Case Studies

Ball Corporation and Orkin PCO Services: The Complete Package in IPM Excellence

Since 1880, Ball Corporation has grown from a small producer of wooden-jacketed tin cans to an international manufacturing company. Recognized as a leading supplier of highquality food and beverage containers, Ball’s commitment to excellence has been apparent for more than a century. To uphold their world-renowned reputation, the Ball plant in Richmond, British Columbia has partnered with Orkin PCO Services since 1995 to implement an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program.

Ball Corporation relies on Orkin PCO Services’ Gold Medal Protection, a comprehensive IPM program developed specifically for the highly regulated food processing and packaging industry. With an emphasis on quality assurance and a detailed reporting system, Gold Medal Protection helps the plant meet or exceed corporate sanitation standards and the requirements of third-party auditors.

In 2008, Ball Corporation received a Gold Medal IPM Partner Award from Orkin, The IPM Institute of North America, and NSF Cook & Thurber to recognize their extraordinary commitment to IPM. To learn more about the award win, we spoke with Ball’s Quality Manager Ken Friend and Burnaby-based Orkin PCO Services Branch Manager Sean Rollo. Here is an edited transcript of those interviews:

What makes Ball Corporation’s IPM program so effective?

Friend: “We always strive for excellence at our plant, and Gold Medal Protection helps us achieve it in the area of pest management. We work with our Pest Specialist to maintain the effectiveness of the program by implementing his recommendations after every service visit.”
Rollo: “The Ball staff takes the IPM program seriously. They always respond quickly to Orkin PCO Services’ recommendations, and it’s obvious from their actions that they feel the program is valuable to the facility.”

Why is IPM so critical to Ball Corporation’s business?

Friend: “We provide packaging products to the food industry; therefore, we have to maintain the highest standards in sanitation and pest management in order to protect our own customers’ food safety. Instead of relying on pesticides, IPM focuses on preventive action, which helps us assure the integrity of our product.”
Rollo: “IPM is critical to any business, but since Ball manufactures materials for food and beverage products, Gold Medal Protection is especially important to the facility. The program helps the plant uphold its responsibility for monitoring all stages of the food supply chain.”

How do your employees participate in the IPM efforts?

Friend: “Our employees know that a clean environment is a safe one and that safety is the key to success. By taking the extra steps to go above and beyond our usual high housekeeping standards, our employees contribute significantly to our plant’s overall sanitation, which plays an integral role in our pest management program. This helps us maintain a great rapport, because everyone feels a sense of pride.”

What results has your awardwinning partnership achieved?

Friend: “Ball Corporation has had an excellent relationship with Orkin PCO Services for many years. They always respond immediately whenever an issue arises. The Gold Medal Protection program helps us to achieve our goals for product safety as well as our customers’ goals for food safety.”
Rollo: “Our partnership has led to a clean facility with little to no pest presence, which is a great benefit to Ball’s employees and customers. Gold Medal Protection helps ease their minds about the quality and safety of their products. Ball Corporation and its customers also see the benefit when the plant receives high third-party audit scores.”