PCOC & NPMA – A Great Partnership

The value of your membership dues for PCOC are greatly magnified by the fact that they include membership in our national trade association: National Pest Management Association (NPMA). You are probably most familiar with NPMA through its annual convention: PestWorld. In fact, this year it will take place October 23-26 in Phoenix. There will be California specific breakouts and we expect a large turnout from PCOC members.

Another important development is that you should be receiving ballots in your inboxes to vote for the NPMA Board of Directors. We have an opportunity to elect two of our own from PCOC: Robert Baker has been nominated to for At-Large Director Region 4 position and Lee Whitmore has been nominated for the Region 4 Director position. Another example of the close working relationship between our two orgainzations.

I've summarized below some of the NPMA activities that you may not be so familiar with:

Government Affairs
When polled, most PMPs cite overregulation as their number one problem. NPMA is the only entity that represents the professional pest management industry before the U.S. Congress and federal agencies to ensure that the laws and rules by which your members must abide are sensible and workable, and not unduly burdensome. PCOC represents you in Sacramento. NPMA represents you in Washington, D.C.

Information Central
Do you need to identify pests that you find in the field? Would you like templates on termite contracts, model forms and more? NPMA has everything you are looking for and an expert technical staff that provides your company with the advice and resources needed.

Bugstore and Resource Center
NPMA offers member companies the latest in training materials, technical resources and fun "buggy" merchandise. As the largest resource distributor in the industry, the Bugstore offers members exclusive pricing and deep discounts on all products and merchandise.

Pest Guide App
The brand new smart phone Pest Guide app provides users access to a comprehensive electronic pest database that allows users to search more than 200 detailed descriptions of pests. In addition, the interactive Pest Guide allows users to enlarge pictures to show consumers, overlay multiple images and record a detailed history of findings per each account.

NPMA on Demand Webinar Series
The NPMA webinar series, NPMA on Demand, is designed to provide PCOC members with expert advice and information on the industry and management issues they encounter daily. To date, NPMA has held webinars on issues related to the bed bug pandemic, health care reform, LEED certification, stink bugs and social networking.

Enhanced Member Website
Last fall, NPMA introduced a redesigned Web site to the industry. They have enhanced the architecture of the site, allowing for a clearer structure, simplified navigation and improved search functions – making finding information easier than before. And they're not finished yet! Over the next few months, they will introduce new features and improved navigation on the site.Watch out for this as well as the new enhanced PCOC website!