Truck Donation Keeps Hurricane Ian-Impacted Business Operating

FORT MYERS, Fla. – As the owner of a route-based business, Jason Woodbury, president of Infinite Pest Solutions, Fort Myers, Fla., understood full well the predicament of friend and networking colleague Chaz Hambling, owner of SWFL Pool Pros, Fort Myers, Fla. Hurricane Ian decimated Hambling’s pool maintenance and repair business, including damaging his home-based office, completely destroying equipment, pumps and – most devastatingly – all nine of his service vehicles. 

Woodbury, whose business is located on what he called “the fringe of the hurricane,” was fortunate to come through Ian in relatively decent shape. He empathized with Hambling, understanding that if you can’t get to customers, your business is in peril.

In the days and weeks following Ian, Woodbury allowed his office location to be used as staging area for search and rescue efforts, and he had been using social media to connect those in need with those who were willing to donate labor, money and goods.

One of the people he called to check in on was Hambling, whom he offered food and shelter. Hambling said what he really needed was help for his business; specifically, he needed trucks. “Jason said, ‘Let me let me work on this. Give me a day or two,’” Hambling recalled.

Woodbury reached out to Jared Borg, a lifelong friend who founded Pointe Pest Control, along with Jason’s brother, Kyle Woodbury. Pointe Pest Control, which operates in Virginia under the Green Pest Services brand, was sold to PestCo Holdings in February. Borg had four 10-year-old Ford Rangers that were retired and getting prepped to be sent to auction. He called PestCo CEO Jay Keating, who immediately approved the donation.

Borg, who lives in Boise, Idaho, credited his management team at Green Pest Services (Dan Seymour, Bryan Stoneberger and Kevin Lansdown) for arranging to have the trucks shipped them from Virginia to Florida.

Hambling said the trucks have been a “God send,” allowing him to keep his business operating and keeping all nine of his employees working (they’ve been divvying up use of the trucks). Their services are in demand as pools have been flooded with debris, dead fish and many pumps and other equipment have been damaged, Hambling said..

Hambling said Borg and his company have been “guardian angels” to him and his business. Speaking to Borg on a Zoom call, Hambling told Borg that he and Woodbury, “single-handedly saved my business, saved my employees, saved our existence.”

Woodbury said hundreds and thousands of residents in Southwest Florida are still in need and living in despair, so he feels good about this effort to “to restore hope and bring love.”

Similarly, Borg said that even though the Green Pest Services ownership has changed in the past year, this donation exemplifies that “who we are hasn’t changed. We've always looked for opportunities to help where we can and we were happy to help in the situation.