In Memoriam: Joe Hughes

Joe Hughes, a lifelong member of the pest control industry, passed away on Jan. 28, at 83, following a prolonged illness. Hughes spent time as a a pest company owner; an inventor; a manufacturer; and a manufacturer’s representative.

Hughes started his career in the pest industry with Orkin in the 1960s. He started in sales and worked his way up to a branch manager. In 1971 he started his own company, Action Exterminators, in Jacksonville, Fla., and built it into a successful company before selling to Terminix in 1995.

Hughes served in numerous leadership roles within the Florida Pest Management Association. He was the co-inventor of the Actisol machine, which he and his partner later sold to Velsicol Chemical Company.  Hughes started working with Velsicol to promote the Actisol machine across the United States and the Caribbean.

While working for BASF, Hughes was responsible for introducing Termidor to the Florida market. Hughes retired from BASF in May 2009, but was not yet finished with his pest control career.. He started another pest control company, Eco-Logic Pest Solutions, in 2015, which later sold that company to McCall Service.

Hughes greatly enjoyed his career in pest control and the friendships he formed throughout the years.