05/28/2026
In this industry:
They think you cut trees...
They don't know about the calculations you run in your head before you put a guy on a rope.
The exact angle of the lean, the tie-in point, where the houses are, where the kids ride bikes, and whether the homeowner is the kind who'll wander into the drop zone if you don't lock the gate.
They don't know about the call you took at 11pm and you were the only outfit who'd answer the phone.
And they have no idea that the bid you walked away from, the one your competitor took for less, was going to hurt somebody.
They think it's chainsaws.
You know what it actually is.
So does every owner in this country still running a real shop, doing real work, holding a real line.
There aren't that many.
Most of you don't know each other.
You should.
The standard you hold is the most expensive thing in your business...
Insurance.
Real training.
Great equipment.
Pay scales that keep your employees around.
Time off when a guy's wife is sick.
The bid you don't lowball because you can't run the job safely at that number.
It's also the most valuable thing you own.
This industry is one of the highest risk professions in the country. Stay true to your standards. Hold yourself to it and hold your neighboring tree companies to the same standards.
