Franchising Success Stories: Critter Control

Steven Martin reports an annual average
revenue growth rate of nearly 32 percent since
he purchased his franchise in 2017. PHOTO: CRITTER CONTROL

In his 19-year career as a wildlife removal professional, immediately after earning his degree in wildlife biology from Northern Arizona University, Steven Martin has worked for both a small company and at the corporate level for a national company. The experience led to his belief that his current position as a Critter Control franchisee blends the benefits of both worlds.

When he purchased the Northern Arizona franchise in 2017 from parent company Rollins Inc., it was a return to his small-business roots.

“I really enjoy making a difference in my community on a personal level with my customers and providing career paths for like-minded team members,” Martin explains. “The Critter Control franchise has an excellent brand name recognition nationwide, and the branding and marketing that is already in place makes it very easy to start up a business in a new area. The framework, training and structure in place provide for quick scaling of the business to grow rapidly.”

Being a part of a franchise system, Martin adds, allows individual operators to “enjoy the freedoms of individuality while also gaining the benefits of a large business that is nationwide.” Chief among these benefits is the ability to crowdsource new ideas with both the corporate team and fellow franchisees.

“Our marketing keeps us on top; the ideas within our group of franchisees keeps us innovating; and with a conglomerate of like-minded business owners, we are able to come up with creative solutions to new problems as they arise,” Martin says. “Plus, we stay ahead of nationwide trends because we have more eyes watching markets all over.”

History: Founded as a one-man operation in 1983 by Kevin Clark in Dearborn, Mich., after his chimney-cleaning business led to requests for animal removal. Franchising began in 1987. Rollins Inc. acquired the company in 2015.
Corporate-owned locations: 40
Franchised locations: 87

Looking ahead, Martin plans to continue growing the franchise in northern Arizona. With many mountain towns in the market beginning to transition from rural to suburban and urban, there is ample opportunity to grow. Additional home services also may be in the cards, as customers’ needs expand and change, he says. Through all of it, Martin is keeping a close eye on wildlife-related legislation and how it might affect both public perception as well as his team’s day-to-day work.

For pest management colleagues looking to add a wildlife control service franchise, Martin advises taking the time to develop their personal goals first and see how this business could help meet them.

“Wildlife conflict resolution is a growing industry that requires business owners who desire to grow and adapt to the increasing demands from our customers,”
he explains. “This is not an adventure to take on unless you desire to grow and expand each year, because the need within our communities is great and will only be increasing over the next decade.”

That said, he concludes, “the effort is worth the rewards.”