[Cover Story] Cue the Consultants

Ask 20 consultants what being a “consultant” means and you’ll get 20 different answers.

Some conduct technical training and product field trials. Others help companies increase profitability or serve as expert witnesses. Each has a niche: working with a specific pest like rodents or bed bugs, developing new products or business strategy, or serving the needs of unique clients like museums, start-ups or animal-rearing facilities.

One thing’s clear: Consultants love what they do. For a good many, consulting is a second act following retirement or corporate downsizing; now, they (finally) have the freedom to pursue what interests them most in the field.

The pest management industry has much to gain from their collective wisdom. “There’s probably more need for some targeted consultative help than companies totally appreciate,” said Josh Weeks, a former Bayer vice president who started a business strategy consultancy in 2012.

Even the best company managers may not see the weak link in a strong chain, agreed Robert Corrigan, an internationally recognized urban rodent expert. Consultants point out weaknesses, opportunities and issues that need attention. “An independent, third-party” analysis by a person with credentials gives pest management professionals “all kinds of credibility,” he said.

Industry consultants can help an organization in a number of different ways including:

Offering a second technical opinion — Small and mid-sized businesses may not be able to support a full-time technical person but can hire a consultant to fill that role when needed. Consultants give advice by phone and email — smartphones make sending them images from the field a snap — and work on retainer. “I’m surprised more don’t take advantage of this affordable service,” said Larry Pinto, Pinto & Associates, Mechanicsville, Md. Experts can be retained for government contracts, which often require that an entomologist be on call. Some troubleshoot challenging pest problems in the field.

Training employees to do better — Consultants conduct programs on managing specific pests and using products, equipment and Integrated Pest Management practices. When bed bugs reappeared, industry pioneer Austin Frishman, who started consulting in 1967, and Paul Bello of PJB Consulting, trained PMPs in 60 cities over 18 months, Bello recalled. As new technology and methodology develop, consultants bring the industry up to speed, said Frishman.

Experts like Stoy Hedges, former senior technical professional at Terminix, specialize in developing training programs that integrate new technology to meet increasing state requirements for continuing education (see related article, bottom table).

Don’t overlook the value of business training, advised Doug Mampe, an industry icon who started consulting in 1980. PMPs who only attend technical sessions remain small shops; those who learn about bigger business issues grow into mid-size operations, he said.

Improving internal processes — Training, alone, won’t resolve callbacks, customer complaints or staffing issues. That takes a “re-engineering of the job,” said Jeff Tucker of Entomology Associates, in Houston. By spending time on site and riding along with technicians, consultants ferret out roadblocks to success and suggest improvements. “Every company needs an outside look every once in a while” to “see where the holes are” in its procedures, treatment protocols and internal training programs, said Pinto.

Providing third-party perspective — An outside voice lends “weight of evidence” that helps advance a project or stops a “non-starter idea,” said Steve Sims, former senior research entomologist and product development manager at BASF/Whitmire Micro-Gen. After years of working in the industry, consultants have “seen 95 percent of the problems” and can tell you if an initiative is worth pursuing, he said. Clients usually want input from a third-party expert before signing off on costly pest prevention measures, noted Eric Smith, former technical director at Dodson Pest Control, Lynchburg, Va.

Keeping the future in focus — It’s easy to miss trends when caught up in the daily grind. Consultants help companies prepare for change so they can maintain a competitive edge; they know what trends have staying power and how to adjust the company accordingly, said Corrigan. The “big time” shift away from rodenticide use by Walmart, for example, will change how many PMPs perform rodent control for their commercial customers, he said.

Developing competitiveness — Companies face a “stewing pot of increased pressure” from regulatory issues to public perception and need “very clear and cogent strategies and the ability to implement them,” said Weeks. Business consultants “sharpen that pencil” so companies are more focused and better competitors, he said. Small companies stand to gain, too. Some consultants work specifically with small to mid-size family businesses.

Ensuring compliance — Keeping up with fast-changing local, state and federal rules, as well as global food safety regulations, is a growing challenge. A new regulation concerning direct supervision in Massachusetts, for example, is a “minefield” that will be “easy to screw up and get in trouble,” said Richard Berman, RCBerman in Boston and former Waltham Services technical director who sits on the state pesticide board. Consultants provide the training and practical advice that keeps you and your clients in compliance.

Creating a value proposition — “Unless a company can show value, it’s going to fail,” said Jeff McGovern, Pest Coach, Palatka, Fla. Value is not selling service at a low price. A lower price is just a lower price; nobody wins, he explained. Instead, consultants help PMPs “become part of the team that protects that firm’s brand name,” said McGovern. “If we can show value in brand protection with our specialty in pest control, they’ll never fire us,” he said.

Sparking innovation — “If you can use a consultant to innovate, you should,” said David Naffziger of DHN Solutions, Chesterfield, Mo. Companies are full of distractions that prevent people from innovating and are too focused on what they’ve sold today instead of “what the industry is going to need in 15 years,” said the former senior research scientist at BASF/Whitmire Micro-Gen. Consultants guide manufacturers in developing formulations that meet the industry’s near-future needs. “We’re not going to be spraying some of the stuff we are right now,” said Naffziger, looking five years out.

Developing new products — The hurdles for creating blockbuster products are getting higher. “If you’re placing R&D bets, you need to be focused tactically where you place them,” said Weeks. Consultants help manufacturers “make hard decisions” and dismiss unrealistic expectations.

Sometimes big manufacturers “are run by people so high up they forget what’s going on, and they come out with a formulation that costs too much or has too much in the container; it smells and they never really tested it in the field,” said Frishman. Consultants provide needed feedback and help get labels expanded for new and invasive pests, he said.

Universities today emphasize basic research over applied research and “aren’t training the people with the background needed to provide these services,” added Gary Braness, Yosemite Environmental Services, Fresno, Calif., and a former R&D specialist at Bayer. Consultants fill this void.

Getting things done faster and cheaper — Using a consultant’s contacts, knowledge and experience helps emerging manufacturers get up and running “a lot faster than if they tried to do it on their own,” said Michael McDermott, MMCD Consulting, Bernardsville, N.J., and former global business leader of DuPont Professional Products. Companies tap specific experience and talents at a lower cost than hiring someone full time; those that have down-sized can bring in consultants for special projects without adding to the head count.

Filling the knowledge gap — As baby boomers exit the industry, consultants are “bridging some of the gaps in terms of leadership” until the next generations fill in, said Weeks. Some consultants, like Bello, handle companies’ more complex customer service questions, such as how a product applied in the home might affect a customer’s autoimmune disease.

Others, like Randy Moser, a former Syngenta executive who is now an independent franchisee of AdviCoach, offers business coaching and sales training to PMPs. “My role as a business coach is three-fold,” he said. “I work with businesses to identify any blind spots that are creating barriers for growth/profitability. I share best practices when appropriate and finally, after getting to know the business owner, I hold them accountable to themselves in reaching their goals and dreams.”

Testifying in court — When bed bugs rebounded, litigation involving pest control companies was rare, said Richard Kramer, who has consulted since 1996 and is president of Innovative Pest Management, a pest control company in Brookeville, Md. “Now every lawsuit names the pest control company servicing the property,” he said. The volume of litigation is growing, agreed consultants who work as expert witnesses. Some are hired by companies that insure the industry; others represent plaintiffs. Beside bed bugs, suits involve termites, personal injury and pesticide misapplication.

Paul Hardy, J Paul Hardy Consulting, Smyrna, Ga., and former longtime Orkin senior technical director, works behind the scenes to help parties settle issues before going to court. His objective is to “resolve the problem and restore the industry,” he said.

The author is an editorial contributor to PCT magazine. She can be reached at anagro@gie.net.

Editor’s note: PCT contacted many consultants for this article but with so many individuals serving the marketplace, we likely missed some. If you’re an industry consultant and would like to be featured in an upcoming article, please send an email to PCT Editor Jodi Dorsch at jdorsch@gie.net with your contact information and details about the services you offer.