Carrying on the family business can be tough. It can be even tougher when the family business is exterminating roaches, ants and other pests.
Becky Cranford joined The Bug Man in 1991, when her dad asked her to come aboard. More than 30 years later, she continues to uphold his faithful legacy as general manager of the family business, which includes locations in Little Rock and Searcy.
Cranford had worked in the banking industry for 12 years when her dad, company founder Bill McCauley, called her home. Cranford said she is glad she made the switch and has enjoyed being a part of the family business. She credited her dad with being central to her success and, more importantly, helping instill in her a winning business formula.
“Our tagline is, ‘Your satisfaction is our only contract,’” she said. “We don’t want unhappy customers and will try our best to remedy any problems with our services. If the problem cannot be rectified, we will happily refund any money paid for our services. I think our trained technicians set us apart from other companies. We train before placing a technician on a route, continue with monthly classroom training, and each technician must complete a Purdue certification.”
Cranford’s sister and brother-in-law, Beth and Rob Davis, have owned and operated The Bug Man’s Searcy location since 1985. Between the two locations, The Bug Man is able to service many areas of the state.
McCauley started The Bug Man in 1976. He worked for a firm in Mississippi but returned to Arkansas to carve his own path with his own company after he was told by upper management to “perform unethical actions,” Cranford said.
“Needless to say, that company he previously worked for did not last long and is no longer in business,” she said. “He started this company with faith, stating that God would always be the owner, but Dad would just manage it. I carry this same philosophy and know we are blessed by this statement.”
While Arkansas is full of handymen who know a thing or two about solving problems and getting rid of critters, Cranford stressed the importance of hiring a professional team to get the job done right.
“Some may enjoy servicing their own home for pest management,” Cranford said, “but if you are not successful, please call The Bug Man. We would love to be your pest management company.”
The company offers management services for bed bugs, which have become a much larger problem in Little Rock, and monthly mosquito services, among other pest control measures. Mosquito services are offered monthly from April through October, and Cranford said that is an area in which the company has been very successful.
In addition to monthly pest management for commercial and residential properties, The Bug Man offers wildlife management services, crawl space encapsulation, commercial pest management and termite management. Other popular services include clearance letters for real estate sales and closings and Sealeze brushes for entry points with gaps.
Cranford and her team cover a 50-mile radius around Little Rock. For her, business comes down to one simple thing.
“We take great pride in helping customers protect their families, homes and businesses,” she said.
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