FAIRFAX, Va. — The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) announced its intent to develop a future-oriented Strategic Plan that will ensure the association is best prepared to meet the needs of pest professionals and the industry as a whole in the years ahead .

The Strategic Plan process will begin later this week with a comprehensive survey being disseminated to pest management professionals around the world. Pest professionals and other industry stakeholders, including manufacturers and distributors, will participate in facilitated focus group sessions at PestWorld and then, based on input collected, the association’s leadership will articulate priority objectives and strategies in February.  Once the framework for the future is developed, NPMA’s committees and divisions will identify the tactics essential to meet the directions established.

In an open letter to the association’s membership, NPMA Executive Vice President Rob Lederer explained, “we know that the education, regulatory and consumer advocacy, and array of tangible benefits we offer positively affect our members’ businesses; however, like all forward-thinking organizations, we are not prone to rest in a successful status quo. NPMA’s Board of Directors and staff want to ensure that the value we offer the industry as a whole, and our members’ businesses in particular, continues to be relevant and dynamic.”

“NPMA has become the valuable industry leader it is because of the visionary stewardship put forth by industry professionals for nearly eight decades," said NPMA President Ray Johnson.  “As we look to the future for the professional pest control industry and the association that represents us,  learning from the experiences, needs, and beliefs of our members is paramount.”

NPMA expects to receive input into the strategic plan from hundreds of member companies throughout the world.  The initial phase of gathering input will begin with the NPMA Member Survey which asks members to evaluate current programs and services and provide open-ended commentary about their beliefs for their businesses and the industry in the future.  All attendees at PestWorld will be given the chance to participate in structured focus groups guided by an independent facilitator.  NPMA plans to unveil the completed Strategic Plan in the spring.