Building an eco-conscious empire

Andrew Burress and Greg Young met more than 15 years ago as college students making door-to-door summer sales for pest control companies. It was their first foray into the industry, and they soaked up as much information as they could. In no time, they realized they felt the same way about gaining and retaining customers.

“A lot of companies back then claimed to be a certain way, but under the hood, they were not,” Burress recalls. “We wanted to make sure that from the beginning, being a green company was more than a sales pitch. We wanted customers to see the value.”

Branching out

Young opened a company in Turlock, Calif., in 2012 with a partner, and later opened the first Natura company in Vancouver, Wash. In 2017, he reached out to Burress to open a Natura office in Reno, Nev. Burress started as the director of sales and soon became a co-owner. In 2020, the pair opened a new office in Tri-Cities, Wash., under the brand name Proterra Pest Control.

All three locations are active in their respective communities with charitable outreach and local events. Employees are cross-trained on the core services of general pest and mosquito control. They also offer branded packages like “Tunnel Protect” (gopher, mole and vole control) and “Garden Protect” (plant, shrub and tree services).

At the beginning, Burress says, it took a lot to convince technicians that being eco-friendly was the best way to manage accounts. Customers, too, wanted to smell the odor of insecticides to “prove” the technician was there. Luckily, he says, younger technicians tend to embrace green solutions and share that enthusiasm with customers.

Making a commitment

Burress says the key to success as a green-focused company is to commit. “It’s easy to get sold by the newest and greatest products out there that can save you time and money, but compromise on your commitment to the environment,” Burress says. “You have to be consistent and make green your mission.” Right now, he adds, the team feels they are in the “sweet spot” of their target market. “We can now go further, farther and with less effort,” Burress explains. “Our customers value high-end and organic services.”

Natura had a 50/50 residential/commercial balance at the onset, but sold its commercial division early
on to focus on building a reputation of excellence for residential customers. Looking ahead, Burress says they are ready to get back into the commercial space because a green approach is “baked in” to accounts like restaurants, schools and medical facilities as peace of mind.

“It can also grow quickly because the account’s employees can see what we do and ask us to service their homes,” Burress adds.” They can also tell their families, their friends and expand our reach that way, too.”

As a Nevada Pest Management Association board member, Burress is optimistic about the growth of green pest management in the coming years. “Technology is catching up, especially reporting — artificial intelligence is helping that along,” he says. “Having so much good information and insight as to what is happening at an account and what you can do to optimize your strategy is huge. Also, a lot of new products are focusing on safety, which is awesome to see.”