Michelle LeDune – Mike’s Swat Team

Life was good for the LeDune family back at the start of 2013. Mike’s pest management business, Mike’s Swat Team, was doing well and Mike was doing what he loved, helping people solve problems, pest problems. Meanwhile, Michelle’s career in property management was also going smoothly. Together Michelle and Mike’s plan was to sell the pest management business once their son had graduated from high school, which was still several years away. Everything seemed to be in place.

You may have heard it said that you can’t plan for the unexpected. And no one can attest to that fact better than Michelle LeDune. When her husband Mike, owner of Mike’s Swat Team, unexpectedly passed away she was left not only with the personal heartache of losing her husband but also a business to attend to, a pest management business, that she was not intimately familiar with the workings of.

“They tell you not to do anything drastic the first year,” said Michelle. “So, I kept Mike’s Swat Team running as a business that first year. I didn’t look to make any major changes. I trusted my current employees and the treatment protocols. And I stuck with the short-term plan in my mind that I was to sell the business once our son graduated from high school.”

After Michelle got through the first year she got her certifications as a pest professional. She also immediately visited all of the communities that their business had serviced and assured them that nothing would change. It helped coming from that side of the business as she knew what they were looking for in a pest management company. Michelle also took interest in the treatments, what chemical she was using, joining the other technicians in the field and taking on the daily problem-solving. Before she knew it she realized how much she was enjoying this business.  

Even so, Michelle followed through with Mike’s plan and got the business evaluated. She quickly had three very interested buyers. But just couldn’t pull the trigger to sell.

Over time Michelle has taken the business in new areas treatment-wise. Her fresh set of eyes and strong will to make this business a lasting success under her watch had her changing things up. From programs to chemicals used, to treatment protocols, Michelle is doing it her way. She re-trained her technicians, introduced new products into the mix and revised old protocols. Michelle makes her decisions based on what’s working for her in the field, she always tests first then makes the company-wide decision of which products to use and how treatment protocols will go.

Michelle’s hard work is paying off. Mike’s Swat team is growing and revenue has increased significantly. They’ve even needed to add two to three more technicians to keep up.

One thing that Michelle is adamant about keeping the same is Mike’s mission statement and core values for his business.  “Mike was a people person, a pleaser, known as a helper amongst his friends and customers. If someone needed something Mike was there. He was a very passive, humble man who loved people. 

His reputation and what he believed customer service was all about I will always hold onto,” And so Michelle will answer the phone herself, know her customers by name, give customers her personal cell phone number and work passionately at delivering Mike’s Swat Team customers the highest level of service. Michelle has become a workaholic of sorts. If she can’t be found working at her business she is pursuing her other passion of working out at the gym.

Michelle has certainly risen to the occasion and we can’t help but think that Mike would be proud of her and what Mike’s Swat Team has become.