Giving Back: Blue-Ribbon Generosity for the County Fair

The Res-Com team (except for a few techs who were on the road at the time). Tony Taylor is in sunglasses, with his dad/CFO to his right and his brother/Res-Com Co-owner Mark Taylor on their dad’s right. The cats are company mascots. Photo courtesy of Lesley & Associates

Tony Taylor has long been a community-minded individual, both personally and as co-owner of Tulare, Calif.-based Res-Com Pest Control. Recent projects include the firm’s 15^th annual holiday luncheon, which has cumulatively raised $850,000 for the Salvation Army.

In August, Taylor didn’t have charity particularly on his mind when he checked the rodent traps at the office of the Tulare County Fairgrounds. Sure, he was doing the job at cost, but the state recently pulled funding for the fair and he knew times were tough for this central California tradition. He thought it was the least he could do.

But then Tulare County Fair CEO Pam Fyock casually mentioned there were pest problems elsewhere at the fairgrounds. She took him on a tour, where Taylor found black widow spiders and Turkestan, German and Oriental cockroach infestations in almost every building.

“I thought about all the food that was going to be sold and eaten, potentially contaminated by roaches. I thought about little kids putting their hands under a bench and potentially getting bitten by a black widow,” Taylor says. “I knew we needed to do something before Fair Week in September.”

Taylor went back to the Res-Com office and asked for volunteers. Twenty-two employees were willing and, 10 days before the fair officially opened, went in as a team and sprayed all the buildings. It took about an hour-and-a-half to treat, but they were able to knock down the pest populations almost immediately.

Res-Com also donated $1,000 to the fair. In response to that and the free treatment, fair officials put up banners with Res-Com’s logo, showing the company as a sponsor. Taylor says the gesture was unsolicited, but welcome.

“It’s important to give back, especially locally,” he adds. “Without community, we wouldn’t have a business.” 

You can reach Heather Gooch at hgooch@northcoastmedia.net, 330-321-9754.