By Clyde Hughes | AC JosepH Media
MILLVILLE – Front Runner New Jersey is excited to announce a new column called Five Questions: Front Runner Business. This new column will highlight African American and Latinx business owners along with other leaders in the minority business community in South Jersey.
While Front Runner New Jersey has always featured Black and Latinx business owners, we felt the new column will give an additional spotlight to those who are creating jobs and changing lives while making their stories more accessible.
Our inaugural Five Questions: Front Runner Businesscolumn will focus on Wade Loatman, a native Millville resident and owner of Bully Pest Management LLC. Loatman is not only a successful business owner, but is active in the community. He organized Millville Family Nightlast month to bring Millville residents together in a positive, festive atmosphere and is planning more.
He started his business, though, to give his children the confidence that they can create their own business and determine their own destiny. See Loatman's answers our initial Five Questions interview below.
The Wade Loatman Profile
Name: Wade Loatman
Business: Bully Pest Management
Address: 1534 Columbia Avenue, Newfield
How Long Have you been in business: 3 years
Specializing in: Pest control. Animal removal
Contact Info: 609-746-9449
1. What made you become a business owner?
I was working for the City of Millville, started with the water department and then the parks department and realized there was an opportunity for someone with a pesticide license. I went to got my license with city. Working for someone has always been a hassle for me because I always wanted more for myself. I have a family with five girls and I wanted more for my girls. I wanted to show them more than just getting up and going to work and doing the same thing over and over again and getting the same results at the end of the week. I wanted to teach my kids how to gain wealth themselves by investing in themselves. I'm self-taught and self-educated. They've been by my side and have seen the process. I came from a family where my mom and dad worked and I saw how hard it was for them to make ends meet. I wanted to create wealth for my family and I knew the only way I could do it was by going out there and creating my own schedule and creating my own income.
2. Why did you pick your current field?
Even more I got my job with the city, I had a friend and his dad a pest control business as we grew up. I looked into it and I saw some of the requirements and you had to have work education and work experience. I didn't have the college education or the work experience until God made a way. Now, here I am with my own business. Nothing was easy but ultimately I look back like it's all a part of God's plan.
3. What do you enjoy the most about being a business owner?
The satisfaction of not having to answer to anybody. The big point is allowing my kids to see that they can become a business owner and having more than just a '9 to 5' job. They can create their own wealth. That's my biggest satisfaction. When my kids drive by one of my signs, my kids say, "Daddy, that's your sign." They get excited. That's what makes me happy to be a business owner.
4. What does it mean to you to be a positive African-American business owner?
In Millville, we do have [positive Black business owners] but it's always the same businesses. It's the barber shops and the soul food restaurants. It be able to expand and do something totally different than what people expect for a Black man to be doing in Millville, pest control, I felt like I really accomplished something. I hope in the next couple of years, I can past my business experience along to some of the younger youth out there that need something. I want to reach back into my community and start giving them opportunities. I hope to give them a chance to start their own pest control companies or whatever business they want to start.
5. Anything else you would like to add?
I just want to people to know we need to start investing back into our kids. That's our future right there. If we don't teach them how to do better in life, we'll always be stuck in the same position. We have to teach these kids what we've learned so they can have head start in life and go forth from our level so they don't have to start from ground zero. Bully Pest Management believes in investing back into the kids. Our growth starts there.
