When Dwight and Helen Holloway started Champion Pest & Termite Control in October 2008, they didn’t set out to build a local institution in central Ohio. They followed conviction, with a little bit of courage.
Dwight describes his entry into pest control in 1997 as serendipitous: “I kind of got into it by accident… I was working part-time at a hotel… [a manager] overheard me and offered me a job [at a pest control company], and I kind of fell into it, and fell in love with it.” More than a decade later, after years of being overlooked for promotion, he made a bold move — founding Champion after landing his very first customer.
Helen's path to the trades was different. With 17 years in banking, an MBA, and a background in communications and entrepreneurship, she supported Champion in the evenings while holding down a full-time job. When her banking role was eliminated, what could have been a setback became a turning point — and the timing was uncanny. Champion had just landed a pivotal three-year contract with Columbus City Schools, and suddenly, going all-in was inevitable.
Looking back, what once felt risky now feels orchestrated. As Helen reflects, “You look back at your experiences, and you recognize how everything was perfectly orchestrated… It’s exciting and amazing. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”’
Building a Culture on “EARL”
At the heart of Champion are four core values: empowerment, achievement, responsibility, and loyalty. They affectionately call this framework “EARL,” and it shapes how the Holloways treat customers, employees, and neighbors alike.
Empowerment is deeply personal for the Holloways. Having hit their own ceilings in corporate careers, they refuse to build one for anyone else. If an employee's ambitions outgrow what Champion can offer, Helen's stance is clear: "We're never going to hold you back."
Achievement shows up in shared success. “We have a profit sharing plan to make sure that our team participates in our success,” Helen says. “It’s not just Dwight and Helen win, but the whole team wins.”
Responsibility is reflected in professional standards. Champion requires technicians to be licensed, even when it’s not mandated by the state, because, as Helen puts it, “Now you’re carrying responsibility with us.”
And loyalty is rewarded. “The longer you’re with us, the more perks. We increase your wages, we increase your vacation time,” she explains.
Dwight sums up the culture simply: “We treat everyone like family.”
Representation and Resilience in the Trades
As a Black-owned business in an industry with limited diversity, Champion’s presence carries weight.
When Dwight first entered pest control, he recalls, it "was not an industry where you would see many African Americans." That's shifted somewhat — "there's more of it now," he says — but even in Ohio, Black-owned pest control companies remain rare. That visibility cuts both ways. It carries responsibility, but it also opens doors. "We've had multiple companies say, 'Hey, we want to do work with a Black-owned business,' so they intentionally seek us out," Dwight says.
The journey hasn't been without friction. Some bids have been structured in ways that put smaller, minority-owned businesses at a quiet disadvantage. And there have been moments when customers double-check the work or question the credentials — not because anything was done wrong, but because of who's doing it.
That reality has sharpened Champion’s standards. Helen says it sometimes feels like “we can’t get away with… what some of our counterparts may be able to get away with when it comes to presentation.” But instead of shrinking back, the team leans into excellence.
Encouragingly, Helen has seen meaningful shifts in recent years. She believes that post-2020, the desire to support businesses owned by people of color has grown — a change she calls “a key to the successes in the past five years.”
When You Do Well, You Should Do Good
For Champion, community impact isn’t a marketing strategy; it’s a responsibility.
“When you do well, you should do good,” Helen says.
That philosophy shows up in action. Each December, the team volunteers at local food pantries. They’ve pledged one percent of profits to ColumbUS GIVES. They match employee donations dollar for dollar. And sometimes, giving back is as simple as purchasing beds or mattresses for families in need.
“It’s what we do,” Helen says. “We want people to be healthy.”
The Holloways will shut down operations entirely for a volunteer day — no hesitation, no hedging. . “You don’t lose by giving back. It’s always a net gain,” Helen explains.
Dwight adds that the work has shifted something in him personally. “There’s no attire for a person that’s in need,” he says — a reminder that hardship can touch anyone.
There's an unexpected side effect: Champion's volunteer posts consistently outperform everything else on social media. Helen is quick to note that recognition was never the point — but she's noticed something worth sitting with. "People love when you serve other people."
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Powering Community, Every Day
When asked how the trades power the nation, Helen doesn't reach for statistics. She offers something simpler: “These are the people in your neighborhood.” Tradespeople live, work, worship, and raise families alongside the customers they serve.
“Small businesses grow on the backs of the individuals who are in trades,” she says.
Champion Pest & Termite Control is proof that powering a nation isn't just about service calls. It's about empowering the people on your team, showing up for the neighbors outside your door, and building something that outlasts any single job or contract.
And for the Holloways, the journey — with all its unexpected turns — is exactly where they’re meant to be.
Want to learn more about ServiceTitan’s Power the Nation initiative and the contractors making a difference across the country? Visit ServiceTitan’s Power the Nation home page.
