We Love Our Team (and They Love Us Back)

The team at Western Pest Services is more like a family and we feel more like a community than a company. But you don’t have to take our word for it. The longevity of our teammates speaks for itself!

And there’s no greater proof than just how long our team stays with us. People staying with a company 5, even 10 years is very rare nowadays. This trend speaks columns about where you’re working if you want to leave so quickly. But at Western, our teammates are here for the long haul. Every month an email goes out celebrating even one-year anniversaries, but it also includes 5, 10, 15, 20, and even 49-year anniversaries! In this fast-paced world where turnover seems to be the norm, Western is proud to celebrate being a place our team loves to come to and stay.

We make sure to celebrate all our teammates every day, but to call out a few wasn’t easy. They all play an active role in shaping the success and longevity Western Pest Services has enjoyed for almost a century. But Reinaldo Garcia, Salvatore Scarpulla, and Kevin Brennan have been with us so long that it was a no-brainer to highlight them. Their experience brings unmatched institutional knowledge. They understand not only how things are done, but why they are done that way, often serving as mentors to newer employees. Their guidance helps bridge the gap between past and present, ensuring consistency while supporting innovation.

Reinaldo Garcia is a service technician in the Mountainside branch and just celebrated his 31-year anniversary with us. We asked his Branch Manager, Todd Kraft about that, and he noted all the people Rey has helped, saying, “Rey Garcia is a true pest control professional with 31 years of hands-on experience delivering reliable, effective solutions for both residential and commercial properties.” Having not only over 30 decades of experience, but experience with all kinds of customers means Rey also have “proven expertise across a wide range of pest challenges, with a strong focus on accurate problem identification, long-term prevention, and safe treatment practices.”

While that’s great for Western, it’s really more important to his customers. Whether homeowners or business owners, Rey’s customers appreciate everything he’s done for them. Todd thinks it’s because “he demonstrates consistent results, attention to detail, and building lasting customer confidence through honest communication and dependable service. Rey is committed to protecting homes and businesses while upholding the highest industry standards.” Rey’s teammates benefit from his natural leadership and years of experience, too. Todd said, “Rey also serves as the shop steward of the Mountainside branch representing and advocating for his teammates.” Rey is truly remarkable. But he’s not alone.

In the Cape May branch, Master Technician Salvatore Scarpulla has been with the branch for an amazing 27 years. Sal Scarpulla began his career with Western on May 24, 1999, at the Ocean County office. He transferred to the Cape May office In June of 2016 and according to Cape May branch manager, Todd Parziale, has been an asset to the office. While he began doing termite work after some cross training, Todd said, “Sal has mastered every service that Western provides and earned his master tech rating in 2014.” Rey may have some years on him, but Todd also noted, “Sal is still one of our go-to guys whenever a difficult or complex job comes up. His knowledge in wildlife alone is beyond compare.” With that many years of experience, we’re not surprised he has all that knowledge! And he’s able to bring it to every customer and share it with every teammate.

Rey and Sal are in good company. At the Wilmington branch, there’s a service technician that is finally retiring after having been with Western for 23 years! Kevin Brennan began his career at Western as a residential technician and has been making a lasting impact on customers and coworkers ever since. Region Manager, Todd Henches, has the pleasure and privilege to work with Kevin often, and he had some glowing things to say about him including, “Kevin has been a strong presence throughout southern Delaware, building relationships that truly meant something.” And while Kevin is important to his team and they’re sad to see him go, his customers may feel it all even more! Todd mentioned that “once Kevin services a home, the customers are always looking for a reason to bring him back. In fact, many of his customers have been calling the office not only to praise his work, but to personally say goodbye – a testament to the trust and connection he built over the years.”

Even though Kevin is leaving, his legacy will live on. Todd said, “Kevin has also been the embodiment of “Essential Together,” [one of Western’s pillars they are built upon] helping train and mentor countless sales reps, technicians, and anyone he came into contact with. His willingness to share his knowledge and support with others has left a lasting mark on our team.” The best thing about having teammates that stay as long as Kevin, Rey, and Sal is that they share their extensive knowledge with younger, newer teammates. That kind of knowledge sharing is invaluable. Todd wanted to make sure to thank Kevin for his “years of dedication, for always acting heroically, and for being truly remarkable.” Everyone at Western wishes him all the best in his retirement. He has certainly earned it!

The loyalty of Kevin, Rey, and Sal – and everyone else that has been and stayed with us – reflects a strong workplace culture built on trust, respect, and opportunity. People who stay and grow with a company for so long mean they like to come to work every day. And that means, we have created and maintained an environment where people feel valued and supported. We’re extremely proud to say that and we don’t see it changing any time soon.