Florida Pest and Lawn Care Expo 2013 Draws Record Attendance and Rave Reviews
January 21-25
Wyndham Grand Bonnet Creek
Orlando, FL
Almost 600 hundred Pest Management Professionals gathered at the beautiful Wyndham Bonnet Creek in Orlando for a week of learning, fellowship and planning for the future of their businesses and their industry. The 2013 Pest and Lawn Care Expo, Presented by Syngenta Professional Products, set new attendance records and has become the premier event and essential gathering for pest professionals in Florida.
Thanks to all sponsors that made the Florida Pest and Lawn Care Expo 2013 such a tremendous success!
The Inaugural Charity Auction was held during the Bugs and Blues Bash during which the generosity of FPMA was displayed in the nearly $11,000 raised to benefit the Florida Pest Management Foundation and the Jerry Williams Memorial Scholarship Fund. Foundation founding member and FPMA Past President Tim Brock expressed his gratitude for the overwhelming number of donated items and generosity of winning bidders and dedicated the funds to helping Florida Pest Management Professionals, advancing the education of future industy members and to honoring the memory of fellow Foundation founding member, industry mentor and FPMA Past President Jerry Williams.
Hands-on education conducted by Dr. Phil Koehler and University of Florida graduate students keep everyone engaged and on the move. Expo attendees earned 10 hours in all categories of CEUs while laughing and learning.
Presentations of the Business Survival Kit prepared attendees to survive and thrive in the economic climate in 2013:
The Lawn Care Track featured “Research and Regulation: the Science, Politics and Practice of Water Quality”, which discussed water quality and its federal, state and local regulation that challenge pest professionals that provide fertilization services. Drew Bartlett of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Dr. Laurie Trenholm and Dr. Brian Unruh of the University of Florida presented how the federal Clean Water Act, recent EPA lawsuits, Florida Departments of Agriculture and Environmental Protection and the latest in UF research will affect lawn care agronomic programs.
On the Management Track, “Steering Liability Away from Distracted Drivers” prepared business owners to protect employees from injury and business from liability of distracted driving-especially texting and phone conversations. Linda Midyett of PestSure and Wayne Williams inthinc Technology Solutions were the informative panelists, and FPMA Counsel Mark Ruff guided the discussion.
In the second presentation, nationally-recognized pest control accounting expert Dan Gordon, CPA, President of PCO Bookkeepers provided valuable tools that provide real measurements of company performance His presentation “If you Can’t Measure it, You Can’t Manage It” provided insight into financial issues affecting PMPs in the current economic climate.
2012 President George Braker recognized several members and contributors to his successful term of office:
Committee Member of the Year, Suzanne Graham
Committee Member Chairperson of the Year, Dr. Claude Thomas
Regional Director of the Year, Chris Reynolds, Region 13
Doug Vander Poest Extra Mile Award, Vanessa Ferguson
President’s Award, Jeanne Braker
Hundreds of visits toured the sold-out Expo Exhibit Hall and saw almost 70 booths with the latest in technologies, services and products essential to running an efficient, profitable and professional pest business. Fully equipped vehicles lined up for the Product Field Day and even played a role in Core and L&O CEU sessions.
The Most Creative Booth winner was Dow Agrosciences and their “termite colony”
The Best New Product Launch winner was BASF for Termidor HE
Exhibitors:
| AMERICAN PROFIT RECOVERY |
| AMVAC ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCTS |
| ARAMARK UNIFORM SERVICES |
| B & G EQUIPMENT COMPANY |
| BASF PEST CONTROL SOLUTIONS |
| BAYER ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE |
| BELL LABORATORIES, INC |
| BIO GREEN USA, INC |
| BUSINESS BROKERAGE SOLUTIONS, LLC |
| CENTRAL LIFE SCIENCES |
| DAVID MAUS AUTOMOTIVE GROUP |
| DIRECT SOLUTIONS |
| DIVERSIFIED SALES & MARKETING |
| DOW AGROSCIENCES |
| ECOLOGEL SOLUTIONS, LLC |
| ENSYSTEX |
| ENTERPRISE FLEET MANAGEMENT, INC. |
| ENVINCIO |
| FLEETMATICS |
| FLORIDA PEST PRO |
| FLORIDA SPRAYERS, INC |
| FMC |
| FORSHAW DISTRIBUTION INC |
| FPMA PEST PERSPECTIVES |
| GREAT SCOT! INSURANCE INC |
| GROWERS FERTILIZER |
| HARRELL’S FERTILIZERS |
| HOWARD FERTILIZER & CHEMICAL |
| ISUZU TRUCK OF OCALA |
| J.F. OAKES, LLC |
| J.T. EATON & COMPANY |
| JOHN DEERE LANDSCAPES |
| MAILTROPOLIS |
| MARATHON DATA SYSTEMS, INC |
| MULLINAX FORD OF CENTRAL FLORIDA |
| NEELCO INDUSTRIES INC |
| NEXTRAN TRUCK CENTER JACKSONVILLE |
| NPD PRODUCTS |
| OLDHAM CHEMICALS |
| OMNI PRODUCTIONS |
| PARAGON PEST CONTROL |
| PCO BOOKKEEPERS.COM |
| PEST CONTROL INSULATION, LLC |
| PEST SURE |
| PEST WEST USA, LLC |
| PHILADELPHIA INSURANCE COMPANIES, INC |
| PUMPTEC INC |
| RESIDEX TURFGRASS |
| RIEMER INSURANCE GROUP INC |
| RUSH TRUCK CENTER |
| SELECT INSURANCE AGENCY INC |
| SERVICE PRO.NET |
| SILENT OPTION CANINE, LLC |
| SUPERSPRINGS INT INC |
| SYNGENTA PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS |
| TARA SOLUTIONS |
| TERMATRAC PTY LTD |
| THE RESOURCE SHOP |
| THE STATION BOOT LLC |
| TURFBRANDS |
| TURFSIGNS.COM |
| UNIV OF FL- DEPT OF ENTOMOLOGY |
| UNIVAR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES |
| VALLEY INDUSTRIES |
| WINFIELD SOLUTIONS |
Over 100 players enjoyed a day of golf and fellowship at the beautiful Falcon’s Fire Golf Club. Congratulations to the winners of the 2013 Expo Golf Classic:
Winning Teams
1st – Adam Starbek, Jack Jeffcoat, Mark Miller, Rick Bennett
2nd – Jeff Valentine, Sean Wilson, John Stinnett
3rd – Rich Robinson, Barry Carter, Edwin Scott, Pat Garland
Region 10 won the Regional Golf Tournament, and will have a complimentary registration at next year’s Expo Golf Classic to defend their title!
- Brian McLaughlin, Region 10 Director
- Mike Janusz
- Keith Pouliot
Closest to the pin #3 – Ed Gifford
Closest to the pin #8 – Mark Miller
Closest to the pin #11 – Adam Skarbek
Closest to the pin #15 – John Perry
Million Dollar Shot – Shawn McDougal, participant
$5000 Putting Contest – Mark Stockwell, participant
At the Inaugural Celebration, outgoing President George Braker thanked all those who made his term such a success, and made members FPMA Proud. 2013 President John Cooksey took the oath of office from his father, Past President J. Bryan Cooksey while his brother, Past President Bryan Cooksey and over 100 attendees cheered him. President John Cooksey share his vision for his term captured in his theme, Progress Through Unity.
The incoming Board of Directors met at the closing of Expo to plan for another year of member growth, outreach to fellow professionals and additional services to and representation of the pest management profession. They left eager and energized for the coming year and already looking forward to Expo 2014! (January 20-24, 2014, Embassy Suites, Kissimmee, FL)
View images from the successful 2013 Pest and Lawn Care Expo on the FPMA Facebook Page.