PestWorld was a Truly extraordinary industry event

The Truly Nolen team at a PestWorld 2022 event at Fenway Park in Boston, Mass. PHOTO: TRULY NOLEN

It was great to be in Boston, Mass.,  Oct. 11-14 for the annual National Pest Management Association (NPMA) conference. Just as I arrived, the rich history of this iconic city was impressed upon me, evident in the buildings’ architecture dating all the way back to 1680 shortly after the city was established. As a first-timer to Boston, I felt honored for the opportunity to visit the nation’s oldest baseball stadium, Fenway Park, which I learned on our tour opened in 1912! It was a joy to see friends new and old come together to reflect on America’s favorite pastime — as well as pests.

NPMA PestWorld is a great time to connect with everyone from vendors and subject matter experts to most importantly, other leaders in the industry. Our team was able to accomplish all agendas in just a few short days by dividing and conquering this extraordinary event.

On the exhibit floor, we saw vendors large and small with an emphasis on rodent monitoring and prevention. With the diversity in rodents, and their evolving personalities, so too are the solutions! Nineteenth-century American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, who infamously credited for saying, “Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door,” was serendipitously a Boston native. Although this concept was probably not meant to inspire this year’s NPMA conference, it certainly fits. Emerson’s powerful message may have attributed to the fact that the U.S. Patent Office has issued thousands of patents for mousetraps, more than any other machine. Our industry has made strides in this arena from poison to prevention. Moreover, it seems that everyone is working on a bigger, better mousetrap.

Also on the PestWorld show floor, I was proud to have Truly Nolen showcased for the third year in a row. This year, our company’s exhibit was represented by Lance Washington, director of acquisitions and franchising. We were able to share with business owners our approach and philosophy around acquiring business. We are best matched with smaller companies, with a focus on family culture and quality reoccurring service. We also took this opportunity to connect with national commercial service partners from across the country, as well as expand our network of potential partners. Expanding our network allows us to provide service to our customers, even if we do not have a branch or franchise in the area.

Furthermore, I enjoyed presenting on Oct. 13 at 4:30 p.m. (which became a running one-liner throughout the program). My topic was “Leadership Lessons: How to Achieve Success in Today’s Rapidly Changing Workplace,” and getting to explore biases that each of us in the industry needs to overcome — whether in recruiting or other areas. I felt like the audience enjoyed the format, which was a little lighter for being the last one of the day, while still providing important information to my attendees.

Moreover, the best and most valuable part of PestWorld is the networking with other pest management professionals. Whether it is an exchange on the floor or a bite to eat at the local restaurants, it is a great opportunity to learn and unite as an industry. We look forward to next year’s conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, and in Denver, Colo., the following year.