The ongoing investigation by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) into alleged deceptive practices by the pest control industry presents a golden opportunity for the NPCA, an opportunity to reestablish itself as the “voice of the industry.”
Under the dynamic leadership of Bill Buettner and Dr. Ralph Heal, the NPCA built a strong constituency in the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s based on the creation of a national trade show and the development of an impressive array of technical materials designed exclusively for the pest control industry. The environmental movement of the 1960s and the dramatic increase in regulatory activity that followed served to further strengthen the association in the 1970s as PCOs sought to join forces and speak with one voice on a wide range of environmental issues. During the past two decades, however, the NPCA has watched its membership stagnate as a result of ongoing industry consolidation, PCO apathy and the growth of professionally managed state associations. The truth of the matter is, while the NPCA continues to offer an array of valuable services, membership in the organization is no longer viewed as a prerequisite for success. That could all change, however, depending on what happens with the FTC investigation. If PCOs perceive the FTC as a “common enemy” and the NPCA as their only hope for vanquishing that enemy, they could return to the association in droves, resuscitating an organization that has grown increasingly insulated from its members. Executive Vice President Rob Lederer recognizes that if the NPCA performs well and the industry comes out of the confrontation with the FTC unscathed, he will establish himself as a force to be reckoned with as the NPCA approaches the new millennium. If not, he’ll be one in a long line of association executives who, despite the best of intentions, fell short of their goal to return the NPCA to its former glory.
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