You may not know Mission City Fumigating, but owner Mary Hernandez said her company performs an important role in battling bug infestations.
Mission City sub-contracts for other companies. Her customers are other companies in the same industry, companies that provide fumigation chemicals or inspectors like Dead On Termite Services, which is owned by Jaryd Fylstra, whom Hernandez worked with when it came time to fumigate the Victory Outreach in the final week of March.
Victory Outreach is a Santa Maria church and ministry that’s been around for 20 years. It includes a free in-patient rehabilitation center for men. According to church pastor Mike Coleman, many of the men were struggling with serious problems, such as gangs or drugs and are brought in from the street or accepted into the program from the county court system.
The outreach center provides a faith-based rehabilitation system for patients 24 hours a day, 365 days per year, Coleman said.
While at Victory, the men learn marketable skills, such as carpentry, landscaping, or painting. Throughout the years, the church has developed a relationship with Mission City, and many of the patients have donated their labor to the company.
Hernandez paid the favor back a little by fumigating the outreach center for only a fraction of the cost, which is usually $6,000 to $7,000 per job, Hernandez said. A typical fumigation takes around three days.
“What they’re doing in the inner-city is important work,” Hernandez told the Sun, adding that it’s also important for local companies to support each other. “We’re local and our guys are local. We believe in giving back to our community.”
Dead On (also a Santa Maria company) inspected the church, Mission City fumigated, and the fumigation chemicals were provided by Drexel Chemical Company, for which Hernandez’s husband, Ed, works.
On top of that, Hernandez also owns a sewing company she started back in 2005 that produces the fumigation tarps. According to Hernandez, the tarps are used by other companies worldwide.
“We got all bases covered,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez started the fumigation business in 2008. This April 1 will be the company’s eighth anniversary.
Coleman is grateful for the favor given to Victory by Mission City. With a limited budget, he said the outreach center could always use more donations. If anyone else would like to donate, Coleman urges them to go to victoryoutreachsantamaria.com.
Highlights
If you don’t know, many of the strawberries eaten in the U.S. come from right here in the Santa Maria Valley. To show appreciation, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is hosting the annual Strawberry Industry Recognition Dinner on April 6 at the Santa Maria Fairpark, located at 937 S. Thornburg. The event begins with a cocktail hour and mariachi band starting at 6 p.m., then segues into the program and dinner at 7 p.m. Single tickets are $35 apiece and $60 for couples. The chamber is currently accepting sponsors. For more information or to become a sponsor, call Jennifer Harrison at 925-2402, Ext. 815, or email her at jennifer@santamaria.com.
Staff Writer David Minsky wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, email, or mail.
This article appears in Mar 31 – Apr 7, 2016.