Keeping the bugs out: Scarlett Nolen
Pest control is about more than just bugs, says Truly Nolen of America President Scarlett Nolen. It’s about treating your community with respect and going above and beyond to lend a hand.
A pest control business is about more than just eradicating unwanted intruders. It requires trained specialists to come to the aid of their community in moments of need, entering homes in a professional, safe and sensitive manner.
It is therefore no coincidence that Scarlett Nolen, President of family-owned pest control business Truly Nolen of America, has long had a desire to help out in her community.
"We are a generational company. We’ve been in business for over 85 years, which we’re so proud of," she tells The CEO Magazine. "I got my master’s in marriage and family therapy, where you really look at systems and teams of people."
Family legacy
After graduating, Nolen was primed to set up her own private practice. But during a family dinner, she had a revelation.
"It just sort of dawned on me, ‘Hey, I really want to get to know this company that my father built.’ I had no specific ambition besides a desire to learn," she recalls.
"Demonstrating that you can get a seat at the table as a female can serve as an example for somebody else."
Determined to learn the business from the bottom up, Nolen started from scratch. Step by step, she worked her way up the ranks, becoming the top-performing district manager in the company. In 2019, she became President.
Nolen is proud that her story has served as an inspiration for women in both her community and the industry.
"We are a white, male-dominated industry, and finding your way as a woman can be intimidating for some," she admits. "Demonstrating that you can get a seat at the table as a female can serve as an example for somebody else. That’s a huge motivator to me."
Staying true to clients
One challenge facing Truly Nolen is how to respond to changing demographics and technology.
"We have a huge portion of our clients that are Boomers, and we’ve catered to how they consume. They are some of our most valuable customers, and we hope they will be for a very long time," Nolen says.
"But the reality is that Millennials have the strongest buying power in the country right now."
Advertisement
To connect with this lucrative, younger market, the temptation has been to adopt new technology. While the company is staying up to date with the latest developments – which it does with the help of partners such as Riester and WorkWave – Nolen is determined that technology will not replace its key asset: its people.
"Chatbots remain an emerging technology still in its infancy, often leaving customers wanting," she says. "They can leave a sour taste in the mouth. My aim is for our customers to always have a positive experience, regardless of their pest problem.
"I’ve got a ton of service professionals that have known generations of their customers, who’ve watched kids grow up. We have customers that have been with us for 30, 40 years, which is something that we’re incredibly proud of. You can’t just replace that overnight."
The extra mile
Because of the irreplaceable value its service professionals give to the business, Nolen is passionate about providing generous employee benefits.
"My father was a pioneer when it came to giving benefits," she reveals. "He was offering same-sex couples the benefits of married couples in the 80s, way before it was trendy or required."
In this spirit, as well as driven by a need to attract more employees given staff shortages, Nolen decided to add to its vacation allowances as well as invest in mental health services for its employees.
"It was really important to me, given my background as a therapist, but also I just saw there’s been a tremendous need in our country in the last four years," she says.
"Yes, we’re a pest control company, but we go well above and beyond the bugs."
This is reflective of a business that prides itself on its place in the community, embodied no better than by Nolen herself in response to the devastating Hurricane Ian in 2022.
"I flew down into the thick of the aftermath, with our plane loaded full of supplies," she remembers. "I think that moment really does pinpoint who we are as a company. While most people are shutting their doors in times of crisis, we are working overtime in our community.
"We don’t hesitate to go the extra mile. Yes, we’re a pest control company, but we go well above and beyond the bugs by supporting the communities we serve."