From Coworkers to Pest Control Business Owners Across the Northwest

Starting a small business can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also be lonely.

One thing I am especially grateful for since starting H3 Pest Control is that several close friends made a similar jump around the same time.

Bob Wade started Ponderosa Pest Control in Bend, Oregon. Brian Slavens started Grizzly Pest Solutions in Medford, Oregon. Austin Miller started HoneyDew Pest Control in the Tri-Cities, Washington.

The four of us all worked together at the same pest control company before eventually going in our own directions.

Sometimes Things Really Do Happen for a Reason

We spent years working together, learning the pest control industry and helping each other solve problems.

Eventually, the company we worked for was sold to a private equity-backed organization. From my perspective, the culture and direction changed significantly after the sale. Over time, several of us reached the point where we knew it was time to do something different.

At the time, that was difficult. Looking back now, though, I think it is a good example of how something that initially feels negative can create opportunities you never expected.

Instead of continuing down a path that no longer felt right, each of us eventually decided to build something of our own.

Now four former coworkers are running independent pest control companies in different parts of Oregon and Washington.

Ponderosa Pest Control – Bend, Oregon

My friend Bob Wade started Ponderosa Pest Control in Bend.

Bob has years of experience in the pest control industry and now serves customers throughout Central Oregon through his own locally owned company.

If you are looking for pest control in Bend or Central Oregon, I am happy to recommend Bob and Ponderosa Pest Control.

Grizzly Pest Solutions – Medford, Oregon

My longtime friend Brian Slavens started Grizzly Pest Solutions in Southern Oregon.

Brian and I worked together for many years, and he has a tremendous amount of experience solving pest problems. Today, he serves Medford and communities throughout the Rogue Valley.

If you are looking for pest control in Medford or Southern Oregon, Brian is someone I trust and would feel comfortable sending friends or family to.

HoneyDew Pest Control – Tri-Cities, Washington

My friend Austin Miller started HoneyDew Pest Control in the Tri-Cities area of Washington.

Austin also took the experience he gained during his years in the industry and turned it into a locally owned pest control company of his own.

If you need pest control in Kennewick, Richland, Pasco, or the surrounding Tri-Cities area, I recommend reaching out to Austin and HoneyDew Pest Control.

The Value of Having a Second Set of Eyes

One of the things I probably took for granted while working at a larger company was having other experienced people around.

If you encountered a difficult pest problem, you could call another technician or manager. If something did not make sense, someone else could look at it and offer a different perspective.

When you start a company by yourself, that support system suddenly disappears.

You are making the technical decisions, answering customers, managing the schedule, handling marketing, working on pricing, fixing equipment, and trying to figure out how to grow a business at the same time.

That is why my friendships with Bob, Brian, and Austin have become even more valuable.

We still call each other when we encounter unusual pest problems. Sometimes one of us sees something the others missed. Other times, simply talking through the situation helps you come up with a better solution.

Sharing More Than Pest Control Advice

Our conversations are not limited to bugs and rodents.

We share marketing ideas, talk about equipment and products, compare business strategies, and discuss things that are working—or sometimes things that definitely are not working.

Just as importantly, we can talk honestly about the highs and lows of owning a small business.

There are days when the phones are ringing, customers are happy, and everything feels like it is moving in the right direction.

Then there are days when equipment breaks, advertising stops producing, the schedule falls apart, or you start second-guessing decisions you made months ago.

Having friends who understand exactly what that feels like has been incredibly valuable to me.

Supporting Good Local Pest Control Companies

I also think there is something positive about independent pest control companies supporting one another.

We operate in different markets, so there is very little reason to view one another as competitors. Instead, we can share knowledge and help each other become better at what we do.

It also means that when someone contacts me from outside my area, I have people I personally know and trust that I can recommend.

For Central Oregon, that is Ponderosa Pest Control:
https://www.ponderosapests.com/

For Southern Oregon and the Rogue Valley, that is Grizzly Pest Solutions:
https://grizzlypestsolutions.com/

For the Tri-Cities area of Washington, that is HoneyDew Pest Control:
https://honeydewpest.com/

Grateful for the Friendships That Lasted

None of us knew years ago that we would eventually end up owning separate pest control companies.

The changes at our previous company ultimately pushed each of us toward new opportunities. While I would not have predicted how things turned out, I am grateful for where that road led.

More importantly, I am grateful that the friendships lasted.

Starting a business can feel like you are figuring everything out alone. Having a group of experienced friends who can share ideas, offer a second opinion, celebrate the wins, and understand the difficult days has been instrumental for me.

We may work under different company names now, but we are still helping each other just like we did when we worked together.