David Poplin: Scaling Pest Control Business Through 62 Government Contracts

On this episode of Pest Control Legends, Dan Leibrandt interviews David Poplin, CEO and founder of CDS Services, the parent company of Legion Pest Management. David is a U.S. Marine veteran with more than 30 years in the pest control industry, and his service-disabled veteran-owned company now holds over 62 federal government contracts and provides pest control services to roughly 20% of all VA medical centers in the country. He also co-founded a trade school that trains veterans and the unemployed for careers in pest control.

David walks through how he moved from a 100% residential and commercial model to roughly 95% government work, a shift that started with nine straight months of submitting bids and losing before he landed his first contract. From there the wins snowballed, and he explains the service-disabled veteran-owned set-aside that gives qualifying companies an edge on federal and state contracts, why the lowest bid does not always win, and how experience and CPARS ratings carry real weight with the government. He also shares how his business grew 20% during COVID with zero contracts put on hold, proving just how stable government pest control work can be.

The conversation gets tactical on how David subcontracts with veteran-owned and family-owned companies across the country while keeping the government's trust, and how he landed and kept all those VA medical center contracts through referrals and high CPARS ratings. He breaks down what actually earns a strong rating, why responsiveness and communication matter more than most owners realize, and how he uses his trade school to bring transitioning veterans and underemployed workers into the industry. He closes with a hard truth every pest control owner should hear: you do not own your customers, and the relationship is something you have to keep earning.

David Poplin, CEO of Legion Pest Management:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/david-poplin-ace-5255064b
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FootballRef951/
Website: https://legionpest.com/

Dan Leibrandt, Host of Pest Control Legends:
Facebook: https://facebook.com/DanLeibrandtOfficial
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/danleibrandt/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanLeibrandt
Website: https://danleibrandt.com
Pest Control Legends Platforms:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PestControlLegends
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46XRaco5nPWcqHWIoQ2eZ5
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pest-control-legends/id1768175212
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b060991d-e5d5-4683-b83f-8db469714ba7/pest-control-legends
Podcast Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
01:16 - From the Marine Corps to Pest Control
05:40 - The Veteran-Owned Set-Aside Explained
07:23 - Switching From Residential to 95% Government
08:34 - Nine Months of Losing Before the First Contract
17:28 - Landing 20% of VA Medical Centers
20:39 - Finding the Right Subcontractor Partners
27:54 - Scaling the Team and Restructuring Leadership
35:39 - Terminix Lessons and the Case for Outsourcing
40:55 - The Truth About Door-to-Door Sales
47:02 - Training Veterans and the Career Path in Pest Control
52:46 - Final Message to Pest Control Owners
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Видео David Poplin: Scaling Pest Control Business Through 62 Government Contracts канала Pest Control Legends