Industry Mourns Loss of Norm Cooper

RYE, N.Y. — Norm Cooper, whose 63-year pest control career included time spent as a PCO, consultant and NPMA president, passed away on April 5 at age 85. Cooper had been suffering from a blood disorder called MDS for about a year. Widely considered one of the pest control industry’s greatest ambassadors, Cooper created NPMA’s longtime “Guardians of the Environment” branding initiative during his presidency.

A native New Yorker, Cooper in 1954 launched Abby Exterminating Services, a company he owned until January 1971 when he sold it to ESCO (Exterminating Services Co.). He stayed on board at ESCO, eventually becoming president of the exterminating services division. He retired from ESCO in 1996, and launched a highly successful consulting business, Norman Cooper & Associates.

Cooper served as NPMA (then NPCA) president in 1991-92 and during his presidency created the branding “Guardians of the Environment” — which included the logo and tagline — an initiative many credit for improving the industry’s image.

Russ Ives, president of Troy-Mich.-based Rose Pest Solutions, and a former NPMA president, said he believes this was Cooper’s greatest contribution because of what it said about, and to, the pest control industry. “While there were many who said at the time that it was a bit off center to the message we had previously been promoting about protection of health and property, it did put our contributions into the discussion which so-called environmentalists had co-opted. It helped us develop our own arguments about our industry’s contributions, and added a new topic of environmental responsibility into our operational discussions. And, as Norm did so well, it added pride and positivity into our messages which had been getting increasingly defensive.”

Through his consulting firm, and through his many national and international speaking engagements, Cooper remained close to the pest control industry through his entire life. He and wife Marilyn traveled throughout the U.S. and the world, where Cooper spoke on the industry’s behalf in countries such as Japan, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Israel, Singapore, China and Ecuador. For these and other contributions, in 2014, Cooper was presented with NPMA’s first-ever Global Ambassador Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 2015, he was recognized by PCT and Syngenta with the Crown Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award. At last year’s NPMA PestWorld in Seattle, Cooper was presented with the Pinnacle Award, the association’s most coveted and prestigious accolade, which honors an individual who has contributed not only to the success of the association but to the industry as a whole over a lifetime or career.

Mike Katz, recently retired from Western Exterminator, said Cooper was an important mentor to him and others in the pest control industry and within NPMA. “People who never knew Norm really missed out, because he was a kind, down-to-earth man who had a passion for the pest management industry and the people in it. It didn’t matter who you were. He treated everyone the same way. I’m really going to miss his smile when he saw me, and our conversations about basketball and the world. I will remember him as a good man and a good friend.”

Cooper is survived by wife Marilyn, their two sons and daughter, and grandchildren.

Industry Icon Truly David Nolen Passes Away

NAPLES, Fla. — Truly David Nolen, the charismatic longtime leader of the pest control company with the same name, passed away at his Naples, Fla., home on April 18. He was 89.

Truly David Nolen is best known for his successful and vibrant companies — Truly Nolen of America (based in Tucson, Ariz.) and Truly Nolen International (based in Orlando, Fla.) and their fleet of yellow “mouse cars” and antique vehicles. Today, there are more than 320 Truly Nolen offices in 63 countries. Nolen had many personal and professional accomplishments and earned many awards throughout his life. His favorite times were often spent on a boat, piloting a plane or behind the wheel of a beautiful car.

Nolen’s “rules to live by” were: “Find humor in everything, even adversity. Stay positive and persistent to the extreme. Work hard, play hard. Do what you want to, not just to make money. Don’t be afraid to be different — take a chance!” Nolen had a famous sense of humor, often quoting films by Mel Brooks or his personal favorite, Airplane!

Much of Nolen’s life was memorialized in his 2005 autobiography, “Truly Original.” His great friend and colleague, Norm Ehmann, wrote of Nolen, “Truly Nolen is a giant among men. Polio confined him to an iron lung from which there was no escape. He escaped. They told him he would never walk again. He not only walks, but he takes great pleasure in flying his own airplane. His ideas of growing a business didn’t match his father’s style so he traveled 3,000 miles west and started his own business, which is now one of the largest privately owned pest control companies in the United States with franchises around the world.”

He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Vickie Taylor Nolen, and by his eight children — Truly William Nolen, Steven Scott Nolen, Bonnie Sue Nolen Jauregui, Really Philip Nolen, Michelle Nolen Senner, Sincere Leigh Nolen, Scarlett Sahara Nolen Jallad and True Spyder Luke Nolen. He is also survived by 12 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Copesan, Syngenta Support Pest Management Research/Education

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — Copesan Services announced its $11,660 contribution to two key charitable organizations providing scholarship funds and research support to the pest management industry.

2017 marked the sixteenth year the Copesan network raised funds for Pi Chi Omega and the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) Foundation for research through the annual Copesan Charity Raffle. “Supporting the industry and its growth through research and education is important to the Copesan family. We’re excited to share the network’s generosity with Pi Chi Omega and the NPMA Pest Management Foundation,” said Deni Naumann, Copesan president. “It’s great to see our Partner team members and industry suppliers work together and contribute to the development of strong, future leaders and ongoing essential scientific research and development.”

Sponsored by Syngenta, the 2017 raffle was held during Copesan’s annual conference, Feb. 14-16, in Orlando, Fla. This year’s event was attended by more than 330 members of the Copesan Partner network and pest management suppliers who raised $5,830 in just a few short days. Copesan matched this amount for a total donation of $11,660 to be equally divided between Pi Chi Omega for scholarships and the NPMA Foundation for research.

Pi Chi Omega, a pest management professional fraternity, provides a number of $2,000 scholarships each year to deserving entomology students at universities across the country and around the world. The NPMA Pest Management Foundation has been providing grants for the research, development and refinement of pest management tools and techniques for more than 30 years.

In Memoriam: William L. Kirchner

CLEVELAND, Ohio — William L. Kirchner, co-founder of Southern Mill Creek Products of Ohio, and the third-generation owner of Cleveland Chemical Pest Control, passed away in April at age 83, at his home in Key Largo, Fla.

The Kirchner family took ownership of Cleveland Chemical Pest Control in 1929. The company originally was formed in 1903 as a service branch of the Chamberlain-Haber Chemical Company, which specialized in ant and roach insecticides.

In the early 1960s, Kirchner, along with his brother-in-law, Dick Schroeder, launched Southern Mill Creek Products of Ohio as a Northeast Ohio distributor. The business grew to include 10 distribution centers throughout major metropolitan markets in the Northeast/North Central region prior to being sold to Univar in 2010. (The Kirchners sold their majority interest in Southern Mill Creek Products of Ohio to Austin Capital Partners in the mid-2000s.)

In 2004, the Greater Cleveland Pest Control Association recognized Kirchner, Bob Caldwell and George Ross for their efforts in shaping Ohio’s pesticide laws, which includes a pre-emption clause. Pre-emption essentially ensures that local municipalities must abide by standards set by state law, and thus local municipalities cannot enact overreaching regulations.

Kirchner was named a honorary/lifetime member of the Ohio Pest Management Association (OPMA).

Cleveland Chemical Pest Control is now led by William P. Kirchner, son of William L. Kirchner. In addition to William P. Kirchner, he is survived by son Timothy Kirchner and daughters Barbara Nye and Katie Grgetic. His wife, Eleanor, passed away in 2014.

Formosan Termites Discovered in Pinellas County (Fla.)

GULFPORT, Fla. — Corey McLendon, a WDO inspector at Bingham’s Professional Pest Management, St. Petersburg, Fla., recently made a most unusual discovery — Formosan termites in Gulfport, Fla., a community in southern Pinellas County.

While Formosan termites are found throughout parts of Florida, they have largely not been found (or have gone unreported) in Pinellas County, one of South Florida’s most densely populated counties that includes the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater.

“Pinellas is the last major populous county in Florida to report Formosan termites and that was several years ago,” said Dr. Rudi Scheffrahn, entomologist, University of Florida. “Those termites were actually found in this same town (Gulfport) as this recent discovery. They had already been found in every populous county in Florida.”

Scheffrahn said that according to his records Formosan termites in Pinellas County have been limited to coastal areas and the southern part of the county.

McClendon said he made the discovery while performing a WDO inspection on a home as part of a real estate transaction. “I could see that there was paint blistering around the door casings and I assumed it was from subterranean termites.”

Upon closer inspection, McClendon pushed down on several of the termites and noticed a white, gooey substance, a clue that they might be Formosan termites based on previous encounters with these pests, he said. (The samples were later sent to a UF extension office, and eventually to Scheffrahn.)

Fortunately for the homeowner, McClendon believes that the infestation was relatively new and limited to just one area of the house — an addition on the back of the structure. Bingham’s treated the entire house with its Formosan termite treatment protocols, which includes both a tent fumigation and traditional soil treatment.

Bob Bingham, co-owner of Bingham’s, said he thinks this infestation is a sign that Formosan termites are successfully migrating into Pinellas, and over time may become as prevalent as eastern subterranean termites.

Scheffrahn concurs with this assessment. “Hillsborough County is far more populated with Formosan termites but I think it’s only a matter of time before they expand further and further, and that is really the case throughout the state with the exception of the Florida Keys, which is just too tropical for Formosan termites.” — Brad Harbison

Tim Julien, NWCOA Founding Father, Passes Away

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — One of NWCOA’s founding fathers and its first president, Tim Julien, 59, of Indianapolis, Ind., passed away on April 3.

Julien served as NWCOA’s president for 10 years and was instrumental in the creation of NWCOA’s first goose training.

Julien is survived by his wife Shelly Julien (McCarthy), son Timothy (Christine) Julien, and daughter Theresa Julien, step-daughters Kelli Ilderton and Patricia (David) Lee. He is also survived by his brothers Donald Julien and Joseph Julien and sisters Beth Gonzales, Susanne Parker, Nancy Mitchell, Patricia Julien, Jennifer Francis, and seven grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents James and Marceline Julien (Jaynes).

Julien was a disabled veteran, retired from the Army. He was a Wildlife Control Operator, head of A & T Wildlife Management Services in Indianapolis.

Jenkins Brothers Cycling for Charity This Summer

SEATTLE — Bobby, Raleigh and Dennis Jenkins, owners of ABC pest control companies in Austin, Houston and Dallas, are making a cross-country bike trip this summer in support of two worthy charity causes: “A Child’s Hope” Foundation and the Moss Pieratt Foundation.

The journey began on May 22 in Seattle and their goal is to ride 70 miles a day over a 55-day period, ending their 3,800-mile trip in New York City.

Raleigh Jenkins is riding in support of “A Child’s Hope” Foundation, a charity that he helped to create to take care of abandoned children in Haiti. Bobby Jenkins is cycling in honor of his late grandson, Moss, to help fund the Moss Pieratt Foundation and to create awareness of Sudden Unexplained Death in Children (SUDC). Dennis Jenkins is supporting both of these charities.

Raleigh Jenkins wrote the following: “As you may or may not know, I got involved in Haiti shortly after the earthquake in 2010 to help with hospitals, schools and orphanages. After several mission trips, I knew that there was more work to be done there, but I had no idea what...there was a calling from God that moved me towards helping the lost and abandoned children that I saw all around me while in Port-au-Prince. Since that time, with the help of family and dear friends, we created A Child’s Hope, a nonprofit organization (501[c][3]) that provides a safe, loving and supportive Christian home for these children.”

The Jenkins brothers are asking the pest management industry to consider supporting their ride. On May 6, they hosted a “Brothers Bike” event to kick off the bike ride dedicated to A Child’s Hope and to the Moss Pieratt Foundation. Donations also can be made through www.achildshope.org/events/brothers-bike. The following sponsorship opportunities are available:

• Chain Gang: $2,500
• Miles of Comfort: $5,000
• Miles of Smiles: $7,000
• Miles of Cheer: $10,000
• Miles of Encouragement: $12,000
• Miles of Support: $15,000
• Miles of Strength: $25,000
• Miles of Hope (title sponsorship): $50,000

Termidor HP Modules Now Live on PCT’s DLC

VALLEY VIEW, Ohio — PCT’s Distance Learning Center continues to expand with the addition of the following label training modules: BASF’s Termidor HP, parts 1, 2 and 3. These and other label training modules are the centerpiece of PCT’s Distance Learning Center — a FREE service for the professional pest control market provided by PCT.

Created by Board Certified Entomologist and consultant Stoy Hedges, the courses use photographs, video clips and reference materials to challenge users’ knowledge, experience and problem-solving skills for a wide range of products and pest problems.

Accessible by PC, tablet or smartphone, Distance Learning Center training is presented in modules designed to take a half-hour to an hour to complete. Their brevity gives individuals the opportunity to fit this education in whenever their schedules allow — even during breaks or lunchtime. And if a user needs to stop while taking a course, no problem: He or she can close the program and pick up at the point left off later.

Visit https://training.pctonline.com to get started, and return frequently as new training modules are added monthly.