In college, I interned with the forest service on a trail crew and got a spark going. I was looking to become a Forester, but trying to get a start in that industry is tough. They don't have a lot of openings, and they don't pay all that well. With student loans rolling in, I needed something that was going to be more stable and had a quicker path to climb the ladder.

I graduated with a degree in parks and forest resources. I’ve always had a green mindset and an appreciation of forestry in general, whether natural or urban forest. I learned about SavATree at a college career fair. I had no experience in the industry when I joined the team, but I jumped straight into doing tree work, and I’ve been loving it ever since. I've been with SavATree for five years.

I came in knowing about the general biology behind trees, but I did not have any experience with the actual production of tree work. All of that was very new to me. Success came through a lot of training and a lot of great opportunities that I helped line myself up for, but there were also a lot of key people that helped push me along the way and helped get me to where I am, the right place.

I became the head crew leader for the Middleton branch. We were a growing branch in a growing location, and it was very overwhelming to start. But I had a lot of support, from the crew leader who trained me, to the sales staff, to the manager. Everybody helped me succeed.

One of the things I love about working here is how broad my day can be. There are some days when I'm going to take a stump grinder out all day. There are some days when I might take an air spade and a giant compressor and blow dirt away from the base of trees and look at roots all day. There are some days where I may be hand snipping small ornamental shrubs, and trees, trying to keep everything healthy and looking good for customers. And then there are some days where I may be climbing 100-foot pine trees and putting cables in between them or cleaning out redwood. I perform a wide range of duties.

My job is exciting. I've seen in the few years that I've been involved, there's been many advancements in gear, technology, concepts, and techniques. It’s just very exciting to see how much there is out there, from small tree pruning and climbing up to crane removals and everything in between.

One of the most surprising things to me, honestly, was realizing that the hardest part of my job is not necessarily climbing trees and lugging chainsaws around and setting up rigging and lowering pieces to the ground. The hardest part of my job is managing the people, helping my crew work efficiently. That includes making sure that I'm training while also helping the job to run smoothly, talking to customers, and relaying information to the sales arborists or my manager.

Trees are very underappreciated at times, but then there are times when people have too much connection. At the end of the day, a tree is a tree, it's a living thing. Sometimes, you need to be able to let them go.

I’ve also learned a lot about people and managing people. It's easy to look back at a manager you may have had at one point in your life and say they were great, but it can be tough to translate. A good mentor goes a long way, and I’ve had plenty here at SavATree.

I was working as an Assistant Golf Course Superintendent and a friend of mine referred me to SavATree. I had some reservations about taking on a new job, but ultimately the opportunity at SavATree was clearly something I could not pass up.

I had more than ten years of experience in the industry. My continued education was in Turf Grass Management and the classes I needed for my degree have all come in handy at SavATree. I was only interested in jobs in the green industry, and the opportunity for growth is what sealed the deal for me.

My first role in the company was PHC Specialist. I moved into a Sales Arborist role after the better part of my first season. After more than three years of sales, I moved into my current position. I am currently the Operations Manager for our Warrenville, Illinois office and I have been with SavATree for about six years.

I had support from several people I worked with here in Warrenville. There is a wealth of knowledge here, and that knowledge has helped me gain the insight needed for the jobs I’ve held. I really wanted to further my knowledge of trees and shrubs, and I’ve been able to do that at SavATree.

I enjoy spending my free time outdoors. I’m an avid golfer, I enjoy taking hikes with my dog, as well as spending time with family and friends. The ability to work with plant life and spend my days outside was very attractive to me. My career at SavATree has been a perfect fit.

I’ve learned that tree people are typically great people! One of the most surprising things I’ve learned is how simple trees really are. Before this job, I already had a strong connection to trees and the natural world, and that passion has really grown in my time here with SavATree.

Every day is different and that’s what I love about my job. SavATree is a great place to learn and grow. In an ever-changing environment, there will always be a need to intervene with landscapes to help them thrive. For me, the best thing about my job has been the people I’ve had the opportunity to work with. This is a great company with great people. It’s fun, dynamic, and ever-changing.

While attending Paul Smith’s College in upstate New York for forestry, I attended a career fair and ended up at the SavATree booth. I did a summer internship for the company here on Cape Cod, and after that I made the decision to come on full-time after graduation. Before the internship, I had no experience with residential tree work. I had not planned on getting into this field, but I enjoyed the challenge.

After my summer internship, I became a General Tree Care ground person. I advanced to a Crew Leader position, then a PHC Technician, then an Arbor Patrol Specialist. Now I am in the process of transitioning into an Operations Manager role. I’ve been with SavATree for six years.

On-the-job training has really contributed to my advancement. Getting familiar with all three service lines has made each transition much easier. I have had good management guiding me with a development plan outlining goals and timelines, which keeps me on track to my career goals.

I assist the Branch Manager in getting employees out the door in the mornings. I also help the employees get the equipment they need. After that, I do a PHC route during the day and once that is completed, I return to the branch to continue doing operational tasks.

My favorite part of the job is being able to help employees and our customers with whatever it is they may need. It is a good feeling when you see how much the customers value their property and the fact that they put trust in you to maintain it to their expectations. Customers who truly care about their property will do whatever it takes to keep their landscapes healthy. I love using my knowledge about insects and diseases to treat plant material accordingly.

As of right now, I see myself continuing to transition into an Operations Manager position. The company’s views are what pulled me into the industry, but what’s kept me here is all the training, the stability, the teamwork, and the opportunity for career advancement. SavATree is a great opportunity for someone who is looking to make a career in the landscape industry.

I’ve always enjoyed gardening and enjoyed trees. In college, I studied biological premedical illustration, and I was interested in studying plants. During the Covid pandemic, I was doing a lot of gardening. My husband said, “You really love this, why don't you do this?” I researched some landscaping companies and applied. SavATree in Middleton reached out to me. I sent some before and after photos of what I had done with my yard, which led to an interview and the beginning of my journey.

I was attracted to the Arborist Sales position because it was an opportunity for me to learn something new and also to teach other people about their trees. I'm now the SavATree Middleton Branch Manager. I tackle issues that come up on a day-to-day basis to keep our crews running and our clients happy.

There's always room for improvement and opportunities to grow. SavATree offers leadership programs such as the Dale Carnegie leadership program and situational leadership. I’ve found these really helpful in helping me develop my own leadership style. I’m a better leader because I can teach other people these same skills for themselves.

I was in the sailing industry before joining SavATree. On a boat, you need to police everybody to make sure passengers are safe. Having that deep understanding of the importance of safety proved to be helpful in this industry. There's always a great risk in removing trees. A lot of things can happen and can go wrong. My staff at SavATree in Middleton and the organization as a whole has a very high regard for safety.

When I came to interview for the position, Russ, the manager at the time, was very welcoming. He took me under his wing and was really nurturing and helpful in the education department.

I can always reach out to anyone in the company, even across branches, to get answers and support pretty quickly. This team looks after each other and everyone roots for everyone's success.

We take care of our field crew, and the arborists make sure that they have work to do. They show up every day ready to present a reliable service to our clients. That kind of relationship really goes a long way.

The most surprising thing that I've learned from my career at SavATree is that I'm good at it! I love seeing people happy. In our ever-changing climate of the world outside, I feel like I'm making somewhat of a difference in a world where it's hard to make a difference. It’s also fun! SavATree is like a work family. Working here is the best decision that I've made.

I originally started with SavATree just over 34 years ago right out of high school. I needed a job and my sister-in-law was working for SavATree in the office. I’ve always enjoyed being outside in nature, and I actually wanted to be a veterinarian. When I started working on trees, I thought “Well, trees don't bite back! Or at least not as often.” With a tree, all you have to overcome is climbing 60 feet up in the air and swinging around with a chainsaw. It's no problem!

I worked out in the field climbing and doing spray treatments. I went away to college for a while and ended up coming back in a sales role. Eventually, a position opened up and I became a Service Line Director. Although I really enjoyed sales, this new position was really more along the lines of what I wanted. I’m more connected to the science of trees, so this job is perfect for me.

The most attractive thing about working at SavATree is that there's a lot of opportunity for growth for anybody that wants to be in this industry. When we were a smaller company, there wasn't always a lot of room for growth for people that wanted to move up. Now there's limitless opportunity.

I’ve been able to attend conferences, which has been a great way for me to continue my education in this industry. There’s plenty of internal training and mentoring here. Also, many people at SavATree have even been able to move to somewhere where they’ve always dreamed and still work for the company at another branch.

It depends which week we're talking about! I'm the service line director for one of our major service lines. I design and write all prescriptions for the treatments that we provide. I put together the programs for everything that goes into keeping trees healthy on our clients' properties.

During the season, I fly out to visit many of our branches to do training with sales, the field team, the office staff or management. Last week, I visited Seattle and Portland and next week I'm flying to Houston.

When I'm not out on the road, I mostly work from home, answering technical questions, administering the program, setting up the services in the database, and assisting with acquisitions.

I'd say the best thing is just the people that I've met and the things that I've learned from them. I've seen a lot of changes over the years, but the top-level management has always been very dedicated to the company.

The most surprising thing about my job is that I've been able to make a career of this and do pretty well for myself! When I started, I was an 18-year-old kid that had no idea what I wanted to do. At SavATree, I’ve found something that I really do love.

I'm the happiest when I get to dig into some scientific research. I'm the type of person that always wants to be learning, and SavATree has really given me those opportunities. I learned all the science stuff and then I started learning all the business stuff, and I just feel like it really has just made me such a well-rounded person.

I was working as an Operations Manager for a commercial construction company. My husband had just fallen from a tree on our property, trying to take out a branch. Basically, he broke every bone in his body. I was caring for him at home and saw the ad for SavAtTree. I had no idea what this company did but thought, “Well, a tree was running my life right now, so what the heck!”

Back then, I couldn’t tell you what trees were in my yard! I was looking to stay in the construction industry, but SavATree won me over. When I interviewed for the OM position, I was impressed by the relaxed atmosphere of the branch. Nothing fancy, but it looked like a place I could fit in and make a difference. I had a couple of good offers, but decided I liked the opportunities and atmosphere at SavATree the best.

I started as Operations Manager of the Springfield, VA branch. One of the things I was able to accomplish was getting SavATree on the GSA Schedule and I started to manage all the government work for the company.

When the consulting group was formed, I started to support that group as well. After that, I was invited to join a couple of integration groups and loved it! I enjoyed traveling and meeting new people. I was thrilled when I was asked to join Corporate as a member of the CXM team.

There is always something new to learn. I’ve been allowed to spread my wings and grow personally and professionally. I’ve always been encouraged to learn something else or be a part of something new. If you are willing to grow, the opportunities are endless! When I started with SavATree, my job title didn’t even exist. This year I’m celebrating my 15-year anniversary with SavATree. You never know what might be coming.

In any given week, I can be traveling to new locations, helping new employees understand how the systems work, training the admin team on how to handle unique situations that come up, and helping create what the future processes will be and how they will look from the customer experience side.

It certainly has! Now I enjoy my trees and pay more attention to the landscapes around me. I could go on for hours about them making oxygen, about storms, water mitigation, about air pollution mitigation, all that kind of stuff. What it really comes down to is that trees are good for people and people can be good for trees. We know that particularly in more urban areas, the more green you see, the more relaxed people are, the healthier people are. People and trees need each other. Everything I know about trees came from SavATree. It has been a great ride.

I’ve always had a passion for trees. I attended an agricultural high school to study Environmental Science, and I continued those studies in college. I first learned about SavATree at a career fair in Maine. SavATree had a branch there, but I was moving to Colorado once I graduated. It did not occur to me that SavATree had so many locations until I stumbled on a job post for a Lawn Specialist in Colorado.

I initially applied for a Sales Arborist position, although I was woefully underqualified. However, the branch manager saw something in me. He hired me as a lawn specialist with the clear expectation that I learn every service line to eventually take over a sales role.

I worked in Lawn Care, Plant Health Care, General Tree Care, and Décor. After two years, an Operations Manager position opened up. I had never even considered that role, but my manager approached me about it and I decided to take it. It’s been a great fit! The experience I gained from doing each service line has made me an empathetic and effective Operations Manager.

I never quite know what the day holds, and I love it. I oversee production, and my main responsibility is to make sure all crews are operating at peak efficiency. I manage a team of specialists, fielding phone calls from them and performing crew safety audits to ensure we are following all ANSI safety requirements. I keep up to date on the conditions of all trucks and equipment, and coordinate maintenance when necessary.

I have been given the opportunity to learn from experts with years of experience in each field, and I am thankful for their willingness to share their knowledge with me. I’m now an ISA certified Arborist. I have grown professionally and personally through the years and credit it to the great people who work here.

My favorite part of the job by far is working with these great people here in Firestone. We are one tribe and SavATree is built on a culture of safety-minded individuals and team players. This company is loaded with fully capable, kind, knowledgeable experts who all want to see each other grow.

There are no limits to how far you can go in your career at SavATree because there’s always the opportunity for growth. This company offers numerous different career paths to everyone and they will stop at nothing to guide you into reaching your full potential. The amount of time and money they put back into their employees to grow knowledge, obtain certifications and push our professional development is evidence of the constant support they provide.