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SENIOIA, Ga. Shane Loftin was born and grew up in Coweta County, Ga., where he was a three-sport athlete and graduated from Newnan high school.

Shane Loftin

Now, he runs Shanes Pest Solutions, a full-service pest control company. When hes not busy running his business, he does what he can to give back to the community that raised him.

Loftin said that it is special for him to run his company in the same place he grew up.Its huge for me to live here and work here and provide services to people that live here, he said. And I want those to be top notch for people around here.

Using his name for the company provides extra incentive for the quality of services it provides.My name is on the company, Loftin said. I want to represent my family, my personal name. I want to be a representative of the community. I want to be an example for kids in this community. I take great pride in our community.

One way that Loftin gives back is by supporting local veterans programs such as Operation Tackle Box and Cocos Cupboard. His support for these programs has a personal connection as well, because Loftin is a veteran.

I take great pride in supporting local veteran programs, he said. Of course, Im a lifetime member of the VFW and American Legion. Theres a lot of great veteran programs.

Joining the military became an option for Loftin while working for a car dealership after graduating from Newnan high school in 1995. The reputation of the Marines enticed Loftin.

While working for them, Id always had a tug to serve in the military, he said. I just had that draw and Ive always strived to be the best. When you play sports, you want to be the top competitor. The Marine Corps was a good fit for me because if youre going to do something and you know theres an elite branch, that kind of draws you to it.

Loftin joined the Marine Corps as a reservist in 1999. Unsure of what he wanted to do, he decided to go active duty in May of 2001, when he became a field artillery section chief tasked with shooting an M198, 155-millimeter Howitzer.

I joined my unit and right away we went to California to train in the desert out there, Loftin said. A place called 29 Palms. Horrible place. We trained out there for two months.

After his training in the desert, Loftin and his unit were waiting to board a plane when the 9/11 terrorist attacks happened.When the first tower got hit, I didnt even know what the Twin Towers were, Loftin said.

A lot of us really thought that they were just playing games and giving us another training exercise while we were waiting. Then the second tower got hit. They called us up and we knew it was the real deal.

A corporal at the time, Loftin took the first watch out on the airstrip.That was the first night everything got real, he said. My platoon commander gave me a loaded magazine, conditioned my weapon and gave me my brief. Youre out there and thats when everything got really real. We have a legit threat, we might have to throw down.

In 2003, Loftin and his unit were involved in the initial invasion of Iraq, where they traveled from Kuwait to Tikrit in northern Iraq.

We were there during that initial phase of the invasion into Iraq, which was wild, he said. All kinds of emotions. Im really glad that I did it. Im really proud that every Marine in our unit that went over, every single one of us, made it back home. Which is just huge. I served with a lot of great Marines and thats definitely one of the highlights of my life.

When 2005 rolled around, Loftin decided to get out of the Marine Corps for his two young daughters.

My dad was actually killed when I was three years old in a tragic motorcycle accident, he said. So, I wanted to make sure I was around as much as possible, for what I can control, to be there for my daughters. I love the Marine Corps, but I decided to get out. When I got out, I had no clue what I was going to do.

While he was serving overseas, many of Loftins friends from the car industry moved into pest control. When he got out of the Marines, his friends suggested that he join them.

My first job in the industry was with Active Pest Control, Loftin said. I worked with them for two years and then I moved over to Arrow Exterminators. I worked with Arrow from 2007 until 2016 when I decided to launch my business.

When he was working with Arrow, Loftin also attended night school at Troy University, earning a bachelor's degree in business. Combining his degree with industry experience and the entrepreneurial spirit, Loftin started Shanes Pest Solutions.

It was me, no partner, nothing, he said. I started from customer one, just myself, and we finished last year just over $600,000 in revenue. I know theres a lot of companies doing a lot more than that, but for us its pretty good.

Besides what he learned from school and working in the pest control industry, Loftin also brought the skills he used in the military to his new business.

Theres a lot of things, Loftin said. My attention to detail, that drive to never quit and to continue to push even though things arent going to ever be perfect. Just having the mental fortitude to stick through the rough times, because its not all roses. A lot of the leadership, knowing your people and taking care of your people. Making sure my team members are motivated, trained and they know what theyre doing and how they should be doing it.

We are in the service industry. Serving in the military and serving your community, they go hand in hand. You got to have a certain heart for it.

Another way that Loftin is involved in serving his community is by participating in the Adopt a Vet and Vet Connect programs run by Newnan High School. The Adopt a Vet program gives students the opportunity to meet with veterans in the community for engaged discussions.

We go and meet at a local restaurant and have breakfast with these students, he said. Im always impressed by these students that theyre willing to get up and come to breakfast with somebody like me at 7 a.m. We just sit and chat about all kinds of stuff. Sometimes were talking about the Marine Corps, sometimes about what kids are dealing with nowadays and everything in-between.

The Vet Connect program offers a unique opportunity for students to have a hands-on experience. Newnan High School is located next to the Georgia National Guard armory and veterans are allowed to bring items to display.

The students have a really hands-on thing, Loftin said. Most of their teachers give them a set of questions to go around and engage. Its all high schoolers, they dont really know how to engage with adults, much less combat veterans. Its a unique opportunity and its a really great thing that Newnan has done. Its just a really great time to go and engage with these kids.

Original post:
PCO and Iraq War Veteran Loftin Connects with His Community - PCT Online