Jeri Lucco and her daughter, Sarah, are standout new ohDEER Franchise owners who were awarded the Franchisee Excellence Award in 2026 for their thoughtful approach to growth and impressive performance in the Northwest Columbus market in less than one full operating season.
Jeri has a background in franchise consulting and, together with Sarah, has one of the newest ohDEER locations. They bring an entrepreneurial mindset, franchising experience, and an authentic passion for bringing safer, all-natural pest control to their region to their business.
As part of a mother-daughter ownership team, Jeri brings a unique blend of warmth and innovative thinking to the brand. Her ability to step into a new industry, build momentum quickly in an area without a lot of (if any) consumer awareness in the area, and make an immediate community impact demonstrates the exceptional leadership potential she brings to the ohDEER system.
Community engagement is where Jeri and Sarah truly shine. Understanding that a new location comes with limited existing customers, they found creative ways to maximize impact through the ohDEER Coat Drive program. Instead of limiting the initiative to their customer base, they proactively placed donation boxes in high-traffic public businesses, coworking spaces, local banks, and other community hubs, so the whole community could participate.
The result was remarkable… and speaks volumes about Sarah and Jeri’s resourcefulness and dedication to helping local families in need. Their commitment to community-first marketing sets a new standard for how new franchise owners can make a meaningful difference while building brand recognition.
Read Our Q&A With Jeri Lucco, Franchise Owner at ohDEER Franchise
When did you start your business?
My daughter, Sarah, and I started the Columbus, OH, location in early 2025.
During your research, what made your franchise brand stand out?
The kindness, warmth, and heart of the franchise team and the passion of the founder. We appreciated their sense of humor, openness, and authenticity.
At one point in the Discovery process, Sarah said, “I feel sad when I think of not talking about ohDEER or to ohDEER people”. That sealed it for me, as ohDEER had always been my favorite option. And we both LOVE deer, so we were excited to have deer be part of our everyday conversation!
How did your franchisor help you to prepare for and launch your business?
There was a remote training phase to give us the basics and make sure we understood what materials were available for reference. Then we were able to spend a week with the founder’s operating team to get practical experience. Marketing conversations were parallel to technical training and again, included significant material and resources so we could create initial marketing plans and budgets.
What advice would you give potential franchisees considering your brand?
Be flexible with your plans. The weather can redirect everything on your calendar very quickly! Don’t be shy about reaching out for help from the founder, the corporate franchise team, or the other franchisees. Having people around you in the company as a resource is SO helpful!
What specific things set YOUR franchise apart?
We are the first woman-owned franchise for ohDEER, and we are leaning into that. We are also the first in our state (Ohio), so we are always looking at creative ways to get credibility and awareness in our communities.
The annual ohDEER Coat Drive provided us with a way to collaborate with local businesses to help members of our community. We also partnered with a local baker to deliver adorable deer cookies at the holidays. We are very involved with our local Chambers of Commerce and love that people tell us that every time they say “oh dear”, they now think of “ohDEER“.
What specific things contributed to your success?
We are scrappy! The franchisee community is amazing – more tenured franchisees have such depth of experience and are always willing to help, and the newer franchisees have business experience that provides fresh perspectives. We learned to tweak industry and sales knowledge to make it our own.
We also prioritize communication. We recognize and respect each other’s strengths and discuss both how to split up the work and where we need to partner on the work.
What unique strengths and skills do YOU bring to your franchise?
I have worked in multiple roles during my career – Sales, Accounting, Marketing, Operations – so I am pretty nimble across most conversations. I also have a very hard time with the words “No” or “Can’t”.
Sarah is amazing at gaining the trust of our clients, proven each day with each conversation. She has 10+ years of high-touch customer service experience and a strong operational/logistics mind.
What is something that might surprise people about franchise ownership?
No matter how prepared you are or how amazing the training is, you will always be learning. You MUST be open to hearing how others have done it, absorb it, and not be afraid to fine-tune it to have it be authentic for YOU. You MUST maintain a sense of humor and recognize that each challenge will get resolved. And do not be afraid to ask for help.
The ohDEER Franchise Opportunity:
ohDEER is an innovative, eco-friendly pest control franchise specializing in all-natural mosquito, tick, and deer control solutions for residential and commercial properties. Founded by Kurt and Colleen Upham, ohDEER has transformed the traditional pest control industry by using 100% plant-based products that are safe for children, pets, and the environment, eliminating the need for harmful chemical pesticides.
The franchise operates in the booming $20 billion pest control industry with a proprietary Saturation Method that delivers effective results while building recurring revenue through seasonal service contracts.
In 2025, ohDEER used the FBR franchisee satisfaction survey to gain unbiased insights into their franchisees, and they ranked highly on our unbiased awards lists, including:
Interested in Becoming an ohDEER Franchise Owner?
The franchise provides comprehensive training, ongoing support, marketing systems, and year-round revenue opportunities, including winter deer control services.
ohDEER emphasizes community impact through initiatives like T.I.C.K. (Testing for Infectious Carry by K9s) and appeals to entrepreneurs who value outdoor work, environmental responsibility, and building legacy businesses while meeting growing consumer demand for sustainable pest control solutions.
