Trio of companies on track to success
As I’m typing this article from my desk in “Schoplahoma” — my new home in Oklahoma — it is the end of May and graduation season is upon us. My wife and I have received sooo many graduation invitations this year from nieces, nephews, cousins, children of friends, our accountant, our accountant’s neighbor, the guy I met at the deli last week, etc.
To keep with the spirit of the season, let’s celebrate three companies that have graduated from the Pete Schopen “Start-up Stories” University 101.
Website refresh aids New Jersey PMP
Carlos Lugo
First impressions can make or break a company. Carlos Lugo of Resolve Pest Management learned that hard lesson last year as he was struggling with his website. In 2023, the Bayville, N.J.-based pest management professional (PMP) was only getting 30 website visits per month. In 2024, however, that number has grown to more than 500 monthly visits.
“My website plays a large role in my success,” he told me. “I spent a lot of time last year working on improving it, and now I’m getting calls like crazy!” Lugo receives three to four online submissions per day, and his phones are so busy he decided to hire a secretary.
Because work has been so promising for Lugo, he rehired his seasonal employee from last year and added another part-time position to help with the jobs. While his technicians are servicing the regular clients, he wants to continue networking and building work relationships.
Lugo doesn’t want to step out of the field completely, though; he is still handling most of the company’s wildlife calls. Everything seems to be clicking for this father of five. His growth looks promising:
2022: $141,000
2023: $180,000
2024 goal: $240,000
BHAG (big hairy audacious goal): Lugo would like to hire two full-time techs and pay off his existing loans.
Nicole Gorman
High honors for Georgia pair
Earlier this year, the Georgia Business Journal named Evans Termite & Pest Control as the “Best of Georgia” in the pest control division. Second-generation PMP Nicole Gorman, co-owner of the Locust Grove, Ga.-based company, has been incredibly receptive to some of the changes I recommended to her and her husband, Tim Ivey, last year:
▶ They cut down on their training time to allow their techs to start making money for the company sooner.
▶ They added WhatsApp to all their employees’ phones for better communication.
▶ Gorman is spending more time in the office vs. the field, and she is working very hard at making meetings productive. “I used to go through meetings quickly,” she admitted. “But now I take my time and make sure everyone understands our procedures.”
▶ They hired another worker in 2024, giving them three full-time techs.
▶ They purchased two new trucks.
▶ They landed their first big commercial account, an automotive company.
Tim Ivey
Earlier this year, the Georgia Business Journal named Evans Termite & Pest Control as the “Best of Georgia” in the pest control division. Second-generation PMP Nicole Gorman, co-owner of the Locust Grove, Ga.-based company, has been incredibly receptive to some of the changes I recommended to her and her husband, Tim Ivey, last year:
2022: $347,000
2023: $455,000
2024 goal: $590,000
BHAG: Triple commercial accounts
Brothers accomplish incredible growth
To say that Sasquatch Pest is leaving a “bigfoot”-sized impression in Northwest Washington is an understatement. Thanks to the sales acumen of Tyson Elling and the search engine optimization (SEO) prowess of Kris Elling, company revenues are soaring. After a successful 2023 campaign that saw their company grow by 144 percent, they are on pace for 100 percent growth again in 2024. They hired their first tech this year and are considering adding a second before Labor Day. They are signing up nearly 100 new clients every month!
Tyson and Kris Elling
According to Kris, placing Tyson in the office full-time was a smart move for Sasquatch.
“Tyson is in an area that plays to his strengths,” he reports, pointing to his brother’s friendly nature and knowledge of pest control that made him a natural fit for customer service. The fact that Tyson has had knee replacement surgery and shoulder operations added to the urgency to transition him to working the phones.
Kris would like to get out of the field soon, too, so that he can continue to handle the SEO, work on training, and monitor the quality of the jobs being done by Sasquatch. Kris has become so proficient with SEO work that he is currently teaming up with Zach Bernstein and Kiki Uher of Bugsy Pest — a 2024 “Start-up Stories” participant — to help them with their marketing.
2022: $146,000
2023: $356,000
2024 goal: $700,000
BHAG: $1 million
Congrats to these three great companies. You are all valedictorians of business!
