UK National Pest Awards - Pest Controller of the Year
Nominations as finalists in the National Pest Awards' Pest Controller of the Year category:
Chris Dean, AMS Pest Control
Chris Dean comes from a family of landscapers, but after a back injury forced the need to retrain, he delved into the world of pest control.
With no previous experience, he completed the Level 2 Award in Pest Management qualification through the British Pest Control Association online course and within 12 months received his certificate.
He started AMS Pest Control two years ago while studying for the Level 2, and is based in Coventry.
Although new to the field, Chris said that he wants to be as qualified as possible in order to offer the best service and wants to qualify for the Level 3 Award during 2022.
“I am currently fighting my way through the reading list for the Level 3 Award,” he said. “Winning this award would mean the world to me, particularly as I came into the industry from a non-pest background.”
Kevin Pugh, Pest Solutions
Kevin Pugh joined Glasgow-based Pest Solutions in November 2019, aged 39, as a trainee pest control technician.
He had previously worked in the washroom services industry with PHS and before that as an installer of appliances and furniture for domestic residences.
Kevin said that he has gained knowledge and experience through training and learning from more experienced team members. He said he aspires to achieve the certified field biologist and RSPH Level 3 Award in pest management.
Chris Cagienard, a director of Pest Solutions, nominated Kevin for this award. “Kevin made an instant impact,” he said.
“Our initial impression was that he may be a little shy and we would need to help him to overcome this to deliver great customer service – we could not have been more wrong.”
Kevin said: “It would mean everything to win this award and it would be a very good achievement.”
James Wood, Beaver Pest Control
James Wood is the technical training manager at London-based Beaver Pest Control. After working in the hospitality industry and looking for a new challenge, James said that he heard about the job at Beaver Pest Control and has never looked back.
He started as a foot technician in Central London and two years later he became the in-house trainer for other technicians.
“I was keen to take up this role as I knew from my experience that training is an essential part of pest control,” James said.
“I am responsible for providing RSPH Level 2 training to new technicians within Beaver’s RSPH Training Centre. I have developed my own portfolio of training materials to support the learning of the technicians.”
James is also a service manager responsible for managing two technicians, carrying out quality audits and routine supervisions.
