Ambler firm receives a $15 million contract to battle mattress bugs in Philadelphia’s public housing

Ambler’s Allergy Technologies and the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) have launched a preventive program to keep bed bugs out of public housing. The program includes a 5-year, $15 million contract for Allery Technologies to implement its Allergy Technologies program to control and prevent affordable housing for bed bugs, or ATAHC, in 6,000 residential units throughout Philadelphia.

According to the announcement, the ATAHC program “has been shown to reduce bed bug incidents in affordable shared accommodation by over 99 percent over two years, with a goal of achieving zero bed bug infestations.”

“Our residents deserve a home free of this insidious pest,” said Kelvin A. Jeremiah, President and CEO of PHA. “The ATAHC program was selected for its proven effectiveness and sustainability, achieved through a preventive and collaborative approach. It is not simply a reactive strategy aimed at killing bed bugs when they are reported, but rather a program that brings together residents, staff and pest control professionals in partnership to deliver a preventative solution to this complex problem.”

“Philadelphia has consistently been ranked at the top of Orkin’s list of the 50 best bed bug cities, which we find unacceptable,” said Joseph Latino, president of Allergy Technologies. “PHA’s decision to implement ATAHC primarily improves the quality of life for residents and staff.”

The five-year contract follows a unique pilot program launched in Philadelphia in 2020 that resulted in over 99% of residential units being bed bug-free and reducing bed bug-related expenses by 40%.

“Residents of affordable housing are now prepared for their lives to change. ATAHC provides a solution to a major unmet need in an environment in dire need of effective bed bug prevention,” said Gus Carey, founder and CEO of Allergy Technologies.

“Our expectation is that this novel strategic program, which has saved money while significantly improving the quality of life for residents and staff, will be replicated in affordable shared apartments and other multi-resident communities across the United States,” he concluded.

“Early detection and intervention are core principles of the ATAHC program,” concluded Joseph Latino, President of Allergy Technologies, “but the unique key component of program success comes from our ATAHC team’s collaboration with residents, property management and professional pest control providers.”