Employee appreciation initiatives can come in all forms, sizes, and gestures. From company-wide bonuses to a generic “thank you” email from the CEO, perhaps even a catered pizza-party or a virtual gift voucher, there’s no limit to the many ways employers can express their gratitude to the people that power their organizations.

On January 30th, American Pest leadership took their commitment to employee appreciation a step further by closing the office for a day and honoring employees with an all-hands celebratory lunch and awards ceremony at the Marriott hotel in Dulles, Virginia. The staff appreciation event served as the official kick-off of the company’s 100-year anniversary celebration, where employee recognition awards were distributed, group photos were taken, a buffet-style lunch was served, and one employee even recited a rap about his experience with the company that he wrote on the chartered bus en route to the event.

Planning for the kick-off celebration began months in advance and included support from vendor partners for celebratory signage and gift drawings.

Additionally, travel arrangements were made for many remote employees coming from locations as far as Seattle, and the company even rented buses that picked up staff from four different American Pest branch locations and service areas.

“Pest control technicians can often feel siloed in their roles and isolated from the company, because they spend most of their time alone in their trucks servicing clients,” Kevin Poland, President of American Pest shared. “Having everyone in the same room, celebrating together, gave the team a chance to reconnect. And for many, it was the first time they were meeting face-to-face with people they interact with daily. It was really affirming and an overall great morale boost.”

Research shows that even a little recognition can provide teams with not only an increase in team spirit, but encourages employees who feel valued to stay longer, work harder, and innovate more. In fact, a 2024 study by Gallup found that organizations with stronger recognition cultures saw 31% lower voluntary turnover rates than others. At American Pest, employee retention and professional development have fueled growth opportunities where several long-term employees have successfully risen the ranks to eventually take on managerial positions.

“We have grown exponentially over the years as we’ve brought almost 20 smaller companies into our team,” Kevin shared. “It’s been great seeing how our staff has expanded while embracing new employees. Many of the people who came to us through these purchases are now sitting at the management table. We want our people to like working here, and we work hard to find the right fits for everyone – it is not uncommon for employees hired for one job to discover they are better in another role.”

At the celebratory event, the company honored several employees for their hard work and efforts over the years. Pest control technicians Tommy McHan, Jeremy Stanley, and Tobias Euille all received AP’s ‘Service Manager of the Year’ Awards, while other team members like Haley Damron received ‘Innovator of the Year’, and longtime employee John Strohecker was honored with the ‘40 Years of Service’ recognition. A handful of other staff members took home plaques and awards across categories like ‘Service Technician of the Year’ and ‘Office Support of the Year’.

American Pest 2024 Award Recipients:

• Brian McQuaid – AP Cares Ambassador
• Corey Compofelice – MD West – Service Manager of the Year & Overall Service Manager of the Year
• Suraj Regan – MD West – Technician of the Year 
• Dan Porter – MD East– Service Manager of the Year 
• Carlos Cardenas – MD East – Technician of the Year 
• Tobias Euille – VA North – Service Manager of the Year 
• Brian Pearson – VA North – Technician of the Year 
• Tommy McHan – WDC– Service Manager of the Year 
• Rohan Wimalasiri – WDC – Technician of the Year 
• Jeremy Stanley – Richmond – Service Manager of the Year 
• Frankie Bourne – Richmond – Technician of the Year & Overall Technician of the Year
• Darlynn Smit – Office Support of the Year & Overall Office Support of the Year
• Amy Summers –  Office Support of the Year 
• Dan Abbott – Office Support of the Year 
• Genna Fogle – Office Support of the Year 
• Lynnette Nolan – Office Support of the Year 
• Jess Henry – SMART Admin of  the Year
• Haley Damron – Innovator of the Year
• Imani Payne – Most Improved Sales Performance 
• Pat Kenealy – Rookie of the Year Residential Sales 
• Jamey Drinnon – Top Residential Sales Person 
• Leeza Yi – Top Care Team Performance 
• Sean Grady – Top Care Retention Team Performance 
• Shakai McDowell – Top Care Admin Team Performance 
• Tiffany Dobson – Top Care SAS Team Performance
• Joi Moody – Top Leads Closed Sales Performance & Top Care Collections Performance
• Larry Edmonds – Top Commercial Sales Person of the Year
• Toure Lake – Rookie of the Year Commercial Sales

Milestone Achievement Award Recipients:

• Ken Turner – 20 Years of Service
• Frankie Bourne – 20 Years of Service
• Stephanie Rhodes – 30 Years of Service
• Wells Lee – 30 Years of Service
• John Stroheker – 40 Years of Service

For more information about American Pest 100-year anniversary initiatives such as AP Cares or career opportunities, visit americanpest.net