Husband and wife team keep Delaware Mosquito Free

Husband and wife team Ken Alkire and Stephanie Nunziato own the development rights for Mosquito Joe* in the whole state of Delaware, and will be serving the northern part in 2014 before operating in the rest of the territory next year. Alkire joins Mosquito Joe with extensive experience in owning and growing a business. After graduating from West Virginia [caption id="attachment_15735" align="alignright" width="303" caption="Ken and Stephanie"][/caption] University with a business degree, Alkire launched a career in the restaurant industry. He has amassed 30 years of experience in the industry, beginning as a crew member in high school, and holding managerial positions at various restaurants across the nation after graduating college. Most recently he was the co-founder and co-creator of an upscale café concept called Purebread Deli. Opening in 2001, he and his business partner grew the business from one to five locations, with four in Delaware and one in southern Pennsylvania. Nunziato brings strong customer service and people skills to her administrative role at Mosquito Joe. She spent 10 years in customer service with American Airlines and Rosenbluth Corporate Travel. She graduated from nursing school at St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center School of Nursing in 2009 and is currently continuing her nursing studies at the University of Delaware. While she is a trained nurse, she is currently focusing on her studies and preparing to work full-time at Mosquito Joe. How did you learn about Mosquito Joe? Stephanie: We were on vacation after Ken sold his business, and I was being eaten alive by mosquitoes. Ken came across an article about Mosquito Joe in Kiplinger Magazine and brought it to me. He somewhat jokingly said this could be our next business. I contacted the company while still on vacation. Why did you choose an opportunity with the brand? Ken: We always knew we would open another business, but I never dreamed I would buy a franchise. The more we learned about Mosquito Joe; the more we talked to them and got to know the people involved in the company, the more attractive it became. There seemed to be a great need for the service, and the right people to go into business with. Stephanie: The business was attractive because it’s a service I know I would personally sign up for, especially to enjoy being outdoors with our one-year-old son. We would be able to help families enjoy the outdoors and have a better experience.