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December 1, 2006
For over half a century Terminix has been leading the market in the pest-control industry throughout the nation. This is part of the success that brothers Billy and Dan Foster have experienced in Houma since the early 1970s.
Terminix has actually been doing business in the Houma-Terrebonne region for just over 50 years. The nationwide franchise began servicing the Tri-parishes in 1956 out of its New Orleans office.
In 1972, Terminix opened their first office on Elgin Street to service homes and businesses in the Terrebonne and Lafourche area.
Four years later Billy Foster began working as a part-time associate with a readily growing franchise.
In 1979 Billy Foster decided to take his part-time job and make it a full-time one. He soon bought one-third interest in the company and became manager of the Houma office.
By January of 1990 Billy Foster had gotten a degree in entomology from Nicholls State University and purchased the remaining two-thirds of the business n becoming sole owner of the Houma franchise.
That same year, Dan Foster joined his brother Billy in what has become quite a successful family-operated business.
Dan Foster, also a NSU alumnus, became general manager of the local Terminix operation with a degree in accounting.
“I had always wanted to be on the operational side of a business versus the financial side,” Dan Foster said. “He [Billy] had a great company and needed some help running it after he bought out his other two partners.”
Since Billy Foster has become the sole owner and Dan Foster has assumed the position as general manager, the company has grown in both clientele and staff. “When I came to work here about 16 years ago we had 18 employees n now we have 30,” Dan Foster said. Those employees include 22 field technicians and eight administrative positions.
“We also have more than tripled the business since 1990,” he added.
Throughout most of the company’s existence in Houma they had operated out of the same location on Elgin Street. But as the business grew larger and larger, its office space seemed to grow smaller and smaller.
Three years ago the business relocated to its current facility on West Main Street.
“The other place was just busting at the seams,” Dan Foster said. “And that was after we had added on. Finally, we just reached the absolute maximum limit and moved into this place.”
Dan Foster said their current location is pretty unique to the pest control business. “The man who built it constructed most of it out of materials from an old plantation home that use to be on this lot,” he said.
The bug business doesn’t really slow down in southern Louisiana so the duo have faced minimal obstacles in the company’s lifetime. However, hurricanes Katrina and Rita did give the two a bit of a scare, like many other businesses in the Tri-parish area.
“We thought Katrina and Rita would have a huge negative impact on business,” Dan Foster said. “But because a lot of people in the area whose houses were damaged decided repair and keep their contracts with us, we managed to suffer minimal business loss.”
The duo attributes a large portion of their success to their community and their staff. “It’s been a good ride so far,” Dan Foster said. “The people we have here are great. Most of the people I hired 15 years ago are still with us today.”
The Fosters’ theory is simple: When you work in a community that you love, with an experienced and trustworthy staff, life and business become a whole lot easier n and a whole lot more fun.
