Top Industry Magazine Names HomeTeam’s Joe Avery as Termite Technician of the Year

HomeTeam is celebrating Joe Avery, a technician in our Orlando West branch, who has been awarded Termite Technician of the Year by Pest Control Technology Magazine (PCT)!

This annual award recognizes the technician in our industry that excels most in termite professional services. Competition is stiff. PCT, the industry’s top publication and “go-to” source for strategic insights, news and information, receives dozens of nominations from all sizes of pest control companies across the country. The technicians are evaluated in several areas including technical skills, communication skills, service to their company and community, and their mentoring role within the profession. Nominations are then reviewed by a panel of pest control industry experts who determine the winner.

This honor is extremely well-deserved, as Joe has shown steadfast commitment to his HomeTeam family and his community of Winter Gardens/Orlando, Florida. Our team has learned a lot from Joe and his perspective.

Joe started with HomeTeam in 2015, and he has become a termite expert, known for his keen ability to handle the greatest challenges, from inspecting houses for termite activity, performing remedial treatments if there are termites in the house, and installing our Sentricon® subterranean termite baiting stations to prevent infestations. According to Joe, there is never a “normal day” for him, as every day brings fresh, exciting challenges.

When asked what the most important attributes are for someone to be successful in the pest control industry, Joe explained that you must first be people-focused, a HomeTeam core value that helps build meaningful relationships with customers. Second, you must be a hard worker and willing to go the extra mile for your customers. He says, “if they’re happy, you’re happy”. Finally, you must be willing to learn. You can learn the basics and follow the steps given, but you should want to learn more about why you’re doing what you’re doing. “My philosophy is that you perform how you train. So, if you are having a big ant issue in a subdivision, find out what kind of ants they are, why the ants are doing what they’re doing, and reach out to other techs or management and find out what you can do to better serve other customers,” Joe explained.

This hunger to learn has driven Joe to further develop his professional career through education sponsored by HomeTeam and its parent company, Rollins, Inc. He has completed courses from Purdue University in urban and industrial pest management, from Texas A&M in termite and biology control, and from the University of Florida’s Pest Management University in termite foundations and termite masters. His extensive educational background has helped him in his professional growth, and more specifically, in his service to customers.

Joe’s enthusiasm doesn’t stop there. He is also actively involved in his branch’s Safety Squad, which aims to ensure that each branch is being as safe as possible with their work. Part of this includes educating team members on safe driving practices. As a former police officer who worked traffic homicide investigations, Joe has seen firsthand the consequences of unsafe driving. His efforts have paid off, his branch ranked in the top three of the company in terms of overall safety.

His helping hand extends to his community as much as his HomeTeam family – he recently organized a clothing drive for a local homeless shelter and challenged two other branches in the area to see who could donate the most. No surprise, under Joe’s leadership, his branch won with two huge truckloads of clothing donations.

What’s next for Joe? His goal is to become a service manager at HomeTeam. He also plans to go back to school to finish his degree, either in biology or entomology, or business. When asked how he felt about winning this prestigious award, Joe simply said, “Humbled.”

Joe was nominated by his general manager who said, “Throughout the time I have known Joe, he has made a difference at HomeTeam exemplifying our core values and has had a positive impact on the entire company. His skills, knowledge, willingness to help others, and dedication to HomeTeam and the community make Joe a great fit for PCT Termite Technician of the Year.”

Joe Avery is the epitome of a HomeTeamer and our goal of protecting our customers and their homes from pests would not be possible without team members like Joe. He is a beacon for his teammates, and we thank him for all of his hard work and dedication!

If you want to build a career with people who care, look no further! We offer numerous benefits and opportunities for professional growth, learn more at www.careers.pestdefense.com.