Cole Watts YP Member Spotlight - Jan

Name: Cole Watts

Where do you work? More Clean of Texas and Mosquito Joe of Abilene

What’s your job title/what do you do? Vice President, More Clean of Texas; Franchise Owner, Mosquito Joe of Abilene

Where are you from? Abilene, born and raised!

What is your favorite thing about living in the Big Country? I know it's cliche, but the small town "feel" and sense of community meshes so well with the forward thinking, ambitious "big city" nature of Abilene. I don't know if you could find anywhere else in the country with a population that values innovation and change so much, while still understanding the importance of staying true to our heritage and history. You can't beat the cost of living either!

What do you do in your free time? During the spring and summer, I play a lot of golf and spend time outdoors with my 2 sons, Hunter and Ty, and my wife, Kelsey. During the winter, I try to hunt as much as I can. What does being an Abilene Young Professional mean to you? We've been given a unique opportunity to drive change in our community, bestowed by not only our peers, but by the generations before us. Very rarely does the "old guard" want input from the younger demographic, but in the case of AYP, we're actively encouraged by our mentors and older colleagues to voice our opinions and have a seat at the table. How cool is that?

What organizations (non-profit) in town do you choose to support and why? Do you serve on any boards in the community or participate in any other groups? If so, what do you enjoy about your participation? I'm the Vice President (President Elect) of the North American Power Sweeping Association, working within the power sweeping industry to provide support and education to our member companies as well as advocate for our industry on a national level. Having helped grow More Clean from a small, local company to a statewide industry leader with 6 locations in the state, I love being able to give back to the industry by sharing my experiences, successes, and failures with others who are trying to succeed as entrepreneurs.

What’s your favorite restaurant in Abilene? Copper Creek seems to always win out whenever my wife and I can't agree on what to eat. You can't beat the wedge salad and ribeye.

What’s your favorite place to travel to and why? I still dream about our trip to South Africa to hunt in 2019. The food (mostly wild game that we had harvested that day) was hands down the best I've ever eaten, the scenery and experiences were indescribable, and the friends that joined us made for a perfect vacation.

What’s something you’re passionate about and why? I'm a huge turfgrass nerd; there are few things in this world better than a freshly mowed lawn. I built a USGA level putting green in my backyard and love seeing the results of my work each day keeping it pristine- even though my golfing buddies would tell you that it hasn't helped my putting any. I think I spend more time mowing, fertilizing, spraying, and fussing with that grass than I do practicing on it!