Government Regulation: The Industry Adapts

Forty-three percent of PMPs who participated in the PCT-NPMA 2016 Business Outlook survey consider government regulation somewhat burdensome and 36 percent said it hinders industry growth.

Environmental regulations typically come to mind first and before the November 8 election, many PMPs were girding for more product use restrictions and an increasingly difficult climate for getting new products approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

This “will certainly impact some of the current pest management practices,” but a renewed emphasis on Integrated Pest Management also creates business opportunities, said Rob Guyette, general manager, Braman Termite & Pest Elimination, Agawam, Mass. In addition, PMPs will have to work harder to engage clients, who will play a bigger role in managing structural, sanitation and behavioral conditions that are conducive to pest activity.

“We have to become not only more Sherlock Holmes types, but more efficient teachers (in) educating our clients,” Guyette said.

Dealing with regulations is a normal part of doing business, pest management professionals said. And companies in states like California have been managing stricter environmental and labor regulations for years.

“Regulations usually don’t change so fast that you can’t keep up” with them, said Bryan Cooksey, president of McCall Service in Jacksonville, Fla.

As business people “we adapt and adjust,” said Ravi Sachdeva, CEO of American Pest Management in Manhattan, Kan.