1992
August

• Ron (Age 24), Steve (Age 22) and Tom (Age 19) started with a 1976 Chevrolet ½ ton pickup, a 1971 Vermeer stump grinder model 630, a 1977 Chevrolet 1 ton with a Vermeer 44” tree spade and an old McColloch chain saw.
    

September

• After grinding a few stumps people were asking to have trees removed so we could grind the stumps.  We started with some smaller trees and then moved up.  Then along comes a job with a cottonwood tree over the motel we stayed in.  The three of us worked on removing that for a couple of days until we had it whipped.  After that we did just about everything.

October

• We purchased another saw or two, and a 1992 18’ car trailer to haul brush.
  


• Started advertising more.  Some jobs started to come in.
  

1993
March through Summer

• We purchased a 1966 Chevrolet C-60 with a 36’ aerial lift, a real Junker.
  
• We did a couple of big jobs for 2 cemeteries and trimmed trees to have a house moved, big stuff in those days.
• Throughout the year we acquired more jobs including transplanting trees.
• Flooded all summer.
• We blew the engine on the stump grinder, so we purchased a new engine.

October

• We went to a class for training to become certified arborists.

1994
January

• Things were slow so we all found other temporary jobs until spring.

April

• Became incorporated.
• We purchased a spray rig to apply pesticides and took tests to get pesticide licenses.
  

• Business began to grow, we quit our other jobs.
• We purchased a 1962 Ford grain truck for wood chips and an old brush chipper, scary thing.
  

July

• Windstorm blew over Champion Elm by Louisville and many other trees.

1995
March

• We purchased a 1977 Ford F700 with a Hi-Ranger 40’ aerial lift.
  

Summer

• Trimmed street trees for the city of Hiawatha.
• We blew the engine on the old chipper then replaced the engine.

September through the winter

• Purchased the building at 102 North Street, Seneca.
  

• Trimmed street trees for the city of Marysville.
• Fixed up the shop, and moved into the shop.
• Rented out a part of the shop.
• We purchased a 1969 Dodge with a heavy duty winch.
  

1996
June

• We purchased a 1996 Vermeer 935 brush chipper.
  

• We purchased a 1978 Ford F800 with a Tel-Elect 50’ aerial lift.
  

• We purchased a 1982 Chevy 1- ton.
  

October

• Ice storm in the area.

• We went to Seattle, Washington to help a tree service trim trees to for the suburb of Renton, Washington.
• Sold old brush chipper.
  

September

• We purchased three tree spades from Louisiana, lots of fun herding them back.
• 1977 International with an 88” Big John tree spade,
  

• 1971 6x6 International with a 60” Big John tree spade,
  

• 1974 Chevy C-60 with a 44” Vermeer tree spade.
  

October

• Jim (Age 31) moved back from California to Marysville.
• Snow storm damage in southeast Nebraska.

1998
June

• Windstorm blew out the windows in the shop.
• We fixed it and rented the front office to a gift shop.
• Junked the 1966 Chevrolet C-60 with a 36’ aerial lift.
  

• Sold the 1962 Ford grain truck.
  

1999
Spring

• We remounted the 44” Vermeer tree spade from the 1974 Chevy C-60 onto a 1980 Chevy 1-ton and sold both trucks.
  

June

• We purchased a 1990 Ford F900 with a 65’ Hi-Ranger, a real lemon.
  

August

• Moved 24 big trees for the city of Topeka.

October

• Big job moving over 160 big trees in Kansas City area for a new housing development.

2000
February

• We purchased a 1976 Int’l truck; later put a brand new 2000 90” Big John tree spade on it.
  
  

Spring through Summer

• We sold the 1977 International with the 88” Big John tree spade to a tree service from Louisiana.
  

• We sold and remounted the 60” Big John Tree Spade from the 1971 International onto a truck owned by a tree service from Dallas.
  

• We sold the 1971 6 X 6 International.
  

• Now all the trucks and spades that we purchased from Louisiana are sold.
• We purchased a 1966 2656 International Tractor.
  

2001

• Tom bought P & J Waste Management from dad.
• Sold 1978 Ford F800 with a Tel-Elect 50’ aerial lift.
  

• Tony (Age 20) started working.

2002
February through Spring

• Ice storm in Kansas City.
• Junked the 1969 Dodge, but kept the winch.
  

June

• Jim bought tree spades. Go to www.treemover.biz
  
    

Fall

• After many repairs and reducing the price from $46,000 to $28,000, we sold the 1990 Ford F900 with a 65’ Hi-Ranger to a tree service from New York.
  

2003
March

• We purchased a 1986 Ford F700 with a chipper box.
  

2004
Winter through Spring

• Remounted the 40’ Hi-Ranger aerial lift from the 1977 Ford to a 1994 Chevy Kodiak, which was purchased in October 2003, and junked the old 1977 Ford truck.
  

• We purchased a trailer to haul the tractor.
  

• We sold the 2656 International tractor to dad.
  

2005
Spring

• We repainted the 1982 Chevy 1-ton from brown to white.
  

2006
January

• We purchased a Case front end loader.
  

March

• We purchased a 1992 Haybuster tub grinder.
  

October

• We ground brush at a housing development in Junction City with the tub grinder.

December

• We purchased a trailer to haul tools for the tub grinder.
  

2007
December

• Ice storm.
• We purchased a 1991 Ford with a grapple and a 1992 Int’l with a Hi-Ranger 55’ aerial lift.
  
  

2008
March through June

• Trimmed street trees for the cities of Hiawatha, Whiting, Goff and Barnes, etc.
• We purchased a 1998 GMC with a Hi-Ranger 55’ aerial lift.
  

August

• We ground some cedars in Oklahoma for use in the oil fields.
• We purchased a 2004 Vermeer SC60TX stump grinder and a trailer to haul it.
  
 

2009 to present

• This is the equipment we own now.
    
    

We’ve never run out of work.
It has been a long haul, starting with basically nothing, no money, very little experience and charging the least possible, but we finally built up a fleet of quality vehicles and equipment.