That was the phrase that underlined the 2007 Smithereen Company Wide Business Plan meeting on Jan 24, 2007. The Smithereen Corporate staff delivered a three hour presentation to all employees, selected vendors and clients to examine where Smithereen has been, what was accomplished in 2006 and where we are headed in 2007. Having had the opportunity to present and watch other members of the corporate team present, now is the fitting time to put together the 2007 prospectus.

 

In 2007 Smithereen is looking to improve in all areas from service techniques to sales growth. These two goals are not stand alone goals. First, the reemergence of bait adverse Cockroaches and the escalating Bed Bug problem in the U.S. have sparked two new divisions of Smithereen. A new focus on night service will be lead by veteran 7 year technician Mark Upton as Night Service Supervisor. This focus will transfer more customers to night service to better protect and ensure a healthy environment. The addition of more night service technicians will be a strong asset to our Clients in 2007. Andy Novinger, (Technical Director and Entomologist) and Steve Thigpen, (IPM Specialist) will be leading the charge against Bed Bugs as they continue to organize specialist bed bug teams that have the knowledge and capability to solve the most stubborn bed bug infestations. These new aspects of our service department provide great growth opportunities for Smithereen in 2007.

 

As we move forward in 2007 it is also important that we look back at some of the great performances of 2007. Brian Brophy was our top sales performer achieving 135% of his target sales goal and selling an amazing $330,000 of pest control services. The Special Service department continued to be Smithereen’s fastest growing service office with an average of 15% growth in total revenue per year for the past three years. As Rob Lang (Special Service Operations Manager) commented during his presentation Special Service is what’s HOT at Smithereen. In 2007 Special Services will continue to offer the best bird abatement systems and installations, the most thorough and responsive wildlife trapping programs and the most effective wood destroying insect treatments. In 2006 Smithereen Management Personnel also participated in over 200 days of focused Management training administered and taught by our partners at the MRA Institute of Management. These training sessions focused on leadership, organization, delegation, conflict management and will continue to be at the forefront of our organization in 2007. 

 

In 2007 Smithereen is committed to bringing its services to more people in more industries and more areas. Our Business Plan meeting was the first of many special events for 2007 to bring our employees, clients and vendors together to share in the Smithereen success story to which they are all vital contributors. It is our goal in 2007 to be more transparent, to continue to build strong relationships with our current customers and reach new potential clients in the process. We have also taken on the challenge of our competitors, and will be competing for a greater market share.

 

At one point or another everyone has participated in some form of competitive sports. Think about a personal moment when you've had a tough loss or felt the pride of winning the game or the race. Our business is not that far from a professional sports team while we may not see the scoreboard in the rafters or be able to see our competitors face or easily measure their performance versus ours, we realize that we are competing for the trust of our customers and partners. In 2007 we will continue to measure our accomplishments carefully, share our successes and failures openly, and watch our competition thoughtfully so that it is easier to take our business personally with the same pride that has sustained us throughout our 119 year history.

 

Sincerely,

 

Jack Jennings
Vice President
Smithereen Pest Management