---
title: "The Abilene Reporter-News: In Search of Career Change, Franchisee Joins Mosquito Joe"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/76d61e71-8a85-401e-b6bd-be35084eed5d
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/the-abilene-reporter-news-in-search-of-career-change-franchisee-joins-mosquito-joe-4711
category: "Lawn & pest"
industry: "Home Services"
segment: "Lawn & pest"
published: 2016-05-24T13:08:45.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T13:05:22.763Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/3876d57452cc0e1ee18a0c562d2b03c02958160524085445.jpeg
---

# The Abilene Reporter-News: In Search of Career Change, Franchisee Joins Mosquito Joe

**TL;DR:** Cole Watts joined Mosquito Joe as a franchisee after a career change and opened his location in Abilene, Texas on April 4. Watts was drawn to the franchise due to its potential to help his community by providing mosquito control services.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2016-05-24. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/the-abilene-reporter-news-in-search-of-career-change-franchisee-joins-mosquito-joe-4711).*

## Story

In November of 2014, Cole Watts was accidentally shot while hunting in Colorado City and it required him to stay in intensive care for nearly a month.

Before the accident, Watts had been working in the family business, More Clean of Texas, but he had always had the aspirations of owning his own business.

"I was looking for ways to expand the residential side … to grow into that market," said Watts. "I discovered the Mosquito Joe franchise, and it piqued my interest because it seemed like a no-brainer to go kill mosquitoes."

Cole opened on April 4 in Abilene. And now, especially after Abilene, San Angelo and Brownwood experienced more rainfall than normal, his services are becoming increasingly required in the area. His goal was always to start a business that would help out his immediate community, where he was born and raised.

"By all rights, I shouldn't be alive," he said. "I want to focus on the future, and do what I can do to use the gift I was given to help other people."

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Home Services (sector)
- franchisee story (topic)
- Mosquito Joe (company)
- career change (topic)
- mosquito control (topic)
- Abilene (location)

---
Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/the-abilene-reporter-news-in-search-of-career-change-franchisee-joins-mosquito-joe-4711). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/76d61e71-8a85-401e-b6bd-be35084eed5d).