Orlando Pest Control News

Owner Steve Okros, Mayor Fred Costello & the Ormond Beach team cut ribbon to commemorate Grand Opening of the Volusia County Office.

HERON ANNOUNCES THE GRAND OPENING OF THE NEW BRANCH IN ORMOND BEACH

For many years now, each time a referral came into the office for a potential customer just outside the “original” Heron service area, we took the request seriously, and were anxious to do the right thing. As time would soon make very clear, the good people in Volusia County were about to become a growing customer base for Heron.

Once we begin servicing these areas, we become very motivated to do more than just commute in and out of the county. We seek to employ people who live in Volusia County, support vendors who do business there and contribute to the local economy by establishing a presence in Volusia County.

On June 1, 2010 Heron Lawn and Pest Control proudly opened the doors to the new Ormond Beach facility. We held a grand opening celebration & ribbon cutting ceremony. Thank you to Mayor Fred Costello for attending! The Ormond Beach Pest Control branch, now fully staffed and functioning, covers our customers from Volusia & Flagler Counties including: Palm Coast, New Smyrna Beach, Ormond Beach, Flagler Beach, Daytona Beach and surrounding areas offering pest control, lawn fertilization, shrub care, palm care, termite control & sod installation.

The Ormond Beach team wishes to extend a heart-felt thank you to all our existing Volusia and Flagler County customers. You may rest assured we will continue to provide you with all the things you have come to expect from us, and we thank you for your many referrals and kind words of support.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Heron Lawn & Pest Control is proud to announce its Grand Opening of Leesburg Location and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony scheduled to be held on Friday, May 21 at 2:30.  You are cordially invited to attend our celebration! Local officials and dignitaries will be on hand for the celebration starting at 2:30 and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 3:30 along with Founders Rodney Lackey, Steve Okros and Joseph Patti.  Join us for food, music and a great time.   The community is invited to stop by and enter a drawing to win free services!

- Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting

- Friday, May 21, 2010  2:30 p.m., Ribbon Cutting Ceremony 3:30 p.m.

-  3411 West Main Street Suite 6  Leesburg, FL 34748

Heron Lawn & Pest Control opened in 2002 with three strong willed partners, 1 truck and a dream.  Through hard work and an unwavering commitment to excellent service, Heron Lawn & Pest Control has grown to 74 employees, 62 fleet and 4 Central Florida locations in only 8 years.  Heron is in the top 100 Pest Control companies in the US and has been named the fastest growing pest control company in the US for 3 years in a row by PCT Magazine.   With unprecedented growth, Heron is committed to providing the highest quality of service to customers and a family atmosphere to its employees.

“We are really excited about taking this footstep put into Lake and Marion Counties! We have serviced customers out here for several years now, and have had an overwhelming response of great feedback from them. We look forward to working closely with the community of Leesburg as well as the county! We appreciate the hospitality that has been shown as well as all of the support! -Rodney Lackey

For more information, contact Cherissa Vandergriff at 407-478-6915 or email cvandergriff@heronlawnandpest.com.  Please RSVP by phone or email.  Visit us online at www.heronpest.com.

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HERON RELOCATES LARGEST SALES AND SERVICE CENTER PLUS CORPORATE OFFICE TO APOPKA

 
In March of 2010 the office that covers all of Seminole and the northern portion of Orange County relocated permanently to Apopka.  The enormous project was overseen by Apopka native Brenda Jones, who also just happens to be a six-year Heron veteran corporate staff member. “Our biggest challenge,” Brenda announced, “was performing all aspects of the relocation while keeping the chaos completely transparent to our customers. We insisted on zero service disruption.”
 
Of course, Heron has been doing business in Apopka since the first day the doors were opened. There is an enormous customer base in this expanding area, and we have been fortunate enough to enjoy a very healthy working relationship with its residents - both residential and commercial. Heron also has a well-established little league sponsorship history with two youth teams from Apopka over the years. When you take into account the great many Heron team members that live in Apopka, all these reasons combine to make us feel right at home here.
 
But even more exciting than all that for this new relationship is Heron’s policy of Corporate stewardship in each community we reside in. That means we have sought out local Apopka vendors as part of our support staff. Vendors like printers and auto repair facilities. We are now patrons of two large Apopka service stations to meet our fleet fuel needs. We are pumping many thousands of dollars into the community in taxes and occupancy fees, and as if that weren’t enough, our continued growth in Apopka means jobs, jobs, jobs!!
 
Every full time Heron position comes with top-shelf medical, dental, disability and life insurance benefits. When you add a company vehicle (in most cases) and a very generous salary, you can see why we enjoy such high employee retention rates. 
 
We thank you for making us feel so welcome. We thank you for your support, and your very generous referrals. Please feel free to stop in and say  hello if you are near the S. Orange Blossom Trail area and you are a customer. We would be thrilled to show you around.

HERON COO IS THE JEOPARDY CHAMP AT PEST MGMT. WORKSHOP 4 YEARS IN A ROW!

Each year the University of Florida/IFAS Extension Education Center offers continuing education credits for licensed pest control operators.   Each year Celeste White and Tom MacCubbin, Extension Agent Emeritus, have a contest at the end of the class. The best of the best are challenged Jeopardy-style, and it is not pretty!  Tom MacCubbin can really turn up the heat. All contestants battle it out for prizes and bragging rights.

Winning, well, that’s an elusive prize set aside for only those with “the right stuff.” So it should come as no surprise to anyone that Steve Okros, Heron Chief Operating Officer has taken the gold, four years running! It’s true – no one else has been able to overcome Steve’s encyclopedic knowledge of our industry, although many have gone down trying.

Why should that matter to you? Steve oversees all the training at Heron Pest Control. He manages the company service manual, he orchestrates the build-out of the trucks, the size of the tips on the sprayers, the dimensions of the hoses, the ratio of nitrogen to potassium in our fertilizer, the frequency we swap from microencapsolates to desiccants in our pest control program, and so, so much more. You would not believe what Steve performs behind the scene s on your behalf!

You want Steve, four-time All-State Pest Control Champ, on your side. You want Steve losing sleep over our shrub care program. You want Steve examining your termite treatment with a clip board, a measuring stick, and a flashlight. You want Steve watching quietly while his Managers check in your technicians at 6PM on Friday from the back of the room. You want Steve holding his “customer care” meetings every month.
Go Steve!
Follow this link and scan down to page 4 to see Steve in action!

HERON OPENS NEW FACILITY IN LEESBURG TO BETTER SERVE ITS LAKE AND MARION COUNTY CUSTOMERS

Today the doors swung open for the first time at the new Heron sales and service facility in Leesburg, and all the months of careful preparation came down to that one glorious moment. Heron President and CEO Rodney Lackey was there to take part in the excitement. “We have been working on this move for a long time now.” Rod explains. “It’s a real treat to finally have it up and running.”

“Lake and Marion Counties have been among the fastest growing segments of our customer base, and we have been anxious to get settled into this community for some time now, in order to better access them. The recession caused us to remain more cautious than we otherwise would have, but it has all come together just wonderfully now.”

Rodney continues. “That makes things fundamentally easier for the Heron team members who reside in Lake County, and it also gives us an opportunity to give back to a community that has been very good to us over the years.”

Heron has a proven service model that works so well, it continues to make possible these types of expansion. It’s a stubborn process that revolves tightly around customer care at each point along the company hierarchy. Team members who answer the phones have the same authority as a Branch Manager, for example, if an issue arises concerning customer care. “They are rewarded and supported for going the extra mile,” explains Rodney, “rather than being punished for exceeding their authority, and in the process, losing a customer. Ego-driven models will always fail. Service-driven models work for a reason. Our six-sigma approach to creating value is at the core of our service mission.”

Tomorrow the sun will rise over another work day in Leesburg. We just couldn’t ask for anything more!

HERON ACQUIRES BEE GREEN SERVICES

Heron Pest Control has acquired the assets and customer base of local competitor, Bee Green Services. Bee Green provides lawn care and shrub care services in the counties where Heron already has an impactful presence, and the caliber and scope of their program is compatible with ours.

“We are very pleased and excited to welcome James Whittaker as the newest member of the Heron family,” announced Joe Patti, Heron Chairman. “His definition of customer care combined with his experience and technical expertise make this a great marriage.”

“The relationship James had with his customers” Joe continued, “is sacred to us. No changes, by company policy, can occur to pricing, scope of work, or frequency – unless they represent an improvement to the consumer. It is in this fashion that we demonstrate to these newest Heron customers our commitment to remain perfectly faithful to them.”

Rodney Lackey, Heron President, is quick to add that the company’s robust growth over the years has been completely organic until this point. “and that type of expansion” he continues, “cannot be sustained without the consistent delivery of a service to every customer that has real and indisputable value. There is no other way.”

HERON RENEWS COMMITMENT TO VOLUSIA COUNTY YOUTH BASEBALL ORGANIZATION

Heron Pest Control is a proud supporter of youth organized sports, for all the obvious reasons. In past years we have pledged our support for several teams across many counties competing in both youth baseball and football.

In 2008 The West Volusia Americans (Ozone Division) were undefeated, and went on to become Division and State championships.

In 2009  they won the Dixie State Tournament Championship to qualify for the Dixie Baseball World Series, which begins July 31 in Enterprise, Alabama. It is the second straight State championship for the 13-year-old team, which went 4-1 with wins over Tampa, Okeechobee, West Seminole and Spring Hill. Frankie Martello won two games, while Troy Turner and Josh Lackey won one game apiece.

“You look at all the statistics” Says Joe Patti, Heron Chairman, “and you see that a kid participating in these things during formative years goes a long way in preventing problems down the line, when the stakes start getting really high. We’re really happy to be involved in things like this.”

You can follow the link provided to read about the team, and perhaps lend your support to their effort as well.

http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=wvyb

PCT MAGAZINE (MAY 2009) RANKS HERON 89TH LARGEST PEST CONTROL FIRM IN THE U.S.

Each year PCT Magazine examines all the Pest Control operations across the country, and compiles their “Top 100” list for publication. Heron first appeared on the list last year, in the number 100 slot. “Our consistent rise in the rankings” says Rodney Lackey, Heron President and CEO, “is continued validation that even in this economic climate, our model of superior customer service and stubborn insistence on creating substantive value during every contact point with our customers, is a winning philosophy.”

“Plus, there’s more there than meets the eye.” He continues. “For example, last year among our 99 other peers, we were the fastest growing in the country. This year, by a margin of just 1%, we took the number 2 slot nationally. That level of performance cannot be sustained by accident.”

“Further, our move of 11 slots up the ladder was significant. Only one other Pest Control firm in the rankings had a more substantial move than ours – and we’re watching the details closely in our home State of Florida as well, where in just 6 years we have become the 12th largest firm in the State.”

Heron Pest Control employs over 70 full-time men and women in Central Florida, and continues to add more positions on a regular basis to keep pace with its expansion. Your confidence in us continues to create opportunity for employment (and family healthcare coverage) during a time when State-wide unemployment rates and lack of affordable access to health care benefits are devastating to so many families.

Heron equips entire fleet with real-time Global Positions Systems
“This project was important to me for many reasons.” says Ryan Shilton, Heron Fleet Manager. “This fits squarely into other initiatives we’ve already had in place for a long time.”

What Ryan means is simply this – the ability to track every vehicle in a fleet as big as this one pays huge dividends. First, managing idle time, speed, and unnecessary driving saves fuel, and not only makes us more environmentally responsible, it also helps manage our operating costs, which keeps the cost to our customers competitively in check.

Second, we are now watching arrival and departure times at customer’s homes. This leaves no room for misunderstanding when superior service is company policy. Every service vehicle is tracked to the second by three geosynchronized satellites that can pinpoint a truck anywhere on planet earth under any conditions. You may rest assured your service is being performed correctly. Big brother is watching closely!

Third, we are managing risk by slowing these vehicles down, watching for school zone behavior, after-hours use and travel outside of assigned areas. Every minute we eliminate in unnecessary use is a minute we reduce the risk of an accident to zero percent. The incentives here are obvious, and as responsible corporate citizens, you should expect nothing less from us.

In these recessionary times other companies are cutting back on important things, or going out of business altogether. We continue to invest in ways that elevate our position in this industry, never satisfied that our work here is done. Thank you for your support and thank you most especially for your many kind referrals.

PCO Magazine (August 2008) features Heron Pest Control on the cover of this revealing edition.
From page 18 of the article: “To say that Heron has made a lawn care and pest control impression on central Florida would be an understatement.”

“Dawn Rivera and Jerry Mix from PCO Magazine” says Tom Grzeszczak, Heron District Manager, “did a fantastic and flattering job capturing a snapshot of our success, but we’re keeping our eye on the ball here.”

Tom and Clay Pratt, Brach Manager of the Orlando office, were sitting at the table in the conference room in his branch, reading along together.

The article has brought into focus the unparalleled growth Heron Pest Control has enjoyed, even during these troubling economic times. Our ranking as one of the fastest growing pest control companies in the United States highlights for us a need in the market for something fundamental.

“We’re not talking about all 7,000 homes we’ll have under our care before this year is out,” Tom continues, “but rather performing one perfect service, 7,000 times. There’s a difference.”

A short interlude of enthusiastic “high-fives” takes place, and then these guys are back to work as the room fills with a call to arms from buzzing cell phones, leaving the publication proudly behind for the rest of the team to review. It serves as a sobering reminder that every level of success we achieve is earned, not prearranged. It’s the result of a commitment to providing substantive and consistent value to every customer. And it’s not easy. But we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Thank you for all your thoughtful calls and kind words of encouragement. Thank you to the reporting staff and creative team at PCO Magazine, as well.