Can't find professional treemen in Paradise

[NovoArbor]

Hello everyone.....my husband and I operate a commercial tree maintenance company in south east Florida - the Gold Coast - the Palm Beaches. Claude (ISA CA for 23 years) handles all the field operation and I - Starr - take care of business development & administration. Our customers are golf courses, resorts, high end home owners associations, business parks, etc. Our work is of the highest caliber - our equipment is new & well maintained - our crews (2) are uniformed & professional.

Problem is..... we can't find good help. The guys that apply to us are a disgrace to the profession. This is preventing us from growing. We did $300,000 our first year - will go over $500,000 our second year. We'd like to hire a Sales Person, but we have a tough time as it is handling all the work we get.

So if anyone knows someone or you are that someone that wants to work in Paradise down here - please give us a call. 561-330-9785.

 

[OutOnaLimb]

I second that Rocky, Its even harder to find some one who knows what they are doing and isnt either a crack head or a drunk. I got lucky with my new guy.

Kenn

 

[Joe]

As long as people are demeaning the help that's available while the others who agree with the 1st group demean and badger the organizations who've been attempting to raise the level of the profession, sure, finding good help will continue to be a problem.

Joe

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

When somebody says they can't find good help, it means they aren't paying enough.
For $5 an hour you won't find good help, but for $60 an hour you'll get your choice of some of the better arborists.
Until you consider arborist professionals and pay them a living wage, you'll continue to be disappointed.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Is that YOUR case, NovoArbor?

What's your pay scale?

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Do the math Butch.
Two crews, let's guess 3 men each, means 6 employees in the field. Most accountants will agree the cost of an employee to a company is about double his salary. Let's say he pays $40,000 per year each, after all, he wants infomed professionals.
This means each of his 6 arborist cost him about $80,000.
Eighty thousand dollars, times 6 men equals $480,000. That's $180,000 more than he did in sales.
A $300,000 a year tree company can support one, maybe two professional employees, plus part time office and sales staff.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Where do you get X2 for payroll expences Mike? It's more like 50% if your W/C is moderatly high and you provide some part of the employee health premium. Less if there is no health beni.

So a multiple of 1.5 would be more realistic.

$15/hr is 30k per annum w/o any OT in there, so you could use that as the average income per man/year. Wich brings you to $45k per man year for total payroll expences.

So each crew needs to produce $135k per annum to make regular payroll.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by Joe
As long as people demean and badger the organizations who've been attempting to raise the level of the profession, sure, finding good help will continue to be a problem.

Joe is right; if you slam the orgs and still ask where the problem is with no good professionals in this field, just look in the mirror for the answer.
novo, I know a subcontracting climber in orlando who says he hates working for his present contractors. Interested?

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Originally posted by RockyJSquirrel
30K might have been acceptable 10 years ago,

I was using that as the crew median Brian, not top pay. On a three man cre the last guy is not going to make the same as the first guy.

But i do agree with the premmis that you get what you pay for.

With any labor type position, the employer has to winnow the chaff, or pan for the gold, then pay over the local industry standart to keep those who are worth the effort of keeping.

 

[kurtztree]

Rocky, What are the one or two bedroom apartments going for a month down there in florida? I am thinking I am getting laid off from the big orange will find out next week power company says no money in budget. And I dont know if I will be able to make a living on my side jobs. So I will be looking for another job if that happens. I think I am pretty good climber in gaffs but without thats another story. Only been trimming trees on the side without gaffs for the last three months. Wish me luck okay.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Originally posted by John Paul Sanborn
Where do you get X2 for payroll expences Mike? It's more like 50% if your W/C is moderatly high and you provide some part of the employee health premium. Less if there is no health beni.

So a multiple of 1.5 would be more realistic.

$15/hr is 30k per annum w/o any OT in there, so you could use that as the average income per man/year. Wich brings you to $45k per man year for total payroll expences.

So each crew needs to produce $135k per annum to make regular payroll.

So at $15 an hour, that's still $270,000 for two crews. Then how about benefits? Doesn't leave much for overhaed and profit.
If you consider $15 an hour and no benefits a working wage, I want to know how? Heck, I'm not moving to FL on an offer like that!

 

[jkrueger]

Ah, interesting, the original poster of this thread has not commented on all the good guess work.

Jack

 

[NovoArbor]

OK guys - let me see if I can explain. Our lead climber is 28 yrs old - makes $20 per hour. Our lead groundsman makes $16 and our groundsman in training makes $10.50 per hour. When we need extra help on the ground, we hire day labor @ $9.25 per hour. That's our crew for the 1st year.

The 2nd year - same guys - 1 crew through now but starting tomorrow we're adding a new climber (relocating from PA) starting at $18. We'll add 2 day laborers per day for the next few months. We'll do over $500k this year just by adding 1 professional tree climber & ground help. We're highly organized, efficient & use the best equipment plus price the work well. And we makes sure all the equipment works & trucks run well by implementing a good service plan consistently. No down time.

We work 6 days per week during the high season, & we don't pay overtime. But we do offer a min of 40 hr weeks every week of the year. No medical benefits - yet. We do pay for holidays. We also plan to implement a bonus plan. We also encourage & support education & hold weekly safety meetings.

Everything is on the books. All insurance in place. Claude is on every job to start it - gets back to it during the day - supports his men by making sure they have everything they need and that their work is not hampered by the customers taking up their time. Fortunately we're all commercial and all customer contact is through Claude or myself.

 

[NovoArbor]

Gimme a break! I was working while you guys were sleeping in and just now got back to my computer. I was amazed at the number of posts once you all woke up on this fine Sunday.

 

[MasterBlaster]

It's all good, Novo.



Rust never sleeps...

 

[NovoArbor]

Originally posted by Guy Meilleur
Joe is right; if you slam the orgs and still ask where the problem is with no good professionals in this field, just look in the mirror for the answer.
novo, I know a subcontracting climber in orlando who says he hates working for his present contractors. Interested?

Whoa! Never did nor would I slam the orgs. They are critical and we support them. We're always encouraging our men to further their education and we give it to them whether they want it or not. This is no different than any other business - it's hard to find the right person - everyone complains - but when we do - we hang on to them. Our 2 lead men have been with us for 10 & 7 years respectively & our groundsman with us for 2. We're a family business and enjoy treating our people well. Just the other day I had to babysit a 4 yr old & a 7 yr old - 2 boys - so that their Dad could go to work. I took them to the beach with our dog. It was horrible - just kidding!

 

[NovoArbor]

Thanks, Rocky. We're Novo Arbor - have bright kelly green trucks. We're usually on golf courses or inside other commercial properties so one would not see us around too much. Give us a call when you're down here again. Lighthouse Point is 15 min south of us. 561-330-9785.

 

[NovoArbor]

Originally posted by RockyJSquirrel
Real tree care doesn't sell so it doesn't get any promotion. How many salesmen will tell 80% of their calls to leave their trees alone and DON'T have them trimmed? The reason we have so few GOOD old arborists in the field is because many realize that sometimes the best tree care is no tree care. Notice that the common thread amongst the most experienced arborists on this site is 'less is more'.

Rocky, I must say that we do get hired over the next company because that is exactly what we advocate. The trees in south Florida continue to be raped by hackers so we're doing our part by educating our customers. It works. We're educating by speaking in front of HOA's, Property Managers, etc. We also have to educate the landscape contractors we work for. Less is more! Hip Hip Horray!

 

[MasterBlaster]

Originally posted by RockyJSquirrel
Sometimes some of us can get swallowed up by our negativity until it oozes out of our pores and spills onto everything we touch.

YIKES!!!

Don't touch me!

 

[coydog]

why don't you pay overtime?