October 2015 



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President's Letter

Hello SPMAO Members,
 
I hope you feel you have as much to be grateful for as I do this Thanksgiving, as I look back on what we've accomplished this year. We've seen a variety of regulatory issues threaten our industry over the past year. Most recently, under CPMA's leadership, we are working to reverse PMRA's Aluminum/Magnesium Phosphide and Phosphine Gas Re-evaluation Decision to protect those who provide fumigation services and all the industries who also face this challenge with us. Issues like this one have the potential to impact all of us.
 
My goal is to keep our message on the minds of legislators AND keep you informed, so stay tuned to our newsletters for the latest on those issues and how we are responding.  We are seeing activists push regulation without evidence that the policies have the potential to achieve the desired results.  It is important that every one of us know our legislators and let them know our position on this.
 
Coming up in November, we hope you will be able to take advantage of our 2015 Fall Workshops scheduled on November 17th and 24th. Our program will include educational sessions covering both management and educational topics. We have applied for credits from IPM and this year's topics include The Evolution of Rodenticides; Small Flies; Important Regulations Impacting the Pest Management Industry and Fleet Management Programs. It's also a great time to learn informally from peers about successes and gain ideas for the coming year.
 
And if you haven't already made plans to join us for the Annual Conference at the Hilton Garden Inn Vaugh, Toronto, Ontario from January 20-21, 2016 be sure to save the dates on your calendar.  We've put together a wonderful group of speakers including Bobby Corrigan, Stan Cope and Karen Vail and quite a few exhibitors. We expect to set new records for attendance. It's one you won't to miss.
 
I'll be attending NPMA's annual convention, PestWorld in Nashville next week. If you are attending, let's connect and learn together how to make SPMAO a stronger association and serve our member companies.

Sincerely,
 
Geoff Walsh
SPMAO President

 

Register Today for SPMAO 2015 Fall Workshops


In November, your fellow pest control operators  will be coming together to gain valuable industry updates from experts in the field.  Register today for one of  the two upcoming workshops in November.  

 

Tuesday, November 17
Four Points by Sheraton
Kingston, ON
  

Tuesday, November 24

Best Western Plus Lamplighter Inn & Conference Centre
London, ON
  

Educational and Professional Topics Include:

  • The Evolution of Rodenticides and Soft Bait Technology
  • Rodent Management
  • Small Fly Control
  • Control Your Risk and Increase Your Bottom Line
Sponsored by:  
 

The registration form and details are here. 

 

EPA Office of Inspector General Launches Internal Investigation on Structural Fumigants

Friday October 9, 2015 the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced plans for an internal preliminary investigation of adverse impacts related to structural fumigation treatments.  The OIG will specifically investigate EPA's implementation of regulatory mechanisms and procedures for training, funding, enforcement, etc., pertaining to structural fumigation treatments. 
 
The OIG is an independent agency within EPA tasked with performing audits, evaluations, and investigations of EPA and its contractors, to promote efficiency, and to prevent/detect fraud, waste, and abuse. 
 
As part of the investigation, OIG will conduct interviews with staff at EPA headquarters, in specific regions, and with state regulators with no set timetable for completion.  A copy of a letter sent by OIG to EPA Assistant Administrators Cynthia Giles and Jim Jones can be found here.
 
As your representative of the structural pest management industry, NPMA will continue to take the lead on structural fumigation issues as it relates to public policy and public relations. NPMA and its
sister organization, PPMA, are charged with advocating for the industry and providing up-to-date information, ongoing education, stewardship and training for pest management professionals and regulators at the state and federal level. Read the entire article

 

2015 ESACC Award Winners Announced

The Entomological Society of America Certification Corporation (ESACC) announced the winners of the 2015 Certification Awards on September 15, 2015. These include two professional awards, and one student award. The winners will be recognized at Entomology 2015, ESA's 63rd Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, MN from November 15-18, 2015. Additionally, the winner of the ACE Professional Award will also be recognized at PestWorld, the pest management industry's primary education and trade show in Nashville, TN, October 20-23, 2015. Read more here.

 

Maheu&Maheu Wins Leeds Silver Certification for Headquarters

Just a little over three years after the start of operations at its new building on rue des Rocailles in Quebec City, Maheu&Maheu received the LEED® Silver certification from the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC ). This is a higher level than that aimed for in the beginning, the "certified" level, based on the rating system of CaGBC. 

The building designed by BGLA architects and built by Construction Béland & Lapointe integrates unique and cutting-edge architectural features. The structural glass curtain wall made by IC2 Technologies was the first built for a commercial project in the province of Quebec. 

The building has several other features aimed at optimizing energy efficiency including solar panels preheating fresh air and it is equipped with a green roof.  Maheu&Maheu employs 115 people in the provinces of Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick. It is the third largest pest management company in Canada and the 42nd in North America. View a photo of the award winning building here.

 

QualityPro Launches New Streamlined Version of GreenPro Certification Program  

QualityPro has unveiled a new version of the popular GreenPro certification program. GreenPro is designed to identify and recognize green services offered by QualityPro certified companies. Certification enables companies to better promote their services and commercial or residential customers to easily find the environmentally friendly service they desire. GreenPro service certification is available at no additional cost to QualityPro certified companies. Under the new program, companies will find it easier to submit their service programs for certification.

"We are excited to share the new GreenPro at PestWorld and are hopeful that this streamlined program will encourage even more pest control companies to submit their green services for consideration," says Andy Architect, Executive Director of QualityPro.

For further information on the GreenPro certification program, please contact the Certification Program Manager at 703.352.6762 or qualitypro@pestworld.org or visit

 

Veterans Survey   
NPMA is committed to engaging veterans in their successful transition to a productive and rewarding career in the pest
management industry.  To that end, PestVets, NPMA's Veterans Group, actively promotes the recruitment of veterans to member companies and supports those recruitment efforts through various education and training opportunities. Please take our Veterans Survey and share your military background and insights with us.

 

We Want to Hear From You   

We are always looking for fun and interesting articles to include and would love to hear your suggestions for articles for this newsletter.  If you've seen an article you would like for us to include, please submit it via email to Dominique Stumpf at dstumpf@pestworld.org.

 

PesticideLicenseNow Structural Licensing Course   


Get your Structural Pesticide License with our "Five Day In-Depth Course" offered on both October 5-9 and November 9-13, 2015. The course covers all material in MOECC licensing manuals.  Participants will also write a MOECC Practice Exam in preparation for the actual exam.

 

Seats are limited, register early!

To register, text information to 705-879-0075 or email kelob@bell.net.

 

Structural and Landscape Pesticide Licensing Preparation Course   

November 2-4, 2015, Structural Pesticide Licensing Preparation Course
November 9-11, 2015, Landscape Pesticide Licensing Preparation Course
Quality Suites, 1120 Dearness Drive, London. ON
Course fee for each course is $395 plus HST.

Pest Certified is offering a choice of three-day courses in November designed to help students pass the Ministry of the Environment pesticides licensing exam. Each course will review the Ontario Pesticides Act; safety protocols; IPM principals; math calculations for mixing and applying product; pest biology and habits; and the safe use and selection of pesticides. To register for either preparation course, email jeff.twinn@rogers.com or contact Jeff directly at 519-719-8262. Space is limited.

Prior to each course, students need to apply for the licensing package and receive the study materials. To apply for the licensing material and exam click here.

 

Save the Date: Pest Management Canada 
Join us for Pest Management Canada, April 13- 15, 2016 at the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront.

To make hotel reservations for the meeting, please call 800-943-6760 to receive the rate of $166 per night. 

 

Coming Soon: PesTech3.0 2016, Wildlife Expo and Regional Conferences

This winter NPMA will pull together professionals from throughout the country for a series of meetings to keep you current on the latest in the industry.  Join us at PesTech3.0 2016 from January 5-7 in in San Jose, CA for a mix of business management sessions and interactive breakout groups featuring up-and-coming information/digital technologies for the pest management industry. "The changes in technology in the past five years have been extraordinary," stated NPMA CEO Bob Rosenberg.

"During PesTech3.0 2016, companies will have the opportunity to learn about advances in mobile technologies, business automation, big data, security and other technologies on the horizon that will improve their efficiencies and create opportunities for financial growth."

The conference will feature technology thought leaders and provide a forum for attendees to learn from each other about their technology experiences as well as the current technologies used to enhance daily practices within their pest management businesses. Hotel information and registration forms for the conference are available on  NPMA's website. 

Professionals who are involved in wildlife management or are considering offering this valuable add-on service  will want to join the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and the National Wildlife Control Operators Association (NWCOA) for the Wildlife Expo 2016, January 15-17, Las Vegas, NV. The educational program will provide both technical and business-related information. Hotel information for Wildlife Expo 2016 is available here. 

Also upcoming in January, regional conferences bring together members for the opportunity to network and learn.  The Eastern Conference this year takes place at the Kalahari Resort, Poconos, PA from January 13-15.  At the end of the month, The Southwestern Conference will be held at the Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown Hotel from January 26-28. The Southern Conference 2016 follows from February 9-10 at the Hilton Memphis, Memphis, TN.