Atlanta-based Arrow Exterminators recently held the company’s annual 2025-2026 Fiscal Year Kickoff Summit at The Omni Hotel in Amelia Island, Fla. The two-day event celebrated achievements from the prior fiscal year, which included record-breaking milestones and a total revenue of over $450 million.
The summit also introduced the new internal fiscal year theme, “Dynamic Drive; Uncommon Greatness.” Emily Thomas Kendrick, chief executive officer of Arrow Exterminators, said, “Our success is the direct result of the skill, commitment, and passion of our team. It was an honor to present awards and personally thank those who helped us not only reach but exceed our goals.”
Day one of the summit also featured guest speaker Molly Fletcher, author of Dynamic Drive, who shared her insights about the seven keys to sustainable success.
Day two included a leadership and motivational workshop hosted by Randy Gravitt and Mark Miller for all in attendance. The workshop was based on Mark Miller’s new book, Uncommon Greatness: Five Fundamentals to Transform Your Leadership. “Randy Gravitt’s workshop was the perfect way to start our fiscal year, pushing our team to lead at their best,” said Tim Pollard, president and chief operating officer. “It inspired our managers and corporate support leaders to approach Arrow’s future with fresh ideas and renewed energy, leaving with a strong commitment to guide their teams through innovative thinking.”
About Arrow Exterminators
Family-owned and -operated since 1964, Atlanta-based Arrow Exterminators is the largest family-owned pest and termite control company in the United States ranked by revenue. Arrow boasts a modern fleet of more than 3,400 vehicles, 190 service centers, over 3,500 team members with revenues exceeding $450 million and has been named a Top USA Workplace for four years in a row. Featuring QualityPro accreditation by the National Pest Management Association, the company offers innovative and environmentally responsible services to protect the homes and businesses of customers in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
Pictured from left during the August 2025 meeting are Brad Dutoit; Drs. Tim Nowatzki and Shripat Kamble; Jeffery Preece, BCE, PHE; and Jerry Heath, BCE. PHOTO: CEMA
The Certified Entomologists of Mid-America (CEMA), a chapter of the Entomological Society of America (ESA), held its annual meeting Aug. 1-2, in Olathe, Kan.
The event kicked off with a social gathering and dinner, giving members a chance to reconnect and network in a relaxed setting. The annual board meeting took place the following morning. Afterward, the group toured the recently transformed Pollinator Prairie, where participants explored the diverse insect life thriving in the revitalized ecosystem around the former chemical collection site.
About Certified Entomologists of Mid-America (CEMA)
CEMA is a regional chapter of the Entomological Society of America dedicated to promoting the study and understanding of entomology in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa.
CEMA provides a valuable platform for entomologists to connect, collaborate and expand their knowledge. Open to both Associate Certified Entomologists (ACEs) and Board-Certified Entomologists (BCEs) in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa, CEMA fosters a diverse community of professionals.
Members come from various backgrounds, including academia, research and development, product manufacturing, consulting and pest management. This rich diversity of expertise creates a dynamic environment for learning and sharing insights.
CEMA also supports the advancement of entomology by sponsoring several awards annually for outstanding extension projects within the Entomological Society’s North Central Branch.
Flexibility is key when helping your customers choose the right termite solution. For homeowners who are interested in baiting, BASF offers two excellent options from its termite control portfolio.
For detection, Advance Termite Bait Stations (ATBS) are a premier termite monitoring system. Trelona compressed termite bait is added to the stations only when termite activity is detected.
Trelona ATBS Annual Bait Stations are ideal if homeowners prefer active protection from Day 1. The stations are preloaded with the active ingredient before being installed on the property.
Both options offer fast results because of the station design. Termites can find Trelona Annual and Advance stations quickly, which translates to faster consumption of bait and faster elimination. (Source: 2012 University of Delaware, Graduate Research Dissertation). The stations are also low-profile — sitting right at soil level to reach termite colonies, but not lawnmower blades.
Baiting solutions from BASF aren’t just excellent options for your customers, they’re good for your bottom line because you own the equipment and the accounts. Plus, the flexible label gives you the option of conducting inspections just once a year. The scannable radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags on the station lids make for quick detection and reduces the need to replace stations that might be considered lost because of overgrown shrubbery or other environmental conditions.
About BASF
BASF Corp., headquartered in Florham Park, N.J., is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 16,000 employees in North America and had sales of $25.7 billion in 2022.
BASF creates chemistry for a sustainable future by combining economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 110,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of its customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. BASF’s portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions.
Thomas Pest employees react to winning ‘Best in Pest control’ award
Schenectady, N.Y.-based Thomas Pest Services was named the ‘Best in Pest Control’ in the Times Union’s annual “Best Of” awards for the third year in a row. The family-owned company attributes this ongoing recognition to its commitment to relationship-based pest control, a philosophy that prioritizes education, prevention and genuine partnership with customers.
“This award isn’t just about what we do; it’s about how we do it,” said Sarah Thomas-Clark, vice president and co-founder of Thomas Pest Services. “Our customers trust us not only to solve their pest problems, but to treat their homes and families like our own. That trust is what drives us every day.”
President and co-founder of Thomas Pest Services, Bill Clark said, “Winning ‘Best in Pest Control’ for three years in a row reflects our entire team’s heart and hustle. We’re grateful to our customers for voting, and even more grateful that they’ve welcomed us into their homes time and time again.”
About Thomas Pest Services
Thomas Pest Services has been protecting the health, homes, and pets of the Capital Region and Hudson Valley for three generations, offering people-first pest programs and guaranteed satisfaction. Committed to community support and customer care, Thomas Pest Services believes in treating little things like big things.
About Times Union
The Times Union is the leading news organization in New York’s Capital Region. The newspaper focuses on local news and watchdog reporting. It has won numerous state and national awards for its work on both print and digital platforms.
How many of you use standard operating procedures (SOPs)?
Go ahead, keep your hands up nice and high. Hmm, there’s not too many of you. How many of you have your SOPs in writing and use them on a daily basis? How many of you know how to create procedures and protocols?
This is a huge problem in our industry. Whenever I first interview a new pest control client about their SOPs strategy, it’s rare that they actually have something in writing. But SOPs are not just some random business jargon; they are essential to running a business.
SOPs can help your employees feel more confident in decision-making, create consistency throughout your company and protect your business from mishaps. SOPs set expectations for your customers and keep your techs organized at each job.
They’re more than just for explaining how to perform a carpenter ant job — they can guide your employees on pricing, safety training, answering phones properly, commercial sales processes, hosting training meetings, ladder safety, customer service responses and more. They also can be the place to keep the most current company organizational chart, so everyone knows who each employee reports to and what the chain of command should be.
No easy task
Like many pest management professionals (PMPs), though, Daniel Nabors admits SOPs are his least-favorite part of the job.
“Sitting down and writing them is tough, even though I see the benefit,” says Nabors, president of Quality Pest Control in Lufkin, Texas. He adds that his frustration with creating SOPs is that every job can be different; not every situation is the same. “We get hyper-focused on what we are going to do without taking into consideration the variables at each home,” he says.
For a long time, these variables prevented him from formalizing his rules for each job. In February, however, I started pushing Nabors to at least create procedures for job safety, ladder maintenance and various pest jobs.
After several months of my preaching SOPs to him, Nabors is now cranking out methods and best practices for all sorts of tasks at Quality Pest Control. He says today his team is diving headfirst into SOPS. “I wish we had done it five years ago because my life would be a lot simpler.”
Continuing the climb
Founded in 2009, Quality Pest Control is a rural company situated two hours north of Houston and an hour west of the Louisiana border. Nabors and his team hit $933,153 last year and are on track to clip $1.2 million this year. He currently has eight employees, including five full-time technicians. They are growing at a rate now where they consistently approach $100,000 each month, including June ($108,000), April ($96,000) and March ($109,000).
A pastor’s kid from Louisiana, Nabors got into pest control after finding a “help wanted” ad in the classifieds in 2003. He started working for Terminix as an outside sales representative, selling more than $20,000 per month. He also married his sweetheart, Brandy, that year, which he believes might have been his best sales pitch.
Nabors enjoyed the work and even showed up to the jobs he sold to lend a hand. This education proved valuable, as he learned many facets of the industry.
When Hurricane Katrina hit on Aug. 29, 2005, the massive storm surge caused widespread flooding, nearly 1,400 deaths and billions of dollars in damage. The compassionate part of Nabors saw the need to help out. The businessman in him saw an opportunity to make a lot of money.
Nabors did hurricane cleanup work for a few months before changing gears again and becoming a postman in 2007. In 2009, he decided to return to pest control as a side gig to his postal duties. In 2013, he was able to purchase a small competitor and decided to focus on Quality Pest Control full-time.
Working with Nabors this year has been great. In addition to creating SOPs, we’ve also worked on developing more effective meetings for his team, which includes adhering to written agendas, using training modules and placing more emphasis on core values.
“We have a lot more communication now,” he reports. “People are more open and honest in our meetings, too, which is helping our culture.”
If I order a burrito in Denver, Colo., from Chipotle, it had better be the same as what I would get in Orlando, Fla. SOPs are what can keep you and your employees consistent, keep your customers informed and will help ensure everyone rows the boat in the same direction. Without protocols, there is too much risk of chaos, anger, frustration, canceled clients and unhappy workers.
The Asian needle ant (Brachyponera chinensis) has made headlines in recent months, as this invasive species has been confirmed in new parts of the country, further expanding its range across the United States. One important cause for concern surrounding this species is its ability to deliver a painful, venomous sting that can lead to a potentially life-threatening response to those allergic to insect venom.
Dr. Michael Bentley, BCE
The Asian needle ant is native to China, Japan and Korea. It was first discovered in the United States in 1932 but wasn’t formally recognized as a pest here until 2006. Since then, this ant has been reported in several states including Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, New England, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin and, most recently, Washington. This list expected to grow as the ant expands its range.
One important concern with the spread of this invasive species is its ability to outcompete other
ants for food, displacing native species and disrupting ecosystems. This species prefers to feed on termites, but workers can be found foraging on a wide range of other arthropods and sugary human foods.
Colony size can vary from a few individuals to thousands of workers depending on the nest site and the time of year. Colonies are both polygynous (multiple queens per colony) and polydomous (multiple nest sites), adding to the layer of challenges when containing and controlling the spread of this invasive pest.
Research is ongoing to develop a formalized control strategy for this species, but anecdotal reports and field recommendations suggest the use of protein-based insecticidal ant baits used according to label instructions can be successful.
Inflation, or the sustained increase in the general price level of goods and services, has far-reaching consequences across nearly every industry — and pest control is no exception. For pest management professionals (PMPs), inflation brings a mix of rising costs, pricing challenges, labor concerns and even opportunities for business adaptation and growth.
Rising operational costs
Nick Stein
One of the immediate effects of inflation for PMPs is the increased cost of doing business. Materials, chemicals and equipment often see price hikes because of increased input costs. Vehicle costs also rise significantly during inflationary periods. Fuel, maintenance and even new vehicle purchases become more expensive, especially on routes with more windshield time. To combat this, focus on route optimization to help offset rising vehicle and labor costs.
Labor market pressures
Inflation also affects labor costs. As the cost of living increases, employees expect higher wages to maintain their standard of living. PMPs may face pressure to raise wages and offer better benefits to attract and retain technicians, especially in a tight labor market.
These added expenses and competition for quality talent make employee turnover particularly painful during inflationary times, emphasizing the importance of retention strategies.
Pricing dilemmas and customer retention
One of the most difficult challenges for PMPs during inflation is adjusting pricing structures. On the one hand, businesses must increase prices to cover rising costs. On the other hand, they risk losing clients who are also feeling the financial pinch and may deprioritize pest control as a non-essential service.
This puts PMPs in a delicate balancing act: raising prices enough to stay profitable, but not so much that they alienate loyal customers. Transparent communication and customer education become vital. Explaining price changes and reinforcing the value of professional pest control services can help maintain customer trust and loyalty.
Supply chain disruptions
Inflation often goes hand in hand with supply chain disruptions. Global shipping delays, raw material shortages and manufacturing slowdowns serve to increase inflation and can impact the availability of pest control products. This unpredictability requires PMPs to be more strategic about inventory management, possibly purchasing in bulk or diversifying suppliers to mitigate risks.
Strategic opportunities
Despite the challenges, inflationary periods also can offer strategic opportunities. Businesses that streamline operations, invest in automation and renegotiate vendor contracts may improve efficiency and protect margins. PMPs also can leverage technology — like route optimization software, customer relationship management (CRM) systems and digital invoicing — to cut costs and improve service delivery.
Marketing also plays a key role during inflation. By emphasizing the preventive nature of pest control and the potential long-term savings from avoiding infestations, PMPs can reposition their services as a wise investment rather than a discretionary expense.
Conquering challenges
Inflation poses real challenges for PMPs, from higher costs and wage demands to pricing pressures and supply uncertainties. However, with careful planning, clear communication and strategic adaptation, they can weather inflationary storms and even come out stronger. For those willing to embrace change and focus on efficiency, inflation can be more than a hurdle; it can be a catalyst for growth.
Stein is a financial director for Cetane Associates, New Milford, Conn. He can be reached at pmpeditor@northcoastmedia.net.
