AJC names Arrow, Rollins as top workplaces

From left are Arrow Exterminators team members Mike Malone, Jasmine White, Xavier Cugnon, Anna Alford, Alyson Gilleland, Stephanie Bradford, Mickey Thomas, Emily Thomas Kendrick, Jessica Sherman, Melody Thomas, Joe Thomas, Hali Smith, Shay Runion, SaNora Sims, Jessica Edenfield and Tim Pollard. PHOTO: ARROW EXTERMINATORS

Arrow Exterminators, based in Atlanta, Ga., was named to the 2020 Top Workplaces list by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC). This is the third year in a row that Arrow Exterminators has received this award. This year, Arrow was also awarded with the honor of No. 1 Workplace in Atlanta.

Rollins Inc., based in Atlanta, Ga., was also named a 2020 Top Workplaces award winner. This is the fourth consecutive year that Rollins has received this recognition.

AJC’s Top Workplaces Award is based on team member feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by Energage. The survey measures several aspects of workplace culture including alignment, execution and connection. The list celebrates 150 small, midsize and large companies in metro Atlanta that excel in training, benefits and providing company direction.

“We are thrilled to receive this prestigious award of being named the No. 1 Top Workplace in Metro Atlanta,” said Emily Thomas Kendrick, Arrow Exterminators president and CEO. “Our entrepreneurial culture and our team members have been and will always be the driving force of our company and our success, and it is an absolute honor to be recognized by them for being a great place to work.”

According to Thomas Kendrick, the company’s culture encourages innovation, celebrating big life moments, includes volunteer opportunities with local charities, recognition for a job well done and training programs to support professional development and career advancement. The company has 126 service centers throughout Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Arrow was founded in 1964 by Kendrick’s grandparents, and is still family-owned and -operated today. “My grandparents founded Arrow Exterminators with a belief that if you treat your team members with respect and as an extension of your family, this would in turn be reflected on the customer,” Thomas Kendrick said. “This philosophy has carried on for the past 56 years, and it has served us very well.”

With revenues exceeding $250 million, Shay Runion, chief human resources officer at Arrow, attributes the company success to passionate, highly trained team members who are committed to protecting everyone’s quality of life. “Arrow Exterminators has a unique family-focused, entrepreneurial culture that is based on integrity and operating with transparency and a clear conscience,” Runion said. “Our 2,500-plus team members are what make Arrow special and we want them to pursue their passions.”

About 500 Rollins employees across three corporate locations in Atlanta, Ga., responded to the survey. Those employees surveyed support 18 pest control companies under the Rollins brand, including Orkin Pest Control. Worldwide, Rollins has approximately 15,000 employees.

“We are pleased to receive this award for the fourth consecutive year,” said John Wilson, president and COO of Rollins. “Our focus on employee engagement helps us to meet our mission, which inspires us to be the best customer service company in the world. Continuously working on improving employee engagement is just one way we strive each day to be better professionally and personally. We are proud of our employees and appreciate their efforts to better serve our customers.”

Northwest Exterminating, a Rollins company based in Marietta, Ga., also received honors for the ninth time. This year they ranked 27th on the list of midsize companies.

President of Rollins Specialty Brands and VP of Human Resources, Jerry Gahlhoff added, “We are proud of our team at Northwest, and we are glad to have them on the Rollins team. We will continue striving to be better every day across all brands.”