Our Story

Medlin’s SEMO Pest Control  (originally SEMO Termite And Roach Control)  was founded in 1949 by Lester L. Medlin (1904-1980). Lester was a journeyman carpenter by trade, who worked in the St.Louis area, he would often come home to the Bernie, MO area on weekends. Lester was doing repairs on some farm labor homes in the Vinson farming area northeast of Bernie.  The farmer thought the floors in the houses were rotting, but Lester determined the cause of the weakened floors was subterranean termite damage. The farmer asked Lester to kill the termites, but Lester informed him that he did not know how to get rid of them, but Lester agreed to take care of the problem if the farmer would find the information on how to do so.  The farmer wrote to the U.S.D.A. and was sent a manual on termite control, after reading the manual Lester did the treatment on the farm labor houses. Before he completed the termite treatments, he had several people in the area that wanted their homes treated too, thus this was the beginning of SEMO Termite and Roach Control. There was no forethought or plan to start the business, it just happened because Lester saw the need in the area. Lester attended short courses at the University of Missouri in Columbia to gain the education he would need to operate a pest control business. The company began treating a lot of homes in the area and even as far north as Piedmont and the surrounding towns. Lester later started a branch of the pest control company in the St. Charles area too, in which his daughter and son-in-law operated. The business is still in existence today but with new owners and no longer affiliated with our company.

 

In 1971, Lester’s nephew Robert Medlin started working in the business on a trial basis to determine whether or not he would want a career in pest control. Robert, who had previously served in the Army and Navy and later the insurance business, worked for Lester for a month and decided he did indeed want a career in the business.  In 1979 Lester chose to retire, at that time Robert purchased the business from him and he changed the business name to Medlin’s SEMO Pest Control. Robert’s wife, Maxine helped him working in the office for over twenty years. Robert’s oldest son, Jimmy worked in the business for a time and later moved to St.Louis and became a financial adviser. Robert’s youngest son Larry began working in the business after graduating from high school.  In 1999 Robert semi-retired and Larry purchased the business. Larry still owns the business and his family works with him also. Kim, his wife began working in the business in 2005, managing the office, and his two sons work in the business, also. Derek, the oldest son, began working in 2007, and Larry’s youngest son, Justin who was previously a manager of a restaurant, began working in the business in 2021. 

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This is a brief history of our company and we are excited to see what is in store for our future with our many wonderful customers that we are so thankful for.