Residential Technician of the Year — Gail Wiles, Hulett Environmental Services, West Palm Beach, Fla.

Commercial Technician of the Year — John Dawson, Griffin Pest Solutions, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Termite Technician of the Year — Rick Gaudreault, Orkin, Collinsville, Ill.

RICHFIELD, Ohio — Pest Control Technology (PCT) magazine, and sponsor BASF Pest Control Solutions, are proud to announce the 2011 Service Technicians of the Year. For the past 15 years, PCT has recognized a trio of standout service professionals in the residential, commercial and termite categories. This year’s winners are:

Residential Technician of the Year — Gail Wiles, Hulett Environmental Services, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Commercial Technician of the Year — John Dawson, Griffin Pest Solutions, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Termite Technician of the Year — Rick Gaudreault, Orkin, Collinsville, Ill.

Wiles came to Hulett Environmental Services after having served as head safety officer for 13 power plants. Her coworkers and clients regard her as a knowledgeable, friendly and reliable professional. Wiles works hard to connect with the community and earn the trust of her customers, many of whom now consider her a friend. In addition to her work at Hulett, Wiles has been involved helping more than 30 charitable organizations during the past 13 years.

Dawson, a 24-year veteran of Griffin Pest Solutions, has been an early adopter and patient teacher of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). He works hard to find solutions that are environmentally responsible and minimally invasive. As a teacher, he believes in thoroughly explaining to customers what he’s doing and why, what they can expect in terms of results and why IPM solutions are preferable to traditional solutions in many situations. Because Dawson services accounts with very low pest thresholds, mostly in the health care and pharmaceutical segment, this customer education is vital.

Gaudreault has become a leader at Orkin’s Collinsville, Ill. branch office due to his positive attitude and willingness to do the little things to meet and exceed customer expectations. A termite technician for the past seven years, Gaudreault has excelled at a job that requires problem solving and attention to detail. He serves as a model mentor to new service technicians, exhibiting patience and dedication necessary to train others.

“The 2011 Technicians of the Year are representative of the many outstanding service professionals in the pest control industry,” said PCT Managing Editor Brad Harbison. “Whether it’s mentoring new service technicians, assisting with training programs or growing their routes through sales efforts, each of this year’s winners truly goes above and beyond their job description.”

PCT received dozens of nominations for from pest control companies throughout the U.S. of various size and make-up. Managers/owners were asked to evaluate service technicians in several areas including: technical skills; communication skills; service to company/community; and their mentoring role within the company. All of the nominations were reviewed by a panel of pest control industry experts who determined the winners. Each winner will be profiled in an upcoming issue of PCT and recognized during special ceremony at NPMA Legislative Day 2012, in Washington, D.C.