Sean Knox is a fourth generation pest control leader based in Columbus, Georgia. He is Co-Owner and President of Knox Pest Control and Lawn Solutions, serving homes and businesses across Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and Mississippi.
A morning at Knox Pest Control
On a weekday morning in Columbus, Georgia, the Knox Pest Control office starts to buzz early. Service trucks line up. Technicians check their gear. Phones begin to ring.
In the middle of it all is President and Co-Owner, Sean Knox. He is not tucked away in a quiet corner. He is walking the halls, talking with team members, and checking in on the day’s routes.
For Sean, this is what leadership looks like. Be present. Listen well. Help people do their best work.
A life built inside a family business
Sean’s story begins long before his own first day on the job. In the 1920s, his great grandfather, Forrest H. Knox, walked the streets of Atlanta with a leather satchel full of roach powder and mice bait. That work grew into a pest and termite business that passed from father to son, then on to the next generation.
Sean grew up in this world. As a teenager, he worked as a technician assistant at Biltmore Exterminating under his grandfather and father. The work was not fancy. He helped on jobs, followed experienced techs, and saw what it meant to take care of a customer.
He learned simple rules that still guide him today. Show up. Do the work. Treat people with respect. Keep your word.
Turning education into service
After high school, Sean left the truck for the classroom, but he did not leave business behind. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Georgia Southern University. He later studied public policy at Regent University and completed his MBA at Baylor University.
Each step shaped how he leads. Marketing taught him how to understand customer needs. Public policy opened his eyes to how decisions affect whole communities. His MBA helped him think clearly about growth, finance, and operations.
Regent’s focus on Christian leadership also left a mark. Sean took its message to heart. Lead with character. Serve others first. Use your work to make a positive difference.
Leading a growing team with simple values
Today, Knox Pest Control has grown from a single office into a multi-state company with 18 locations. The team serves more than 90,000 customers and includes over 225 team members.
With that kind of growth, it would be easy to drift away from the family’s original values. Sean works hard to make sure that does not happen.
The company still holds to a simple idea from the early days. It is not who you get as a customer. It is who you keep as a customer.
That shows up in how Knox operates:
- Full service help with pests, termites, wildlife, and lawns
- Same day and next day service when possible
- A clear promise to make things right if a customer is not satisfied
For Sean, these are not marketing lines. They are daily habits that protect trust.
Community as part of the job
Sean’s work does not stop when he leaves the office. He has served on boards for the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Boys and Girls Club of Columbus, Young Life, the Parker College of Business Dean’s Advisory Committee at Georgia Southern, and the Columbus Convention and Trade Center.
He is also a graduate of Leadership GPCA, Leadership Columbus, and Leadership Georgia. These programs brought him into contact with leaders from many fields. They gave him a wider view of the state and the region Knox serves.
For Sean, business and community are linked. Strong local companies help build strong communities. Strong communities support those companies in return.
A life outside the office
Sean has been married to his wife, Crawford, for more than 20 years. They have three children. Family time is a priority.
He enjoys running, skiing, mountaineering, golf, and days on the lake with family and friends. These hobbies help him reset. They also remind him why the work matters. Each job, each decision, and each new branch supports real families, including his own team’s families.
Preparing the next chapter of the Knox story
As a fourth generation leader, Sean stands at a bridge between past and future. Behind him is a long line of family members who built the business with their hands and their time. Ahead of him is the next generation, who will face new pests, new tools, and new pressures.
His goal is not only to grow numbers. It is to hand off a healthy company that still knows what it stands for. Service. Integrity. Faith. Community.
For Sean Knox, pest control is more than a service. It is a way to protect homes, support local jobs, and live out a calling to serve others well.
Interview with Sean Knox
How did your very first jobs in pest control shape the way you lead today?
I started as a teenager as a technician assistant. I carried tools. I cleaned up. I watched my dad and grandfather talk with customers.
Those early days taught me that no job is too small. If the truck is dirty, you wash it. If a customer is worried, you slow down and listen.
Now, as President, I still think the same way. Leadership is not sitting in an office. It is being willing to do what you ask others to do. It is showing respect for every role in the company.
What does “servant leadership” look like in your daily work at Knox?
For me, servant leadership starts with questions. I walk into a branch and ask, “What is getting in your way?” or “What do you need from us?”
Sometimes the answer is new equipment or better training. Sometimes it is a schedule issue that affects family time. My job is to clear those obstacles so our team can serve customers well.
It also means I try to share credit and hold the weight when something goes wrong. If a customer is upset, I see that as my responsibility too, not just the technician’s.
What has been one of the hardest moments in growing a multi-state company?
One hard moment was realizing I could not know every customer and every team member by name anymore. When you grow from one office to many, you risk losing that close feeling.
I remember looking at a list of new branches and thinking, “If we are not careful, we will become just another big company.” That pushed me to focus more on culture.
We started talking more about our mission and values at every level. We built routines so new team members hear our story and understand why we do things a certain way. That work is ongoing. You never “finish” culture.
How do you balance numbers and people when making big decisions?
You cannot ignore numbers. We track routes, costs, retention, and growth. That keeps the business healthy. But I never want numbers to be the only voice in the room.
Before we make a big change, I ask two questions. How will this affect customers? How will this affect our team and their families? If a move looks good on paper but harms trust, we need to rethink it.
Good decisions support both. Strong finances allow us to create stable jobs, invest in safety and training, and serve communities better.
Outside of work, what keeps you grounded and focused?
My family is the anchor. I have been married to my wife, Crawford, for more than 20 years. We have three children. Dinner at home, weekend games, and time on the lake help me remember what matters most.
I also love running, skiing, mountaineering, and golf. Being outside clears my head. Climbing or a long run reminds you that progress usually comes one step at a time. That same mindset applies at work.
What advice would you give to someone joining a family-owned service business for the first time?
First, respect the history, but do not be afraid of new ideas. Families build these companies over many years. There is a lot of pride in that. Take time to listen to the stories and learn why certain habits exist.
Second, understand that service work is real and important. You may be dealing with pests, not fancy products, but you are protecting homes, health, and peace of mind. That is meaningful.
Finally, focus on relationships. In a family business, your coworkers and customers often stay for years. How you treat people today can shape your path for a long time. If you show up, work hard, and care about others, you can build a very good life in this kind of work.
