In this feature, we ask a professional pest manager to share the journey they’ve taken within the pest control industry. For this issue we spoke with Rik Trotter, from Australia’s Pink Group, about the evolution of his family’s business over the last 40 years.
Established in 1985 in Sydney, Pink Pest Control – now part of the Pink Group – is well known within the pest industry, particularly in NSW, the ACT and the South Pacific. The business began when Tony Ainsworth decided that pest inspections could add an extra element to his real estate business in Cronulla.
In need of a general manager to run the business, he approached Mal Trotter who brought with him many years of experience in the industry. Mr Trotter had started out working for Flick in the 1970s before being recruited by Rentokil as his reputation grew. He then moved on to running his own business, Force Pest Control. This experience of running his own business was incredibly valuable when he joined Pink Pest Control in the role of general manager.
Pink Pest Control business grew and prospered, even adding a Hygiene division under Mr Trotter’s management, until 1992 when the business was purchased by international group Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS). In 1994 Mal and his wife Rhonda Trotter purchased the pest control division of Pink back from SGS who maintained the Hygiene part of the business.
Together, the Trotters ran the business together for many years and became well respected within our industry. They have both been granted life memberships by the AEPMA National Board in recognition for their dedication and hard work over many years.
As Pink has grown over the last 40 years, it has become a truly family business. Mr and Mrs Trotter’s son Rik Trotter joined the business as a trainee technician more than 25 years ago.
“As a kid, like most, I followed in the footsteps of my dad,” said Rik Trotter. “I can remember when I was maybe 7 or 8 years old, going to work with him on a Saturday. I did leave the industry for a while – I worked within the security industry across several areas, including close personal protection, surveillance, and even general security duties at first – but I decided to rejoin the family company in 2002.”
Rik Trotter rose through the ranks of Pink Pest Control to become technical operations manager, then director of operations for Australia and the South Pacific. In 2023 he took on the role of managing director. Rik has continued the expansion of the Pink Group not just within Australia but across the South Pacific with operations from the Solomon Islands to Vanuatu, Kiribati and Niue.
His 17-year-old son Bailey Trotter is now involved in the family business, starting on a part-time basis on weekends and school holidays at first. Now that he has completed his HSC, he has joined the family full-time, starting his career as a trainee technician just like Rik and Mal before him.
As a family business, the Trotters know that relationships in business are absolutely crucial. Mal and Rhonda Trotter have had a great working relationship with Eris Hess, managing director of Agserv, for more than 30 years. As the requirements for Pink have become increasingly complex, the relationship between the Pink Group and Agserv continues to strengthen and forms an integral part of the business.
Rik Trotter said, “My time is limited and reliability and deadlines are a part of my everyday life. Agserv is responsible for the provisioning of our logistics both within Australia and throughout the Pacific. This consists of everything from vehicles to chlorine, hygiene products, termite and pest management needs, and so on… the list is endless. Michael Harband and the team from Agserv are people I can count on every time.”
Q&A with Rik Trotter, Managing Director
Q: What advice would you give about hiring staff?
A: Find staff that you can work with, who will suit your company culture. Listen to and respect their ideas and opinions. A title is just a title; we’re all human and all equally important, we just do different jobs. I can’t emphasise how important culture is in any business and where most go wrong.
Q: How do you motivate your staff?
A: You need to find the particular thing that will motivate each staff member. It might be a financial incentive, but it can just as easily be inclusion into the team, promotion, respect for family commitments or recognising their passion to succeed.
Q: What advice would you give for keeping your employees happy?
A: We try to include everyone, including partners, in our corporate events. Our Christmas party is a
major annual event, and everyone is welcome and treated the same. We remember and recognise birthdays and achievements for all of our staff. I believe this is why many employees have stuck with us through thick and thin – because of our culture. Cindy in Accounts has been with us for 31 years! It’s really important to remember your staff are people not commodities; they’re almost certainly the reason your business will either succeed or fail.
Q: What kinds of opportunities for career growth do you offer?
A: We are good at recognising talent. For example, our general manager, Shannon Vicary, is only 36 years old and has worked his way up through the ranks. This year he represented the Pink Group at the FAOPMA Conference in Penang as a special guest of Exterminex. Keeping staff is important, so we make sure we expand people’s roles as their skills grow.
Q: What advice would you give to pest managers looking to grow their businesses?
A: At Pink we’re not driven by the number of technicians or vehicles we have, which seems to be a focus for many businesses. We feel it’s important to accept opportunities as they arise, but it’s important they fit within your model and skillset. Uncontrolled growth will almost certainly damage your business and reputation in the long term.
The ACT is a perfect example. Back in 2017 we had no presence down there, but it arose as an opportunity and with a lot of hard work from our dedicated team it has seen the Pink Group establish a division in the ACT with an office in Barton that also supports our Wagga Wagga division. In fact, our national operations manager Roger Baker is based in Canberra. By seizing the opportunity, we have grown the business in an entirely new region, supporting a totally new government clientele. Business growth often comes from taking a managed risk and seeing what is possible.
