. Additionally, this also jeopardizes the ability of pest management companies like ours to protect consumers across Arkansas, as pests like mosquitoes don’t abide by county lines.

PCT: Hiring/retaining employees is a nationwide challenge — and the pest control industry is certainly not immune. Can you talk about NPMA’s Workforce Development Program?

JM: When you talk to any pest management firm, this is usually their No. 1 problem. The NPMA Workforce Development Group has been hard at work trying to increase overall pride and professionalism in the industry and showcase the value of what pest management professionals do to protect people, food and property from common pests and to improve overall quality of life, all while highlighting pest control as a viable and desirable industry with many job opportunities and career paths. The program has continued to build the digital foundation and industry brand that is PestControlJobs.com — and the jobs board which has seen phenomenal growth. One of the biggest wins for our industry was “Exterminator” being named on U.S. News and World Report Best Jobs List. The growth we have seen across all the social media platforms and media placements, as well as partnering with ZipRecuriter on the Job Board, will hopefully continue to make our industry one of the premier trades jobs in the future. The one thing I think will be making a huge difference for the next year is that NPMA recently hired Chad Weikel to be 100 percent devoted to help NPMA continue to grow and develop this program. With Chad steering the program I am excited to see what heights we can take it!

PCT: What would you like to achieve during your NPMA presidency? Do you have a major issue/cause you would like to promote?

JM: I would like to continue to build upon the foundation that previous generations and leaders have laid. We have an amazing and strong association thanks to them. I want us to continue to build upon that and make it stronger for the next generation. To do that I think we need to focus on two things. One is a new leadership development program called LITT (Leadership Integration Transition Team). This new 18-month program aims to help recruit, develop, coach and expand the network of the next executive committee members of NPMA by making sure they have the tools and knowledge to be the most successful they can be when it is their turn to lead NPMA.

The next is one that is extremely important to me: NPMA’s Inclusion, Diversity and Equitable initiative. I love that it leads with Inclusion because to me NPMA and its members are like family to me, and I want everyone to have that same feeling when they come to an NPMA event. This may be the Southern in me, but I want everyone to have that feeling of a family barbecue, where we get together to catch up and see how life is treating everyone and offer support and encouragement. Just looking back 15 to 20 years, look at how diverse our association has become and it’s only going to increase as we recruit new people to this amazing industry!