Logical Leadership

Jamie Ogle let logic dictate who would succeed him as president of Lloyd Pest Control. The third-generation pest management professional, who will remain CEO, looked no further than his own ranks for the right candidate.

Earlier this year, Scott Crowley, a 32-year veteran of the company, was named president and chief operating officer of the San Diego-based company, which checks in at No. 25 on this year’s Top 100 list.

“We are very excited to see Scott move into his new role and help continue our growth and development,” said Ogle.

Ogle said Crowley is a strong leader and continues the stability Lloyd has built since it was founded in 1931. He also said Crowley brings a tenacity to the position that will allow the company to take advantage of new opportunities in the ever-changing Southern California pest control market.

But Crowley’s career at Lloyd was nearly derailed before it started. He was hired by Ogle’s father, Jim, to be a manager for a branch that never materialized. Knowing that they couldn’t let Crowley walk down the street to the competition, the elder Ogle and veteran Lloyd executive Herb Field brought Crowley into the company’s technical department.

For Crowley, the timing was perfect. Lloyd’s technical and training director at the time — Dr. John Klotz — had just left to take a position at Purdue University, and Crowley was able to put his biology degree to use.

“During college, I worked in vector control with the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health, and after graduation I stayed on as a health inspector for three years,” recalled Crowley. “Part of my job was assessing pest control in businesses, and that is where I got my introduction to the industry and the vital role it plays in protecting public health.”

In his role as technical and training director, Crowley was immersed in many aspects of Lloyd’s growing operation. In addition to leading the company’s technical and training efforts, he had the chance to work at the branch management level. This allowed him to see how the business side of the company complemented the technical side.

Crowley was named COO of Lloyd’s termite division. When Field retired in 2012, the company merged its general pest and termite groups into one, with Crowley serving as COO of the entire company. During that time, Crowley, with the company’s support, went back to school to earn his master’s degree from San Diego State University.

“It was a tremendous opportunity that Jamie afforded me, and it was part of the larger plan he and the Ogle family had for the future of the business,” said Crowley.

Ogle, for his part, isn’t going anywhere. The 31-year veteran of the company his grandfather founded — by eliminating rats with a .22-caliber rifle in San Diego warehouses and businesses — will remain as Lloyd’s CEO and focus his energies on long-term growth opportunities. The company will look to expand organically and through acquisition. Ogle also will be concentrating on a business management software startup with which he is involved.

As president of Lloyd, Crowley said he wants to maintain the link between the family’s vision and sense of values amid growth. He also wants to continue to transfer the sense of energy that Ogle has built.

“Lloyd has created a workplace that is the envy in the market,” said Crowley, “and I want to play a role in maintaining the culture of integrity that both clients and employees have come to expect.”

The author is a frequent contributor to PCT.