Slaten & O’Connor + Paul Bello = New Consulting Service

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — During the past five years Cliff Slaten, founding partner, Slaten & O’Connor, Montgomery, Ala., observed a disturbing trend among his client base, which consists of hundreds of pest control operators throughout the United States.

Slaten was struck by what he calls “attack suits,” or litigation relating to the industry’s operating procedures. “We’re seeing the same mistakes occurring across the country,” he said.

It’s also become a problem that, too often, Slaten believed, was not being addressed until it was too late — when cases were in litigation. “Based on our experience we believe PCOs can take some proactive steps to reduce the risk of litigation,” Slaten said.

So, Slaten & O’Connor have joined forces with industry consultant Paul Bello to address this perceived void with the launch of Pest Management Consulting (PMC). The way this partnership works is Slaten & O’Connor will provide functions such as reviewing paperwork, policies and procedures, while Bello will lend his training and quality assurance expertise. PMC offers consulting services such as:

• Risk avoidance programs
• Technical consulting
• Audit services
• Total quality management
• Operational audits 

Slaten said he believes the partnership with Bello has made for a formidable team that brings to the table the necessary business, legal and technical background. While this service is available to all companies, partner Mike O’Connor says he thinks it will be particularly valuable to small- and mid-sized companies, many of which do not have a full-time legal/regulatory staff member.

O’Connor added that in terms of pricing, PMC will first do a company-wide assessment and then make service recommendations. Once both parties agree on the services, a flat, up-front fee is charged. For more information contact Bello at pbelloconsulting@earthlink.net.