Morton Salt Company

The Umbrella Girl and The Orkin Pro Partner for IPM Success

For more than 150 years, Morton Salt Company has been the country’s authority and the leading producer of salt for grocery, water softening, ice control, agricultural and industrial uses. When it comes to pest management in its Hutchinson, Kan., facility, the company behind the famous Umbrella Girl turns to another American icon, The Orkin Pro®.

To help prevent and manage pests, Morton Salt relies on Orkin. In recognition of Morton Salt’s successful partnership and program, the company was presented an IPM Partner Award by Orkin, The IPM Institute of North America and NSF International.

To learn more about the award win, we spoke with Morton Salt Quality Control Manager Jeanette Googe and Hutchinson, Kan.-based Orkin Branch Manager Eric Jantz. Here is an edited transcription of those interviews.

Why is Morton Salt deserving of the IPM Partner Award?

Googe: “Pest Control is a major facet of our quality control program. Our IPM program is award-winning because much attention is given to detail and making sure issues are addressed and corrected in a prompt manner.”

Jantz: “Morton Salt’s high quality-control standards and team effort make their IPM program award-winning. The quality control team promptly corrects the issues Orkin points out to them, and we maintain excellent two-way communication. Morton’s employees are committed to the program and complete ongoing trainings to make sure it is carried out thoroughly.”

Why is IPM so critical to Morton Salt’s business?

Googe: “Since our facility produces both food-grade and pharmaceutical-grade sodium chloride, we’re required to meet high standards that ensure the safety and quality of our product. Our Orkin pest control program meets and exceeds those standards consistently”

Jantz: “In a sensitive food-processing environment like the Morton Salt facility, pests cannot be tolerated. Through the IPM program, we use non-chemical IPM techniques to help prevent pests and the diseases they carry from compromising Morton Salt’s product.”

How does each partner contribute to the pest management efforts at the facility?

Googe: “There is excellent communication in all areas of our pest control program, from the hourly employees on up. When people at our plant have suggestions and ideas for improvement, these ideas are shared with Orkin and incorporated into the program. Our facility’s quality control personnel work very closely with Orkin to ensure quick response times for any issues that arise."

Jantz: “When our team provides recommendations to Morton Salt, they take us seriously and promptly follow our suggestions. With Orkin’s knowledge and experience and Morton Salt’s employees’ on-the-ground efforts, pests don’t stand a chance.”

What results has your award-winning partnership achieved?

Googe: “Our partnership with Orkin enables us to be successful on our third-party audits. In fact, we received a perfect score on our American Institute of Baking audit this year. A successful IPM program also helps to maintain our current customer base and has the potential of enlarging it.”

Jantz: “The close relationship we’ve formed with Morton Salt allows us to respond quickly to potential issues and effectively resolve them. The result is fewer pests and safer products."