From a Family Landscaping Business to a Mosquito Control Service: Clint Brown Opens Vermont’s First Mosquito Joe

21-year-old Tyler Brown and his baseball teammate, Mark Levesque, posed the idea of opening up a Mosquito Joe* franchise to Tyler’s dad, Clint Brown. Clint loved the idea of a family business he could pass down. Now, The Walker-Brown family is opening Vermont’s first Mosquito Joe, a service franchise that provides premium pest control that eliminates mosquitoes, ticks and fleas.

Clint originally worked for his parents’ landscaping company after graduating from the University of New Hampshire. After his parents retired, he worked in construction as an estimator until he found what he really was searching for. Valuing the impact of a family business, he was inspired by his parents to begin his own and thus his venture with Mosquito Joe began. 

1851 Franchise: Tell me your story – what did you do before franchising?

Clinton Brown: I graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in accounting. After I graduated, my parents retired and I took over the family landscaping business, keeping only two clients to myself. I then moved over to construction and worked as an estimator for a year and a half. 

My wife, Leslie, and I have three kids, one dog, and a cat. Tyler, 21 is the oldest and is about to enroll in graduate school in marketing and continuing his baseball journey. My middle daughter, Jasmine, is 18 and plans on studying biology in college next school year. We adopted her from Seoul, South Korea when she was five months old. My youngest daughter, Hannah, is 17 and will go on to receive a degree in elementary education. Both my girls are active on varsity sports teams, including the soccer team, which I coach. My wife, Leslie, went to school at Skidmore. She also graduated with an accounting degree along with a masters in health administration from the University of New Hampshire. She is currently the director of finance at a local hospital. She handles the behind the scenes work and is the sounding board of our business decisions.

1851: How did you initially find out about franchising? 

Brown: My son and his college buddy Mark were actually the ones who brought this business opportunity to my attention. I always loved the idea of a business we were all involved in as a family and I knew Mosquito Joe would offer me that ability. My oldest daughter is in the office working, and my son and Mark have been tackling marketing and business development before the opening. After inheriting the landscaping business from my parents, I felt like it was important to offer the same to my family. 

1851: Why did you choose franchising over starting your own business?

Brown: It started as a joke, and then actually became a real discussion fast. It started as two college friends talking about opening a business in the bullpen, waiting to be called to the mound. After they brought it to my attention, the fast-paced and seasonal workload intrigued me. I was drawn to the ability to have the margins and ability to make a successful living. I never thought about franchising until then. 

1851: What types of brands did you look at?

Brown: We only looked at one other brand, Mosquito Squad. Our research ended soon after we found out Mosquito Squad was not offered in our location. We first heard about Mosquito Joe when we were on vacation in Cape Cod in July, we saw a yard sign on the side of the road. We then researched the brand extensively and found that Mosquito Joe could not compare to others. We’re very happy with our decisions. 

1851: Why did you pick Mosquito Joe? What excited you most about the potential?

Brown: Mosquito Joe puts you through a complete interview process. I was so surprised with how hard the questions made you think, the team really made you analyze whether or not Mosquito Joe was for you. We then flew down to Texas to meet the corporate team, the franchise coach and president. After learning the core values of the company including quality customer service, professionalism, and superior products, it was a no brainer. We knew Mosquito Joe was offering us the best support and we were engaged in their style. They eliminated the learning curve completely and with all that help the financial commitment was not so scary. 

1851: What are your dreams with the business? What does the future look like?

Brown: Now that we’re licensed in Vermont, we’re set up to go towards New York and Pennsylvania next. At this time, we are looking to open three to five locations over the next five years. Our goal is to own the entirety of Vermont and service north of Plymouth, New Hampshire. Our mission is to provide service wherever the client needs us. 

Eventually, our oldest son, Tyler, will own and manage the business with his friend Mark. Right now, everyone is pitching in where they’re needed until we stabilize our foundation as a franchise. Even though we’re under a franchise, I treat this business as my own. I want it to stay in the family like my parents’ business did and provide this opportunity for my family to succeed.

1851: What value do you see your business providing to Vermont?

Brown: We’re the only Mosquito Joe in Vermont. With this, we aim to provide premium customer service to that area and beyond. The MoJo Satisfaction Guarantee is sure to make an impact on the lives of many residential homes and businesses. 

1851: What advice would you have for others looking at buying a franchise?

Brown: My biggest advice I would give to others is to lean on the support of the staff and pay close attention to detail. I encourage you to ask questions — the corporate team wants you to succeed. I would also advise that owning a franchise is not all about the finances, the team will look for owners to be personable and eager about the brand to promote quality service to people. 

1851: What do you do in your personal time (hobbies, family, sports, etc.)

Brown: Our family loves being active and outdoors. We all recently took interest in mountain biking and hiking and will go out as a family. Each of my kids are in sports and enjoy competitive sports tremendously. My oldest plays college baseball and will continue that path into graduate school. My oldest daughter played varsity basketball, soccer, and tennis while in high school and enjoys baking. My youngest is also a three-sport athlete and will be going into her final high school season for soccer, basketball, and softball. 

Our family also shares a passion for baseball, particularly the Red Sox. This has allowed us to form a strong bond with our extended family, as much of our life revolves around baseball. We take frequent trips as a whole family to watch the Red Sox on the road, traveling to Chicago, Baltimore and even staying in Florida for spring training. My wife is also a part of Friends of the Family, an organization that supports families with money and resources during tough times.