ST.com's Joanne Lee talks to Pestbusters' Chairman and CEO Thomas Fernandez about how he learned to dominate his niche in an industry with at least 250 competitors.

Having fallen sick while mixing chemicals to kill bugs the amateurish-way, he invested in a specialised degree in the US and now insists on all his staff being certified as pest and germ controllers - the competitive edge he claims allows him to charge high prices even during an economic crisis.