In Memoriam: Rose Pest Solutions’ Bill Ives

TROY, Mich. — H. William (Bill) Ives, former president of family-owned Rose Pest Solutions, the nation’s oldest pest control company, passed away in Sarasota, Fla., on Dec. 3, after a long illness. He was 86.

Ives spent 43 years at Rose Pest Solutions, building the business into one of the largest regional pest control companies serving the Great Lakes area, before handing the reins over to his son, Russ Ives, the firm’s current president. In 1978, he served as president of the National Pest Control Association.

He was a distinguished Rotary leader for most of his adult life. He served as president of the Detroit Rotary Club and subsequently District Governor of District 640, an international district with clubs in Canada and southeastern Michigan. He was appointed Trustee of the Rotary Foundation and then elected Director of Rotary International. He represented North America on the International Campaign Committee, which planned and oversaw the fundraising activity of the Rotary’s polio eradication effort, Polio Plus. He received numerous awards for his service to the Rotary and the Polio Plus program.

Ives was born in Chicago and grew up in Detroit where he met his late wife Mary Louise, to whom he was married 51 years. He lived in Bloomfield Hills and Dearborn before retiring to Sarasota. He married Marilyn Plummer in 2004, with whom he spent the remaining 14 years of his life.

In addition to his Rotary involvement, Ives also was active in a number of other civic organizations including the Metropolitan Detroit YMCA; the Detroit Osteopathic Hospital; the Detroit Science Center; and the Michigan Committee on Volunteerism. He was active in the Birmingham First United Methodist Church since 1952 and taught Sunday school as well as other youth leadership activities. Upon moving to Sarasota, he became active at the First United Methodist Church of Sarasota, and taught classes there as well.

Ives was widely known for his skills as a singer and song leader and lent these skills to his activities in the Rotary regularly and was honored with the opportunity to sing the national anthem at a Detroit Lions game.

Ives is survived by his wife, Marilyn and his four children: H. Russell (Susan) Ives; Catherine (Rodney) Jones; James R. (Diane) Ives and Carolyn Ives. He also is survived by 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

The family suggests memorial donations to The Rotary International Foundation, One Rotary Center, 150 Sherman Ave., Evanston, IL 60201 or Detroit Rotary Foundation, P.O. Box 309, Troy, MI 48099.

PCT’s Label Training Program Earns CEU Credits in California, Florida

VALLEY VIEW, Ohio — PCT recently announced an important milestone for the PCT Distance Learning Center as seven states now have approved online label training courses — a total of 229 courses. Recent additions include:

• California (45 courses)
• Florida (43 courses)
• North Carolina (50 courses)
• Oklahoma (35 courses)
• Pennsylvania (50 courses)
• Tennessee (6 courses)

More state CEU approvals are expected. With the necessary programming to meet various state’s continuing education (CEU) approval requirements now complete, PCT has begun submitting its courses to those states that recognize online training for CEU credit. Keep in mind, your particular state may not currently recognize online training CEU credits but, in the future, may start doing so.

The ability to earn CEU credits greatly enhances the value of PCT’s Distance Learning Center.

As Dennis Judy, technical director of Allgood Pest Solutions, Dublin, Ga., noted, “In Georgia, our registered personnel are required to attain eight HPC and eight WDO CEU credits per two-year cycle. They are allowed to attain two online credits per category as a part of this total. While it is pretty easy to accumulate the required needs by attending our mandatory monthly CEU Training meetings, we are sometimes in need of additional opportunities when newly hired personnel come aboard late in the CEU renewal cycle. Having the availability to supplement our live training with online CEU opportunities certainly brings value to the program and gives us options for supplemental learning when the needs arise.”

How can you earn CEU credits? When you log on to the PCT Distance Learning Website, a “Licensure” box will appear where you should enter your certification information. You may also enter license data by clicking on your Profile at the top right of the page.

1. Begin by selecting the state in which you carry a certification license in at least one category.
2. Once the state is selected, click on Certification Category. A list of the category types related to structural pest control for that state will appear. Select a category type then enter and reenter your Licence number.
3. If you are certified in more than one category or categories in multiple states, then you will need to add each category separately using the “+” button to the right.
4. The license entry process in your Profile will be the same.
5. The state-designated Name or Number of the Certification Category (e.g., 7A, 7B, #41, #301, etc.) will be included on the CEU Certificate which you can print after successful completion of a CEU-approved course.

Learn more at https://training.pctonline.com.

West Coast Rodent Academy Raises Funds for Research

SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif. — The West Coast Rodent Academy (WCRA) debuted in October 2016 at the University of California’s South Coast Research and Extension Center in Irvine, Calif. The Pest Control Operators of California, in association with the University of California Cooperative Extension, Target Specialty Products and Univar, hosted the three-day workshop on urban rodent management.

The workshop included lectures by California-based experts, hands-on activities and break-out sessions designed to help PMPs better understand rodent ecology and IPM. Topics included rodent-borne diseases, monitoring, trapping and urban rodent surveys. The Academy provided attendees with an opportunity to develop and hone their skills in staged, real-life scenarios at the center’s Demonstration Landscapes. “The WCRA program was developed using the curricula from the New York City Rodent Control Academy to provide a focused approach to managing urban rodent populations through integrated pest management,” said Sylvia Kenmuir, B.C.E., director of technical training, Target Specialty Products.

Monsanto Shareholders Approve Bayer Merger

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Monsanto shareholders have approved the merger with Bayer AG. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Monsanto shareholders will receive $128 per share in cash at the closing of the merger.

The merger, which was announced in September, is expected to close by the end of 2017, pending regulatory approvals. The merger calls for Bayer to pay $57 billion to Monsanto shareholders and assume $9 billion in Monsanto debt.

“We are pleased we received such strong support from our shareholders,” Hugh Grant, Monsanto chairman and chief executive officer said in a statement. “This is an important milestone as we work to combine our two complementary companies and deliver on our shared vision for the future of agriculture. By bringing together our expertise and our resources to drive this shared vision, we can do even more together to benefit growers around the world and to help address broad global challenges like climate change and food scarcity.”

A preliminary count of the shareholder vote showed approximately 99 percent of all votes cast were in favor of the merger. That represents about 75 percent of all outstanding shares. Monsanto shareholders also approved the proposal to approve certain compensation for the company’s named executive officers in connection with the merger. The final voting results will be filed with the SEC and also will be available online.

“The acquisition of Monsanto is driven by our strong belief that this combination can help address the growing challenges facing farmers and the overall agriculture industry today and in the future,” Werner Baumann, CEO of Bayer AG said in a statement. “Together, Bayer and Monsanto will be able to offer the new, innovative solutions that our customers need. We look forward to completing the transaction and working closely with Monsanto to ensure a successful integration.”

Univar: ProTraining Update, New Fees

AUSTIN, Texas — Univar Environmental Sciences recently unveiled its biggest ProTraining upgrade to date, featuring a redesigned learning platform, added business and safety classes, tablet and mobile compatibility and a new pricing structure. The update went live Jan. 5.

The update introduces new non-technical classes covering business management, safety, marketing and Microsoft Office. Users also can access manufacturer-provided product training for free. Managers now have the option to assign classes to employees and buy classes in bulk. And all classes and features can be accessed from anywhere by tablet, laptop, desktop or mobile device. Technical classes are $12 each for most Univar customers and can be purchased online by credit card. Every student also can redeem one free technical class per year.

“The new ProTraining is the culmination of years of research, development and experience interacting with our customers,” said Karl J. Kisner, vice president of marketing, Environmental Sciences. “We have a long legacy of supporting the pest control industry with quality products as well as the rich education that’s vital to training skilled PMPs. This update takes ProTraining to the next level with the tools and knowledge that PMP company owners and managers need to take on new challenges in a changing industry.”

Univar Environmental Sciences was the first in the industry to provide online training in 1997. Today, ProTraining meets CEU guidelines for more than 40 accrediting agencies across the U.S. and Canada.

Social Pest Pro Offers Free 2017 Pest Management Marketing Calendar

Cherry Hill, N.J. — Environmental Marketing Solutions recently announced the launch of its social media marketing and management service, Social Pest Pro. SocialPestPro.com offers pest management professionals a monthly subscription to a content resource library with industry-specific social media and blog post ideas. If pest professionals prefer, they also may fully outsource social media management to the Social Pest Pro team, which has more than 20 years of pest management industry marketing experience.

Social Pest Pro monthly subscribers download a swipe file each month containing daily Facebook and Twitter updates, blog post topic ideas and more. All content is specific to the pest management industry and pest control teams can customize posts with pictures and links to their website.

Learn more at www.socialpestpro.com.

NPMA Launches MentorMatch

FAIRFAX, Va. — In response to the increasing needs of today’s pest management professional, NPMA recently launched MentorMatch, an online mentoring program designed to provide members with the ability to learn from one another about issues important to them.

“MentorMatch builds upon the mentoring program initiated by NPMA’s Leadership Development Group 20 years ago, by using technology to create an easier process for our members,” said NPMA CEO Dominique Stumpf. “Whether you are just starting out, or are strong in one area but developing in others, MentorMatch can help you grow professionally. Our members will be able to connect with the right people to help achieve their goals — and become more successful during the process.”

With more than 7,000 pest professionals in its network, MentorMatch was designed to offer NPMA members a way to easily connect with other PMPs who have expertise in an area in which they need assistance, whether those professionals are local or around the world. Some topics mentees can select include: management, career development, leadership, growth opportunities and work/life balance.

Amvac, Harvard Collaborate On Mosquito Research

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Amvac Chemical Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Vanguard Corporation, entered into a Research Collaboration Agreement with Harvard University to develop and potentially commercialize new, Harvard-owned technology aimed at control of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Aedes is the mosquito responsible for the spread of Zika, dengue, Chikungunya and yellow fever viruses in many countries.

Amvac is a leader in the U.S. vector control sector, supplying aerial-applied mosquito adulticide for professional public health mosquito control. With the recent focus on the spread of Zika in the United States, Amvac intensified its search for additional safe and effective technologies that could help combat vectors of this potential viral epidemic.

Under the collaboration agreement, Amvac will support a research project led by Flaminia Catteruccia, associate professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The technology under study is the subject of a patent application filed by Harvard; the collaboration agreement grants Amvac certain license options for commercial development of spray- or fog-based mosquito control products.

“We are excited that this collaboration with Harvard researchers could identify new directions and methods for addressing this significant public health danger,” said Peter Porpiglia, vice president of Amvac’s Product Development Department.

“Controlling mosquito-borne diseases is a difficult challenge and this research agreement is one of several insect control initiatives that continue to define Amvac’s commitment to innovation and new technology development,” Porpiglia added. “We look forward to working with the Harvard team to understand the potential of their research findings and identify how that knowledge can help devise meaningful solutions to reduce this human health threat.”