QualityPro establishes new vision, mission

The QualityPro board of directors developed a new strategic plan, focused on a clear vision, mission and set of concise goals that will drive growth in the pest management industry’s certification program.

QualityPro is designed specifically for pest management companies; more than 500 companies in the industry have earned the designation. Companies with the QualityPro accreditation have met 16 standards for professionalism in pest management. Once a company earns its accreditation, it is eligible to earn three additional certifications for service: GreenPro, QualityPro Schools and QualityPro Food Safety.

The QualityPro board, which consists 20 pest management professionals from across the country and is led by Chairman Kevin Burns of Arrow Exterminators, said it positioned QualityPro for success by increasing consumer demand for certification and providing enhanced benefits to companies that earn the designation.

The new QualityPro vision is: QualityPro is the only recognized and accepted credentialing authority of the professional pest management industry.

The new mission is: QualityPro sets the standards of excellence for professional pest management companies and their employees through education, training and certification, providing consumers protection and confidence when selecting a nationally accredited company.

“We have studied our program and the needs of the industry in an effort to create a comprehensive program that teaches companies to be professional and helps consumers recognize all that our industry has to offer,” Burns said. “This is evident in our new mission and vision and reinforced through our goals for the coming years.”

Going forward, the board established three goals:

1. Standards of Excellence: QualityPro accredits and certifies pest management companies and professionals using a set of comprehensive standards significantly superior to national and state/provincial regulations.
2. Education & Training: An increasing number of pest management companies and professionals are becoming QualityPro accredited and certified by completing approved education and training programs designed to enhance the overall customer experience.
3. QualityPro Branding: QualityPro will grow its brand awareness.

“This process, which started in Denver, Colo., in March, has been an exercise in effectiveness,” said QualityPro Vice Chairman David Fisher of Rentokil “We retained Georgia Patrick, a national certification consultant, who helped us understand the potential opportunities for QualityPro and assisted us in charting a path forward that will elevate our program, the only certification specific to pest management providers in our industry.”

The QualityPro board also discussed new initiatives that will be rolled out in the coming months.

“In looking at the work done by [the National Pest Management Association], our group identified the immediate need for a public health certification,” said QualityPro Secretary Jen McCauley of McCauley Services. “We anticipate launching this program within the next 12 months as a way for companies to demonstrate verified knowledge and expertise to address public health pests.”

Dominique Stumpf, CEO of the NPMA, said, “It has been exciting to represent NPMA on the QualityPro board and identify ways that QualityPro accreditation can meet some of the industry needs that were identified through the NPMA Strategic Planning Process—P3. Our two organizations have never been more in sync.”

QualityPro is administered by the Foundation for Professional Pest Management, an independent organization that has been developing good business practices and standards since 2004.

Allie Allen, executive director of QualityPro, said, “I applaud the QualityPro board for taking full ownership of this program and ensuring it will realize its potential. The members of the past QualityPro boards, under the leadership of Andrew Architect [the NPMA’s chief industry relations officer], gave us the strong foundation we have today. I am excited to build upon it. I look forward to the day when every person both within and outside of our industry looks to QualityPro standards to define professionalism in pest management.”