Brookfield Properties
Brookfield Properties and Orkin Partner to Evict Unwanted Pests
Downtown Los Angeles is an endless sea of skyscrapers. Keeping these buildings clean, attractive and operating efficiently is no easy task. Just ask the folks at Brookfield Properties – they manage three of these buildings, and 105 other properties across the globe.
Each day, thousands of people come to work at buildings managed by Brookfield and each time a tenant parks in the garage, walks through the lobby or uses the restroom, Brookfield has an opportunity to make an impression. Because these impressions are critical, Brookfield takes pest management and prevention seriously, that’s why in 2010, it switched from a competitor to Orkin.
The following is an edited transcription of Orkin’s conversation with Assistant Property Manager Anaiah Spencer about the impact it has made at one of Brookfield’s Los Angeles office properties – The Bank of America Plaza.
How have things been going so far?
Things are going well. Our Orkin Account Manager is really great to work with and we have no tenant complaints. Of course, there are those one-off complaints, but we forward those over and he takes care of it very quickly. Overall, we’re much happier than we were with our last provider – but the pests aren’t.
Why is pest management so important for Brookfield?
Pest management is important to our business because it provides a perception of cleanliness to the building. When tenants see rodents or pests they assume it’s a dirty property, and while that’s not always the case, it’s the tenant’s perception, and that’s a big deal to us.
Does Orkin work with your staff?
Yes, and that is one of the great things we’ve been able to implement with Orkin. I took our account manager around and introduced him to the heads of security, janitorial and parking. Now, they just work directly with each other, and keep me in the loop. This is really helpful because it’s one less thing I have to worry about, plus these guys are the ones in the bathrooms and in the parking decks – they know where the pests are.
Has there been a time when Orkin has gone above and beyond and helped you out?
One important point of differentiation with Orkin over our last provider is the ability to work within the framework of our LEED certification. We are LEED Gold and soon will be LEED Platinum. Pesticide use is a big part of what the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) looks at for certification. Orkin has been able to help control pests using targeted chemical applications as a last resort, which means we’re able earn more points toward LEED Platinum. We weren’t able to do this when we were working with our previous provider.
A great example of Orkin’s ability to help solve pest issues using targeted products as a last resort happened recently when we removed a cabinet that had been bolted to the wall in one of our lower parking levels for 25 years. What looked like millions of water bugs covered the wall. Orkin was able to come on-site right away and take care of the problem using tier three chemicals, which don’t require us to notify tenants, which is obviously ideal for us as building managers.