In Memoriam: Jerry Mix

CLEVELAND — PCT magazine and the pest control industry mourn the loss of Jerry Mix, longtime leader of Pest Management Professional (PMP) magazine. Mix passed away in June at age 82.

Mix, who stood 6-6, was a former Ohio University basketball player who joined Pest Control magazine (later renamed PMP magazine) in 1982, serving as editor-in-chief before being named publisher several years later. He spent more than 20 years with PMP and was inducted into the magazine’s Hall of Fame.

Mix also was actively involved in industry associations, including serving as co-chairman of the UPFDA Public Relations Committee. In 2006, he was recognized with the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) Pinnacle Award for outstanding contributions to both NPMA and the pest control industry.

As noted in his obituary, “In his spare time, Jerry loved traveling, spending time with family and friends but most of all fishing on Lake Erie with (wife) Nancy or a willing fishing buddy for the day.”

Mix is survived by wife Nancy, three children, two step-children and five grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to ALS Association and the American Stroke Association. Online memories and condolences may be left on Jerry’s memorial page at sunsetfuneralandcemetery.com.

Pi Chi Omega Awards Five Scholarships

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — Pi Chi Omega, the national entomology fraternity, announced that it has awarded five student scholarships totaling $11,000.

The scholarship program aims to support full-time university students engaged in urban and industrial pest management studies. The objective of Pi Chi Omega’s scholarship program is to encourage and assist students to prepare for careers in pest management.

Desiree Straubinger, chair of the scholarship committee, said, “The 2021 scholarship applicants were high caliber, making the scholarship committee’s decision extremely difficult. All of the students who applied will make a huge impact on the future of the pest control industry.”

The five students who were awarded scholarships in 2021 include:

• John Osmun Scholarship: Madison Gits, Purdue University ($3,000)
• Founders Endowment Scholarship: Morgan Wilson, Virginia Tech ($2,000)
• Alain VanRyckeghem Memorial Scholarship: Johnalyn Gordon, University of Kentucky ($2,000)
• Austin Frishman Scholarship: Maria Gonzalez-Morales, North Carolina State University ($2,000)
• Norm Ehmann Scholarship: Christopher Hayes, North Carolina State University ($2,000)

This year marks 45 years that Pi Chi Omega has provided financial scholarships that support formal education within the field of entomology.

Pi Chi Omega also announced in its newsletter that the Norm Ehmann Scholarship Fund has been bolstered thanks to generous donations from John Adams, former owner of Adams Pest Control Pty. Ltd. in South Melbourne, Australia. Adams recently made a $30,000 donation to the fund, which came on the heels of a $20,000 donation he made in 2019. His contributions will allow Pi Chi Omega to solidify the Norm Ehmann Scholarship as a perpetual scholarship.

EQT Invests in Anticimex

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — EQT announced the acquisition of Anticimex, which became the first investment of EQT’s “new purpose-driven strategy with longer-term investments and impact at its core,” the company said. The transaction, where the selling party is the EQT VI fund, has an enterprise value of SEK 60 billion. The investment is made together with several long-term investors, such as Melker Schörling AB (MSAB), who will be the second-largest shareholder, GIC, AMF, Interogo Holding Long-Term Equity and Alecta.

Per Franzén, partner and head of Private Capital’s advisory teams, said, “EQT has always been a thematic-driven investor. In order to best catch the opportunities that today’s global challenges bring, we are introducing a new longer-hold strategy. Having a positive impact on societal and environmental problems takes huge investments, real commitment, and time. To meet these challenges, we are introducing a longer-hold strategy to capture the largest business opportunity of our time, spotting investment opportunities that will reshape the future. This is also a natural development of EQT’s Private Capital platform — our digital focus, with EQT Ventures, Motherbrain and EQT Growth, is now complemented by a longer-hold strategy with impact at the core which is the next step on our sustainability journey.”

Andreas Aschenbrenner, partner with EQT Private Equity’s Advisory Team, said, “Pest control is vital for both industries and society by reducing pest-borne diseases and food waste. Anticimex is a digital leader in the pest control industry with its SMART technology, driving change towards pesticide-free solutions and increasing efficiency in preventing infestations — together with [Anticimex CEO] Jarl [Dahlfors] and his team, the plan is to further accelerate the roll-out of the SMART solution, over time contributing to a cleaner and healthier world. As such, we believe Anticimex is a perfect example of a company that long-term can reshape an industry and have a substantial positive impact.”

Dahlfors said, “After nine intense years of transformation, with expansion across Europe, North and South America and APAC, we are thrilled to embark on the next phase of Anticimex’ journey. Together with EQT and the significant investment step-up from MSAB, as well as the support from other strong partners like GIC, AMF, Interogo Holding Long-Term Equity, and Alecta, we will be in a strong position to capitalize on the great opportunities ahead.” Source: Anticimex

PCO M&A Specialists, William Blair Release May Pest Index

NEWTON, N.J. — The total U.S. pest index increased 16.2 percent year-over-year in May, a deceleration from April (up 21 percent), primarily due to an easier comparison with the commercial pest index in April 2020. On a sequential basis, the index decreased 2 percent from April 2021. The index typically sees a sequential increase in May (up 3 percent in May 2020 and 4 percent in May 2019).

The William Blair/PCO M&A Specialists Pest Index is a proprietary index of the monthly sales for 140 different U.S. pest control companies across 30 states. The combined annual revenue of these companies was $320 million in 2019 and $292 million in 2018. “Growth of 16 percent year-over-year in May remains well above the long-term historical average monthly growth trend of 8-9 percent,” said William Blair Equity Researcher Tim Mulrooney.

The Residential Pest Index increased 16.9 percent year-over-year and contracted 0.5 percent on a sequential basis. The Commercial Pest Index increased 22.7 percent year-over-year and contracted 0.2 percent on a sequential basis. The Wood Destroying (Termite) Index increased 8.4 percent year-over-year and contracted 8.9 percent on a sequential basis. The Bed Bug Index decreased 3.1 percent year-over-year and decreased 0.5 percent on a sequential basis.

View the full May report and the archive of past reports at www.sellmypcobusiness.com.

WorkWave Acquires Real Green Systems

HOLMDEL, N.J. — WorkWave, a provider of service industry software solutions, announced in June that it has signed an agreement to acquire Real Green Systems, a provider of field service solutions in the green service industries.

WorkWave says this combination brings together two proven software solutions in the field service industry and furthers the company’s position as a premier provider of leading solutions, delivering brands that have been proven more than decades to drive the success of their customers.

“This acquisition is something rarely seen. It is two successful, fast-growing, market-leading companies coming together to create something truly special,” said David F. Giannetto, CEO of WorkWave. “It marks the beginning of a new chapter where WorkWave will help our customers focus on the future, helping them to go beyond service to create effective, fast-growing, highly profitable service organizations that also deliver the best service experience possible. Real Green believes in this same mission, and together we will allow every solution in this expanded WorkWave product portfolio to deliver greater value. We have tremendous respect for the Real Green team, and the goal of this acquisition is to not just allow them to continue to lead the green industries forward, but to help them make an even greater impact.”

Real Green and WorkWave share a common background as two companies created by industry professionals nearly 40 years ago, both becoming well respected in their respective industries. While the Real Green solution and PestPac will remain separate, additional product offerings that support customer growth, including the equally respected Coalmarch and WorkWave Agency groups, will combine forces to maximize their development and value, the companies said.

“After years of watching WorkWave develop alongside Real Green, we’ve long known that the combination of these two companies would create something special,” said Bill Nunan, president and CEO of Real Green, who will stay on as the head of Real Green operations within WorkWave. “We are thrilled to be joining such a progressive solutions provider that shares our commitment to helping customers thrive, and who so strongly supports the continued growth and development of Real Green solutions and our passionate customer base.”

This acquisition follows WorkWave’s recent purchase of Slingshot, a leading provider of customer call center software, and further demonstrates WorkWave’s commitment to building an organization that enables its customers to think and go beyond service, to create the best service organizations possible.

RISE: Survey Says Americans Trust Pesticide Regulations

ARLINGTON, Va. — RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment) announced new public opinion research about specialty pesticide regulation during its annual CropLife America/RISE/Council of Producers and Distributors of Agrotechnology 2021 Regulatory Conference. The research shows strong support for the current federal and state pesticide regulatory framework.

According to the survey, eight in 10 consumers believe pesticides play an important role in protecting their home, health and community, and more than six in 10 have used pesticides in or around their home this year. A majority (78 percent) of consumers trust the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to effectively regulate pesticide products.

“Pesticides are essential to maintaining our health and safety at home, in public spaces and buildings and to protecting infrastructure and the environment, and it’s encouraging to learn that with everyone’s focus on public health during the past year, people understand the important role pesticides play in keeping them safe and healthy,” said Megan J. Provost, RISE president.

Consumers showed substantial trust in the U.S. EPA’s ability to regulate pesticide products, along with a high degree of trust in the role of state-level product regulation. Survey respondents also overwhelmingly agreed (82 percent) that the scientific review and regulatory process ensures that pesticide products can safely and effectively protect public health, safety and property.

Bayer Expands Pest Management and Public Health Team

CARY, N.C. — The Pest Management and Public Health business of Bayer announced six new executives to the team. Bayer says these new team members will continue driving the industry forward, and they will bring new solutions and expertise to pest management professionals.

“All of these executives are passionate about helping our customers succeed and protecting people against pest-related threats,” said Gokhan Vergon, head of Pest Management and Public Health for Bayer U.S. “We are thrilled to welcome them to the team, and we look forward to seeing their contributions to the pest management professionals we serve every day.”

The following executives joined the Pest Management and Public Health team since January:

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• Dr. Sally Abbar, field development representative. Abbar is responsible for new product and concept development in the southeast United States. She is an applied entomologist with a background in integrated pest management. Abbar specializes in both nonchemical and chemical control methods for urban and stored-product pests.
• Mike Hirvela, customer marketing manager. Hirvela is responsible for marketing the business’s household health products and expertise. He joins from the Bayer Turf and Ornamentals business where he served as the customer marketing manager for the golf and sports turf segments. Hirvela brings more than 20 years of experience in the lawn care and golf business to the role.
• Mike Leahy, area sales manager. Leahy covers Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia and western Pennsylvania as part of the Eastern region sales team. He brings a diverse industry background with more than 35 years of experience in both pest control sales and mosquito control sales.
• Keith Miller, area sales manager. Miller covers Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee as part of the Western region sales team. He has more than 25 years of experience and joins from the Bayer Animal Health division.
• Pat Morrow, senior marketing communications manager. Morrow oversees the marketing and communications for Bayer Pest Management and Public Health business. She brings several decades of experience to the role. Morrow first joined Bayer in 2016 as the marketing communications manager for the U.S. Turf and Ornamentals business.
• Eric Picard, area sales manager. Picard covers New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine as part of the Eastern region sales team. He has more than 13 years of experience in the pest management industry in both distribution and manufacturing.

Asian Giant Hornet Confirmed in Snohomish County, Washington

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Entomologists from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have confirmed the first report of an Asian giant hornet for 2021. This is the first confirmed report from Snohomish County and appears to be unrelated to the 2019-20 Asian giant hornet introductions in Canada and Whatcom County (Wash.).

A resident found a deceased hornet near Marysville and submitted the report the evening of June 4 on WSDA’s online Hornet Watch Report Form. Entomologists contacted them on June 7. When WSDA retrieved the hornet on June 8, the specimen was very dried out and they observed that it was a male hornet.

Being the first detection in Snohomish County and having different coloring than previously collected specimens in North America, the hornet was submitted to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) for final verification.

On June 11, WSDA and USDA-APHIS entomologists confirmed that the collected specimen was Vespa mandarinia — also known as the Asian giant hornet. WSDA DNA testing and the color variation of the specimen indicate that the specimen appears to be unrelated to the Whatcom County or Canadian Asian giant hornet introductions.

Given the time of year, that it was a male, and that the specimen was exceptionally dry, entomologists believe that the specimen is an old hornet from a previous season that wasn’t discovered until now. New males usually don’t emerge until at least July. There is no obvious pathway for how the hornet got to Marysville.

“The find is perplexing because it is too early for a male to emerge,” said Dr. Osama El-Lissy, Deputy Administrator for USDA’s Plant Protection and Quarantine program. “Last year, the first males emerged in late July, which was earlier than expected. However, we will work with WSDA to survey the area to verify whether a population exists in Snohomish County. USDA will continue to provide technical expertise and monitor the situation in the state. USDA has already provided funding for survey and eradication activities as well as research into lures and population genetics.”

“This new report continues to underscore how important public reporting is for all suspected invasive species, but especially Asian giant hornet,” Sven Spichiger, WSDA managing entomologist said.

“We’ll now be setting traps in the area and encouraging citizen scientists to trap in Snohomish and King counties. None of this would have happened without an alert resident taking the time to snap a photo and submit a report.”