How Environmental Pest Management found a niche to create sustainable growth

EPM is truly a family business. Pictured from right are Jason and Karen Carpenter, CEO and COO, respectively; their daughter, Kayla, a senior finance major at The Ohio State University with plans to join EPM after graduation; and their son Brandon, vice president of the company. PHOTO: JASON CARPENTER

Jason Carpenter’s pest control odyssey began in 1990 when he started as a technician for a family-owned business in Columbus, Ohio. After 13 years of honing his skills, he took a leap of faith in 2003, founding Environmental Pest Management (EPM) with little more than determination and a second mortgage on his house.

“I started in the basement and traded my car for a truck,” Carpenter recalls. “The weeks I didn’t have custody of my kids, I worked long hours. The weeks I did, after being just ‘Dad’ when they were awake,
I’d keep working once they went to bed.”

This relentless work ethic paid off. Today, EPM employs 82 people, including 52 technicians, and generates $9 million in annual revenue. The company serves Ohio and Indiana and plans to expand into Michigan, Pennsylvania and northern Kentucky. It has consistently made the Inc. 5000 list since reaching the $1 million revenue mark, landing at No. 4448 for 2024.

Carpenter can clearly recall the turning point in his business in 2007: “I mainly worked residential, but one day I received a bed bug call for an apartment complex. I thought, ‘Ugh, that’s a lot of work.’ But then she said I could start Monday, and it’d pay $40,000.”

He changed his attitude quickly when he realized that instead of treating 100 single-family homes, he could make a good living just by getting on board with multi-unit property managers. The manager who called him ended up being pleased with Carpenter’s work and recommended him for the 30 other buildings within her property management system. That led to 50 more in another market and grew from there.

Carpenter also points to Pest Genius, the proprietary software he built in 2010, to keep track of all the documentation he was creating for these accounts.

“When the property managers saw I had a way of accessing, 24/7, all the history and photos of various issues in the complexes, they wanted to use it, too, for their accreditation with housing agencies,” he explains. It has made Carpenter very popular in the multi-complex management world.

Carpenter keeps planning ahead, adjusting to the winds in his sails as needed. He’s in no rush to retire or acquire other businesses, preferring to grow organically in new markets. “Honestly, the only thing that could prohibit our growth is ourselves,” he concludes.

COMPANY NAME: Environmental Pest Management (EPM)
HEADQUARTERS: Columbus, Ohio
2023 REVENUE: $7 million
PROJECTED 2024 REVENUE: $9 million
PROJECTED INCREASE: 28 percent
CARPENTER’S BUSINESS TIPS:
1. Network aggressively. One thing I wish I would have done is networked from the start with condo associations and other organizations, to get my name out there.
2. Set specific revenue and net profit goals. Always track where the money is going and what obstacles you can tackle to help you reach your goals.
3. Seek professional guidance. Karen and I use a business coach who’s also a therapist. It’s been a game changer, as far as getting an unbiased take on workplace issues and helping us keep our business and family lives in balance.