The ScherZinger Pest Control technician performed his normal service until he noticed smoke spewing from the dryer.
To prevent damage to the home, the technician broke a window and extinguished the fire.
"Having a service heart honestly means going above and beyond your normal daily functions," company president Kurt Scherzinger said. "That warms my heart that we have people willing to do that, and those are the people that we want working for us."
ScherZinger technicians have also assisted motorists in distress, including one who was unconscious and was pulled from a car before it burst into flames, Scherzinger said.
Demonstrating a service heart is a core value for the company, based in Cincinnati. And technicians responding to people in emergencies is just one example of what makes ScherZinger Pest Control a worthy recipient of the NPMA Gives Award, announced Oct. 22 at PestWorld in Dallas. Away from the job site, that same spirit shows up in a food bank, at a butterfly show, and in a promise to give back in every community the company serves.
A culture of giving back
NPMA Gives is a business recognition program designed to showcase the charitable donations, programs, and time contributed by our member companies to their communities.
As part of the program, NPMA members commit to donating 1% of their annual net profit to charitable causes through monetary donations, donated products or services, or volunteerism.
ScherZinger, which is part of the PCT Top 100 and is a FieldRoutes customer, donates 100% of its services to Cincinnati’s Freestore Foodbank, the largest food bank in the area, and serves as title sponsor of the food bank’s Memorial Day Hunger Walk and 5K.
The company also is the presenting sponsor of Krohn Conservatory’s annual butterfly show, which draws visitors from hours away.
Why would a pest control company back butterflies?
“We’re not here to kill every bug on the face of the earth,” Scherzinger said. “The beneficial ones, we want to still be around.”
This mission started with his father, Steve, who jumped on the idea of the exhibit with Cincinnati Parks more than 25 years ago and built a culture of volunteering into the company.
When the company operated in one market, giving back meant one community. Today ScherZinger Pest Control serves four markets, and Kurt and brother Eric, vice president of procurement and marketing, make sure each one has a charitable partner.
Why giving matters
Kurt Scherzinger's advice for companies that want to follow his company's lead is to begin with what they care about.
“The easiest thing would be donating their services to an organization,” he said. “It’s not money out of your pocket.”
He sees his company’s giving as a way to recognize the team. The company gives on its employees’ behalf, he said, because they give every day.
“We give back to the communities that allow us to exist and thrive,” Scherzinger said. “Without the communities, we wouldn’t have a business.”
