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Author’s Note: Dibble, Okla., January 2025, population 975 people and 27 coyotes. I catch up with the town’s mayor, Matt Alexander. He is also the owner of Arrow Pest Management, which is one of our current “Start-up Stories” participants. Here’s a transcript of our chat, edited for space and clarity.
Pete Schopen (PS): Thanks for joining me today. I’m curious: Was Dibble named after former Major League Baseball pitcher Rob Dibble?
Mayor Matt (MM): Uh, not that I’m aware of. I believe he is from Connecticut. (Editor’s Note: Matt is correct; brothers John and James Dibble ran a ranch, which led to the town’s formation.)
PS: Right. Well, why Dibble?
MM: We were living in a nearby town called Blanchard, which has a population of 8,897, and
we found a property outside of Dibble that needed some tender loving care. The home sits on 16 acres and was perfect for us, so we bought it.
PS: Why move to a town and become mayor?
MM: I like to be in control of how my tax dollars are spent. I am in favor of using tax money to improve communities.
PS: Has politics always been in your blood?
MM (chuckles): No! A few years ago, I was at a Blanchard City Council meeting because some city officials were contemplating getting rid of the police department. It was a pretty big deal and made the news in Oklahoma City. I raised my hand and started explaining my view on the matter when the mayor told me to “sit down and shut up.” I yelled back at him that I would have his job someday. At the next election, I got on the city council and was selected vice-mayor. That mayor was not re-elected.
PS: Then you moved to Dibble…
MM: I moved to Dibble, and the local officials asked me to fill the vacant mayoral position. At the next election, I ran unopposed.
PS: Does being mayor take up a lot of time? Does it cut into your efforts to grow your pest control business?
MM: Not at all. I write the budget for the town each year. I have a monthly meeting to discuss how we will use the town’s funds. Our budget is around $1 million, and we use it to improve safety measures for our police, fire and tornado preparedness. Something I am very proud of is that we added three storm sirens and refurbished six others.
PS: I understand you’re also a volunteer firefighter. How much time does that take up, and what is the worst fire you’ve ever seen?
MM: We take about 40 to 80 monthly calls, and I go out on 40 percent of them. The worst I’ve seen was a structure fire in an ice storm two years ago. Our equipment was icing over, and it was miserable.
PS: Being mayor, a volunteer firefighter and a pest control company owner makes it sound like it doesn’t leave much time for anything else. Do you have a family, and do they like what you are doing?
MM: My wife, Leanna, and I have been married for 13 years. My son, Ethan, is 19, and my daughter, Jordyn, is 14. She thinks it’s a riot that I am the mayor and tells all her friends.
PS: You had an amazing first year owning your own company. You nearly hit $200,000 and just hired your first technician, Hagin. What is your pest control “origin story”?
MM: I worked at Orkin for five years before moving on to a local company for two-and-a-half years. I did construction work before that. I love pest control because it is good money and isn’t complicated. I especially love doing bed bug work because I really feel like I am good at getting rid of them from clients’ homes.
PS: What are you doing in 2025 to grow your business?
MM: I’m using some of my profits from 2024 to get into some community magazines and update my website. I’m also hiring a search engine optimization (SEO) specialist. I think hiring Hagin also will help me out quite a bit. I was pushing bed bug work out three to four days. Getting to clients more quickly will help us land more jobs.
PS: If Pest Management Professional readers ever visit Dibble, where would be a good place to eat?
MM: Well, the only place besides our local gas station would be The Cowpoke Bar.
PS: Sounds good. Thank you for your time, Mayor Matt.
