MOSES LAKE - PCI Pest Control hopes to increase operations in the Basin with its new Moses Lake branch.

The Olympia company currently provides pest control services to residential and commercial clients all over the state, including the Moses Lake area, owner Matt Purcell said.

Establishing a second location in Moses Lake didn't cross his mind until he met resident Tony Hafner.

"One of the ongoing contracts we have is right here at the airport with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and that's how I met Tony," he said. "He was the guy who would escort me on and off the runways when I would do my work."

It turned out Purcell was looking for someone to manage the area's ongoing contracts around the same time Hafner was leaving the FAA.

But Hafner wanted to be more involved with the business, Purcell said.

"I discovered he wasn't interested in just doing a little work; he was interested in doing a lot of work," he said. "So, we talked and decided to get a branch out here."

Hafner will serve as the manager of the Moses Lake branch, Purcell said.

"He's going to be the guy to get the Moses Lake branch going," he said.

Purcell started the company in 1998 after retiring from the United States Army. Most of the company's customer base is residential, although PCI Pest Control can provide services to commercial clients and government agencies.

The company has experience controlling common pests like mice, bees, spiders, ants and rats, among others, he said.

"We can protect people's homes from infestations and help them keep it clean and maintain the value of their property," Purcell said

Hafner said he is excited to grow the business in the Moses Lake area.

"I'm looking forward to meeting people in the community and helping them solve a problem they maybe couldn't solve themselves," Hafner said.

For now Hafner is the only employee at the Moses Lake branch, but that could change once business picks up, he said.

"As the business builds, we'll grow with it," he said.

For more information, call 509-770-0348 or visit www.pci-pest-control.com.