Hiring the right people is the secret to any business’s success. When you find the right person, make sure to snag them up and keep them happy. That’s what we are hoping to do with our newest member of the Western Pest Services team, Dan Latini.
Dan is our new Account Executive for commercial sales in the Ocean County, NJ, area. He’s hoping to help grow the brand down the shore and partnering with local businesses to ensure the communities in that area stay safe from the multitudes of pest pressures that can plague this area. While he just started with Western this year, he has 3 years of pest control experience under his belt and 17 years of experience serving communities throughout the tri-state area.
His business management background will help him be the public servant he wants to be. He explained his role to be, “providing the best level of safety to our communities I can. Without pest control services, public health, our food supply, and properties are at risk to pests and the problems they bring with them.” Just because he focuses on commercial sales doesn’t mean he has forgotten about the homeowners. He said, “If pests threaten our businesses, they will ultimately also be a threat to the neighborhoods we call home. So many illnesses and famines throughout history have been caused by pest-related issues. It’s my goal to help ensure it doesn’t happen in our homes and businesses.”
For Dan, it’s about more than just pest control. As a father of two young children, he said, “one of the most rewarding experiences in this industry has been the capability to pass on what I learn each day about the world around us. Being able to introduce my children to the biology of the critters I see every day and experiencing their wonderment and awe of the world.” It’s something most who are not in the industry may not realize. Yes, we are exterminators, but the education and experience you get in this industry, especially from Board Certified Entomologists like the ones we have here at Western, is valuable in life itself! You will notice more insects while hiking or will even know if the spider you’re seeing in your own home is a beneficial one or not. It gives you a certain appreciation of bugs and their importance to our ecosystem that you may not have had before.
For instance, Dan’s favorite insect is a dragonfly. Why? You’ll be amazed at what he said. “These amazing creatures were some of the first winged insects and used to have a wingspan of about 2 feet. They are also expert hunters. Lions and other natural hunters all succeed in catching their prey less than 25% of the time while dragonflies are successful almost 95% of the time. Also, engineers are constantly studying these pests to design futuristic aircraft that can fly in all directions and hoover just like these amazing and complex creatures.” We bet you didn’t know that! See what you can learn from being in the pest control industry? The fact that Dad did just shows how interested he is in the industry. No wonder he likes to share it with his kids!
In his non-pest time Dan loves spending as much of his free time as he can with his wife and kids. They love exploring the world and going to new places to make as many memories as they can together. He loves going to Six Flags, going for bike rides, and skating with his kids. He and his wife also love making arts and crafts out of reclaimed wood or rustic materials and taking the kids to craft shows and markets to sell their creations together. Sounds like a good time guy. No wonder we want him around here.
We hope you’ll join us in welcoming Dan to the Western family. We hope to have many years with him here doing what he loves best – helping to keep people and businesses safe from pests.