[News]

NPMA ACADEMY 2011 TO FOCUS ON EMERGING LEADERS IN PEST MANAGEMENT

Fairfax, Va. — Technology and other social changes are constantly altering the way pest management professionals do business. And we are quickly realizing that many traditional strategies that once proved successful no longer generate the same satisfying results.

In response to that dilemma, the National Pest Management Association is hosting its Academy 2011, to be held July 21-23 at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz. The meeting is designed to challenge attendees to think beyond conventional wisdom and identify new opportunities that can dramatically impact their company’s bottom-line.

"Busy. Overloaded. Overwhelmed. It’s amazing how these simple words dominate our conversations, influence decision making, and affect the quality of our lives," said NPMA Executive Vice President Rob Lederer. "Whether you are an owner, manager or emerging leader — three days at Academy will provide you with the skills you need to remove these words from your vocabulary." Sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, Academy is a unique opportunity designed to advance the professional and business development of the industry’s emerging leaders in a hands-on, interactive environment.

Building on the theme "Get Connected. Get Inspired. Get Results," all educational workshops and team-building exercises are being planned in an effort to inspire attendees to effect change in both their professional and personal lives.

For hotel reservations, call The Westin Kierland Resort and Spa at 800/354-5892 to receive the NPMA group rate of $119 per night.

To register for Academy 2011, visit www.npmapestworld.org/events/academy.cfm. For more information, contact NPMA at npma@pestworld.org.

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Veteran Distributor Tom Evans, 74, Dies

Cleveland — Tom Evans, former chief executive officer of Southern Mill Creek Products of Ohio (SMCP), passed away on April 8. He was 74.

A 40-year veteran of the pest management industry, Evans was director of marketing for Velsicol Chemical Corp., Chicago, Ill., before joining SMCP in 1980 as vice president of sales, eventually rising to the position of CEO. In fact, Evans resigned from Velsicol on his 20th anniversary with the company, taking an ownership stake in Southern Mill Creek Products of Ohio shortly thereafter, a company he called on as a salesperson early in his career.

Evans was elected to Pest Management Professional magazine’s Hall of Fame in 2001 and is one of only 10 industry professionals named an honorary/lifetime member of the Ohio Pest Management Association (OPMA), where he championed the creation of an Ohio State University college scholarship for association members.

"Tom freely gave of his time, energy and money for the benefit of our industry, and he did that consistently all the years I knew him," observed Lonnie Alonso, president of Columbus Pest Control, Columbus, Ohio. "Tom was instrumental in establishing the OPMA-OSU scholarship. He had the idea, he put his energy behind it and he showed us a way to get it done ... and it continues on today."

Alonso said Evans also played a key role in ensuring Ohio PMPs were actively involved in the legislative process nationally. "Tom understood the need to get Ohio PCOs involved politically, and three to four years after NPMA and FMC partnered to hold an annual Legislative Day in Washington, D.C., Tom … contacted Dow Chemical (Marty Morgan) and they put together a plan to get a busload of Ohio PCOs to D.C. for the event." Approximately 50 of Alonso’s colleagues attended Legislative Day that first year and "to this day Ohio usually is in the top one to three states in attendance at Legislative Day," Alonso said.

Throughout his career, Evans also was active in a number of industry groups, including the United Producers, Formulators & Distributors Association (UPF&DA), Greater Cleveland Pest Control Association and Speckoz, a national network of distributors, where he served as chairman and on various committees.

A member of St. Gabriel Catholic Church in Concord Township, Ohio, Evans is survived by his wife of 46 years, Roseann, along with daughters Maryrose (Michael) Sylvester, Maureen (Christian) Mazurek and Bridget (Matthew) McAuliffe; and grandchildren Lauren Mazurek, Julianna and Gabriella Sylvester, and Jacqueline and "Baby Tommy" McAuliffe. — Dan Moreland

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Orkin Launches Updated "Big Bug" Campaign and Interactive Website

ATLANTA — Orkin is extending its popular "Big Bug" campaign, created by Dallas advertising agency The Richards Group in 2008. The new ads include two national television spots, regional outdoor boards and an interactive website developed by the Atlanta-based agency THINK Interactive, Inc.

The new ads feature the infamous giant pests and their desperate attempts to sneak into unsuspecting consumers’ homes — before being defeated by the Orkin Man. The television ads and website launched nationally March 7, and outdoor premiered March 21. The television spots can be viewed at http://orkin.com.

"This new ‘Big Bug’ campaign work continues to highlight just how overwhelming a pest problem can feel, and that it is the Orkin Man’s mission to protect homeowners and prevent pest activity," said Kevin Smith, chief marketing officer for Orkin. "We introduced rats to the campaign to increase awareness of Orkin’s effective treatment against rodents, and the termite was chosen for the ‘Blind Date’ spot because they are the sneakiest of all pests."

The first spot, "Blind Date," features a young woman waiting to meet her date, arranged by an Internet dating service. To her shock, her date is a giant termite intent on going home with her. The Orkin Man comes to the rescue, banishes the bug and ensures that the woman gets home safely.

Orkin’s new interactive website, http://BlindDateLove.com, expands on the "Blind Date" theme while broadening the Big Bug campaign to the digital space. The fictitious site — a spoof on online dating services — allows visitors to fill out a dating quiz and then get "matched up" with a compatible Big Bug.

The site also includes a photo gallery offering images of "successful matches" along with a feature allowing users to upload photos of their friends and family, morph them into pests, and then share the resulting images via social networking sites Facebook and Twitter.

"BlindDateLove.com will bring personality to the bugs and let people have fun and interact with the Orkin brand," observed Will duPont, president of THINK Interactive, Inc.

The campaign will also feature 58 outdoor boards in the Atlanta market, one of which will showcase colossal termite mandibles weighing 700 pounds each. The giant mandibles will move, appearing to "eat through" the wood board.

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Azpest.com Pest ID Pro Allows Consumers
To Identify Bugs

Tucson, Ariz. — Tucson’s Arizona Pest Control Company recently released a pest identification app.

The free app, Azpest.com Pest ID Pro, lets consumers identify pests in their homes or businesses during the busy bug season. It’s now available in the iTunes store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users.

Arizona Pest Control’s Caleb Tennenbaum, Internet marketing director, explained, "Consumers can now correctly ID pests and avoid harming themselves or the environment with improper treatment methods. Not only does Pest ID Pro provide consumers access to professional knowledge to protect their health and environment, but it also prepares Arizona Pest Control specialists to do a more thorough job in the field. It can prepare our techs to do the best job possible when they know they are going out to deal with a termite problem as opposed to a flying ant issue. It should prove to be a useful tool for consumers and a popular app in the Apple store."

Once consumers download the free app, they simply take a snapshot of the insect or bug they want identified then use the app to submit it to Arizona Pest Control, which promises to respond within 24 hours. The app description explains, "When it comes to your home and family it is vital to identify any pest threats that may linger and eliminate them immediately in a way that is safe to you and your family."

The Pest ID Pro app was developed by Objective Coders. For more information visit www.twitter.com/azpest or www.facebook.com/azpest.

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DATEBOOK

June 1-3: NPMA’s National Canine Conference: Solutions for Scent Detection Professionals, Philadelphia. Contact: NPMA, 703/352-6762 or visit www.npmapestworld.org.

June 17-18: 2011 Discovery Retreat: The PestPac Users Group. Contact: 888/711-3232, e-mail terrycare@att.net or visit www.lloydsmigel.com.

June 20-24: University of Florida Termite Biology and Control 2011, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Contact: Dr. Rudolf Scheffrahn, 954/577-6312 or e-mail rhsc@ufl.edu.

July 24-27: 94th annual meeting of the Florida Entomological Society, Ft. Myers, Fla. Contact: Visit http://flaentsoc.org/annual11.htm or call Dr. Gary L. Leibee, program chair, 407/884-2034, ext. 154.

July 21-23: NPMA Academy, Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, Scottsdale, Ariz. Contact: NPMA, 703/352-6762 or visit www.npmapestworld.org.

Aug. 27-31: Association of Structural Pest Control Regulatory Officials Annual Meeting, Mobile, Ala.

Sept. 5-9: RISE Annual Meeting, Ritz-
Carlton, Sarasota, Fla. Contact: 202/ 872-3860 or visit www.pestfacts.org.

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One-Millionth Home Treated with Bora-Care

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Nisus Corporation and Wayne’s Environmental Services, Birmingham, Ala., recently joined forces to achieve a significant milestone — the 1,000,000th home treated with Bora-Care, a borate-based termiticide applied directly to wood. Specifically listed by the International Building Codes as a suitable alternative to soil treatments, Bora-Care features a patented glycol formula that penetrates deep into wood, providing long-lasting protection, Nisus says. The active ingredient in the product is boron, a natural mineral salt which does not break down over time.

"It’s quite a milestone and a reminder of how green technology can improve the environment and improve the bottom lines of many companies at the same time," says Kevin L. Kirkland, president and CEO of Nisus Corporation, Knoxville, Tenn.

Builders across the country have adopted Bora-Care treatments because they speed up the building process, in some cases saving as much as a day of cycle time, according to Nisus. Large builders track the amount of time it takes to build a house from start to finish, and that span is referred to as "cycle time."

"This type of treatment has become a best practice for large homebuilders," says Harry Bryan, vice president of sales for Nisus Corporation. "These builders want to use products that have proven performance, are cost-effective and sensitive to the environment. They are best in class."

"When people think of building green, the first thing that comes to mind is energy savings," says Eric Frye, business development leader at Wayne’s, "but today’s green programs take into account everything from controlling water run-off to maintaining indoor air quality. Plus, builders can earn green points for using these types of green termite treatments."

The one-millionth home treated with Bora-Care is located in Leeds, Ala., about 20 miles from Birmingham. The treatment of the home and a demonstration of the technology took place on March 10, with representatives from Nisus and Wayne’s Environmental Services on hand to answer any questions from the media and the public.

Wayne’s Environmental Services is an Alabama-based home services company focused on termite protection, pest prevention and lawn care services. For additional information visit www.nisuscorp.com.

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Brigand Rodenticides Now Available From Ehrlich Distribution

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — AB Bait Co., supplier of the Brigand Rodenticide lines, announced the addition of Ehrlich Distribution to its distribution network.

According to AB Bait Co., Ehrlich’s distribution network will greatly add to the availability of Brigand Soft Bait and Brigand Wax Blocks to PMPs in the Northeast and Midwest. The Brigand lines of rodenticide are new baits manufactured by PelGar International in the UK.

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Environmental Chemical Celebrates 30 Years in Business

SPRING VALLEY, N.Y. — Environmental Chemical Co., a regional distributor of products for pest management professionals, is celebrating its 30th year in business.

The company was started in February 1981 by then-president Steven Weiss. Barry Eldridge joined the company later that year as a sales and technical representative. Following Weiss’ untimely passing in 1997, Eldridge took over the company in 1999 and continues to serve as president.

Environmental Chemical Co. continues to help pest management, lawn care and tree care customers by providing products, repair parts and service with the motto: "Environmentally Friendly." For more information, visit www.envirochemco.com.

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Former Dow Marketing Executive Establishes Consulting Firm

ATLANTA — Former Dow Chemical marketing manager Cliff Mohrhaus has teamed with two colleagues to establish Business in Balance Atlanta, a consulting firm focused on helping businesses become more successful by aligning programs in several key performance areas. Mohrhaus was involved with the launch of Dow AgroSciences’ Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System.

The Business in Balance Atlanta partners are available for coaching and mentoring services to facilitate growth and development. The partners are Mohrhaus, Mike Caines and Julie Grace. Together they assist businesses in a number of key performance areas including marketing, sales, process, human resources and planning strategies.

According to Mohrhaus, the partners believe that while sales and marketing are critical to a business, people, process and planning are also essential to performance. Business in Balance Atlanta specializes in a number of areas including target market definition, sales training, business planning, operations, customer service and profitability.

Mohrhaus is a business consultant focused on sales and leadership training, process improvement, coaching and mentoring. He is also a member of the Atlanta Consulting and Training Alliance (ACTA), where he is helping to form a leadership development institute and holds a Six Sigma Black Belt Certification in process improvement methodology.

Caines, a certified business coach, offers broad domestic and international experience in business operations including process re-engineering, manufacturing, corporate performance management and supply chain logistics. Together with his business background he is able to assist business owners focus on the personal and operational aspects of their businesses.

Grace, previously an ad agency art director, founded Grace Design, a marketing design agency, and has more than 20 years experience in the development of marketing strategies and communication solutions. Grace offers a personalized marketing approach that meets each company’s unique objectives by analyzing marketing strengths and weaknesses to tailor an integrated solution.

"We believe our diversity will benefit us as we work with customers," said Mohrhaus. "Our approach is to learn from a potential client what their needs are, and then customize our offering to meet those needs."

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Comings & Goings

Ray Crim has been named senior executive vice president emeritus at Arrow Exterminators. Crim, who celebrates his 20th anniversary with the company this year, has played a key role in Arrow’s growth over the years, as well as in implementing a range of operational and financial systems at the company.

Tim Gafford, president of Gafford Pest Control, Lubbock, Texas, was named president of the Texas Pest Control Association. Gafford has been in the pest control industry for 34 years and is a board certified urban and industrial entomologist.

Donna Lehr joined the real estate marketing team of Skyline Pest Solutions & Home Inspections, Marietta, Ga. In her new role, Lehr is working with real estate agents in Cobb, Cherokee, Gwinnett, Intown, Midtown and Northwest Perimeter offices. Lehr brings 15 years of experience in real estate marketing to Skyline. In other company news, Mickey Spillane was promoted to director of sales.

Liphatech announces the addition of Michael Bennett as the company’s district representative serving its customers in the New England states and Canada. John Murphy, currently the sales representative for the Northeast region, will be concentrating his time and focus on customers from Virginia to New York.

Keith Smith has assumed an equity position in Action Pest Control, Evansville, Ind., and is now chief operating officer of the company. Previously Smith was operations manager for Action.

Truly Nolen of America promoted Scott Kirk to branch manager of the Las Vegas branch. Kirk has 22 years of pest control industry experience.

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EPA Awards Five Grants
to Combat Bed Bugs

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is awarding grants totaling $550,000 to five organizations to implement new approaches in managing bed bug problems. These grants will be used in states and communities where bed bug pressures are significant but resources to address the problems are limited.

• University of Missouri, St. Louis, will work within communities of high poverty, minorities and immigrants. The work will translate existing information about bed bug control, prevention, identification and resources to a smartphone-friendly website.

• The Texas AgriLife Extension Service at Texas A&M University will conduct an IPM program at homeless shelters in Texas. The project will demonstrate the effectiveness of current best management practices, using IPM for bed bugs.

• Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will develop and provide training as well as technical and material support to residents, service providers and retail operators in 12 ZIP codes of Baltimore City with the lowest average incomes, as well as in county health offices throughout the state of Maryland. The grant will also provide training to the migrant workers of Caroline County, who are especially vulnerable to bed bugs. The organization’s efforts will promote reduced-risk and non-chemical methods of control that residents can implement in their own homes.

• Rutgers University will implement a statewide bed bug educational outreach program for low-income communities in New Jersey. The grant also will help implement a train-the-trainer program in at least 50 low-income communities in New Jersey, and assist an affordable housing community in setting up an effective and sustainable community-based model bed bug IPM program. The IPM model will focus on community participation and early detection, as well as maximizing cultural and non-chemical control practices along with the use of low-toxicity insecticides to manage bed bug infestations.

• Michigan Department of Community Health will develop an education program focusing on the prevention and treatment of bed bug infestations for public health professionals and community partners with the goal of preventing pesticide misuse. The program will target the most vulnerable of Detroit’s communities for outreach and education efforts.

For more information on the grants, visit http://epa.gov/bedbugs/grant-awards.html.

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UF Housing Receives National IPM Institute Green Shield Certification

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida Department of Housing and Residence Education is the first university program to receive the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Institute of North America’s Green Shield Certification.

The certification is a result of a year-long process to meet the rigorous standards for integrated pest management as verified by the IPM Institute of North America, an independent, third-party evaluator. IPM and Green Shield Certification promote the practice of effective, prevention-based pest control while minimizing the use of pesticides. The successful certification process was a partnership between multiple UF Department of Housing departments, UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension IPM, and the UF Entomology and Nematology Department. The combined effort for certification served as the prototype for the IPM Institute of North America to establish the certification for a "program." Prior to this effort, certification was only available for pest control businesses or by facility.

"My primary reason for initiating an integrated pest management program in UF Housing was to reduce the exposure of pregnant women and young children living in graduate and family housing units to pesticides," said Wayne Walker, senior pest control technician. "The secondary reason was the fact that more residents in traditional residence halls were notifying staff of possible pre-existing sensitivities or allergies to pesticides when pest control procedure notices were posted prior to treatments. The IPM program very quickly expanded to all housing areas which led to our decision to seek independent, Green Shield Certification."

Green Shield Certification remains effective for one year and is renewable annually. An on-site evaluation is required every three years. For more information visit www.greenshieldcertified.org.

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PCT News

Pestmaster Services, Kingston, N.Y., is now treating bed bugs with the Cryonite system of freezing bed bugs and their eggs. Additionally, the firm received a Bed Bugsy Award from the National Pest Management Association for a video the company submitted covering a severe bed bug infestation. The video was shot, edited and produced by Kingston High School student Paul Alley Jr. The NPMA Bugsy Awards celebrate excellence in marketing and advertising of bed bug services executed by pest control companies across the nation. The video can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlIaAHlYL9w.

Knockout Pest Control has acquired Sure-Way Exterminating, Oceanside, N.Y., and CMC Professional Services, Freeport, N.Y. Knockout serves the New York counties of Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Westchester and all five boroughs of New York City.

Leaf Pest Control, Monaca, Pa., has been approved for membership in the bedbugFREE national network of companies committed to the guidelines and practices of BedBug Central. The QualityPro business has serviced Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia for more than 30 years.

Craig Thomas Pest Control, Hyde Park, N.Y., and Cascade Pest Control, Redmond, Wash., have received the 2010 Angie’s List Super Service Award, an honor bestowed annually on approximately 5 percent of all the companies rated on the consumer review listing of local service companies. Cascade Pest also earned the award in 2007 and 2008.

In other news, Craig Thomas Pest Control recently acquired two companies: Hometown Pest Control, Hudson Falls, N.Y., and All Service Pest Management, Pine Bush, N.Y.

Hometown Pest Control, located in the Capital District Region of New York, will operate under the name Thomas Pest Services. Craig Thomas’ daughter, Sarah Thomas, vice president of Thomas Pest Services, runs this operation. Hometown Pest Control was founded in 1986 and owned by Jeffery Smith.

All Service was founded by Darrel Nelson who will stay on with the company. Craig Thomas Pest Control offers residential, commercial and industrial pest management services along with structural repair and nuisance wildlife services to Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan, Ulster, Columbia, Greene and Rockland Counties.

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MGK Selects XS to Process Point-of-sale Transactions

MINNEAPOLIS — MGK has partnered with XS to collect and process its point of sale transactions from MGK’s distributor partners. XS is employing its DataConduit hosted solution to collect end user transactions from MGK distributors, and to standardize the data and make it available for use by MGK sales and marketing managers. MGK will use the end user sales information to support the growth initiatives of its distribution partners and help manage marketing programs.

"We chose XS’ DataConduit solution because their proven technology and industry expertise enables us to best understand our business across the market," said MGK Market Manager Ian Thorburn. "In turn, by being able to readily access their up-to-date sales information via the web-based system, our sales reps are better able to work with our customers to meet the needs of their businesses."

DataConduit also serves as the data collection and cleaning engine behind XS’ market research products SPCexpress and EZTrak in which they partner with Specialty Products and GfK respectively to deliver online transaction-based market research to manufacturers and channel members in the U.S. turf and ornamental, structural pest control and agriculture markets.

"We are very pleased to have been selected as MGK’s service provider. They are a hundred-year-old business with a proven track record of innovation and growth," said Harry Albert, XS vice president of business development. "I believe their commercial teams will see great value in having this sales information readily available so they can better align themselves with distribution and to increase their value proposition to end users."

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PPMA Awards Second Annual Grant to Winner of Student Contest

Fairfax, VA. — For the second year in a row, the Professional Pest Management Alliance awarded a $3,000 grant as the grand prize in its national science and technology competition for students. PPMA, which serves as the public outreach arm of the National Pest Management Association, awarded the prize to Red Bank Middle School for its entry, "Mosquitoes Bite."

To enter, teachers and students in grades four through eight created Public Service Announcements (PSAs) that would inform the public about the threats common pests, such as rodents, ants, termites, cockroaches, stinging insects and ticks can pose to public health and property. Submissions were accepted via PestWorldForKids.org, PPMA’s educational children’s website.

"The goal of this contest is to help children to be aware of the benefits of our industry and exercise their knowledge and creativity, and we’ve certainly seen that goal realized this year," said Missy Henriksen, executive director of PPMA. "All the wonderful entries we received showed that students understand the importance of pest control, but Red Bank Middle School’s ‘Mosquitoes Bite’ entry had a winning combination of information, great music and humor."

In addition to winning the grand prize, two of Red Bank Middle School’s other entries placed among the top five finalists. The runner-up was an entry titled "Got Termites?" from Lakewood Christian Schools in Long Beach, Calif. All entries were judged on criteria including originality and creativity, adherence to creative assignment, health messaging and overall appeal. The top five finalists’ entries can be viewed at www.pestworldforkids.org.

The third annual Pest PSA Contest will begin accepting entries on Sept. 6 and will close at midnight on Dec. 24.