Pest-End 40-year veteran to retire

Plaistow, N.H.-based Pest-End recently announced the retirement of Bob Trudel, marking the conclusion of a 40-year career with the company. Trudel was honored earlier in January at Pest-End’s annual company kick-off meeting, where team members, leadership and family gathered to celebrate his legacy and contributions to the organization and the pest control industry.

Trudel’s career

Trudel started his journey with Pest-End in 1986 as the very first employee hired by Andy and Nancy Carace. Over the next four decades, he served as a pest control technician, internal mechanic, mentor and trusted presence for countless customers throughout the Merrimack Valley and Southern New Hampshire. Known affectionately by customers as “The Bugman,” Trudel became synonymous with reliability, professionalism and care.

“Forty years isn’t just a career — it’s a lifetime of showing up,” said Adam Carace, ACE, second-generation owner of Pest-End, in a news release. “Bob helped build this company from the ground up. Through every change in technology, every evolution of our industry and every phase of Pest-End’s growth, Bob was there. His work ethic, loyalty and pride in doing things the right way set a standard that still guides us today.”

Throughout his career, Trudel adapted alongside a rapidly changing industry — transitioning from handwritten service slips and map books to digital inspections, integrated pest management (IPM) strategies and modern termite systems. In addition to his work in the field, Trudel spent years maintaining Pest-End’s fleet and equipment, ensuring vehicles stayed on the road and operations ran smoothly. His iconic red truck became a familiar sight and a lasting symbol of the company’s roots.

Post-retirement plans

At the January kick-off meeting, Pest-End honored Trudel with a commemorative plaque recognizing his 40 years of service, along with an e-bike and accessories — a gift chosen to celebrate Trudel’s next chapter and something he had hoped to enjoy in retirement.

His legacy extends beyond Pest-End’s operations. Alongside his wife, Patty Trudel, who has worked with the company since 1994, Trudel was an integral part of the Pest-End family. To leadership, colleagues and customers alike, he represents the values upon which the company was built: consistency, care for customers and pride in one’s work.

As he looks ahead to retirement, Trudel plans to spend more time with his family — especially his grandchildren — and enjoy a slower pace after decades of early mornings and long days.

Pest-End extends its deepest gratitude to Bob Trudel for his 40 years of service and wishes him nothing but happiness in his well-earned retirement.