All In The Family

This has been an “interesting” year no doubt and we are not even done. Starting the year off with the devastating wildfire in Australia, to the ongoing worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, add in the civil unrest in our country, followed by the ramped up division and strife in the late summer that comes with US politics during a presidential season. And to think THIS was the year I decided to start up Huntsman Wildlife.

When I left the job I moved to Cincinnati for, I knew the day would come that I would be protecting the health and property of my neighbors in the greater Cincinnati area, but I had to wait. The timing was not right, and our family was not ready. But almost three years after that, I sat on the deck of our farmhouse with a dear friend of mine and we decided to partner in this adventure and birthed Huntsman Wildlife into existence. (thank you Holly, none of this would have been possible without your faith and support)

My 14 years of experience in the industry showed me how I could create an organization focused on protecting the health of our clients and ensuring the security of their home. My business partner had the knowledge, and ability to help me on the administrative side of the company. 

On December 19, 2019 I went on our first client call. It was for “noises” on the roof of the customer’s house. I showed up to the house, and did my best to convey confidence, exude professionalism, and demonstrate my knowledge and ability to solve her problem. The estimate ended up being $2,035. I went home excited that “it was all coming together”. Then the client called to tell me she was going with another company. 5 days after that call we had our first paying customer. By the time January had come to an end, we had serviced 9 clients. As new clients signed on, more equipment was needed, different and better tools, on top of all of the other expenses like fuel, baits, etc. Through it all I was excited. I was watching something that had only been a dream for years, FINALLY become a reality through my hardwork and dedication.

By mid February Covid-19 had started affecting the Cincinnati area, restrictions were being put in place, and fear and worry were starting to take over in our communities. As I watched other businesses have to shutter and go stagnant, the services Huntsman Wildlife performed were deemed “essential”. We had already started the company in a “paperless” electronic process, so it was easy for us to be able to cater to our incoming client needs to social distance and be as “non contact” as possible. While other wildlife control companies slowed or closed, Huntsman continued to operate, ensuring the safety of our clients the entire time by limiting contact, starting my day with a temperature check, and limiting the number of doors I would enter. By the end of March we had serviced 82 members of our community helping to protect their homes and ensure their safety.

And now I sit at my desk, with September quickly coming to a close, and I look back at the past 10 months and think of the 350+ families and businesses we have helped with nuisance wildlife control needs. 

I am tired, for the last 8 months I have been averaging 10-14 hour days 6-7 days of the week. I am running out of time in my day to ensure that the quality of service we provide for our clients is the level I demand it be at. I have had clients remind me when I schedule services that it may be a holiday. All of the days have looked the same to me. The only way I know the date is by looking at my route for the day. And you know what… I LOVE IT!

But my wife made a good point a few months back, it was time for me to start looking for help. I thought about hiring from inside the industry, but as many of you know, Huntsman operates very differently than most other WC (wildlife control) companies. Changing old habits is much harder than creating fresh ones, so I had to find someone who had never spent a day of their life in the WC industry.

Huntsman wildlife has a four tier safety priority system. First is the staff, second is the client, third is the animal, fourth is everything else. I wanted a team member who understood that even though there was likely a fatal end to the animals we are charged to remove, that the wildlife in our charge was still to be ethically and responsibly trapped, transported, euthanized, and disposed of. 

And most importantly, Huntsman Wildlife is in the business of solving problems for people at their most vulnerable moments. Wildlife has invaded their home and there are very real and even perceived dangers that can be physically, emotionally, and mentally draining to our clients. I wanted to find a team member that could bring the same level of empathy and care for our clients that I do.

So I hired my wife!

As of October 15th, 2020, my wife Kandace will work her last day at her current job and the morning of the 16th will put on the Huntsman uniform and join me in our mission to protect the health and property of our community. 

I have always dreamed of having a “family business” to create an environment where we can learn from each other, grow our business, and  become the greatest “family” we can be. Bringing Kandace in will help solidify the ethics and values of our company and allow us to grow to become the Wildlife Removal company in Cincinnati that is known for a close knit supportive culture, community outreach, and ethical practices.

Already we have been working on some new partnerships with community organizations, improved client facing programs to facilitate better communication and tracking, and all in all… not gonna lie, I rather enjoy having my best friend riding shotgun with me during the day. (but the 80s music has gotta stop)

Kandace has already passed her certification requirements with the state, and some of you may even have seen her on site with me on a few of the past Fridays. She will continue to help me with Friday routes for ground mole and chipmunk work between now and the 16th, and after that will spend most of the rest of the year with me each day learning the technical side of the work we do. 

I want to thank all of you reading this, and especially the 350+ clients we have served over the past ten months, for having enough faith in our humble little company to trust your health and property to us. As we continue to grow with Kandace in a Huntsman uniform, we hope to help even more members of our community. None of this would have ever been possible without this community.

Till next time… see ya folks.