PestWorld ’06 Coverage: Foster, Mix Recognized With Pinnacle Award

GIE Media CEO Richard Foster speaks after accepting the NPMA Pinnacle Award.

LAKE GRAPEVINE, Texas — Richard Foster, CEO of GIE Media (parent company of PCT) and former Pest Control Magazine Publisher Jerry Mix, were recognized with NPMA's Pinnacle Award for their industry contributions. The Pinnacle Award, which is NPMA’s most prestigious award, honors an individual’s lifetime of dedication and commitment to the pest management industry.

Foster is one of the most influential "behind the scenes" members of the pest control industry. After purchasing Pest Control Technology magazine in 1980, the self-made entrepreneur embarked on an aggressive campaign to grow his company’s market reach and influence with the goal of contributing to the long-term growth and development of the industry.

Foster’s most enduring industry accomplishment during a career that spans more than 25 years is his decision to purchase of the publication rights to the Mallis Handbook of Pest Control, which has resulted in the publication of the seventh, eighth and ninth editions of this essential reference book. It also became the foundation of a vigorous book publishing operation which today provides dozens of comprehensive industry titles and has expanded to include a line of CD-ROMs and industry directories.

Past Pinnacle Award Winners

Richard Foster and Jerry Mix Norman Goldenberg Gary Rollins Edwin Sameth John Cook Robert Russell Norman Ehmann Charlie Hromada Paul Adams

Upon accepting the award, Foster said he was "blown away" by the honor, adding, “My involvement in this industry has been has been a gift. It’s been a trip that’s brought a lot of wonderful people to my life. People like (PCT Publisher) Dan Moreland and his team have been able to accomplish some significant things. We’ve always tried to do things for the right reasons. I think our accomplishments are a result of us trying to do the right things.”

Mix retired as publisher of Pest Control Magazine in 2002 after 20 years of service. The six-foot, six-inch former Ohio University basketball player was one of the industry’s most recognizable figures. Mix is credited for reshaping the readability of Pest Control Magazine, taking complex issues and putting them into laymen's terms.