# Asplundh



## nilzlofgren (Mar 6, 2007)

Was on my way home today, and saw Asplundh doing their thing. So I got to thinking, the scope and scale of their work is so huge, I wonder how they deal with certain aspects of the business. Like do they have a division, that just sharpens chains and chipper knives? Do they buy chain buy the spool or the mile:hmm3grin2orange:. When they upgrade their saws for instance, do they buy 5000 at a time? Do they have a 10,000 gallon fuel tank with 50:1 mix? And where the F:censored: k do they take all the chips?:hmm3grin2orange:.


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## beowulf343 (Mar 6, 2007)

Interesting question-i wonder if they deal with these problems the same away around the world. 
When i was with them in New York state, everyone who owned a saw and brought it to work received a saw check. If i remember correctly it was $1 per hour per saw. So the saw owner was responsible for sharpening, upgrading, and gas and oil for the saws. Chipper blades-usually the gf carried around a few sets and would swap them out for a few crews, sharpen them, and then swap them out with a few other crews, and so on and so forth. We were usually on a 6 week cycle for new blades. Chips-dumped them wherever we could-farmers were our most regular dump spots, although i remember we dumped hundreds of loads into a swamp for one guy.


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## begleytree (Mar 6, 2007)

beowulf343 said:


> Interesting question-i wonder if they deal with these problems the same away around the world.
> When i was with them in New York state, everyone who owned a saw and brought it to work received a saw check. If i remember correctly it was $1 per hour per saw. So the saw owner was responsible for sharpening, upgrading, and gas and oil for the saws. Chipper blades-usually the gf carried around a few sets and would swap them out for a few crews, sharpen them, and then swap them out with a few other crews, and so on and so forth. We were usually on a 6 week cycle for new blades. Chips-dumped them wherever we could-farmers were our most regular dump spots, although i remember we dumped hundreds of loads into a swamp for one guy.



a saw check? allright, now you're showing your age! my old man had 3 on the truck. extra $3/hr.

spot on for everything else (I was GF for Nelson)
-Ralph


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## osb_mail (Mar 6, 2007)

I know a few guys that work for them .A around here they sharpen there saws on site , dump chips at arboretum or farms, I think they buy there saws ,oil , saddles rope , factory direct just like the dealers .Most of the work on chippers and trucks is done by somebody that works there at there home and they pay the guys time and a half , at least that what they tell me sure it varies buy region .


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## lawson's tree s (Mar 6, 2007)

when i worked for them the gf would give you a couple of gallons of bar oil. 12 pack of 2 cycle mix. we had to mix it when we filled the truck up. he wold bring a chain or 2 when you needed it. we had to fix everything unless it was to extreme then it went to a shop. they wouldn't pay us if we brung our saws in to use he would give us a chain etc. we dumped chips anywhere we could. most of the time it was on right of ways or we would blow the chips into the woods.


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## bigbadbob (Mar 7, 2007)

There is a guy up my street that has a one ton service truck with the "Asplundh Service " decals and he always working on chippers and boom trucks, his brother works for them to, he runs the boom truck. I have seen a few broken bucket trucks there getting fixed, an 80ft one last year, roll over.


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## nilzlofgren (Mar 7, 2007)

nilzlofgren said:


> Was on my way home today, and saw Asplundh doing their thing. So I got to thinking, the scope and scale of their work is so huge, I wonder how they deal with certain aspects of the business. Like do they have a division, that just sharpens chains and chipper knives? Do they buy chain buy the spool or the mile:hmm3grin2orange:. When they upgrade their saws for instance, do they buy 5000 at a time? Do they have a 10,000 gallon fuel tank with 50:1 mix? And where the F:censored: k do they take all the chips?:hmm3grin2orange:.



Now that I think about it, and after reading what you guys posted, it would make sense to do it like you say. 10,000 gallons of 50:1 is a little ridiculous.


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## diltree (Mar 7, 2007)

I know they are self bonded and self insured which gives them a big advantage bidding against smaller outfits


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## Husky137 (Mar 7, 2007)

The asplundh crews here use the same husky dealer I use. They get chains, bar oil, repairs, sharpening etc. They even get their saws here, although the guy running the shop said he had to complain to Husky for some relief because asplundh corporate had worked out a price schedule for saws with husky distributor that was less than dealer cost for him.


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## beowulf343 (Mar 7, 2007)

begleytree said:


> a saw check? allright, now you're showing your age! my old man had 3 on the truck. extra $3/hr.
> 
> spot on for everything else (I was GF for Nelson)
> -Ralph



Whoa-simmer down ralph, i'm not that old yet!! 

But seriously, when did they discontinue the saw checks? I was with Asplundh in the mid to late nineties and we still got saw checks. I wonder if our being in a union in new york had anything to do with this?


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## begleytree (Mar 7, 2007)

beowulf343 said:


> Whoa-simmer down ralph, i'm not that old yet!!
> 
> But seriously, when did they discontinue the saw checks? I was with Asplundh in the mid to late nineties and we still got saw checks. I wonder if our being in a union in new york had anything to do with this?



LMAO!!
I don't know, my old man got his back in the late 70's- early 80's. none of that around here anymore that I know of.
-Ralph


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## begleytree (Mar 8, 2007)

GICON said:


> I would assume every office is its own entity of the company, all run how ever the GM wants to run that office, within the Asplundh parameters. In terms of 10,000 gallons of mixed fuel....arent those guys using hydraulic pole saws while working around the lines, yielding them NO FUEL usage?



not quite. there are area mangers that cover 5-10 GFs, you run it their way or they replace you. they report to a VP who reports to home office.

-Ralph


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## ben14826 (Mar 8, 2007)

What does GF stand for???


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## nilzlofgren (Mar 9, 2007)

Probably general or ground forman


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## Treeman587 (Mar 9, 2007)

beowulf343 said:


> Interesting question-i wonder if they deal with these problems the same away around the world.
> When i was with them in New York state, everyone who owned a saw and brought it to work received a saw check. If i remember correctly it was $1 per hour per saw. So the saw owner was responsible for sharpening, upgrading, and gas and oil for the saws. Chipper blades-usually the gf carried around a few sets and would swap them out for a few crews, sharpen them, and then swap them out with a few other crews, and so on and so forth. We were usually on a 6 week cycle for new blades. Chips-dumped them wherever we could-farmers were our most regular dump spots, although i remember we dumped hundreds of loads into a swamp for one guy.



How did those loads in the swamp work out? I own some swamp land and I brought in crushed concrete, That helped, but that is going to get expensive. Can you drive a truck across it?


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## hornett22 (Mar 9, 2007)

*$1 an hour to bring your own saw?*

they must pay pretty good salary wise because i wouldn't bring my own saw,gas,oil,chains,etc for $1 an hour extra.


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## beowulf343 (Mar 10, 2007)

Treeman587 said:


> How did those loads in the swamp work out? I own some swamp land and I brought in crushed concrete, That helped, but that is going to get expensive. Can you drive a truck across it?



Actually, they seemed to work out good. The guy had a backhoe and kept packing them down. We dumped in there for over two years and it got firm enough that we could drive our trucks right out over the swamp. Of course, it is now seveal years later and i have no idea how it's working out. But short term-seemed fine.


Gf stands for general foreman.


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## cntrybo2 (Mar 10, 2007)

guys, as an environmental professional and tree guy i am going to give you a quick word on the swamp dumping....Unless you have alot of time on your hands and extra money for court costs and fines i wouldnt dump in swamps. That type of dumping is considered filling a Federal jurisdictional wetland feature and is protected under the penalty of REALLY big fines. Do what yall want but i just wanted to tell you boys about it. i would hate to see some of you who didnt know any better get hit with a case like this, this is a hard enough business as it is no one needs a court case to boot.


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## JODY MESSICK (Mar 17, 2007)

I work for Asplundh and they supply our saws, I have a ms 200 t and a husky 365.They give us chains and we sharpen them.Most of the time we use a hydrulic saw.We get people wanting the wood chips all the time but if not we will dump in a R.O.W. and if we are in the city then we go to the mulch factory and they take em. G F means general foreman and mine has 18 crews to watch.


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## 046 (Mar 17, 2007)

Tulsa Asplundh crews, I've seen are using MS170 for tree saws and MS440. hydraulic saw in bucket. they seemed short on gear in general. 



JODY MESSICK said:


> I work for Asplundh and they supply our saws, I have a ms 200 t and a husky 365.They give us chains and we sharpen them.Most of the time we use a hydrulic saw.We get people wanting the wood chips all the time but if not we will dump in a R.O.W. and if we are in the city then we go to the mulch factory and they take em. G F means general foreman and mine has 18 crews to watch.


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## Jumper (Mar 20, 2007)

ben14826 said:


> What does GF stand for???



GOFER maybe??LOL

Did or does Asplundh not own a GM dealership in New Jersey where they purchase all of their vehicles for use in North America?


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## nilzlofgren (Mar 20, 2007)

Jumper said:


> GOFER maybe??LOL
> 
> Did or does Asplundh not own a GM dealership in New Jersey where they purchase all of their vehicles for use in North America?



No they don't, its a totally different company. However, there is a link from ah
Asplundhs (tree co) website. Besides, I've seen Asplundh Ford superduties.


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## ropensaddle (Mar 22, 2007)

nilzlofgren said:


> No they don't, its a totally different company. However, there is a link from ah
> Asplundhs (tree co) website. Besides, I've seen Asplundh Ford superduties.


I don't know if they still own gmc dealership but they did when I worked in 80 and 90s but it was in Desmoines Iowa. If they gave a saw check it didn't reach me!
Pay was not good and no real benefits they still owe me vacation I'll never see
they would transfer you to different region and nothing counted including seniority in them days! I can't tell you anything after 94 I have heard they now offer benefits at least but then; you even paid for shirts which were mandatory,and since I left them, I have never bought anything I didn't want to buy!
They had good training and safety programs but like most big companies treat employees like well Im gonna be good.:bang: :bang: :bang:


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