New to the List: Change Is the Only Constant at Pro Pacific Pest Control

Brothers Shane and Ben Hoy had a very good year in 2016, as rainy conditions in California opened the floodgates of business. The co-owners of San Diego-based Pro Pacific Pest Control say their revenues grew 21 percent year-over-year, following a decade of growth averaging about 15 percent annually.

“It was a windfall type of situation, where preparation met opportunity,” says Shane. “For the past several years, we’ve focused on cultivating relationships, stepping up our marketing efforts and helping employees recognize opportunities for cross-selling. When the rain came, we were primed to capitalize on the increased demand for pest control services.”

The Hoy brothers bought Pro Pacific Pest Control in 2006, after starting a successful bee removal division for the company as employees in 2003. Since then, they have embraced evolving technology tools, building an online presence and offering scheduling from their website, and differentiated themselves through exceptional customer service.

“Our employees make all the difference,” says Ben. “They understand the power of communication and they work just as hard at building relationships — making themselves available to, and having meaningful conversations with, our customers — as they do at providing pest control services. Customers recognize that we care. When they call, we answer quickly. When they have questions or concerns, we respond.”

In fact, Ben believes that one of the company’s great strengths is hiring the right people. “Our employees bring a lot of skills to the table. We work hard to train them so they can apply and develop those skills to attain their own professional goals and play an active role in the company’s success.”

Shane says that Pro Pacific Pest Control’s upward momentum inspires the team to continually seek ways to do things more effectively and efficiently. By way of example, he references a new marketing approach freshly introduced on the company website, which gets straight to the point of cost. “We’ll see how it performs,” he says. “The reality is that probably half the time new ideas flop, but you have to look at the other half of the time, when they succeed. Getting stuck in old ideas or practices, whether our own or the industry’s, isn’t going to move us to the next level. Change is.”

They’ve reaped the rewards of change in the past — in 2012, for instance, when they recognized the value of building recurring business in addition to providing one-time services. They’re embarking upon another important change at the moment, diversifying by adding termite services, which they consider an investment in their future.

“We are focused on continued stable, managed growth going forward,” says Ben, who notes that strategic planning, hiring and training will be pivotal to their success in a market that is characterized by fierce — yet friendly — competition.

“Our industry is filled with great people, both locally and nationally,” he says. “We have had the opportunity to meet and work with many other companies in our local markets, and almost every experience has been positive. Even when bidding on the same work, our competing friends are respectful and collaborative. For that, we are very grateful.”