INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb recently presented the Century Award for Arabian Termite and Pest Control, Marion County, Indiana. Arab was one of 101 Indiana companies and organizations to receive the Governor’s Century or Half Century Business Award for longevity and service to its employees, the community, and the state.
“I am honored to recognize these dedicated Hoosier business leaders who have made a lasting impact not just on their communities but on the state as a whole,” said Gov. Holcomb. “As we continue to attract new jobs and investments to Indiana, these well-established companies will set the tone for a Hoosier economy dedicated to hard work, constant improvement, and strong community roots. I am confident these companies will continue to serve well for the next 100 years and keep Indiana on the road to success for centuries to come. ”
The Governor’s Century and Half Century Business Awards honor Hoosier companies that have been in operation for at least 100 or 50 consecutive years and committed to community service. In the award’s 30-year history, more than 1,160 Indiana companies have been recognized.
The history of the Arabs begins in the early 1900s when Dr. Allen, an entomologist, developed a chemical to protect expensive oriental carpets from carpet beetles from moths. Allen had no knowledge of marketing, so he asked his friend Herman B. Jordan, an Indianapolis businessman, to help him market the product to the public.
Both friends had a good product but needed a marketable name. They knew the name had to be catchy, distinctive, colorful and descriptive. After much work and deliberation, Arab (pronounced AA’rab) was created, a term derived in this case from the theme of the Arabian Nights. The new label had a romantic flair, illusions of flying Persian carpets and mysteries of the East. Then came the well-known logo “See a bug … call Arab”.
In 1975, Syed “Sid” Anwar Shah, a Pakistani native, accepted a position as a controller at Arab Termite and Pest Control. Twelve years later, the Arab owner H. Dale Collins was working on a financial agreement whereby Sha and the company’s general manager, Duane Edwards, could jointly buy the business. After Edwards fell ill with cancer, Shah became the sole owner and president of Arab Termite and Pest Control. Shah remains the owner of Arab Termite and Pest Control, which has grown into one of the largest independent pest control companies in Indiana.
“We are very grateful for your business friendship and years of hard work to promote and improve the quality of our service to our Hoosier customers,” said Shah.
