[Market Watch]

J&J Exterminating Co.

Lafayette, La.

After a challenging 2003, Tim Broussard, general manager of J&J Exterminating Co., Lafayette, La., said business is beginning to come back thanks to a strong housing market and improving economic conditions. "Overall, 2003 was a down year in our economy," according to Broussard, largely due to layoffs in the petrochemicals industry and a dip in local home sales. Fortunately, "signs of steady growth" are beginning to reappear across a variety of market segments, including housing, oil and petrochemicals. As a result, he said, "We are very excited about the future." While termite swarms have been inconsistent at best the past two years, 2004 has started off strong, adding to Broussard’s optimism. "We anticipate larger sales totals due to increased numbers of termites because of the wet spring we’ve been experiencing," he said.

Eden Advanced Pest Technologies

Olympia, Wash.

The Pacific Northwest has experienced an "up-and-down" economy in recent years, but Jack Marlowe, vice president of Eden Advanced Pest Technologies, Olympia, Wash., is hopeful that better days are ahead. "I’m not sure of the overall affect on other PMPs, however, for us we had a flat growth year in 2002 and we had about a 5 percent decline last year," he said. In 2004, Marlowe is projecting a 15 percent increase in sales. Why the optimism? "Mainly, we are tired of not growing and so our focus and determination is at a higher level," he said. "The other thing about not growing, it gives you time to identify problems and fix holes in your quality, improve your staff through attrition and training, and be more diligent about marketing. I do believe our economy will be a little better this year, and we seem to be having a more normal weather pattern in 2004, so we are hoping that carpenter ants will actually swarm this year." Marlowe will continue marketing Eden’s mosquito control services, invest in local TV advertising and add a "plantscape health" program to the company’s service offerings "that will combine information about proper plantscape practices, as well as seasonally appropriate treatment recommendations."

Bill Clark Pest Control

Beaumont, Texas

A sluggish local economy also has impacted Bill Clark Pest Control, a 47-year-old family business based in Beaumont, Texas. "People just seem to be reluctant to spend money on things other than necessities," according to owner Bill Clark. However, given the recent upturn in the national economy, Clark is hoping for a "breakout" year for his business, which has experienced several sub-par termite seasons in a row. "We are in the throes of reviewing and tweaking all of the services we offer and trying to make them more user-friendly, while maintaining our profitability," he said. "Although this is an annual exercise, we have placed even greater emphasis on it this year because of the aforementioned sluggishness in the market." One area of his business that has grown nicely in recent years is Clark’s mosquito control business. "Our mosquito control services really accelerated during the past year or two," he said. "I think we all know that is because of the West Nile virus media blitz." Another positive this past year was Clark’s selection as "Executive of the Year" by the Beaumont Sales and Marketing Executive Club. "It was a big honor and a lot of great publicity came out of it," he said.