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From Pig-Farm Grit to Eagles’ Sidelines: Bill Hoffman’s 35-Year Journey Building Hoffman's Exterminating into a Top-100 Pest Firm
Manage episode 496305646 series 2899207
What began as a $4-an-hour summer gig at Western Pest has grown into Hoffman’s Exterminating, a six-branch powerhouse ranked among PCT’s Top 100—and CEO Bill Hoffman is still at the helm. Certified as an entomologist and PCQI, Bill joins the Blue-Collar Twins to unpack how pig-farm discipline, union-shop lessons, and a “coach-not-tech” mindset fueled steady, one-to-three-hires-per-year growth—and landed Hoffman’s as the official pest-control partner of the Philadelphia Eagles.
You’ll hear:
- Door-Knock Origins – mortgaging sweat equity into a one-man startup while moonlighting at a deli and landscaping crew.
- Coach’s Playbook – shifting from “crawl-space hero” to head coach and writing SOPs that free his team to execute.
- Eagles & MLS Deals – the referral chain—from a mom-and-pop acquisition to MLS partner to NFL sidelines—that proves community karma pays.
- Culture Moat – 20-year employees earn lifetime health insurance; paid volunteer hours keep staff and community for life.
- Seasonality Hacks – 55 % commercial mix, exclusion division, and weather “audibles” that keep 70 techs busy through Northeast winters.
- Mission Beyond Margins – board seats at two Ronald McDonald Houses, sustainability work at Lincoln Financial Field, and why “quality over quantity” still drives every decision.
Stick around for Bill’s blunt advice on moving from technician mindset to $30 million CEO—and why the best companies know when to act big and when to act small.
From PE Teachers to Pest Control Owners: The Julio Twins Share Their POTOMAC Experience
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulgiannamore
Produced by: www.verbell.ltd
Timestamps (podcast.co-ready)
00:00 – Cold-open: “A $30 M CEO is a coach, not a tech.”
00:50 – Pig-farm work ethic: discipline, sharpened blades, and early hustle
02:35 – South-Jersey roots & lifelong Eagles fandom
02:55 – How referrals turned a tiny list buy into MLS ➜ Philadelphia Eagles partnerships
05:05 – Acquisitions to “Acquired”: recap of Bill’s first Buzz appearance
07:00 – Buying a $500 K mosquito firm—and learning seasonal economics
09:15 – Northeast seasonality vs. commercial stabilizer (55 % mix)
10:00 – Accidental entry: summer helper at Western Pest, 17 years old
11:20 – Youngest branch manager at 25 in a union shop
14:00 – Culture shift at Western sparks Hoffman's launch (1990)
16:00 – Business plan > job plan: mapping the ladder out of the truck
18:45 – “Head-coach” pivot—training others, not turning wrenches
19:05 – Growth cadence: adding 1-3 people per year to 100 staff
23:00 – Weather “audibles”: rain days become training & commercial installs
25:25 – New exclusion division born from techs’ handyman passions
26:55 – Retention: 20-year techs earn free lifetime health insurance
28:55 – Paid volunteer hours & community pillars (Eagles Youth, Union Pitch, Ronald McDonald House)
31:50 – Board roles & the Shamrock Shake origin of Ronald McDonald House
34:40 – Giving-back philosophy: customers, employees, community love loop
36:50 – Backyard beekeeper, fisherman, grandfather—off-hours balance
40:50 – Advice to one-truck operators: vision first, hire for ambition
46:00 – National-account niche: regional independents vs. the “Big 4”
49:45 – Future of pest control: techs always safe, managers must shine
53:10 – Final coaching wisdom: right people, right seats, Good to Great mentality
55:00 – Book that changed his leadership: Good to Great
56:30 – Flower-shop surprise & new Victorian HQ “Cheerful Dragonfly”
58:00 – Outro & Private-Equity Masterclass CTA
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