Pest Management Professional, September 2015

PMP Hall of faMe 2015 JoHN R CooK SR John Cook built one of the largest pest control companies in the country on honesty courtesy respect and customer satisfaction 32 September 2015 Pest Management Professional mypmp net Photos Brian Cook istoCk Com gBrundin I n 1950 after graduating from Georgia Tech with a degree in architecture John R Cook Sr was ready to embark on a promising career in the field he loved But the death of his pest management professional PMP father John L Cook that same year changed his life Cook Sr felt compelled to fulfill the five year termite guarantees his father contracted so he returned to Decatur Ala with his wife Jo In addition to termites he added pest control service to the company his father started and changed the name from North Alabama Termite Co to Cooks Pest Control TradiTion of excellence Founded in 1928 Cooks has grown from a small business with one full time employee and a handful of accounts to one of the nations largest pest management companies with 1400 full time employees and more than 300000 customers During the 1930s and 40s the family business focused on protecting residential and commercial buildings from termites Cook Sr s architectural training honed his attention to detail which was beneficial in expanding a pest control business during the 50s While building their business the Cooks stressed basic themes honesty courtesy respect and customer satisfaction Their philosophy of providing quality service and a good place to work has been the companys foundation John Cook Jr who at age 11 began working summer jobs in the office and in the field with technicians and salespeople learned that integrity honesty courtesy and respect help build an organization and that the reputation a company has from those ideals should be protected One of Dads sayings was Do what you promise plus a little bit more Cook Jr says I often saw him give more than we promised to a customer or more than they were legally due if ever a dispute arose It wasnt worth it to win an argument and lose a friend or customer or gain a reputation for being difficult to deal with He often turned the other cheek when he didnt have to For 24 years the Decatur office operated as the only branch of the company Then it began to expand steadily Presently Cooks is located in more than 25 cities in Alabama Tennessee Mississippi and Georgia an inspiring leader In 1972 Jim Aycock was a certified public accountant who didnt want to work as a public accountant anymore At that same time Cook Sr was looking for a controller for his expanding company and hired Aycock In 1978 he became executive vice president and in 1995 was promoted to president and CEO During his 43 years with the company Aycock has never thought of leaving There are many employees with a lot of longevity at this company he says People enjoy the atmosphere and the freedom to do their jobs Theres no micromanagement John Sr was such a dependable quality person he adds You never had to worry about what kind of mood he was going to be in He was so steady and consistent I never saw him get upset He was an inspiring leader Continued on Page 34 Lookie heres Cookie By John Walsh Contributing editor PMP Hall of faMe 2015 name John R Cook Sr company Cooks Pest Control TiTle Chairman emeritus of Cooks Pest Control years in pesT managemenT 58 Key posiTions held president chairman of the board and chairman emeritus of Cooks Pest Control president of the Alabama Pest Control Association and the National Pest Control Association crowning achievemenTs Grew his company from one full time employee and only a few accounts to become the seventh largest pest control company in the United States received the 2001 NPMA Presidents Pinnacle Award Cooks Pest Control won the Better Business Bureaus National Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics