Sweet Home Salvation

Samuel Dominguez Valle has spent his entire adult life in pest control. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, his first job out of high school was posting flyers for Eco Plagas Control Center. He spent nine years there, eventually becoming a full-time cashier and consultant earning $7 an hour.

Customers and technicians alike came to him with questions, and Valle quickly became known for his knowledge of chemicals and active ingredients. Many of the products still in use on the island are no longer used in the U.S.

“I grew up with mosquito foggers spraying the neighborhood,” Valle recalled. “In Puerto Rico, I had to carry a machete to kill centipedes and tarantulas because they don’t die quickly when you spray them.”

Over time, Valle began training other technicians and dreamed of more. In 2016, he started his own company, Pesterminator. Business thrived — he bought new trucks, a new house and built several service routes.

“I grew up watching The Terminator,” he said, laughing. “I wanted to be like Arnold Schwarzenegger — show up with my intelligence and eliminate all the pests. Everything was going great until the hurricane came.”

CHANGING TIDES. When Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in 2017, it left 3.4 million people without power for nearly a year. The destruction increased pest problems, but it also left Valle and his pregnant wife without food, water or shelter.

“We lost everything,” he said. “The house cracked, the water came in and mold destroyed all our furniture. So our plan was to come to Missouri, have the baby and go back when it was safe.”

That move would change his life forever. Valle’s experience of loss and renewal eventually led him to Rottler Pest Solutions in Missouri, where he now works as a commercial technician — and where he’s been named PCT’s 2025 Commercial Technician of the Year. In less than two years, he’s earned Rottler’s Rookie of the Year award and became a leader in the company’s new Ambassador Program.

“Samuel has really embraced the idea that pest control is about helping people,” said his service manager, Lance Woolbright. “Customers call because they have a problem, and Samuel genuinely wants to solve it. Everything else is secondary.”

That mindset, rooted in faith and empathy, defines how Valle approaches his work today.

“Sometimes you show up to do a service because someone has roaches or brown recluse spiders,” Valle said, “but you realize something else is going on in their life. Maybe they’re sick or depressed. For those 45 minutes I’m there, I might be the only person who listens. That could change their life forever.”

A NEW HOPE. When Valle first arrived in Missouri, he bounced from job to job — working at a bakery, then as a technician for Pioneer Pest Management, and later for Pure Pest. After five years, he returned to Puerto Rico, hoping to rebuild Pesterminator. But between the lingering effects of the hurricane and the pandemic, recovery was nearly impossible.

“I had been gone five years and lost most of my customers,” he said. “It was really hard to start again. In this type of business, you have to survive for a year or two before you make enough revenue.”

So Valle moved his family back to Missouri and joined Rottler full-time. “They equipped me with everything I needed. I [was receptive] to the Rottler way, and I made a bunch of sales that first year,” he said.

GAINING GROUND. Valle comes from a generation of pest management professionals who have witnessed the industry’s shift toward more environmentally friendly materials. He takes pride in explaining that evolution to his customers.

“I tell all my customers about the active ingredients I’m using — like pyrethrin, which comes from the chrysanthemum flower,” he said. “I want them to know I understand what I’m doing and that they can trust me in their homes.”

“Sometimes you show up because someone has roaches or brown recluse spiders — but you realize something else is going on in their life.”

That same focus on education extends to mentoring his coworkers. His combined sales and service success earned him Rottler’s Rookie of the Year award after his first full year. “It might look like I accomplished a lot quickly, but people don’t see what it takes behind the scenes,” Valle said. “They see me blooming, but they don’t see how I had to stretch my roots deep into the soil. Now I’m finally seeing the fruit of all those years of hard work — and I’m working for a company that sees that and gives me the tools to succeed.”

COMMUNITY SERVICE. “Samuel came out of the gate running,” said Woolbright. “He was selling upgrades, identifying customer needs and always looking for ways Rottler could help.”

For Valle, that service extends beyond insects. His work is deeply connected to his faith and involvement with Church on the Rock in St. Peters, Mo.

“I do the same thing at work that I do at church,” he said. “I’m protecting people’s homes, but I’m also interceding in their lives. Sometimes I pray for them. Sometimes they just need a hug or someone to listen.”

One experience, in particular, has stayed with him. Last year, he met a chef who had stopped cooking because of a severe German cockroach infestation in her kitchen. She was devastated.

“It took about four weeks to eliminate the roaches,” Valle said. “But during that time, I helped her clean and get everything back in order.”

When he returned two months later, the woman was unrecognizable — full of joy and back to doing what she loved.

SMOOTH SAILING. Today, Valle is a member of Rottler’s Ambassador Program, an initiative for employees who embody the company’s values and culture. As an ambassador, he represents Rottler at community events and industry gatherings while receiving professional development and leadership training.

“I use the program to be a better technician and represent Rottler with every interaction I have,” he said. “It takes a lot of discipline and commitment because people are watching you — but being part of it is amazing.”

At every step, whether at church, at work, or in the community, Valle’s purpose remains the same: to serve others.

“The goal is to be useful and available to address whatever situation someone has,” he said. “If I can help just one person make their day a little brighter, that’s what matters most.” 

The author is a PCT contributor.