FMC hosts product launch in its hometown

From left are Dan Carrothers, commercial director, FMC North American Professional Solutions Kevin Laycock, marketing manager, FMC Professional Solutions; Zack Zaki, director of FMC Global Solutions; and Amy O’Shea, VP and business director, FMC North America Agricultural Solutions. PHOTO: HEATHER GOOCH

Philadelphia, Pa., has been home to many greats: Betsy Ross. Rocky Balboa. Cheesesteak. Boyz II Men. The Fresh Prince (originally). And now, Scion Insecticide with UVX Technology.

The Philadelphia-based manufacturer kicked off the formal product launch with a cocktail reception Tuesday night on the 25th floor of its headquarters building, FMC Tower. Attendees included representatives from Forshaw Distribution, Helena Professional, SiteOne Landscape Supply, Target Specialty Products, Univar Solutions and Winfield United.

“I think some time ago, we started talking about more innovation to the industry and we’ve been bringing a lot to the industry,” Dan Carrothers, commercial director of FMC’s North American Professional Solutions, told attendees. “Scion is something really special… this product could have been launched three years ago. The team at the time made the decision that that wasn’t going to be good enough. It was good, but it wasn’t great. Since then, the team here at FMC, the Stine Research Facility and all of the different places around the world were working on the formulation aspect. Tomorrow, you’ll hear why it took it almost three years to get ready to go before we were satisfied with the product. And we’re extremely satisfied with it.”

Carrothers tells PMP that the active ingredient of the pyrethroid gamma-cyhalothrin was created specifically for the specialty products market. Scion’s tagline is “The longest lasting protection under the sun.”  With the definition of “scion” as “heir apparent,” the time seems right to bring this product to market.

Carrothers told PMP that the proprietary UVX technology formulation was created specifically for the specialty products market. The UVX technology allows it to be used during heat-of-summer account visits, which pest management professionals (PMPs) might otherwise skip because of the possibility of product breakdown with their current arsenal.

In his presentation, Carrothers noted Scion garnered favorable test results for both German cockroaches and Argentine ants, even under challenging test conditions. Scion was applied to bare concrete, aged at 120°F temperatures, and pests were only exposed to the aged, treated surfaces for 10 minutes. Learn more at ScionUVXTechnology.com.

Entomologist Dr. Rakim Turnipseed, who just celebrated his one-year anniversary with FMC in May, led the testing on Scion with UVX Technology. He reported during the meeting that the product profile does not repel German cockroaches, and at 150 parts per million, it can be used at a lower rate than other products on the market.

The event also formally launched the “FMC True Champions” initiative.

“We’re not talking about us, but about the end users that go out and solve their customers’ problems. We are standing behind them to ensure we can deliver on that promise,” Carrothers said.

This three-pillar program offers PMPs a semi-annual rebate on purchases, Solution Assurance that guarantees fewer callbacks and offers marketing assets for FMC products, and Industry Commitment that invests in such stewardship programs as PestVets, Legislative Day and the Professional Pest Management Alliance.

Learn more at FMCTrueChampions.com.

PHOTO: HEATHER GOOCH

The event brought together nearly two dozen distributor representatives and FMC leaders.

PHOTO: HEATHER GOOCH

FMC’s North American Professional Solutions Commercial Director Dan Carrothers kicked off the May 22 meeting of media and industry distributors with an overview of FMC Professional Solutions’ year to-date figures.

PHOTO: HEATHER GOOCH

Kevin Laycock, marketing manager for FMC’s Professional Solutions division, held up one of the many Scion with UVX Technology sample bottles that were sent to PMPs nationwide earlier this year.

PHOTO: HEATHER GOOCH

Christine Brockington, GSS administrative assistant for FMC, helped plan the event and made sure everything ran smoothly — including the meals all attendees raved about.

PHOTO: HEATHER GOOCH

Abizar “Zack” Zaki, global business director for FMC Global Specialty Solutions, told attendees that Scion with UVX Technology’s lower-usage profile is going to benefit PMPs long-term. “The (regulatory) environment is becoming more stringent,” he said. “In the next three to five years, molecules are going to be narrower … there are likely going to be more niche products on the market.”