Montana_Sam
ArboristSite Member
Hello All!
So, I've been in the industry for a little over a decade. Cut my teeth with the Forest Service here in MT, sawing on wildfires and clearing trails. Got certified up the wazoo for climbing and falling timber. Left the Feds after college and got my ISA certification, worked as an arborist and crew lead for the biggest outfit in our valley for 5 years. Everything from municipal pruning contracts (100's of trees) to county-wide stump grinding contracts, complex urban rigging and crane removals, wild fire reduction, etc.
I love the work truly, and am good at it. I've got a good eye for tree work, and the heart for the long game. The big tree company sold out two years ago, parceled up, no one has yet to fill the void. I currently do tree work part time, for myself, completely under the table. Over the years I've come to know enough clients personally that they have reached out and asked me to work for them, which is just fine with me. But hauling brush with my 1/2 ton and a rented dump trailer truly blows, especially when you've so recently done it with a finely tuned Bandit and a brush grapple. Regardless, I'm able to make great cash money, stay in fighting shape and be a stay at home Dad, which is fantastic.
I have a repeat customer with 26 acres of woods I manage, he's a wealthy guy who owns several small companies in various states, everything from shipping and delivery trucks to material handling. He asked about helping me invest in equipment recently. I'm sure to someone like him $75k is less than a drop in the bucket. Enough for me to get a nice used chip truck and a nice used chipper, some extra gear, etc. I imagine he wants to squirrel some money away in a small LLC, have all the equipment at his disposal, and turn a small but regular source of local revenue (he doesn't live here, just owns properties). Fully trustworthy, good, business smart guy; I wouldn't be posting this otherwise.
Is this every small business owners dream or some type of lurking trap??? I wouldn't be beholden to a bank, and could grow small. This guy clearly knows how to run a business, which I don't. I'm a tree guy, that's why I haven't gone into business on my own yet. With the right resources we could fill the void here in the valley, there are perhaps 1/2 dozen outfits that do tree work, but show up in sweatpants and a chipper born in the 80's dripping oil all over a millionaires new driveway. I want to be small, high-end, and super professional. Our town is a lot like Vail or Aspen, LOTS of second, third and fourth homes tucked into the woods that need LOTS of routine tree work. That's my jam. Low risk, easy jobs for the ultra wealthy....but I'm not going to do it without equipment.
Thoughts on having a private investor like this? Anyone done this before? I'm sure there are some things to get hammered out before hand....
So, I've been in the industry for a little over a decade. Cut my teeth with the Forest Service here in MT, sawing on wildfires and clearing trails. Got certified up the wazoo for climbing and falling timber. Left the Feds after college and got my ISA certification, worked as an arborist and crew lead for the biggest outfit in our valley for 5 years. Everything from municipal pruning contracts (100's of trees) to county-wide stump grinding contracts, complex urban rigging and crane removals, wild fire reduction, etc.
I love the work truly, and am good at it. I've got a good eye for tree work, and the heart for the long game. The big tree company sold out two years ago, parceled up, no one has yet to fill the void. I currently do tree work part time, for myself, completely under the table. Over the years I've come to know enough clients personally that they have reached out and asked me to work for them, which is just fine with me. But hauling brush with my 1/2 ton and a rented dump trailer truly blows, especially when you've so recently done it with a finely tuned Bandit and a brush grapple. Regardless, I'm able to make great cash money, stay in fighting shape and be a stay at home Dad, which is fantastic.
I have a repeat customer with 26 acres of woods I manage, he's a wealthy guy who owns several small companies in various states, everything from shipping and delivery trucks to material handling. He asked about helping me invest in equipment recently. I'm sure to someone like him $75k is less than a drop in the bucket. Enough for me to get a nice used chip truck and a nice used chipper, some extra gear, etc. I imagine he wants to squirrel some money away in a small LLC, have all the equipment at his disposal, and turn a small but regular source of local revenue (he doesn't live here, just owns properties). Fully trustworthy, good, business smart guy; I wouldn't be posting this otherwise.
Is this every small business owners dream or some type of lurking trap??? I wouldn't be beholden to a bank, and could grow small. This guy clearly knows how to run a business, which I don't. I'm a tree guy, that's why I haven't gone into business on my own yet. With the right resources we could fill the void here in the valley, there are perhaps 1/2 dozen outfits that do tree work, but show up in sweatpants and a chipper born in the 80's dripping oil all over a millionaires new driveway. I want to be small, high-end, and super professional. Our town is a lot like Vail or Aspen, LOTS of second, third and fourth homes tucked into the woods that need LOTS of routine tree work. That's my jam. Low risk, easy jobs for the ultra wealthy....but I'm not going to do it without equipment.
Thoughts on having a private investor like this? Anyone done this before? I'm sure there are some things to get hammered out before hand....