Cooper Pest Solutions Wins New Jersey Family Business of the Year Award

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. — Cooper Pest Solutions and BedBug Central have been honored with the 2011 New Jersey Family Business of the Year Award by the Rothman Institute of Entrepreneurship  because of their active family engagement, community involvement, the expansion of industry, and the creation of jobs in the state.

The Rothman Institute of Entrepreneurship is part of Fairleigh Dickinson University, whose mission is to teach and support entrepreneurship and innovation in the academic, business, and nonprofit communities.

Nearly 50 family-owned companies throughout New Jersey applied for this award with Cooper Pest Solutions (CPS) selected as the winner for the “up to $10 million” category, and Sickles Market for the “over $10 million” category.

This award highlights the importance of family business culture. The organization strongly believes that each staff member is a part of the Cooper family and encourages a meaningful work-life balance.

Company president and CEO, Phillip Cooper, was grateful to accept this award with his staff and family members present at the award ceremony.

“After being nominated four times for this award, I was completely floored when they announced Cooper Pest as the winner at the award luncheon, “said Cooper. “It’s great to be recognized among highly respected family-owned businesses in New Jersey. This truly means a lot to me and to the Cooper Pest family.”

The idea of family-owned means more to CPS that just genetics. Kara Barker, whose grandmother was employed by CPS, grew up in the Cooper culture.  Her grandmother would regularly take 7-year old Kara to work with her to help her with odd jobs. Barker eventually joined the Cooper time by becoming a part-time employee while attending high school and college. Barker is now a full-time customer service manager and Cooper recently accepted her two sisters as Interns.

“As long as I can remember, Cooper Pest has been a fixture in my life and my family,” said Barker. “It’s really exciting to see my two sisters’ interning with the company because we are able to share these experiences.”

In 2007 Cooper Pest Solutions, became a national leader in bed bug treatments with the launch of BedBug Central (BedBugCentral.com), which is a free online educational resource to the public about the prevention and treatment methods of bed bugs. This expansion spearheaded the growth of New Jersey’s bed bug industry.

In addition, CPS was recognized for contributing more than $200,000 to the MS Society, while also creating a national charity that provides over $300,000 worth of donated bed bug services to those in need during the holiday.

The winner of the New Jersey Family Business of the Year Award is selected after a rigorous application process which includes an on-site inspection, interviews, and consensus among the judges.

Specific factors highlight Cooper Pest Solutions’ dedication to the community and the staff. CPS incorporates a “WOW” philosophy, which is strongly represented in all areas of the business. With every interaction Cooper Pest seeks to achieve the company mission: “WOW our clients, WOW our teammates, WOW our community and WOW our service partners”.