Nov-2017

142 143 integrated pest management techniques; implementing a combination of products and other methods to change the conditions of the envi- ronment in and around the home, to help minimize the pest population. For instance, pests enter through exposed openings into the home. Simply spraying the opening would not be the smartest solution; finding a way to cover it permanently would be a great example of inte- grated pest management. “Pests need a place to live; moisture/water; and a food source. So, we train our service pros to identify and reduce any of those three factors around the home. If that’s possible, they can control the pest population without applying product. They also teach the custom- er how to prevent or reduce pest activity by looking for those hot spots, and educate them on the best ways to eliminate problems at the source.” As for the company cul- ture, Pearson states, “We are a pest control company, but we see ourselves as being in the people business. We get a lot of satisfaction out of training and preparing and empowering our employees. Once they have those skills, they can go out to our cus- APTIVE ENVIRONMENTAL tomer base and provide an excellent experience. We have almost 20,000 positive reviews online and very few negative reviews. We love the idea that when people interact with us, we’re able to give them peace of mind and take away their stress, and, in our own way, improve the quality of their life. If people can walk away feeling like ‘Wow, Aptive, they build up their customers and employees,’ then both sides are winning. Avery adds, “One of our core values is ‘elevate the tribe.’ We want to make sure that after ev- ery interaction people from Aptive have with others, inside or outside the company, they are left feeling they’ve done something positive. To recognize we’re here to have a positive impact on every relationship – whether on the environ- ment, the customer, or our employees. We want to make the world a better place within our realm of influence.” n BASF www.basf.com With headquarters in Ludwigshafen, Germany, BASF is the largest chemical producer in the world. The BASF Group comprises subsidiaries and joint ventures in more than 80 countries and operates six integrated produc- tion sites and 390 other production sites in Europe, Asia, Australia, the Americas, and Africa, employing over 114,000 people. BASF’s portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions, and Oil & Gas. Its products supply the following sectors: Agricul- ture, Automotive & Transportation, Chemicals, Construc- tion, Electronics & Electric, Energy & Resources, Furni- ture & Wood, Home Care and I&I Cleaning, Nutrition, Packaging & Print, Paints & Coatings, Personal Care & Hygiene, Pharmaceuticals, Plastics & Rubber, Pulp & Paper, and Textile, Leather & Footwear. BASF had sales of $16.2 billion in 2016. PREFERRED VENDOR