Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew Novinger.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
After graduating with a Master’s of Biology in Entomology (study of insects) from Loyola University, I held many positions in the field. For seven years, I served as Technical Director, for one of Chicago’s premiere pest Management companies. I was responsible for training more than 50 technicians, service managers and sales staff. I also served as their Branch Manager for their largest locations in Chicago.
In addition, I worked for the USDA inspecting commodities and flights for invasive pests entering the country through O’Hare International Airport, served as the Assistant Entomologist for the Northwest Mosquito Abatement District, was a Zoo Keeper at Brookfield Zoo, was an adjunct professor for College of Lake County teaching horticulture and environmental biology and volunteered at the Field Museum cataloging insects collected from all over the world.
Before starting Grizz Pest, I had the opportunity to be a stay at home dad for my now 8 yr. old daughter and now that she has been a full time student for 2 years decided that I needed to put all my experience to good use and starting Grizz Pest felt natural.
Why the Name ‘Grizz’? Yes, I love animals, but I loved one particular family dog, who we named Grizzly Bear, very much. Grizz, our beloved Chesapeake Bay retriever, passed away suddenly from cancer in early 2017 after he had been with our family only two short years. To honor him and keep him alive in our memory, my wife and I dedicated my new family owned business to him by giving it his namesake.
Has it been a smooth road?
I have only been at this for 4 months and it definitely has not been a smooth road as many hurdles were in my way. Once those were overcome, the biggest struggle is wearing all the hats of the company, technician, entomologist, sales person, president, administrative assistant, accounts payable. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of where everything is coming and going. I never thought of owning a company but I truly enjoy it. I really enjoy meeting and helping people solve these issues as well as educate them through my extensive experiences.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Grizz Pest Management story. Tell us more about the business.
Grizz Pest Management as you can see by the name is a pest management company. Grizz Pest specializes in any pest issues, wildlife exclusion, pest birds and mosquitoes. I am most proud of helping my customers and being honest, there are a lot of misperceptions about the pest industry and I want to make sure my customers are well informed. I stand apart from others through the expertise I bring to my customers. My graduate degree has given me a deeper understanding of insect pests that most others do not bring to their customers. My undergraduate degree in zoology and a chemistry minor as well as my Zoo Keeping experience aid me in wildlife exclusion and education and handling of pest birds. My chemistry minor helps me educate my customers on what materials I am using to combat the pest issue. For the last four years I have been working part time for my friends construction company and with this experience I am able to really get down to the root of problem. Knowing how a structure is built has given me an insight on how pests can enter a building or home and how it travels throughout. It has also given me the ability to repair most damages that occur due to pests without my customers having to call
someone else. A one stop shop!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I feel the industry is ever changing with increased threats from bed bugs, mosquitoes and wildlife. The need for the industry will never decrease but with increased regulations on the materials we use, the industry will have to adjust and come up with alternative measures to combat pests. Currently the biggest hurdle we face is pesticide resistance. As an example, bed bugs are becoming increasingly harder and harder to control with pesticides. With the overuse of pesticides and the reproduction rate of bed bugs, pesticide resistance in bed bugs is pushing the industry to develop newer pesticides at a faster rate under tough regulations. Being on the front lines we (technicians) have to figure out how to incorporate new technologies and non-pesticide measures to combat the bed bugs and keep our customers happy.
Contact Info:
- Website: Grizzpest.com
- Phone: 708-800-8680
- Email: andy@grizzpest.com
- Facebook: Facebook.com/GrizzPest
- Yelp: Yelp.com/biz/Grizz-pest-Management-LaGrange-2?osq=pest+control
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