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Pest Solutions were delighted to be announced as the 2024 “Net Zero Achievement” award winner at the Glasgow Business Awards (GBA’s) on the 3rd of October. The GBA’s run by the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, is one of the most significant business award events of the year.
The prestigious awards dinner is the highlight of the Glasgow business community and returns for its 26th year with the University of Strathclyde as its principal sponsor and Fred MacAulay hosting the evening. Pest Solutions were delighted to be nominated for two categories at the 2024 Glasgow Business Awards, the “Inspiring Future Tallent” and “Net Zero Achievement” categories.
To win the 2024 “Net Zero Achievement” award means so much to the team at Pest Solutions especially as we were up against incredible fellow finalists but also because the City of Glasgow has among the most ambitious Net Zero targets in the UK. To be a stand out in a stand-out city means a lot to our team.
The Glasgow Business Awards Ceremony and Dinner is an annual awards ceremony held by the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, celebrating the most notable business achievements of the year.
It has long since been the highlight of the Glasgow business calendar, attracting major sponsors, and an incredibly high standard of entrants from every industry you could possibly imagine.
The award categories are as varied as the nominees, recognising outstanding contributions in innovation, sustainability, equality, and much much more.
Speaking following the announcement of the finalists for the 2024 GBAs, Richard Muir, Deputy Chief Executive, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce said:
“Glasgow boasts a vibrant business community, and each year, our team at Glasgow Chamber of Commerce takes immense pride in showcasing its remarkable achievements. These awards spotlight businesses and individuals who have gone above and beyond over the past year, celebrating the invaluable contributions they make to our city.
“We extend our gratitude to our event partner, the University of Strathclyde, along with our strong lineup of category sponsors, including media partners The Herald and Glasgow Times.
“Congratulations to all our shortlisted finalists. We look forward to welcoming everyone to the ceremony on Thursday, 3rd October.”
Being named as a finalist in any single category at the GBAs is a huge achievement, so for us to have been shortlisted twice, and for two of the awards closest to our hearts, is a humbling and incredibly exciting surprise.
This year has been transformative for Pest Solutions in terms of sustainability and we are delighted to see the positive changes we have made recognised at the Glasgow Business Awards as the winner of the “Net Zero Achievment” award category.
We hope that this award win will highlight to other pest control companies that there is a more sustainable and responsible way forward and inspire them to begin their own journeys towards Net-Zero in the future.
Pest Solutions are fully committed to building a sustainable future for the company and the pest control industry. Over the past 12 months we have made massive strides in the right direction, making changes at all levels of our operations to reduce the environmental impact of our work.
Going paperless, strict vehicle checks, optimised route planning, and a raft of energy efficiency upgrades to our Glasgow office are just some of the changes we have made in recent times, as well as integrating sustainability best practices into our training to ensure a cohesive effort across the entire company.
We also became the very first Pest Control company in the UK to hire a Net Zero and Sustainability coordinator in the form of Maisie Bullock, who was tasked with analysing all aspects of our company operations and making recommendations for positive change.
Maisie’s work was transformative and many of her recommendations have now been implemented, with many more scheduled in for the weeks, months, and years to come. We have also made a pledge to share our findings with all BPCA members to promote widespread change in sustainability practices across the pest control industry.
A management team solely using electric vehicles, a modern fleet using smart route planning to reduce emissions, and a brand-new recycling system at our Glasgow office are just some of the changes that have been made so far, alongside the publication of a brand-new sustainability policy document which will help to hold us accountable and provides a route-map towards our goal of achieving net-zero.
As part of the “Step-Up-to-Net-Zero” programme, we also have established a 2024-2029 Sustainability Strategy which will inform our actions going forward as we continue to strive towards zero emissions.
This year has also seen the launch of our very own nationwide anti-litter campaign, ‘enough is enough’ which has the dual aim of cleaning up our towns and cities, protecting wildlife, and reducing the threat of pest activity in urban areas across the UK. The campaign has been highly successful so far, gaining national media attention, and we have been working in collaboration with other businesses, councils, and authority groups across the nation to increase participation and awareness.
If real change is to take place, as many of our fellow Glasgow businesses as possible need to make radical changes to become more sustainable and reduce their carbon emissions.
A massive well done to fellow finalists JACK RYAN, Matthew Algie, The National Piping Centre, The Social Hub for their trailblazing work. Being announced the winner in this category is all the more special due to the exceptional competition.
Investing in people has always been at the heart of everything that we do, and our investment in young people in particular through our graduate scheme has been particularly revolutionary for the business.
In general, pest control is an ageing industry, where the majority of technicians are over 50 and there is a worrying lack of new talent coming through the ranks. At Pest Solutions, things are very different. We have focussed heavily on recruiting young people and, most importantly, establishing a sustainable career path at the earliest possible stage.
In an industry where over 80% are over the age of 40 and just 4.5% female, our workforce is starkly different, with the majority being under the age of 40, and with a 48% female employment rate.
Working closely with the BPCA, we have established an industry leading onboarding and training programme where ALL our technicians work towards level 4&5 qualifications (80% of the industry stop at level 2). This means that by the time our exceptional young people reach their 30s/40s, they will already be industry leaders, and the future of pest control will be in very safe hands.
Pest Solutions has been a finalist or winner in the BPCA commitment to training award for 4 years running and two of our graduates have won the UK National Pest Awards Young Technician of the Year in the past 5 years.
This is no box ticking exercise either, it is a fundamental part of our business strategy and it is an approach that has seen tremendous success in recent times. We have met and exceeded all of our growth goals over the past 5 years and have a customer retention rate of over 98%, with many of our young people asked to speak at industry events and conferences thanks to the exceptional reputation they have built for themselves.
We also have well-established relationships with local schools and universities to ensure that the path into pest control remains well-trodden in the years to come.
Many of our graduates hadn’t even considered pest control as a career path before coming into contact with Pest Solutions, yet have thrived in the role, enjoying the opportunity to use and expand their knowledge of biology and animal behaviour in a practical environment. This, combined with the opportunity to help others has allowed us to attract an exceptional array of young people to the business over the past few years.
At the end of the day, customer service is everything in pest control and our customers have benefited massively from the attitude, expertise and professionalism of our young people, changing the face of the UK pest control industry and helping us to become one of the fastest growing pest control companies in the UK.
Congratulations to Stratum Masonry for being Commended in this category and a massive congratulations to The King’s Theatre and Theatre Royal for winning this years award.
We are a proud member of the Glasgow business community and have been for well over 20 years now. This means we are well aware of just how many excellent businesses there are out there doing fantastic things in their industries and understand what a great achievement it is to be shortlisted for any award at such a prestigious event.
Many of our fellow finalists are household names not just in Glasgow but across the UK, and the standard of nominees for this year’s awards has never been higher.
The full list of finalists and winners is as follows:
The Glasgow Business Award for Best Performing Large Business Sponsored by Virgin Money
The Glasgow Business Award for Best Performing Small-Medium Business Sponsored by Beam Digital and Design
The Glasgow Business Award for Best Use of Digital Technology
The Glasgow Business Award for Community Wealth Building Sponsored by Glasgow City Council
The Glasgow Business Award for Entrepreneur of the Year Sponsored by Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP
The Glasgow Business Award for Excellence in Communications Sponsored by The Herald
The Glasgow Business Award for Fair and Healthy Workplace Sponsored by NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and Healthy Working Lives
The Glasgow Business Award for Family Business of the Year Sponsored by ATG Entertainment
The Glasgow Business Award for Green Champion Sponsored by ScottishPower
The Glasgow Business Award for Innovation in Business Sponsored by Glasgow City Innovation District
The Glasgow Business Award for Inspiring Future Talent Sponsored by MacKay Corporate Insurance Brokers
The Glasgow Business Award for Net Zero Achievement Sponsored by Glasgow City Council
The Glasgow Business Award for Sustainable Development Sponsored by Scottish Water
The Glasgow Business Award for Young Business Person of the Year Sponsored by City of Glasgow College
Glasgow Times Award for Glasgow’s Favourite Business
University of Strathclyde Award for Most Outstanding Business
Glasgow Chamber of Commerce Award for Lifetime Achievement
A massive well done to all the incredible businesses who have been shortlisted and announced as winners. Keep up the great work and lets do it all again next year.
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We are open 24 hours 7 days a week to help with all pest related enquiries.
We are open 24 hours 7 days a week to help with all pest related enquiries.
We are open 24/hours 7 days a week to help with all pest related enqurirs.
