I've been applying to some of the larger tree companies (Bartlett, Lucas, Save a tree) and have received some interest enough for an interview. Has anyone worked for some of these companies? Are they any good?.. benefits, salary, work load?
Working with Large Tree Companies
- Thread starter jmlong86
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I've never worked for the above mentioned companies, but work, or worked, with a lot of ex-employees of said companies. Lucas seems to be mainly line clearance or right of way around here, while bartlett and sav-a-tree more plant health care oriented. Best way to find out the current salaries and benefits is go to the interviews.
I will say, that some of the best climbers i've worked with are ex-bartlett guys. But they are all products of the same shop, so your experiance may vary.
I will say, that some of the best climbers i've worked with are ex-bartlett guys. But they are all products of the same shop, so your experiance may vary.
leeson
ArboristSite Lurker
I've worked for two different Davey offices. The pay is OK, benefits are OK, you get paid time off and holidays. They have a retirement plan and health insurance options. They aren't great, but better than nothing. They have some education assistance and other benefits if you seek them out and bug their HR.
I've had friends work for Asplundh (sp?) and it seems to depend on your location. Some areas are union, others aren't. Pay apparently ranges from $12 to $34 an hour for a climber depending on where you work (back in 2008 at least).
I've had friends work for Asplundh (sp?) and it seems to depend on your location. Some areas are union, others aren't. Pay apparently ranges from $12 to $34 an hour for a climber depending on where you work (back in 2008 at least).
7.3 rocket
ArboristSite Lurker
I work for the green and yellow.
Like any other employer it has its ups and downs, but I will say if I could work for a small company and get the same benefits and pay I absolutely would.
Our top pay for guys with all their certifications (CDL, arborist, supervisory spray) is 26/hr a totally green groundie is around 16 most climbers are upper teens lower 20s.
Office to office things will vary hugely but I will say that in my office there seems to be a general unwillingness to teach new guys anything.
I've met some very skilled very helpful people in the company, but on the flip side there are people who just don't care and will pawn off anything they can on the new guy and pass the buck wherever possible.
The downside of it is that with a big company there is no good way to reward the folks who try vs the folks who just do what they have to in order to get a check at the end of the week.
My office does have one of the few cranes in the company and it makes a huge difference. Saves a lot of wear and tear on the guys and saves a lot of time and effort in rigging and dragging brush. Something you likely wouldn't get with a smaller company.
As stated it has its ups and downs that's about all I'm going to say in a public forum if you have any specific questions feel free to PM me.
Like any other employer it has its ups and downs, but I will say if I could work for a small company and get the same benefits and pay I absolutely would.
Our top pay for guys with all their certifications (CDL, arborist, supervisory spray) is 26/hr a totally green groundie is around 16 most climbers are upper teens lower 20s.
Office to office things will vary hugely but I will say that in my office there seems to be a general unwillingness to teach new guys anything.
I've met some very skilled very helpful people in the company, but on the flip side there are people who just don't care and will pawn off anything they can on the new guy and pass the buck wherever possible.
The downside of it is that with a big company there is no good way to reward the folks who try vs the folks who just do what they have to in order to get a check at the end of the week.
My office does have one of the few cranes in the company and it makes a huge difference. Saves a lot of wear and tear on the guys and saves a lot of time and effort in rigging and dragging brush. Something you likely wouldn't get with a smaller company.
As stated it has its ups and downs that's about all I'm going to say in a public forum if you have any specific questions feel free to PM me.
B Harrison
ArboristSite Guru
haven't worked for them, but Aspludph starts out groundie $9 ish an hour (non union), great benefits 4 10's.
I really wanted to do that, but can't stand the pay cut mentally I suppose.
Thats in Western NC
I really wanted to do that, but can't stand the pay cut mentally I suppose.
Thats in Western NC
RandomWoodsman
ArboristSite Lurker
Ive worked for davey and currently work for bartlett, and the one thing that I can say it varies hugely by office. pay is dependent on how you sell yourself at your interview and what your background is coming into it. More experience equals more pay and do not be afraid to haggle back and forth. However the benefits at both companies are good, in nationwide companies alot is about how valuable you make yourself, are you willing to go out of town are you willing to get certified and do you work hard take the course provided by the company.. . you need to make yourself a valuable asset my first experience in the industry was at davey, i came out of college with two forestry degrees and couldn't find good full time work and ended up going there as a port in a storm while I was there I fought tooth and nail for any experience and any opportunity and that was mainly because of the office manager not the actual company. Ended up teaching myself how to climb on a secondhand older than me saddle i grabbed from a guy on his way out before they could reissue it to anyone else and personal equipment. where I work now totally different was issued up to date great equipment and some of that has to do with a company policy of not using personal equipment but alot has to do with the office manager and the supervising foreman and how the office is run. So just take the time in the interview to feel the manager or foreman out and ask there equipment and training policies and ask to take a tour of the shop and see the trucks chippers, climbing gear etc.
Good Luck hope that helps I know nothing of the other companies and I have high regard for both the companies that I have and am working for.
- Random
Good Luck hope that helps I know nothing of the other companies and I have high regard for both the companies that I have and am working for.
- Random
CanopyGorilla
climber....sawyer
I work for the biggest private company around here and they just hired a "more experienced" guy from Davey.... Man what a hack. Guy gets hired $4 bucks more than I'm at now and first day he gets scared and needs me to finish his tree after climbing for 10 hours strait. turned into a 12 hour day because the "more experienced" guy from Davey hadn't done much limb walking or rigging......
We were a small company with a very loyal and large residential customer list. We paid our top climbers considerably more than the big companies, but we couldn't compete with bennies. Our top climbers were guaranteed 4 hrs if weather was too bad to work, and major holidays. No pension and that was before 401K's. We were booked all the way through the winter. Over the years we picked up a couple top guys in our area because big companies had laid them off due to slow work in the winter. They had to call so many companies a week to get their unemployment. When they called us they were surprised when we said "Yes, come on in". 30 years ago all the tree guys in the area knew all the others. When a good guy became available every one knew. Back then a lot of the best guys were heavy drinkers and would get in trouble, if the big companies tried to use progressive discipline, they just quit. They would be hired on the next day by someone else.
This might not help you with the big company question, and most of the good little guys in our area have retired (like me) or been bought out. Seems like there are a zillion fly by night guys out there now. Might be hard to find a good little company now, Joe.
P.S. As mentioned above, we had guys from big companies come highly recommended and were terrible, all they were was bucket jockies. Then again, some really top notch guys come from the biggies. I think the really good guys that don't stay spin off on their own.
This might not help you with the big company question, and most of the good little guys in our area have retired (like me) or been bought out. Seems like there are a zillion fly by night guys out there now. Might be hard to find a good little company now, Joe.
P.S. As mentioned above, we had guys from big companies come highly recommended and were terrible, all they were was bucket jockies. Then again, some really top notch guys come from the biggies. I think the really good guys that don't stay spin off on their own.
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