[Seminar Spotlight] Growth Strategies

For pest control companies to survive in an increasingly competitive business environment, growth is essential. After all, if you’re not growing, you’re dying.

As a fourth-generation, family-owned enterprise, MGK understands this basic business truth. That’s why for the second year in a row the Minneapolis-based supplier of pest control products is sponsoring a series of one-day M.I.S.T. conferences designed to grow the PMP’s bottom line.

M.I.S.T. – an acronym for Misting Insecticides Solutions & Technology – is an intensive one-day seminar focusing on business-building strategies for the mosquito market, one of the fastest-growing segments of the pest management industry. Upcoming seminars are set for Feb. 8 in Houston, Texas, and Feb. 22 in Atlanta, Ga.

"Due to the recession, PMPs had a challenging year in 2010," observed Kevin Caskey, business director, Branded Products, MGK, but those forward-looking companies that diversified into the mosquito market performed better than most, providing a valuable, add-on service to new and existing customers.

"Mosquito control services not only provide a valuable revenue stream for PMPs, but address a legitimate service need of home-owners," added MGK’s Mosquito Misting Market Specialist Andy Sturgis. "Residents of mosquito-prone areas want to take their backyards back from mosquitoes. For many, it’s a quality of life issue."

One successful entrepreneur who has grown his business by expanding into the mosquito market is Russ Jundt, co-owner of Mosquito Squad of Minnesota. Jundt, who will lead an educational session on "Marketing Mosquito Misting and Mosquito Control Services" at this year’s conference, recognized the growth potential of mosquito services – even in a cold-weather market like Minnesota – early on. "It’s a great business to be in because it’s such a widespread problem," he said.

Mosquito Squad offers a range of mosquito control services, including barrier spray programs, mosquito misting and special event spraying (i.e., outdoor weddings, pool parties, barbecues, etc.). "We make sure there are no uninvited guests to weddings," Jundt said. "It’s an easy sale. What’s another couple hundred dollars for a mosquito treatment when you’re already spending thousands of dollars on an event?

"We were one of the first companies in Minnesota to offer mosquito misting systems," Jundt added, partnering with MGK to grow the business. "MGK is in our backyard, so we’ve taken advantage of that. They’ve been very gracious about allowing us to visit their facility and meet their product development people," he said. "They have several entomologists on staff that helped us address various mosquito problems or identify a specific mosquito species."

GROWTH STRATEGIES. "In addition to educating PMPs about opportunities in the mosquito market, this year’s M.I.S.T. Conferences will focus on how PMPs can grow their overall business through the use of social media and other online marketing tools," added Monika Morris, misting market manager, MGK. "That’s why we’re hosting a Social Media ‘Mini’ Boot Camp as part of this year’s program."

The Boot Camp features Paul Slack, co-founder of Splash Media, a company specializing in social media strategies for small businesses. The session will provide pest management professionals with a crash course on specific ways they can use social media to drive new business. The 60-minute program will address the following questions:

• What is social media?
• What do Fortune 100 companies know that I don’t know?
• Why is social media important for my business?
• How do I use social media to create new customers?
• How do I get started?

"Learn how other companies have launched successful marketing campaigns using social media platforms," said Christy Wyatt, client integration manager, Splash Media (www.splashmedia.com).

PRODUCT SHOWCASE. The M.I.S.T. Conferences also will feature tabletop exhibits for suppliers and vendors serving the mosquito market, providing attendees with an opportunity to learn about the various products and services available in this expanding field. "You can go anywhere in the United States and there’s potential to grow the market," Sturgis said.

"If you’re involved either directly or indirectly in the mosquito control market, the M.I.S.T. Conference is a must-see event, offering valuable technical information, product data, and marketing insights that aren’t available anywhere else," according to Morris, who developed this year’s program. "MGK’s M.I.S.T. Conference is designed to be the industry’s one-stop location for all of the latest news and technology advancements in the mosquito market. And now is the time to learn as much as you can about various opportunities in the mosquito market, during the off season when you can put a business plan together and a program in place to grow your business in 2011."

Cost of the one-day seminar is $30 per person, which includes a continental breakfast and lunch. To register, call 800/456-0707, visit www.mistconference.com, or e-mail conference@gie.net.

To learn more about MGK’s product line, including the company’s mosquito misting products Riptide, Vampyre and Sector, visit www.mgk.com.
 

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Dr. Jerome Goddard to Discuss

Public Health Importance of Mosquitoes

Dr. Jerome Goddard, one of the most sought-after speakers in the pest management industry, will discuss "The Public Health and Medical Importance of Mosquitoes" during a keynote address at both MGK M.I.S.T. Conferences in February.

Goddard, state medical entomologist for the Mississippi Department of Health, has published more than 150 scientific papers and six books during his 25-year career, including Infectious Diseases and Arthropods. He also served as a Contributing Editor to the 10th Edition of the soon to be published Mallis Handbook of Pest Control.

Other speakers scheduled to appear at the M.I.S.T. Conference include:

• Jim Jackson, president, Mistaway Systems, Houston, Texas. – Jackson will discuss "Equipment Engineering: What Matters," an overview of the important role equipment plays when installing and maintaining misting systems.

• Andy Sturgis, mosquito misting market specialist, MGK – Sturgis will provide a "Product Overview" of MGK’s mosquito misting product line including Riptide Waterbased Pyrethrin ULV, Vampyre Misting Concentrate, and Sector Misting Concentrate.

• Andy McGinty, executive vice president/COO, LIPCA Insurance – McGinty will review the liability risks and best practices associated with mosquito misting as part of a presentation titled, "Liability Exposure & Management."