Liability Concerns Keep Some PCOs Away from Termite Market

CLEVELAND — While many PCOs have found termite control to be a profitable and important service offering that has been instrumental in the growth of their business, it’s not a service for everyone.

PCT recently surveyed our readers about the termite market, asking What is the biggest reason you don’t offer termite control? (See the full poll results at bit.ly/3Ybourn.)

Patrick Carter, president of Healthy Home Termite & Pest Control, Acworth, Ga., said his company does offer termite services, but he certainly understands why some PCOs decide not to involve themselves in this line of work.

“Probably the No. 1 thing is liability, being responsible if there is termite damage and there is a major claim,” he said.

Liability concerns were indeed the biggest concern raised by PCT readers with 42 percent responding that it was the No. 1 reason they are not involved in the termite market.

The challenge of finding termite technicians was cited by 13 percent of respondents as the top reason they have avoided the termite market. Compared to general pest control, termite work is more involved, often requiring drilling and trenching, which is labor- and time- intensive. “If it’s a one-man operation, a termite job could take most of the day — and it’s harder to find workers who you can train to do this type of work,” Carter said.

Climate and geography also play a factor. Thirty-five percent of respondents cited lack of termite pressure as the main reason they have avoided the termite market. Termites, generally speaking, are more commonly found in warmer climates, like the South and California.

“We are not involved in termite work for our market. We have very few pockets of termites around us — it’s not worth getting into,” said Scott Hall, CEO of EcoServe, which is located in western New York.

On the flip side, in termite-prone southern Missouri, Brad Dutoit, owner of Jones Pest Control, Billings, Mo., said, “I am not aware of any PCOs near me that don’t offer termite control and am not sure why some would not.”

Dutoit also cited the time it takes to perform one termite treatment versus multiple general pest control applications as a reason why PCOs might not offer termite services. “Personally, I prefer staying in one location all day for a termite treatment rather than the expense of driving all over for multiple general pest treatments, and my revenue is higher,” he said. — Brad Harbison

Chrzanowski Replaces Elliott as Orkin President

ATLANTA — Orkin has announced Patrick Chrzanowski as its new president, effective Jan. 1, 2023. Chrzanowski took over for Freeman Elliott, who retired at the end of January.

Chrzanowski most recently served as president of Orkin’s Midwest division, and prior to that, he served as president of the Northeast division. He began his career at Orkin 16 years ago as a region manager and progressed through the ranks. Prior to Orkin, Chrzanowski worked at Aramark Uniform Services, Terminix and TruGreen ChemLawn. Chrzanowski is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and spent 12 years in the U.S. Navy as an officer. He also received his MBA from the University of Redlands and attended the Tuck Executive Education Program at Dartmouth College in 2010.

“Pat is very passionate about accelerating growth and improving the customer experience,” said Jerry Gahlhoff, CEO and president of Rollins. “I am looking forward to his leadership of Orkin and how he will help support employees and current and future customers.”

Elliott retired after 31 years at Orkin, where he started his career as a lawn care technician in 1991. He quickly advanced his career with more than 10 promotions before spending the last six years as president of Orkin. In this role, Elliott was best known as a champion for Orkin’s employees, especially those in field operations, and leaders with a customer-first mindset. In 2021, he received the PCT/Syngenta Crown Leadership Award for his numerous contributions to the pest management industry.

In his retirement, Elliott is looking forward to spending time with his wife and children.

“Freeman leaves a remarkable legacy upon his retirement with his strong track record of developing and influencing countless leaders, while setting high performance standards for our entire company,” said Gahlhoff. “I wish him all the best in his next chapter, and he will be missed here at Rollins and Orkin.”

In Memoriam: Joe Hughes

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Joe Hughes, a lifelong member of the pest control industry, passed away on Jan. 28, at 83, following a prolonged illness. Hughes spent time as a pest control company owner, an inventor, a manufacturer and a manufacturer representative.

Hughes started his career in the pest industry with Orkin in the 1960s. He started in sales and worked his way up to a branch manager. In 1971, he started his own company, Action Exterminators, in Jacksonville, Fla., and built it into a successful company before selling to Terminix in 1995.

Hughes served in numerous leadership roles with the Florida Pest Management Association. He was the co-inventor of the Actisol machine, which he and his partner later sold to Velsicol Chemical Company. Hughes started working with Velsicol to promote the Actisol machine throughout the U.S. and the Caribbean.

While working for BASF, Hughes helped introduce Termidor to the Florida market. Hughes retired from BASF in May 2009, but was not yet finished with his pest control career. He started another pest control company, Eco-Logic Pest Solutions, in 2015, which was later sold to McCall Service, Jacksonville, Fla. — Brad Harbison

Omnibus Bill Passes with Pesticide Registration Resources for U.S. EPA

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA 5) was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Acts of 2023 passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate in December.

PRIA 5 will supplement annual appropriations for the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) with additional funding from industry-paid fees that support pesticide registration, registration review and other regulatory actions to promote product innovation.

According to RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment), the OPP funding will increase staffing and better meet registration review time frames to give consumers and applicators the tools they need to manage pests in and around our homes, communities and the environment.

From its inception in 2004, pesticide manufacturers, environmental NGOs, applicators and members of Congress have supported PRIA 5, RISE said in a press release.

Megan Provost, president of RISE, said the organization was pleased to see congressional reauthorization of PRIA 5.

“[RISE] works to strengthen the federal pesticide regulatory process and ensure our industry can continue to reliably deliver the pest control and plant health solutions necessary for protecting public health and safety, maintaining green spaces and infrastructure and keeping shared spaces pest-free,” she said.

Target Specialty Products Announces New Regional Distribution Centers

SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif. — Target Specialty Products announced it will be opening new regional distribution centers in Charlotte, N.C., and Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Charlotte regional distribution center was set to open on March 13, with the Salt Lake City center opening following soon after. Target Specialty Products said customers in these areas will benefit from faster delivery times, efficient ordering process, improved supply chain management and increased product availability. Target Specialty Products says it aims to offer exceptional customer service that is reliable and convenient for their core customers and the regional distribution centers are a valuable resource in expanding customer service.

“We are thrilled to be growing Target Specialty Products’ national footprint and improving efficiencies for our customers by opening our new regional distribution centers,” said David Helt, leader of Target Specialty Products. “They will play an important part in our over 40-location U.S. network as we continue to focus on finding ways to improve our customers’ experience and provide them additional value.”

Pi Chi Omega Accepting Nominations for Pair of Programs

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — At January’s Pi Chi Omega meeting at the Purdue Pest Management Conference, board member James Miller updated members of the international pest control fraternity that the newly launched Industry Grant Program is now accepting applications.

As previously reported by PCT, the Industry Grant Program was created by Pi Chi Omega to help those already involved in the pest control industry (e.g., operations, sales, service personnel) advance their careers.

The grants are being offered to select qualified individuals who want to continue learning, further their career in pest management or promote entrepreneurial products that enhance the field of urban and industrial pest management. Examples of activities that a grant would be considered appropriate for include — but are not limited to — conference attendance, college or technical level courses, other advanced skill acquisition, money for a new product creation, or costs of publishing or disseminating relevant information to the industry.

Pi Chi Omega also recently announced it is looking for qualified applicants for six scholarships. Pi Chi Omega has been awarding scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in urban and industrial pest management since 1976. To date, more than $240,000 in scholarship support has been provided to more than 140 students. Many of the scholarship recipients have become important industry contributors, such as industry consultant and renowned rodentologist Bobby Corrigan, who was the very first recipient.

Pi Chi Omega said the student scholarships have helped bring knowledgeable and passionate young professionals to the pest control industry during the past 46 years.

The 2023 Pi Chi Omega Scholarship program has been launched and will award six individual scholarships totaling $13,000. Eligibility is open to currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate college students who are engaged in the study of urban or industrial pest management and are interested in pursuing this field as a career. Applicants who are actively working towards completing their degree may apply. Visit www.pichiomega.org/scholarship for more information and to view the application. — Brad Harbison

Nominations Open for NPMA’s Impact Awards for Women in Pest Management

FAIRFAX, Va. — Nominations are open for the National Pest Management Association’s 2023 Impact Awards for Women in Pest Management.

The awards, sponsored by FieldRoutes, are open to both NPMA members and non-members to honor and celebrate women at all levels within the pest management industry, including management, technical, service, sales or office staff.

NPMA encourages nominations from anyone who has a professional relationship with a potential nominee, as well as individuals who have received state, local or other industry-specific recognition.

Each Impact Award nomination is considered based on the merits of information included in the submissions. Recipients will be honored at NPMA’s Women’s Forum, which will be held May 9-11, in Charleston, S.C.

Additional details and the nomination form can be found at www.npmapestworld.org/impactawards.

NCPMA Hosts 73rd Annual Pest Control Technician’s School

DURHAM, N.C. — The 73rd Pest Control Technician’s School, which was sponsored by the North Carolina Pest Management Association, was held in January, in Durham, N.C.

“The PCT School is a tradition that we’ve upheld for more than seven decades, and we are proud that it has become one of the largest pest management gatherings in the United States,” said NCPMA President Marie Horner.

The 2023 PCT School opened with a keynote address by Nhat Pham of Successwerks. In addition, the event included presentations of NCPMA’s Technician of the Year and Administrative Professional of the Year awards and the awarding of a scholarship to a North Carolina State University entomology student.

The 2023 PCT School offered four days of pest management continuing education, hands-on training courses and more.

UF Dormitory Named in Honor of Emeritus Entomology Professor

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida celebrated a historic milestone with the groundbreaking of a graduate student dormitory named after Black entomologist Pauline O. Lawrence.

Lawrence was the first female student to live and study on the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC) campus during the 1970s.

She earned her doctorate in 1975, became an assistant professor in the university’s zoology department in 1976, was promoted to a full-time professor in 1989 and moved to the university’s entomology and nematology department in 1994.

Lawrence would go on to make discoveries in insect physiology and development, followed by numerous trailblazing discoveries and accomplishments, the university stated.

“Dr. Lawrence was a ground breaker in many ways and on so many levels, as a student and as a professor of entomology at the University of Florida, she has given in so many ways,” said J. Scott Angle, the university’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources.

The dormitory began construction last year and will stand as the first building named after a Black person, the university stated.

GPCA PestVets Collects Coats for Homeless Veterans

ATLANTA — The Georgia Pest Control Association’s (GPCA) PestVets’ annual Homeless Veterans Coat Drive collected nearly 5,000 coats for those in need. The coat drive ran in collaboration with the Cherokee County Homeless Veterans Program. On Dec. 16, volunteers with PestVets and the Cherokee County Homeless Veterans Program met at the American Legion building in Canton, Ga., to sort donations. During the drive, coats were collected regardless of size, season, gender or age, as the coats went to homeless or near- homeless veterans and their families. “We collected 3,500 coats last year, and that was impressive,” said Xavier Cugnon, co-chair of PestVets and vice president of human resources administration at Arrow Exterminators. “But with nearly 5,000 this year, we knocked it out of the park.”