[News]

New NPMA CEO Not Named Yet; Rosenberg to Stay On For Now

Fairfax, Va. — Despite a timeline established and published more than a year ago, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) will not be naming CEO Bob Rosenberg’s replacement this month.

NPMA President Russ Ives, in an email to the NPMA board of directors on Sept. 14, wrote “…even a carefully planned timetable and precise execution do not always yield the desired outcome on schedule. The committee’s goal had been to have a new CEO in place by the end of the year, with the hope of being able to introduce that person in Nashville (in October)…that target date will not be met.”

The reason? The NPMA succession planning committee hasn’t found the right person for the job yet, committee chair Chuck Tindol told PCT. “I was disappointed because we wanted to have someone at this point,” he said. “But I’m happy because we didn’t settle. We’d rather stay where we’re at than make a mistake.”

Rosenberg’s replacement has been on the industry’s mind since October 2013, when the succession planning committee met for the first time. A year ago, PCT published the following timeline for the new hire:

• October 2013: Succession planning committee met; developed a two-year timeline to hire a new CEO.
• March 2014: Committee met to refine the job description, discuss the required skill set, etc.
• March 2015: The position will be advertised, candidates vetted and interview process to begin.
• October 2015: The new CEO will attend PestWorld in Nashville and meet members. He or she will work in tandem with Rosenberg and then take the reins Jan. 1, 2016.

But that didn’t happen. What did happen is that the CEO position was advertised this spring, candidates vetted and a half-dozen or so were brought into NPMA’s headquarters in Fairfax, Va., for in-person interviews late this summer. After those interviews, however, the committee declined to offer the job to anyone.

“The search committee members, to a person, were passionate to a fault,” Rosenberg told PCT. “That’s a cool thing. They really care about the industry and NPMA and it’s important to them to make a right decision.”
 

Now what? Rosenberg has agreed to stay on as long as needed until his replacement is found.

“I’ve always said Dec. 31 wasn’t a hard date,” Rosenberg told PCT. “I could be gone sooner, I could be around longer. I’m not going to leave NPMA high and dry.”

In September the succession planning committee hired an outside search firm to help identify additional candidates. Tindol said while the committee accepted and reviewed submitted resumes, a search firm will proactively look for those potential candidates who may not know of the position or who didn’t apply the first time around.

“…I want to strongly endorse this process. I will attest to something you already know, that we are fortunate to have a talented, dedicated and thoughtful committee working on our behalf in this important task,” Ives wrote to the board. “I am very grateful for the leadership that Chuck has given to this effort, and can’t think of anyone who would do it better. We are also fortunate to have Bob Rosenberg’s commitment to the future of this association, as exemplified by his willingness to stretch his retirement guideline to assist us in a successful transition.”

Stay tuned to PCT for continuing coverage. — Jodi Dorsch

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Heron Home & Outdoor Acquires Florida’s Critter & Pest Defense

Orlando — Heron Home & Outdoor recently acquired Critter & Pest Defense, a family business owned by Carl and Stephanie Shaw. Headquartered in Apopka, Fla., since 2007, Critter & Pest Defense provides services in Orange, Seminole, Lake and West Volusia Counties. Carl Shaw will join Heron Home & Outdoor as wildlife and insulation district manager.

“As we continue to expand our business, we search for quality companies that align with Heron’s values of providing superior services and exceeding customer expectations,” said Greg Clendenin, CEO of Heron Home & Outdoor. “Critter & Pest Defense shares our core company values, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and has an outstanding reputation in this market. Carl and his team will be a great asset as we continue to successfully expand our wildlife and insulation services divisions. I’d also like to give a special thanks to Kemp Anderson, a 10-year industry veteran in mergers and acquisitions, for working both companies through the acquisition process.”

According to Shaw, “We chose Heron Home & Outdoor because it’s a company that truly cares about its customers and its employees. What also attracted us to Heron is Greg Clendenin and his reputation in the business, along with the opportunity of helping Heron’s business grow to the next level. It’s a win-win all the way around.”

Heron Home & Outdoor has more than 200 employees serving residential customers in Hillsborough, Flagler, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Polk and Volusia Counties with additional plans to expand, the firm said.

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Rentokil Acquires Anderson Pest Solutions

READING, Pa. — Rentokil North America in late August announced its acquisition of Chicago-based Anderson Pest Solutions, a $21 million company.

Anderson, family-owned since 1913, serves residential and commercial customers throughout Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin.

John Myers, CEO and president of Rentokil North America, said: “As one of the leading independent pest control companies in the Chicago metropolitan area, I am delighted that Anderson Pest Solutions is joining Rentokil. Like Rentokil, Anderson brings with it a strong commitment to world-class service, a great management team, and a focus on innovation. As a result, there is a strong cultural fit between the two companies and I look forward to bringing Anderson into the Rentokil family of businesses.”

Mark O’Hara, president of Anderson Pest Solutions said, “While it is always difficult for an owner to sell a family-owned business, I feel that the timing is right. Just as importantly, I know that Rentokil is absolutely the right buyer as it also believes in the importance of well-trained technicians delivering reliable, guaranteed work in an environmentally and responsible way.”

Tullius Partners represented and acted as exclusive financial advisor to Anderson Pest Solutions.

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Pi Chi Omega Update

Fredericksburg, Va. — As reported previously in PCT, Pi Chi Omega, the industry’s professional fraternity, has a new management team — Andrea Coron and Kristin Coron of Cooper Coron & Associates (CCA). Here’s an update of what else is new with the association:

• To contact the new staff, email office@pichiomega.org or P.O. Box 187, Fredericksburg, VA 22405.
• Pi Chi Omega will be at NPMA PestWorld (booth #922). The group also will have a membership meeting on Oct. 20 and an open board meeting on Oct. 19.
  • The nominations committee is seeking a candidate for a treasurer with accounting management experience and references. Elections will be held at PestWorld.
  • The membership dues amnesty program is ending. Mail dues payments to the address above, or pay online at www.pichiomega.org. If you are unsure about your status, email the staff.
  • Pi Chi Omega will be awarding four scholarships in May of 2016 to entomology students majoring in urban and industrial pest management or a closely related plan of study. More information will be released soon.

Purdue Entomology’s Steve Yaninek to Step Down

West Lafayette, Ind. — Dr. Steve Yaninek announced that he will step out of the role of head of the Department of Entomology to return to his scholarly activities, effective fall 2016. “We are very grateful to Dr. Yaninek for his leadership over the last 15 years,” said Dean Jay Akridge. “He has been a great ambassador for the department.”

Dr. Bob Joly, professor of horticulture and landscape architecture, will chair the search advisory committee for the next Entomology Department head and the following faculty and staff have agreed to serve on the committee:

•  Tim Gibb, insect diagnostician
• Catherine Hill, professor
• Eileen Luke, CERIS director
• Christian Krupke, professor
• Linda Mason, professor
• Doug Richmond, associate professor
• Jeff Stuart, professor
• Jen Zaspel, assistant professor
   

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PPMA Announces Rodent Awareness Week in November

FAIRFAX, Va. — The Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA) will celebrate Rodent Awareness Week next month, Nov. 15-21. The week-long consumer education and media campaign will bring attention to the health and property threats of rodents and will urge consumers to partner with pest control professionals to address infestations. Although in its second year of celebration, 2016 marks the inaugural year for this designation to be recognized by Chase’s Calendar of Events, and coincides with the onset of colder temperatures and the start of winter weather.

“While the American public has a general awareness that rodents shouldn’t be around food or in our homes or businesses, they likely don’t know the full extent of problems posed by rodents or how quickly an infestation can get out of control,” said Cindy Mannes, executive director of the Professional Pest Management Alliance. “We invite the industry to take advantage of this opportunity and help us to bring attention to rodent issues while also educating consumers about rodent prevention, behaviors and the importance of calling a pest control professional to handle rodent problems.”

PPMA will use a mix of traditional and social media tactics to reach consumers in advance of and during the designated week. Additionally, the organization developed a digital Rodent Awareness Week toolkit to assist PPMA Guardian and Contributor companies with their own marketing and media outreach efforts. The toolkit contains a customizable press release template, suggested social media posts, infographics, photos and other materials to help companies communicate with customers.

PPMA investors can access the toolkit on www.ppmatools.org, the group’s exclusive marketing hub. Learn more about PPMA and its marketing programs by visiting www.npmapestworld.org/ppma.
 

Univar Releases Updates for Pest Management Industry Web Portal

AUSTIN, Texas — In the first major step of its multi-stage updates to its online user experience, Univar Agriculture and Environmental Sciences has released new features to its industry web portals, PestWeb.com, PestWeb.ca, ProVMWeb.com and CropWeb.com.

This fall release includes four major changes for professionals in the Pest Management, Vegetation Management and Agricultural industries, including:

• Enhanced search functionality: Users now can access important information about products, including EPA labels and Safety Data Sheets (SDS), directly from search results.
• Expanded product page options: Manufacturers and suppliers now can include greater detail and more information about their products, giving users significantly more usage context.
• Favorites lists: Users can save products to a “favorites” list, allowing them to better organize information for research or purchasing planning.
• Responsive design: All Pest Management, Vegetation Management, and Agricultural industry portals are now fully responsive, allowing content to be displayed optimally across nearly all desktop, laptop, tablet and smartphone devices.

“We’re confident our existing website users will welcome the improvements we’ve made to our industry portals by enhancing the speed and offering a more intuitive Web experience,” said Karl J. Kisner, vice president, marketing, Univar Environmental Sciences and Agriculture.

“Things that used to take a few extra clicks are now available instantly, and are now easily accessible on any mobile device platform.”

Kisner added, “Even though these improvements are enormously important, we want them to feel natural to our users. So no matter what professional field they’re in, visitors to our portals can get the information they need as fast as possible, underscoring our commitment to supporting our customers’ needs at every turn.”

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Central Life Sciences Highlights Brand Portfolio With Redesigned Website

Schaumburg, Ill. — Central Life Sciences announced the launch of its redesigned website, www.centrallifesciences.com. The new mobile-optimized website was developed to connect customers to the insect control solutions offered by Central Life Sciences, the firm says.

“With such a vast portfolio of brands serving many diverse markets, it was important to capture the breadth of what we do in a modern, easy-to-navigate site,” said Mark Newberg, director of corporate affairs for Central Garden & Pet Company, parent company of Central Life Sciences. “This site reflects our position as a leader in insect control science with a commitment to enhancing quality of life.”

Centrallifesciences.com provides visitors with the latest news and industry insights, an overview of product offerings by brand and market, and information on the company’s portfolio of active ingredients. Visitors can access any of the company’s brand websites linked throughout centrallifesciences.com or contact company representatives with product questions.

The website can be accessed on any computer, tablet or smartphone.

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PestOne Celebrates 15th Anniversary

GREENSBORO, N.C. — In September, PestOne member companies traveled from various cities across the Southeast for training and networking at the Annual Summer Convention in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

This year PestOne had several milestones to celebrate. PestOne co-founder and president Billy Tesh said, “We’ve come a long way in 15 years and more than doubled our attendance at this event. This year we had a record-breaking 518 registered attendees, which is pretty exciting.”

In addition, the convention served as a launch party for PestOne’s newly redesigned website, www.pestone.com. The group says the new website makes it easy for consumers to find the most reputable and highest-quality pest control companies in the area in little to no time.

PestOne opened the convention to owners, employees, family members and industry sponsors. Bayer Environmental Science has been the main convention sponsor for more than 10 years.

“Bayer did a great job again this year providing fun and educational seminars on pesticide safety, ant management and termite management. These training sessions are a key aspect of the PestOne convention along with the opportunity for team building,” says Tesh.

PestOne is an organization of PMPs that aims to build a positive image for the pest management industry and individual customer bases while helping each other to grow. PestOne works closely with the National Pest Management Association and the Professional Pest Management Alliance on a variety of issues.

Learn more at http://pestone.com.