Franchisee Voices: Alan Schumacher of Mosquito Joe

Alan Schumacher has gone from drugs to bugs. A pharmacist all of his life, Alan decided to make a change and go into business for himself. An avid outdoorsman, he and his family are always outside hiking, gardening and playing softball, so he was interested in helping his community “Make Outside Fun Again.” Born and raised in New York, Alan spent his entire career in New Jersey. Ready to open Mosquito Joe*’s latest location in the state, Alan is already considering opening a second location in Mercer County. 

1851 caught up with Schumacher to learn more about his background and how he got involved with Mosquito Joe.

Tell us a little bit about your background.

I was born and raised in New York and grew up there for most of my life. I went to pharmacy school where I became licensed as a pharmacist in New Jersey and that is what I did for most of my life. I worked in home care, hospital and retail pharmacy and Bristol-Myer, most recently. I was in a position where a new opportunity came up elsewhere and at 59-years-old when I got laid off I didn’t really know what to do. I decided it was a good time to look into different opportunities. I began to look for a business that wouldn’t take up all of my time. I was soon to be a grandfather and I wanted to spend time with my grandkids. My daughter jokes all the time about how I’ve gone from drugs to bugs.

I grew up in Queens, specifically, and graduated from pharmacy school in 1984. I I took my licensing exam in New Jersey and started working at a pharmacy in Rutherford, N.J. I never left the state to work. I lived in East Windsor and now I live in Robbinsville.

I worked at Bristol-Myer from 1998 to 2001 and then again from 2005-2015. I met my wife in Princeton while we worked as hospital pharmacists at Princeton Medical Center. Our oldest daughter is 29 and lives in Hamilton. I have a step-son who is an engineer and lives in Hoboken, and an 18-year old who is a senior in high school and will be attending Towson.

Why did you choose to become a franchisee with Mosquito Joe? How did you learn about the brand?

I reached out to a franchise consultant who worked out of New Hampshire. I told her my interests and she matched it with my personality and skills. From there, we went through about four or five franchises. I was interested in the outdoor aspects and service-oriented franchises, I've always been there to help people, it’s what I wanted to do. Mosquito Joe’s slogan “Making outside fun again,” struck a chord with me. I was interested in medication and helping with the Zika virus, so this was a fit. As a family, we are constantly outside – working on the garden, practicing softball, hiking – so owning a business like Mosquito Joe really worked out for me.

What’s next for you and your business? Do you have any development and expansion plans with the brand?

We have been contemplating signing a second location and my plan is to open another territory in Mercer County within Central New Jersey.