[Executive Forum Interview] Trace McEuen

Editor's Note: This is the second in a series of “Executive Forum” interviews from PCT magazine featuring leading industry executives sharing insights about their company and the industry. Last month, we featured John Dombrosky, head of marketing, Syngenta PPM. This month, we visited with Trace McEuen, vice president, Univar Environmental Sciences — Americas, an industry veteran who has devoted his entire career to the pest management industry, methodically rising through the ranks of Univar before being named to replace John Bolanos in 2014. We hope you enjoy our one-on-one interview with this longtime corporate executive and key industry stakeholder.

PCT: As someone who has been employed by Univar for 34 years, how has the company evolved since you joined the firm in 1980?

Trace McEuen: As with many organizations, I have seen dramatic change during the time I have been with Univar including numerous name changes and ownership changes. What I believe has not changed, however, are the fundamentals by which we manage our business. From the leadership and vision of Norm Ehmann to the partner-building belief of John Bolanos, Univar has grown and evolved as the markets we service continue to grow and evolve. Fundamentally the customers we have the honor to work with and our supplier partners continue to be the backbone of our business model. This was a relationship business three decades ago and it still is today.
 

PCT: What have been the most significant changes you’ve seen in the pest management industry during that period?

McEuen: Having been part of the pest management community for a long time I could go on and on with how this industry has grown and matured into a very professional business. From a distributor’s perspective, advancements in chemistry and technology have truly elevated our business from when I started. The technology advancements have provided our industry the ability to elevate the professionalism of the entire pest management business and foster the growth of key local, state and national associations. The creation and fundamental principles of the Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA), a group whose goal is to elevate the perceptions of all homeowners to the true value of our industry, shows how this industry continues to change and grow to meet the needs of today’s customer.
 

PCT: Who have been your key mentors during your career?

McEuen: Wes Hastings, my high school calculus teacher and golf coach, basically drilled into me the concept that consistent practice and dedicated hard work will always pay off. He also taught me how not to fold under pressure. Don’t be the first to “blink.”
 

PCT: In looking back on your career, what has been your greatest career accomplishment/disappointment?

McEuen: My greatest accomplishment would be the long customer and employee friendships I have built over time. Many of my closest friends are customers or former employees (now customers). Again, this is a relationship business and it is the most rewarding aspect of being part of this industry. As for disappointments, I have had a few employees leave the company that I wish I had had the ability to convince to stay, but that did not happen. I will always respect their decisions but their loss is still felt.
 

PCT: What are your plans for Univar in 2015?

McEuen: Univar must work to find solutions that benefit our customers and help them as business owners. Utilizing enhanced technology is paramount, but making sure we have strong representation and facilitation where our customers need us most is key.
 

PCT: What is your strategic vision for Univar’s professional pest management business moving forward?

McEuen: Our business model is based on growth. The Americas in my title would lead one to believe that although we have a strong presence in North America we will continue to explore Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean, to grow.
 

PCT: What challenges/opportunities are you likely to encounter while implementing that strategic vision?

McEuen: In the United States and Canada the business environment in which we work is very structured and well defined. As we explore markets in new countries the culture and business environment is dramatically different. Univar, as a company, continues to invest in South America and Asia. It would be natural for our business unit to fold into this already established footprint.
 

PCT: How would you describe the corporate culture at Univar?

McEuen: We are dedicated to our employees and building on the relationships we have established with our customers. Our culture is to build an organization that our employees want to work for and recommend a friend to work for. Working with our customers, we strive to earn “customers for life” and it is our culture at Univar ES to find the drivers that would sustain that environment.
 

PCT: How is that culture likely to change under your leadership?

McEuen: My belief is that I need to sustain the strong culture that exists within our team today. I do not see a need to facilitate a change. In fact, many times it is our culture that helps define our vision. As many of us reflect on the acquisitions Univar has made, from Namco to Southern Mill Creek Products, we have worked to take what these fine companies believed in and incorporate those beliefs into our own culture. Since each company had a core belief or passion for their employees and customers, the integrations have been easier than we had anticipated.
 

PCT: Univar recently underwent an extensive rebranding initiative. What were some of the steps involved in that process?

McEuen: After a review of our existing brand, we felt there was an opportunity to be more concise about who we are, and what makes Univar different. We worked with a brand consultant to uncover Univar’s unique point of view through customer and employee interviews, research and an internal brand workshop that explored things like our vision for the future, and what makes us unique. Clear themes emerged, which led to a new brand position outlining our core beliefs and personality. We used that as a blueprint to evolve our design, creating a new look and feel that is linked to corporate Univar, yet distinctly Univar Environmental Sciences.
 

PCT: What do you hope to accomplish with this initiative?

McEuen: We wanted to present a focused, genuine picture of who we are to the industry. We believe that leadership comes with certain responsibilities: advancing the industry, sharing knowledge, acting with integrity and providing quality solutions. These core beliefs are the foundation of our rebrand, and play a key role in our business strategy moving forward. We’ve always been “more than just a distributor” and now our rebrand makes that official. Our new tagline, “the right product is just the beginning” is a promise to new customers, and a commitment to our existing ones. We hope this rebrand brings our strengths to the forefront, guides exciting new developments and helps us raise the industry for us all.
 

PCT: How do you think Univar is perceived by product suppliers serving the professional pest management industry?

McEuen: I believe this is an area we could improve on. The supplier community and Univar both want to help this industry to grow and prosper. Univar is a full-line distributor, this fact alone can create tension between suppliers and Univar. But the fact remains; we are a distributor, not a manufacturer. Our ability to build “customers for life” fully hinges on our having a strong relationship with our supplier partners and the chemistry they provide.
 

PCT: How do you think it is perceived by the end-user community (PMPs)?

McEuen: We continue to ask our customers, through many vehicles, what they like most about Univar as well as what we need to do to improve, to meet their needs. Our ProCenter footprint is designed to bring access to a full line of products for all pest management operators, from one truck on up. PestWeb and our other online services exist to help maximize our customers’ time to explore new products, ask Mr. Pest Control a question, take online training courses, view our new Connectivity e-newsletter or just learn more about their industry. To answer your question, we still have many aspects to our business that we need to focus on, but we hope our customers and those that might someday be our customers view Univar as a positive resource to their business.
 

PCT: How are those perceptions accurate and/or inaccurate?

McEuen: Univar is a company that prides itself on working closely and building lifelong relationships with every PMP. Our goal is always provide value to every sized company and look for ways to make their “buying” experience from Univar easy and enjoyable. We continue to explore ways to make it easier to do business with us.
 

PCT: Why did Univar embark on an effort to install new kiosks and information centers in its ProCenters?

McEuen: As a leader in the industry, we know we need to offer PMPs the resources they need to be successful. That’s why we felt it was important to invest in the addition of information centers and touchscreen kiosks at our ProCenter locations across the country. This has allowed us to give PMPs in-store access to exclusive monthly promotions, product information, print-ready labels and safety data sheets, as well as Premier Services and PestWeb, all at their fingertips. Overall, these new information centers and kiosks are just two of our many efforts to provide a better shopping experience for our customers. Now when PMPs enter any of our ProCenters, they can quickly see current promotions and find additional information about product usage and safety, so that they’ll be better informed and prepared when they go to their customers.
 

PCT: How long has that initiative been in the works and how has it been received?

McEuen: We’re constantly listening to our customers, and using their feedback to make meaningful additions to our products and services. This initiative is part of that greater commitment to sharing our knowledge and raising the industry through education. We started planning for the new information centers and kiosks prior to 2014 and the first kiosks were rolled out in March of last year. The response so far has been nothing but positive.
 

PCT: What are some of the other new initiatives Univar will be pursuing in 2015?

McEuen: In 2014 we launched ProTraining. Formerly Master Technician, Univar’s new and interactive ProTraining online courses feature expert content written by our own board certified entomologist as well as compelling videos, narration and visuals. Our ProTraining courses are approved for CEUs in many states and Canadian provinces. Five new courses have recently been made available, and we are excited to be releasing more new and updated courses throughout 2015 and beyond. In addition to the introduction of the information centers and kiosks at our ProCenter locations, we’re adding new stores and remodeling existing ones, as well as expanding warehouses to stock more products and increase availability to pest management professionals. In 2015, we will also be adding an exciting feature to Premier Services that allows business owners and managers to gain valuable insight into their business, including purchase history and employee training records. Lastly, we will continue to make improvements to PestWeb, based on our customers’ needs and wants, including the introduction of an improved e-commerce platform that will allow PMPs to make purchases online 24/7 — so they’ll always have the products they need, when they need them.
 

PCT: What do you like to do in your free time?

McEuen: Growing up in Arizona and now living in Texas I have a passion for the outdoors; anything outside is enjoyable. I have been known to enjoy a round of golf when time permits.
 

PCT: Tell us something about yourself that might surprise your industry colleagues?

McEuen: I am a fifth-generation Arizonan with a family history of cattle ranching that dates back to the late 1800s.
 

PCT: Is there anything we haven’t asked that you would like to address?

McEuen: I always aspired to lead this organization one day. When the opportunity was granted to me it truly humbled me in many ways. This company has a strong passion for this business and it is truly incumbent of me to continue the legacy of Univar’s investment in this industry and build on our “customers for life.”