Truly Nolen
Encyclopedia
Truly Nolen is a family-owned pest control
company with franchise
s most commonly associated with the yellow mouse car. It has 83 locations in the United States and 100 franchises in 41 countries.
, as part of a home improvement business, Truly Nolen America is still owned and managed by the Nolen family.
(IPM) in residential applications. This is the application of a broad spectrum of measures to control pests to minimize the use of pesticides.
The company supports this concept through its efforts to sell mechanical exclusion contracts (TrulyProof), the variety of tools and chemistry it makes available to its technicians, and through the training it provides its technicians. IPM, along with the safety inherent in the techniques, is a prime selling focus for the company.
and the business of his father, Truly Wheatfield Nolen, owned prior to his death in 1966 in South
Miami Beach
, Florida
. With about 70 branches in seven states
, the company operates in a decentralized manner with administrative units in separate cities.
Truly Nolen of America, Inc also offers to franchise its mark and system.
and Arizona
, and an online education or e-learning site that all employees can access for 'any-time' training.
The Training Centers serve as a means of providing training, quality of service, and a sense of shared purpose throughout the company.
Training is conducted both in the classroom and in the field by experienced applicators and trainers to ensure the employees are trained to the legal standard in the state they are employed. Initial training for all employees is targeted at passing the state's licensing or certification examination along with basic customer service and treatment techniques. Additional training over the career of the employee helps ensure the employee has, at a minimum, basic working knowledge of their job requirements.
branches employ specialized training in termite and wood destroying organism control techniques and may include fumigators in some areas. Termite pretreatment is also performed through these branches although the pricing is at a premium compared to other general pest control companies and specialized pretreatment companies. Truly Nolen often employs additional techniques aimed at high-end clients to mitigate damage or appearance degradation from conventional treatment techniques.
and holds an M.B.A. from the University of Arizona
.
Mouse car ears are hinged to help with gas mileage.
Truck "antennae" are made of toilet floats and air conditioning tubing.
Pest control
Pest control refers to the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest, usually because it is perceived to be detrimental to a person's health, the ecology or the economy.-History:...
company with franchise
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
s most commonly associated with the yellow mouse car. It has 83 locations in the United States and 100 franchises in 41 countries.
History
Founded in 1938 by Truly Wheatfield Nolen in Miami, FloridaMiami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, as part of a home improvement business, Truly Nolen America is still owned and managed by the Nolen family.
Integrated Pest Management
Truly Nolen, as a company, is a proponent of the application of Integrated Pest ManagementIntegrated Pest Management
Integrated pest management is an ecological approach to agricultural pest control that integrates pesticides/herbicides into a management system incorporating a range of practices for economic control of a pest...
(IPM) in residential applications. This is the application of a broad spectrum of measures to control pests to minimize the use of pesticides.
The company supports this concept through its efforts to sell mechanical exclusion contracts (TrulyProof), the variety of tools and chemistry it makes available to its technicians, and through the training it provides its technicians. IPM, along with the safety inherent in the techniques, is a prime selling focus for the company.
Structure
The modern company integrated the business originally owned by the current executive officer, Truly David Nolen, in Tucson, ArizonaTucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
and the business of his father, Truly Wheatfield Nolen, owned prior to his death in 1966 in South
South Beach
South Beach, also nicknamed SoBe, is a neighborhood in the city of Miami Beach, Florida, United States. It is the area south of Indian Creek and encompasses roughly the southernmost 23 blocks of the main barrier island that separates the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay.This area was the first...
Miami Beach
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. With about 70 branches in seven states
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
, the company operates in a decentralized manner with administrative units in separate cities.
Truly Nolen of America, Inc also offers to franchise its mark and system.
Training Centers
The company maintains two training centers run by full time staff in FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and an online education or e-learning site that all employees can access for 'any-time' training.
The Training Centers serve as a means of providing training, quality of service, and a sense of shared purpose throughout the company.
Training is conducted both in the classroom and in the field by experienced applicators and trainers to ensure the employees are trained to the legal standard in the state they are employed. Initial training for all employees is targeted at passing the state's licensing or certification examination along with basic customer service and treatment techniques. Additional training over the career of the employee helps ensure the employee has, at a minimum, basic working knowledge of their job requirements.
Commercial pest control
Specialized Commercial branches focus on industrial and commercial properties and offer advisement services in addition to treatment options.Termite
TermiteTermite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
branches employ specialized training in termite and wood destroying organism control techniques and may include fumigators in some areas. Termite pretreatment is also performed through these branches although the pricing is at a premium compared to other general pest control companies and specialized pretreatment companies. Truly Nolen often employs additional techniques aimed at high-end clients to mitigate damage or appearance degradation from conventional treatment techniques.
Residential pest control
Residential pest control technicians are the most commonly seen members of the company equipped for handling most home pests. Many technicianshave several years with the company and a small number have been with the company for 15 or more years.Lifetime renewal contracts
Many contracts still exist from the early days of the business with customers continually renewing at extremely low rates. For pest control contracts, this is not such a big issue. For termite control contracts where the cheap and long effective chemistry of the past are no longer in use, customers with $25 renewals and the promise to repair damage in the contract are a serious fiscal liability to the company. As recently as a few years ago, major efforts have been made to offer these customers "upgraded" services that allow these contracts to be discarded.Nepotism
Three of Truly's children work for the company full-time. Steven "Scott" Nolen is President. Truly William "Bill" Nolen is the Director of Domestic Franchises. Michelle Nolen Senner is the Director of Marketing and Philanthropy. While there are claims of blind nepotism, both Scott and Bill worked for the company for over 25 years each. Michelle is an alumna of Smith CollegeSmith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
and holds an M.B.A. from the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
.
Public relations
Truly Nolen is the owner of a fleet of antique vehicles often displayed in front of their branches. The company maintains a specialist shop that restores these vehicles in addition to performing the modifications to working vehicles.Mouse car ears are hinged to help with gas mileage.
Truck "antennae" are made of toilet floats and air conditioning tubing.