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Ryan Harrison opened a Truly Nolen Pest Control franchise in Ventura County, Calif., on Oct. 1, becoming the company’s first franchisee in the state. Truly Nolen also operates corporate locations in San Diego, San Marcos, Palm Desert and Orange in the Golden State.
The Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce, the Ventura Chamber of Commerce and the West Ventura County Business Alliance held a joint ribbon cutting Oct. 9 to celebrate the opening. The event took place in the Pidduck Garden at the Museum of Ventura County’s Agricultural Museum.
Harrison has more than 20 years of pest management experience in agriculture in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, where he managed operations for several large-scale strawberry businesses. He also ran strawberry nursery operations and did some work with the Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner’s office.
A graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Harrison earned a degree in agribusiness with a minor in plant protection sciences. He passed the California Pest Control Adviser exam after college and has used his license in production agriculture, focusing on entomology, integrated pest management (IPM) and pesticide laws and regulations.
After more than two decades of working for others, Harrison wanted to be his own boss and began researching pest control franchise opportunities, according to the company’s announcement.
“I looked at other concepts for years and nothing lined up with both the pest control background and the operations background the way this did,” he said.
Harrison said he also chose Truly Nolen because “the brand is respected, it’s a family business, the systems are real, and the company’s 12 Core Values match how I already try to work.”
Outside of work, Harrison spends time with his wife, Meghan, a teacher, and their seven children, who range in age from 8 to 23. He said he spends a lot of time at their youth sports, especially soccer, football and baseball, and he serves on the Santa Paula Little League Board.
Lance Washington, Truly Nolen’s director of domestic franchising, attended the ribbon cutting. He said Harrison completed training earlier this year at the company’s Leadership and Training Center in Tucson, Ariz., and that the company is pleased to welcome him.
“Ryan’s two decades of experiences in pest management, combined with his desire to open in an area tailored to his strengths, make us very excited he chose to open a franchise,” Washington said in the news release. “Being an active member of the Ventura County community and surrounding areas should help him in the years to come.”
About Truly Nolen
Based in Tucson, Ariz., Truly Nolen of America traces its roots to 1938, and to 2006 PMP Hall of Famer Truly Wheatfield Nolen. Nolen’s son, the late Truly David Nolen, founded Truly Nolen of America and Orlando, Fla.-based Truly Nolen International, both of which feature a fleet of yellow “mouse cars” and antique vehicles. Truly Nolen of America is one of the largest family-owned pest control companies in the United States, with more than 80 branch offices in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas. It also has independently owned and operated franchises in an ever-growing number of territories, including Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Canada, Puerto Rico and more than 60 countries.
