Pest control firm moves to Garfield Ridge
By Tim Hadac
Managing Editor
Soutwest Chicago Post
A pest control company that had been a home-based business moved up a notch last week, as Amigo Pest Control celebrated its move into 7121 W. Archer, a storefront that in recent years had been home to the Gerini Guitar Studio.
Amigo’s owner is 35-year-old Jose Yanez, who immigrated to the U.S. when he was an 11-year-boy, from the town of Yuriria, Guanajuato, in central Mexico.
His family has roots in Summit but then later moved to Garfield Ridge, where Yanez graduated from Kennedy High School in 2008.
Married with three children, Yanez had been living in West Lawn, near 62nd and Knox; but the lure of his old neighborhood proved too strong, and the Yanez family—Jose, wife Andrea and their children: Tyree, 10, Kassandra, 8, and Rizzo, 3--now owns a home in the heart of Garfield Ridge, near 55th and Menard.
“There’s a lot to like about this area,” Yanez said. “It’s one of the best in the city, and we’re proud to be a part of Garfield Ridge.”
Yanez started in the pest control business as a teenager, landing a position with a nationally known pest control company.
But with a dream of being his own boss, Yanez eventually co-founded a pest control company with a partner, and for the last three years has been the sole owner.
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| Twenty-third Ward Ald. Silvana Tabares (left) and Garfield Ridge Chamber of Commerce President Mary Ellen Brown stopped by the new headquarters of Amigo Pest Control, 7121 W. Archer, last week to welcome Amigo owner Jose Yanez (black shirt) and his father, Ismael. |
He credits his father, Ismael, with instilling a strong work ethic in him. These days, his father is retired but offers advice and encouragement to his son. He also credits his mother, Aurelia, who “has always been a big part of support and always been there to show us we have to respect others.”
“I enjoy my work,” Yanez said. “What I do helps improve the quality of life for people, at their homes and businesses—and even improve people’s health.”
Amigo helps control and get rid of insect pests like cockroaches, termites, ants, spiders, bedbugs, bees, wasps and hornets.
Increasingly, though, their work seems to focus on rodents—specifically, mice and rats.
“Rats are getting extremely out of control in the Chicago area,” he said, echoing what others have said in recent years.
With a small and growing staff (Alondra Blanco, Fernando Escareño, Sonia Yanez, Pedro López and Jhonatan Avila), Amigo uses a variety of methods to thwart insects and rodents, including federally-approved chemicals that are not harmful to children or pets, Yanez added.
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| Amigo's recent ribbon cutting was a festive occasion. |
Amigo also has earned a reputation for community service and for working with customers of limited means.
“You see people who maybe don’t have a lot of money, but you see they have a pest problem—and then you see small children in the home—well, I feel as a responsible business owner, I have an obligation to help people when I can,” Yanez added.
The company also offers disinfecting services for homes and businesses—a service that has taken on unprecedented importance in the time of COVID-19.
Amigo offers free estimates for all its services and can be reached at (708) 925-1213.
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