How Mosquito Hunters' Flexible Ownership Opportunity Has Helped One Franchisee Diversify His Portfolio

For Scott Lantzman, getting into the world of franchising was a bit of an accident, but becoming a franchise owner has had many significant advantages. Lantzman has always been a leader — he was a camp director for decades, worked as a consultant, and purchased his own family entertainment center five years ago. The business ownership bug bit him again in 2019 — and this time, his focus was on Mosquito Hunters, a 130-plus unit pest control brand under franchisor Happinest.

Lantzman attended a presentation about owning multiple businesses and was presented with the prospect of investing in Mosquito Hunters. There were numerous signs to him that it was the right fit; he was constantly getting bit by mosquitos on the soccer field, the logo had a “campy” feel, orange is his favorite color, and his youngest daughter’s name is Hunter. 

“The brand spoke to me, so I discussed it with my wife, Zanna. The more we talked about it, the more sense it made,” said Lantzman. “We went to Discovery Day in October of 2019; we liked what we saw and were really optimistic about the idea of what they were doing —  and we still are. It’s been great ever since.”

The nature of the business allowed him to recently hire a managerial team so that he can oversee and operate both his New Jersey Mosquito Hunters franchise and his FunTime Junction entertainment center. Having both businesses has benefited him, as the peak season at Funtime Junction is in the late fall through winter while the active Mosquito Hunters season starts in the spring and runs until the fall.  The entertainment venue also had to close down for eight months during the pandemic — but he still had the pest control brand to rely on.

“When COVID hit, it was at the height of Mosquito Hunters season, and business just exploded. I was lucky not to have massive overhead since it’s not a brick and mortar business, so we could weather the storm much better,” said Lantzman. “It's been really successful for us. We set the record with 400 clients in our first year and are the largest franchise in the system outside of Chicago.”

His goals are to continue to grow his clientele base, which surpassed 600 customers last year. Lantzman is excited to continue hiring staff members so he can focus on the big picture items for both his businesses. And it’s not lost on him that the franchising model has given him the luxury to do that. He thinks it’s a great opportunity for business owners to expand their portfolios while still being able to run operations.

“I regularly speak to other prospective franchise candidates on behalf of Mosquito Hunters. What I explain is that you get out of it what you put into it, and if you follow the model Mosquito Hunters has put in place with their marketing game, you'll be successful. I have trusted the process and made good money,” said Lantzman.

The total investment necessary to open a Mosquito Hunters franchise ranges from $89,187-$116,187. For more information on franchising opportunities with Mosquito Hunters, visit https://mosquitohuntersfranchise.com.