[December News]

PCT on the Road: Corrigan in Columbus, Chicago

COLUMBUS, OHIO — Pest management professionals gathered in Columbus and Chicago in November to hear from rodent expert Bobby Corrigan, who gave eight-hour presentations about practical rodent biology and how such knowledge can help pest professionals solve rodent infestations for their clients. The PCT Rodent Seminar Series was sponsored by Atlantic Paste & Glue, Bell Laboratories and Liphatech.

The house mouse is the second most successful mammal on earth behind humans, Corrigan said. And while the pest control industry has a wide array of successful products from which to choose, the key is using these products, including baits and traps, in the correct spots. “Throwing a packet of bait anywhere is an insult to that animal,” he said.

To show how quickly mice can reproduce and turn into huge problems for customers, Corrigan said in the past year, in six weeks he personally removed 762 mice in one restaurant; in three weeks he removed 2,260 mice in one supermarket; and in four weeks he removed 5,439 mice in one grocery store distribution center. “Each of these had a pest control company that was servicing these accounts for several years,” he said. “These are not world records. These are not incoming animals. They are residents.”

Corrigan asked the pest professionals in the room if they knew what “L L L B O I I I” stood for. The answer? “Location location location based on inspection inspection inspection.” Here’s why that matters: Even locations that appear to be similar — for example, two houses next door to each other — have huge differences that only can be determined by inspecting the properties thoroughly.

Corrigan said the average range of a house mouse under average conditions is 10 to 30 feet. When an infestation begins and there are few mice, the animals forage in the lower end of the range. But as the infestation grows and competition increases, the mice will extend that range to more than 30 feet. “The single most common cause of control failure is because you have underestimated the severity or the scope of the population,” Corrigan said. And when there’s a control failure and another visit to the account is required, “the average callback is $75 to $100 out of your pocket,” he added.

Corrigan told pest professionals that their responsibility is to not only service installed equipment but to:

1. Be observant (through training, exercise and experience)
2. Focus their time in the rodent-vulnerable areas
3. Note conducive conditions and forward that information to the client

Corrigan said the public’s perspective of rodents as simply nuisance pests needs to change and they need to recognize that house mice are disease carriers that also cause significant economic damage. “We should not price mouse work so cheaply. We give it away,” he said. “We don’t put a high price on rodents but we do on bed bugs, but bed bugs don’t cause disease.” — Jodi Dorsch

Bayer ES Names Chris Pienaar Head of U.S. Pest Business

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Bayer Environmental Science in November announced that Chris Pienaar has been named head of the U.S. Professional Pest Management group. Pienaar joins the team from Bayer in Isando, Johannesburg, South Africa, where he held the position of country group manager of Sub Saharan Africa for four years.

“We are thrilled to welcome Chris Pienaar to the team,” said Peter Farno, director of marketing, PPM. “His vast product experience abroad, extraordinary skill set, and fresh vision will be an asset to guiding Bayer in the U.S. market.”

Pienaar brings 12 years of experience in pest and vector control in Africa and Asia, where he assembled an impressive knowledge in both sales and marketing management. His skill set includes building multinational partnerships with commercial, nongovernmental and donor organizations from various G8 countries.

“My skills have been well developed by the diverse and dynamic environments I have had the opportunity to work in,” Pienaar says. “The U.S. market offers a great new challenge for me, and my focus is to ensure that we at Bayer clearly understand our customer needs during the transition the market is making.”

Middleton Lawn & Pest CEO Greg Clendenin Retires

ORLANDO, Fla. — Greg Clendenin, president and chief executive officer with Sunair Southeast Pest Holdings and Middleton Lawn & Pest Control, on Oct. 30, announced his plan to retire from the pest control industry. Clendenin has spent his entire 29-year career with All America Termite and Pest Control, doing business as Sears Authorized Termite & Pest Control and Middleton Lawn & Pest Control. He was a minority partner with Chuck Steinmetz in both pest management businesses.

Clendenin has held numerous leadership positions with Middleton Lawn & Pest Control since joining the company in 1979, most recently president and chief executive officer since 1996. Since Sunair’s acquisition of Middleton Lawn & Pest Control in 2005, Clendenin also has held the role of chief executive officer with Sunair Southeast Pest Holdings. Additionally, he has held the position of vice president of operations (1989-96) for Sears Authorized Termite and Pest Control and served as a member of the board of directors of All America Termite and Pest Control.

Under Clendenin’s leadership, Middleton Lawn & Pest Control has grown to be a network of 27 branch offices, serving more than 120,000 accounts in 30 Florida counties and has been recognized for its strong performance and dedication to giving back to the communities it serves. From 1997 to 2005, the company grew annual revenues from $8 million to more than $35 million through organic growth.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to lead and to be a part of the evolution of Middleton Lawn & Pest Control.” said Clendenin. “Over the last 10 years, I have been fortunate to oversee the largest and most significant part of the growth to date of Middleton Lawn & Pest Control. I leave the company in good standing, complete with hundreds of wonderful employees that make Middleton the great service company that it is, and I expect them to have a very prosperous next year. People I hired 25 years ago are still with the company today. I personally look forward to the future success of the company. The future is bright. I also am looking forward to spending time with my family. We have a four year old and a two year old so the next stage of my life is going to be plenty busy.”

Clendenin will stay on for a year to consult for Middleton Lawn & Pest Control.

PPMA Announces Continued Industry Growth in 2007

FAIRFAX, Va. — According to a recent study conducted by a third-party research group on behalf of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), 26 percent of American homeowners have used professional pest control in the past year — a two percent increase over reported usage in 2006 and a six percent increase over usage reported in 2004. The October 2007 study also found that pest control usage is more prevalent in the South and in metro areas.

“The Professional Pest Management Alliance, the consumer outreach arm of NPMA, has been researching consumer pest control usage since 2004 when it was reported that 20 percent of homeowners used professional pest control services,” said Cindy Mannes, executive director of PPMA and vice president of NPMA. “Steady growth of six percent over three years has added just about 6.5 million new professional pest control customers.

Consumer market research is funded through contributions to PPMA, an organization that was established in 1997 to grow, protect and defend the professional pest management industry. To learn more about PPMA, its programs, initiatives and its contributor benefits, please visit www.NPMApestworld.org/ppma.

Karl Kisner Joins Univar as Director of Marketing

AUSTIN, Texas — Karl J. Kisner, a well-known figure in the pest management industry, has joined Univar USA, Austin, Texas, as director of marketing for the Professional Products and Services division (PP&S).
Kisner, a graduate of The Ohio State University, began his career as a turf specialist for Van Waters & Rogers in 1990, serving the Southern California market. He was employed by Terra Industries (now Pro Source One) for six years as a marketing manager before joining Aventis in 1998 as a product manager.

Kisner transitioned through the mergers and acquisitions of Aventis/Rhone Poulenc, Agrevo, Bayer, Bayer Hold Separate and eventually BASF, where he served as a senior marketing manager for the Termidor product line. He moved over to the turf side of BASF earlier this year before accepting the director of marketing position with Univar.

Kisner earned a bachelor’s degree in agronomy/turfgrass and holds a certificate of professional achievement in marketing and sales management from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. “Karl brings to this important role a wealth of marketing experience, a strong knowledge of our industry and a proven track record of implementing successful marketing initiatives,” said John Bolanos, vice president of PP&S. “I am excited about these changes and the positive impact our expanded marketing team will have on our ability to help our customers succeed in their businesses.”

Kisner said he is looking forward to returning to the company where he got his start, as well as getting reacquainted with the pest control industry.

Residential Pest Management is the Focus of Upcoming Whitmire Micro-Gen Seminars

ST. LOUIS — Whitmire Micro-Gen recently announced a series of Skill Development Seminars designed to help pest management professionals manage pest populations in residential environments. The program will present strategies and tactics of a great pest management program for homes, the company said.

The one-day seminars will be led by renowned entomologist Jeffrey Tucker, B.C.E. Dates and locations of the 2008 Skill Development Seminars include:

• Feb. 5 — Baltimore
• Feb. 6 — New Brunswick, N.J.
• Feb. 12 — Nashville, Tenn.
• Feb. 13 — Birmingham, Ala.
• Feb. 14 — Orlando, Fla.
• March 4 — Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
• March 5 — Tampa, Fla.
• March 6 — Jacksonville, Fla.
• March 11 — Raleigh, N.C.
• March 12 — Charlotte, N.C.
• March 13 — Atlanta
• April 1 — Chicago
• April 2 — St. Louis
• April 3 — Kansas City, Mo.
• April 15 — Boston
• April 16 — New Rochelle, N.Y.
• May 6 — Dallas
• May 7 — Houston
• May 13 — Riverside, Calif.
• May 14 — Sacramento, Calif.
• May 15 — San Francisco Bay area

There is no charge to attend and food and drink will be provided. For additional information, or to register, visit www.wmmg.com/sds or call 800/777-8570, ext. 4298. Seating is limited so Whitmire Micro-Gen recommends that you register early.

Marathon Data Systems Partners with Pointserve’s Optimization Technology

AUSTIN, Texas — Pointserve, a leader in economic resource optimization (ERO), in October announced a partnership with Marathon Data Systems to market PestPac on Pointserve. PestPac is Marathon’s office management system for the pest management industry. Pointserve is saving pest management firms on average more than 720 miles and 32 hours per technician per month with improved customer experience, according to the company.

“This relationship is a great example of how two market-leading products can be combined to deliver a solution that will transform the pest management industry,” said Ed Powell, Pointserve chairman and CEO. “No other solution provides the operational value, customer service, or user experience of PestPac on Pointserve. What impresses us most about Marathon Data Systems is its relentless pursuit of excellence and value on behalf of its market-leading customers.”

“Our clients are excited about having such a robust platform to help them achieve success in their business. We believe Pointserve’s Economic Resource Optimization is an important innovation in the pest management industry,” said Mike Ayars, founder and president of Marathon Data Systems. “The results are impressive and our joint clients are realizing major productivity benefits in a very short time. We believe this partnership sets PestPac and Pointserve apart in the market by providing such transformational capabilities, and we are doing it in a way that effectively reduces business risk.”

BASF Offers Phantom Food-handling Application Video

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — BASF has debuted a food-handling establishment application video for Phantom termiticide-insecticide. The DVD gives pest management professionals systematic steps for controlling pests in food handling establishments, including food handling areas, and guides viewers through an inspection and application with BASF Market Development Specialist, Dr. Anil Menon.

Menon narrates the video and emphasizes the importance of effective and precise application techniques in both food handling areas (areas where food and food products are held, processed, prepared or served) and non-food handling areas (garbage rooms, lavatories, floor drains, locker rooms and mop closets). As showcased in the video, the Phantom label also allows for application to outside pest entry points, including doors, windows, eaves, attic vents and holes in exterior walls where utilities enter.

For more information, visit www.pestcontrolfacts.org.