Franchisee Spotlight: Bary and Athena Burns of Mosquito Joe

Elaborate on your background:

Bary- I’m from Colorado originally and Athena, although originally from Alaska, grew up in Littleton, which is a Denver suburb. The only time we lived out of state was about 10 years ago when we lived North Port, Florida. I spent about 20 years working in business and retail management with big box retailers like Sam’s Club and Office Depot. I also worked in warehouse management.

Athena- For about 20 years, I’ve been managing accounts payable and accounts receivable. I’ve worked for a number of different companies in a similar industry. The company I have most recently been working for in Colorado didn’t want to lose me and created a remote positon for me in Florida. My role with Mosquito Joe will be office manager while Bary handles tech training and the initial business.

How did you hear about the brand and why did you choose to get involved?

We have been looking at buying our own business since we got married 16 years ago. Our interest in franchising peeked when we heard about Cold Stone Creamery, as it was up-and-coming. My dad had always owned his own business, as had Athena’s father. He was a landscape president and had a couple of his own business ventures. We had just gotten married when Cold Stone was growing. We felt we were too young and didn’t have the capital to invest at the time. We opted to get involved with investment properties instead from 2008-2009, but with the downturn in the economy, we got hit pretty hard.

About two years ago, my wife began looking back into franchising when she stumbled upon Mosquito Joe. She recognized that the industry was similar to a summer job I had back in high school and thought it would make a good fit. We connected with the team, they were incredible. They set us up with the first Colorado owner at one of his home and garden shows, and he really sold us on joining the team. Another draw was the pet/family friendly aspect of Mosquito Joe’s proprietary barrier spray. Athena is a huge animal lover and wants to do anything she can to get involved when it comes to pets.

What ties do you have with your local community and how do you plan to serve the community with your new business?

Our community is North Port in Sarasota County so we hope to get really involved locally. My sister, Theresa, has been involved with programs serving adults with disabilities for most of her life. We just started looking into ways we can get involved in her cause and hope to potentially hire veterans or adults with disabilities.

What’s next for you and your business?

Expansion is part of our five-year plan. We’re not sure if we want to expand further into Florida because most territories in the state are full. I have a large family back in Colorado and would consider expanding the brand further in my home state.

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