Mr. Wilson Goes to Sacramento – A Year in Review
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Well, it’s a wrap. My first year heading up PCOC is in the books. While nothing like the Hollywood movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington by Director Frank Capra, my story of “Mr. Wilson Goes to Sacramento” seeks to parallel the main message in the 1939 classic film that “decency and honesty are important and that a single person can make a difference”.
Over this first year, my goals have been to watch, listen and start the process of formulating suggestions to help reclaim our place as the country’s best state pest management association. Yes, it is a tall order, but we have tremendous potential to achieve significantly greater heights. Just consider this one statistic, the state population of California had just under 39 million in 2020 with growth projected to surpass 42 million by 2030. The second biggest state Texas is approximately 10 million citizens behind. Those population figures point to an enormous number of residents and businesses requiring pest control services.
According to Zippia1, the United States pest control industry in 2023 has a market size of $26.2 billion with at least 60% of US households utilizing pest control services. Also, IBISWorld reports that there are 32,436 pest control businesses in the United States as of 2023, an increase of 3.9% from 20222. IBISWorld statistics also indicate that California’s (4,164 businesses) place us second only to Florida (4,834 businesses) as the state with the greatest number of pest control businesses in the United States3.
Also, one can see the vast opportunities by just looking at the latest California Structural Pest Control Board’s (SPCB) Executive Officer’s Report4 statistics indicating the agency’s licenses/registrations in California for 2022/23 versus 2021/2022. These numbers clearly illustrate the extensive community that is available for the organization to serve.
Category FY 22/23 FY 21/22
Field Representatives 14,853 14,150
Operator 4,426 4,364
Company Registration 3,308 3,279
Branch Office 479 473
Licensed Applicator 7,118 6,780
Total 30,184 29,046
This past November, PCOC engaged in a process to produce a three-year strategic plan with a professional facilitator to assist the organization to identify key focus areas over that period. As we proceed in the development of that plan, it is imperative that PCOC keep a keen eye on the needs of our professional pest management members and adjust to address those demands of an evolving industry in California.
As mentioned previously, the organization moving forward can provide additional outreach and assistance on legislative and regulatory issues facing pest industry members at our district level. This focus can significantly expand the interaction between the Association staff and our affiliated Districts. The calls, correspondence, and actual feet on the ground can increase our local presence with each passing year. With a significant amount of the pest management industry’s legislative and regulatory activity emanating in California and migrating east, PCOC involvement with developing model lawmaking language, position statements, letters, and other background information and resources to other states will make a substantial difference in the pest management industry’s ability to address important issues and concerns across the United States and around the globe.
Lastly PCOC’s completed strategic plan will utilize results driven outcomes rather than general activities. This modification will yield a living document that will help keep staff and leadership poised to deliver quantifiable results. With the finalization of the dynamic strategic plan soon, PCOC is set to ensure the organization remains a dynamic association for years to come.
Michael E. Wilson
PCOC CEO
michael@pcoc.org
(916) 372-4363
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1 Zippia. "The 10 Largest Pest Control Companies in The United States" Zippia.com. Apr. 25, 2023, https://www.zippia.com/advice/largest-pest-control-companies/
2 IBISWorld. “Pest Control in the US – Number of Businesses” IBISWorld.com. Oct. 18, 2023, https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-statistics/number-of-businesses/pest-control-united-states/
3 IBISWorld. “Pest Control in the US – Number of Businesses” IBISWorld.com. Oct. 18, 2023, https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-statistics/number-of-businesses/pest-control-united-states/
4 California Structural Pest Control Board – Executive Officers Report. Mar. 9, 2023, https://www.pestboard.ca.gov/about/agenda/20230309_materials.pdf
