PCT's Professional of the Year: Harvey Massey

In the past, some manufacturers, distributors and PCOs have said the pest control industry is mature. They’ve said the growth of the industry isn’t keeping up with the growth of households and that the industry isn’t grabbing the market share it should. Why is this happening? Is it because the image of the industry to outsiders is tainted? Is it because many of today’s consumers like to take care of pest problems on their own? Is it because potential consumers are unaware of the range of services PCOs offer? No one really knows for sure. That is, until now.

Harvey Massey, president and chief executive officer of Massey Services Inc., Maitland, Fla., is the person our industry has chosen to help PCOs find their way through a maze of FTC investigations and industry image problems. Massey is the chairman of the Industry Awareness Council (IAC), a team of 12 pest control operators, six manufacturers, four distributors and the executive vice president and president of the National Pest Control Association, a council whose mission is to improve the image and growth of the industry. “The industry is not keeping up with the growth of the market,” Massey said. “The numbers of households have been increasing dramatically and our industry is not increasing the numbers of households proportionally.”

At this year’s National Pest Control Association convention in Nashville, Massey spoke to attendees about the IAC and what it means to them. “We truly believe that it is not at all beyond the realm of reason to expect that if we pull together, take some positive steps and execute our plan properly, that we can grow our industry by 7% a year over the next three years,” he said. “In so doing, we will add a total of $1 billion a year in revenue to our industry.” Harvey Massey discusses industry research findings at the National Pest Control Association meeting in Nashville.

THE BEGINNING OF A GREAT CAREER. Like so many people in the pest control industry, Harvey Massey didn’t plan on making a career of pest control. But, after getting a job with Orkin Pest Control, and liking it so much, he moved quickly through Orkin’s ranks throughout his 16 years there. He went from salesman to sales manager to branch manager to district manager and finally, at the age of 32, he became the youngest vice president in Orkin history.

But that wasn’t enough and in 1979, he had the opportunity to do more. He accepted a position with Terminix and the company increased sales revenues from $42.5 million to nearly $100 million with Massey there for six years as senior vice president/operations. But, that still wasn’t enough. He set his eyes on a bigger goal — owning his own business.

In 1985, he purchased Walker Chemical & Exterminating Co. (founded in 1930 by the late Joe P. Walker) from Walker’s son and widow, who were running the company at the time. Massey paid $4 million for the firm. Today, the company has 34 offices throughout Florida and Georgia and services more than 90,000 customers. And in addition to running a $26 million-company, Massey holds leadership roles in many community service organizations. He is 1998 president of Florida Citrus Sports, the organization that hosts the Florida Citrus Bowl. He also serves on the executive board and is vice president of United Arts of Central Florida, and serves on the board of directors of First Union National Bank, Dr. Phillips, Inc., Junior Achievement and the board of governors of The National Conference for Community and Justice.

APPEAL ACROSS THE LINES. Maybe because Massey’s leadership style appeals to so many in the industry, he was approached to chair the Industry Awareness Council. The council, established in 1997, was formed to determine how the pest control industry could join together, provide a united front and increase its share of business in the marketplace. And to persuade PCOs, manufacturers and distributors to participate in such a program, Massey was approached to be the IAC’s chairman. But he initially balked at taking on the position.

“Two major manufacturers, one of the largest distribution companies in the business, as well a couple of friends of mine with major companies talked to me two separate times about doing this. The first time I hedged with the understanding that I frankly did not have the time,” he said. “I just didn’t want to take on anything else.”

But then, rumors of Federal Trade Commission investigations of the industry surfaced and Massey revisited the possibility of chairing a committee designed to bolster the image and growth of the industry. He decided it was a project he wanted to support.

“I attended a meeting in mid-1997 and that was the first large major IAC discussion I had attended. There were more rumors of the FTC investigation,” Massey said, “and with the support of the same people that had asked me to do this originally, I decided to do it and make a contribution.”

Now, a year and a half after the initial meeting, IAC has made its presence known. It commissioned research from the world’s largest public relations firm and has been presenting this research across the country to people involved in all aspects of pest control.

The research from Shandwick Public Affairs, the firm hired by NPCA, is extensive. The company surveyed a variety of homeowners. They were divided into six groups who have used PCOs in the past, six groups of “do-it-yourselfers” and two groups who had never experienced pest problems.

Massey believes strongly in the research and its ability to evaluate the market. “We’ve spent over $300,000 and we’ve got the most comprehensive research that’s ever been done in the history of our industry,” he says. “We’ve looked at the regulatory, we’ve looked at the media, we’ve looked at the political arena, and when you listen to Michael Petruzzello (CEO of Shandwick United States) stand up there and tell you, ‘7% growth projections are conservative’ and ‘I’m confident we can deliver this,’ you’re talking about a person and organization who are experts with a proven track record.”

PAST IMAGE CAMPAIGNS. Although there may be some people in the industry who think that an industry-wide image-building campaign may not work, Massey, who also owns his own public relations firm, disagrees. “We are confident we know where we are going,” he says. “Everybody in the industry that knows about it buys into it. Now you never, in any industry, are going to get 100 percent of the people to do anything. But right now we’ve got well over 80 percent of the industry supporting it.”

If the pest control industry can follow the example set by the current ad campaigns by the milk, beef, pork and citrus industries, then this program will be an outstanding success. For example, in a similar campaign, the beef industry exceeded expectations — every dollar invested yielded a $150 return. The milk industry ended a 30-year sales decline and the citrus market increased sales by $1 billion dollars. Petruzzello and the IAC think the same can be done for the pest control industry.

In order for people across the country to agree to the program, Massey admits that the IAC needs to explain the specifics of the proposed ad campaign. “We have just given people a synopsis,” he says. “But I have seen the complete storyboard presentation and every ad campaign. I’ve seen it all and it is quite impressive.”

Part of the challenge of the IAC is that it needs to reach beyond national and state pest control association lines — to every pest control operator. “We even have companies in Canada and Mexico that are supporting this effort. We don’t want to give the impression that this is an NPCA program, because it’s not. We haven’t built it that way,” he said. “This program will go beyond NPCA as well as state association memberships.

“I think there are people in the industry right now that, to some extent, think of this as an NPCA program and it is tied into that because it is the only national network that we have to launch this kind of program,” Massey said.

THE FUTURE. PCOs across the country continue to look up to Massey as he travels throughout the country promoting IAC. Chuck Steinmetz, Massey’s friend for more than 27 years, and former president of Sears Termite & Pest Control, says that Massey’s greatest contributions to the pest control industry are his imagination, his dedication and his professional image. Massey has a great commitment to portraying our industry differently than what the media normally portrays, Steinmetz says.

“His leadership role is the driving force behind (the IAC). He and Rob Lederer are a one-two punch,” Steinmetz added. “It takes a lot of time away from his business, but it is something he is dedicated to.”

Lederer says that Massey has been a good person to be chairman of the IAC. “We were looking for a good spokesperson,” he said. “Someone who had good leadership skills, someone who could lead the industry, someone respected in the marketplace, and obviously someone who is successful.”

Lederer is optimistic about the future of the IAC. “It’s like a football game — we’re on the 5-yard-line and we’re ready to push the ball in,” he said. “A year ago, we were on the five-yard-line with 95 yards to go.”

And the industry couldn’t have asked for a better quarterback. Always looking ahead, Harvey Massey remains confident in his industry’s ability to strengthen its image. “This really is a rising tide that will lift all boats,” says Massey. “It’s going to work.”