THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 22, 1995 TAG: 9501200248
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CAROLE O'KEEFFE, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
HAROLD E. PUTNAM and his wife of nearly 40 years, Shelby, have split.
That is, after working together in their Wilroy Acres home, he has moved his exterminating business to downtown. She still works in her home-based beauty parlor.
They remain happily married, thank you.
Their daughter, Donna Kennedy, wife of the owner of the new location, is secretary for her dad.
Harold ``Jerry'' Putman opened Suffolk Pest Control at 101 S. Saratoga St., in space formerly occupied by The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star.
``It's completely remodeled,'' Putman said. ``You wouldn't know it was the same place.''
Additional spaces formerly used by the newspaper's advertising and news departments are awaiting tenants.
The newspapers' offices were recently moved to the old Leggett building.
Putman, 60, opened his exterminating business eight years ago - after working for 13 years with what was then Gold Kist (now Golden Peanut Co) keeping such pests as mice, beetles, bats and spiders out of the well known Suffolk peanuts.
``They can contaminate and condemn a whole lot of product in short order,'' Putman said.
He started his business with an investment of less than $3,000.
Then 52, ``it was scary to go into business for myself,'' he said. ``But it has turned out real well.''
He has increased his staff by three: his secretary, a salesman and an exterminator. He plans to hire another worker by the end of March.
Putman does both commercial and residential business, and is still keeping assorted vermin out of the peanuts. He also does work for apartment complexes and lawyers and real estate companies in property closings.
Work hours are 7 a.m. to dark five days a week and weekends while industrial plants are shut down.
Meanwhile, Shelby J. Putman, 56, is enjoying the home business that she opened in 1973: Putt's Beauty Hut.
After high school, the Suffolk native, then a Gordon, tried secretarial work but found it not to her liking. She worked days and went to beauty school at night.
After graduation, she decided to ``sink or swim,'' and open her own shop. ``I made my own mistakes. I had nobody to ask. I had to get through it by myself,'' she says.
It's been worth it. ``I love the interaction of people. I am on a personal basis with my customers. I go pick them up. Take them home. Feed them. Cry and laugh together. We have a good time.''
She and Jerry have five grandchildren, and she is ``playing with semi-retirement,'' having cut out much of her night work. Her daughter-in-law, Patty, helps during busy times in the shop. Cutting the cost of buying flowers
Roger L. Feske, owner of Pinner's Flower Shop, has opened Our Haven Florist at a former meat market and antique shop at 800 Wilroy Road. The store is cash-and-carry.
``What we are really trying to do is get flowers to people cheaper and free us from delivery and billing,'' Feske said.
As florists have to compete with floral departments in grocery stores that buy flowers in bulk and sell them for less, they will be moving to cash and carry operations, Feske predicts.
His new shop does not sell on credit, which means no billing costs, and does not offer delivery service.
It has been open for only a few weeks and has ``done excellent,'' Feske said. ``We've cut our expenses by half.''
It's working so well that Feske is considering turning his Pinner's shop and another flower store he owns on Deep Creek Boulevard in Portsmouth into cash-and-carry operations.
``This is the wave of the future. Because of the supermarkets, florists are going to close up,'' Feske said. ``They will be forced to go to it.''
Feske spent 15 years working for a major area grocery store. ``I know how they work,'' he said. ``I'm adapting some of those techniques to this place.''
Feske also offers rental wedding gowns and fresh or silk floral creations for weddings. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
Harold E. ``Jerry'' Putman's license plate advertises his business,
which has moved downtown to Saratoga Street in space formerly
occupied by The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star.
by CNB