Does it ever blow your mind

cory

Tree House enthusiast
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Aug 23, 2008
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how many tree services which are "small" (just 1, or maybe a couple locations, not multiple offices or national) own their own cranes and log trucks and heavy equipment.

Somehow I've always been under the impression that most tree services are small, like 3-5 guys, bucket truck, etc., but the more I surf the tree inter webs, the more it seems like large, very well equipped companies are commonplace.

Just saying.

I guess the reason I find it surprising is cuz I think of tree removal as a highly skilled process, regularly fraught with potential pitfalls large and small, all accomplished for frequently paltry sums of money, and the idea of sending out legions of guys to get it done, on a daily basis, just seems hard to fathom. But I apparently don't fully capiche
 
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  • #3
I'm not sure what you mean, Jerr.
 
It's not too odd. The more iron you have the faster a job goes, the faster it goes the cheaper you can bid it, and the faster it goes, the more you can do in a day. That's how they beat out the small companies on a lot of jobs. They can come in, bang out a $5000 tree for $3000 in a matter of hours and maybe fit something else in for the day or just quit early, where as the smaller company might be there for the whole day or even two days and make almost the same profit.


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We service 3 cities in WI with multiple towns, villages, etc (about 500k people) and not a single tree co around has a crane. The biggest have 2 buckets one one chip truck, a couple of skid loaders and one or two stumpers. Nothing crazy. Lots of 1 to 3 man operations here..... Of which I'm one.

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RD, so you could say a lot of it boils down to having full time, effective salesman or sales force to keep the work flowing to keep the iron and men busys
 
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emr, that is interesting.
 
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  • #8
Give it a whirl, Cory. I think you'll figure it out afterwards.

By the way, what is your line anyway? Sorry I forgot.

Jerr, still not sure what you mean in your 1st sentence.

In your second one, if you mean what do I do for a living, I'm a 3 man tree service with bucket, etc, started in the biz in '77, started own company in '88.
 
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  • #10
Massachusetts, for sure. Seems to be a lot in Ohio too.
 
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And some in Ontario too. Like I said above, it seems like there are a lot, and they are all over the place.
 
We have 3-4 here that are big enough to take on large municipal and utility. Several others who run between 5 and 15 employees. Can't count the smaller ones.

Davey, Bartlett, and Trees Inc. all have offices within about 20 mi of my home also.
 
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  • #16
Oh, I think I get it, you were saying you didn't know what was meant either.

:D
 
....I honestly think the Crane crews drag prices down, the Crane, Log Truck, Big Chipper plus box Truck all come with payments...then a the big crew to produce, hell throw in a mechanic too makes big payroll...have to sell hard to keep going...
 
I guess that you have to assume that the tree services with more than just two or three people, are keeping those people, or how do they stay competent with skilled work?
 
I think every facet of the game goes hand in hand to to become well equipped like you are talking about Cory. Marketing, sales, book keeping, maintenance schedules, continuing education, smart investments, etc. There are a lot of little things to go into it. Those big companies do need the phone to ring a lot to keep equipment working, but remember once you do start burning through more jobs, that's more people to refer you. Referrals are your best advertisement. Small company A gets 500 jobs done in a year, those customers then spread the word to lets say 250 future customers. Now, large company B does 2000 jobs in a year and nets 1000 more new customers from referrals. My point is, the bigger in production you are, the the bigger the ability you have to market yourself to create more work on referrals alone.

There really seems to be a hump between small and large companies, but if you take the leap to large (investments, loans) and you do provide great work in a good market, and do all of the little things right, then you will most likely be able to be well equipped just like them. Often times companies that do very well and grow like that, have owners that are bigger risk takers with investments.
 
It's not too odd. The more iron you have the faster a job goes, the faster it goes the cheaper you can bid it, and the faster it goes, the more you can do in a day. That's how they beat out the small companies on a lot of jobs. They can come in, bang out a $5000 tree for $3000 in a matter of hours and maybe fit something else in for the day or just quit early, where as the smaller company might be there for the whole day or even two days and make almost the same profit.


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If they are making the same profit, isn't it still a $3000 tree? I could be inefficient as all get out, and try to get my regular hourly.

I don't plan to drop prices because I can bring in a crane. I want to raise prices if I HAVE to bring in a crane.
 
Likely a culture develops. If one guy here gets a loader, and others see the advantage, there will be hotbed of loaders here, compared to someplace else where it hasn't started on the scene. population density helps critical mass for a tree service, until it gets too high (concrete jungle).
 
Blow my mind?

No.

I smoked some really strong weed, that blew my mind. Taking 2 ecstasy pills at the same time after a 15 year hiatus. That really blew my mind.
Dating a really beautiful woman who suffered from BPD was kind of mindblowing. Going to 380# on deadlifts blew a blood vessel in my head. That could definitely be considered mind = blown.

Tree services with stuff? Meh.
 
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