(This story is the third in a series focusing on area veterans.)
Although other family members had served in the military, Luke Cain didn’t intend to take that path after graduating high school in 2001.
He left his hometown of Dublin for a job with the Department of Transportation in Atlanta while taking college classes at night. Then, 9/11 happened, and it changed everything. Some of his buddies who’d gone into the Reserves started getting activated, and Cain shifted gears.
“After 9/11, I had an actual draw to be In the middle of the action, and the Marine Corps Is the premiere fighting force,” said Cain, whose father and brother had also served in the Marines.
He spent five years in the Marines, deploying three times including one during which he fought in the Battle of Fallujah.
From active duty, he spent 16 years working as a contractor. That work brought him to Fort Gordon. Over time, his career moved to a managerial position, and Cain started thinking about his next move.
“I was no longer doing work I enjoyed. I started managing people. I realized once I started managing people, it was much more politics,” he said.
He researched his options.
“I didn’t have the real-world experience. I didn’t know what I didn’t know,” said Cain who looked at franchises with a proven track record.
One thing he did know was he didn’t want to venture into the food and beverage industry because of the nights and weekends involved. In his career, he had seen too many people miss the births of children or watch someone else teach their kids to ride a bike. He wanted an opportunity that once established would provide flexibility.
A rugby buddy told him about the Mosquito Squad Plus. He owned the Columbia territory and thought Augusta might be available. At the time, a landscape company used it as an add-on service.
Cain took over. At first, it was a side opportunity on nights and weekends, but after about three years, he cut the government job and went fulltime.
That’s when the business took off. Three years later, he’s bought out his buddy’s business in Columbia and manages the Jacksonville, Florida area. He was recently featured in Entrepreneur Magazine.
Mosquito Squad Plus of Augusta tackles more than just mosquitoes now; the business handles other types of pests, as well, he said.
Spurred by his success, Cain has expanded his vision and plans to launch into another endeavor in 2026.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. She’s won multiple Georgia Press Association awards, is the recipient of the 2018 Greater Augusta Arts Council’s media award and was named Augusta Magazine’s best local writer in 2024 and 2025. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here..
