Following a career in IT, Robiar Smith never imagined she'd work in Pest Control. But after seeing a demand for these essential services in the city's south side, she decided to follow in her father's footsteps, and give it a shot.
"My dad has been in pest control for 44 years," Smith said. "It’s kind of like a family vibe."
Smith says her father, Michael Benton, has been a local exterminator in the city's south side for decades. For him, it's more than just a job.
"I love it, I love it with a passion," Benton said. "I am tackling all kind of things like bats, raccoons, skunks… the whole nine yards."
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It's her father's passion for the industry that motivated Smith to launch her own Pest Company in 2017.
"In my living room, just one desk, myself and my dad and husband… and we’ve been running routes, grabbing accounts ever since," said Smith.
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The name of the company is R.B Pest Solutions. They have two locations, in the Chatham and Beverly neighborhoods, but they service all of Illinois and Indiana.
"It’s woman owned, it’s Black owned and we have a retail component attached that no other company has," Smith said. "To now take all those skills and pour it back into my business, build my website and business cards from scratch in my living room, it’s a full circle for me."
The company has grown rapidly, going from three employees to now more than 30. According to Smith, affording job opportunities to people in the community is what makes her mission even more special.
"I’m proud of him, he's now a fully trained technician," Smith said, of employee Avery Busch, whom she hired early on. "He has a career for the rest of his life."
"It’s very hard to get a female in this industry," said Benton. "She's so amazing, she just took it to another level and I’m proud of her."
