Through transformative innovations, Pelsis is leading the way in sustainable pest management.
Pelsis is a leading manufacturer of commercial and retail brands, delivering innovative pest control and garden care products to its global customer base. It has gained a strong reputation in the market through its brand heritage and team of experts with extensive market knowledge. As part of the company’s mission to operate more sustainably, it is increasingly producing chemical-free, environmentally friendly solutions.
With 30 years of global executive leadership experience, Alex Ashmore became CEO of Pelsis in February 2023. Having been in the role for just over a year, Alex joins us to share details of the company’s evolution, product development, and his vision for the company moving forwards.
Among its broad product portfolio which includes insect control, application equipment, rodent control, and bird management, Pelsis developed some of the first
modern insect light traps, and the origins of the business date back to the early 1980s. Alex elaborates: “Today, insect traps remain a core part of our product offering, and we’re constantly innovating to ensure we remain a leader in this area. Over a 40-year period, we’ve grown both organically and through acquisition to our current position as a leading global manufacturer and distributor of best-in-class products and services for the pest management industry. While our head office is in the UK in North Yorkshire, we’re a global business with operations across the UK, US, and Europe.
Investing for the future – Pelsis Digital
Investments in technology, manufacturing and the supply chain have helped enable the latest product innovation from Pelsis. “We’ve recently developed the Pelsis Digital insect light trap, a ground-breaking innovation that allows pest management companies and end users to get ahead of flying insect issues,” he explains.
“Remote, real-time monitoring of insect activity gives immediate notification of emerging problems, together with improved data accuracy and less chemical use. Benefits of this product to end users – particularly in food and pharma – include significantly reducing the risks of product contamination, recalls and reputational damage, better satisfying auditors and customers, and improved sustainability.
“This market-leading digital product uses cutting-edge AI monitoring and intelligent alerts with tried-and-tested, highly effective UV LED technology to attract flying insects,” Alex details. “By providing real-time notifications on changing insect trends, combined with accurate and reliable insect activity monitoring, the new product means that pest control operators can provide an even better service to customers, together with operational efficiencies and reduced use of chemicals on site. We’re very much focused on exploring technologies like this one to help solve issues for our customers and end-users.
Lean manufacturing and supply chain
“We’ve also invested significantly in lean manufacturing processes, with fully automated punch capabilities and robotic fabrication providing impressive capacity increases of over 200 percent. Using shop floor data capture and real-time problem resolution systems, we’ve developed lean manufacturing assembly lines to further improve efficiency and expand capacity. We’re also planning further investment in 2024 and 2025 to vertically integrate innovative digital technologies into the next generation of our products as we prepare to challenge industry norms.”
Turning to the company’s investment in the supply chain function, Alex continues: “We’ve implemented additional measures to safeguard supply for our customers, including bolstering our supply chain leadership team, broadening our global sourcing network, and adopting various new strategies like dual sourcing, consigned inventory, and insourcing. Another pivotal aspect of our efforts involves fostering a robust sales and operations planning process and actively engaging with key customers to anticipate and meet forecasted demand.
“These proactive initiatives and customer collaborations underscore our commitment to adaptability and responsiveness in the face of changing market dynamics. By diversifying our sourcing channels and enhancing internal processes, we’re positioning ourselves to effectively navigate challenges within the supply chain, ensuring a reliable and consistent service even in times of uncertainty.”
As our conversation turns to the future, Alex is keen to share his vision and ambitions of Pelsis. “We closely monitor the changing landscape of the industry, with key trends revolving around sustainability, reducing use of chemicals, and providing natural or biodegradable pest control methods,” he says.
“Another significant trend is increasing digitization, using technology and AI to develop new products and services that assist with challenges around labor availability. Linked to this is integrated pest management, which means developing connected and proactive measures to protect public health. Above all, we must ensure that we maintain a product portfolio capable of evolving alongside changes to the legislation and regulations that govern our industry.
“Although there are opportunities in almost all markets, especially those with warm climates and developing economies, our five-year plan is primarily focused on growing our market share in the areas we already have direct business operations. Our key markets remain the US, UK, Europe, and the Middle East, as these regions are constantly looking for integrated pest management solutions and digital products that protect public health while working in harmony with nature. We also plan to develop our operations in South Asia, where we have a world class production facility in the Pune region of India, and to further expand our sales channels in this growing market.
Refreshed corporate brand reflects strategic focus
In early March 2024, Pelsis introduced its refreshed corporate brandmark, signaling a new, increasingly digital chapter in the company’s journey and its ongoing commitment to customers. Alex says: “We are committed to building ‘One Pelsis’ – a unified company, greater than the sum of its parts, that stands for excellence, performance, teamwork, and customer focus.
“We’re pursuing a growth agenda with four foundational projects centered around people, technology, culture, and sustainability, with an additional four growth drivers; new product development, digital products and services, sales and channel excellence, and operational excellence,” he concludes. “Overall, we’re looking forward to global growth by delivering products that meet changing trends and evolving customer needs as we continue to lead and disrupt the industry.”