PEST CONTROL INDUSTRY LEADS STATE IN MAJOR PESTICIDE REDUCTION
Leader Clark Pest Control Sets Example for the Industry
LODI, Calif. (January 24, 2011) – A recent report released by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation shows that the pest control industry is leading the charge in reducing pesticide usage – with a significant drop of 51% in the over the past twelve years. And, California has seen a decline in pesticide use for four consecutive years since 2005.
Several factors contribute to these declines in pesticide use, including changes in consumer attitudes and the products used to treat pest infestations. However, it is innovative pest management companies like Clark Pest Control that are really driving this major decrease in pesticide use by leading the industry with its S.M.A.R.T. service that makes less of an impact on the environment, and making sure its technicians are the most educated in the industry. Clark Pest Control continually strives to discover new technologies and products that will make even more positive changes in the pest control field.
Clark Pest Control was one of the first to be proactive on the “green” movement and set the example for others to follow, helping to create the industry standards for Integrated Pest Management, which earned the company the 2009 IPM Innovator Award from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation last year.
In fact, Clark Pest Control makes S.M.A.R.T. (Sustainable Methods And Responsible Treatments) choices in many areas of its business – choosing recycled paper, utilizing solar energy at its headquarters, and providing hybrid vehicles for its employees. It is part of the company’s ongoing movement to make a smaller footprint and make conscious choices every day to do things in a way they can be proud of.
As part of this effort, customers can choose Clark’s S.M.A.R.T. service, which is a less-toxic, inspection-based service. This means that the technician only treats where there is pest activity and uses materials that are generally regarded as safe, but will also target the pests and have the quality end result that customers expect.
In order to effectively implement the S.M.A.R.T. service throughout the organization, Clark Pest Control sees to it that their technicians are the most educated on recent technology and treatments in the industry. For the past 25 consecutive years, the company has held an annual training conference for up to 300 technicians from across California and Nevada. This year’s training – held in February 2011 – will feature top rodent expert Bobby Corrigan, Mississippi State University professor Jerome Goddard and motivational speaker Bob Payne to educate the tech team on current health issues, new industry research and technologies and how to implement them into their services, and why what they do matters. This level of training is not common in the pest management industry.
“We are proud of the steps we have taken to reduce pesticide use over the past few years, and we will continue to do more moving forward,” said Robert Baker, operations manager, Clark Pest Control. “As the industry leader, we must always be on the cutting edge of technology and the products that will make our service better and more efficient for our customers, for our business and for the environment.”
Clark Pest Control, headquartered in Lodi, Calif., is the West’s largest family-owned pest management company. With more than 1,000 highly trained employees servicing more than 164,000 clients, Clark Pest Control provides California and Nevada residents the most effective and reliable pest control in the world by integrating technology with environmental responsibility. Using personalized pest control programs for homes, schools, businesses industries and agriculture, the company specializes in pest and termite control, structural repairs, IPM for schools, fumigation and food safety. www.clarkpest.com