Ubercompanys

[wct4life]

I was just curious as to what you all thought about the super companys such as Bartlett and Davey Tree? I assume that they have great benefits but, I wonder about there politics. Like using the gear that you prefer.

 

[Treeman14]

I don't have any firsthand knowledge of the biggies, but what I've heard over the years is the pay is not great and the benefits are few.

 

[treeman82]

SaveATree's HQ is about 25 min from my house. I know some of the areas that they work in, and some of the nicer places they work at. As far as heavy duty details go, I don't know much. I do know a little bit about how they treat people, just hearing about it through the grape vine. I also know a bit about how the company performs work.

 

[wct4life]

I don't know much. I do know a little bit about how they treat people, just hearing about it through the grape vine. I also know a bit about how the company performs work.

Please, explain.

 

[treeman82]

From what I hear through the grapevine, they rip off their customers fairly regularly. For example... a former friend was working on one of their jobs, $1,700 / day for a truck, chipper, and 3 guys. According to him, he has never slacked off so much on a job in his life. Somebody else I talked with used to work for them. The guy pointed to 3 small poplars and said that those 3 trees would be an entire day for the company, meanwhile the company he was working for when I talked with him, they would have been there and out by 10:00 or 11:00. There is other stuff I have heard as well, but those were kind of the things which stuck out the most. The interior stuff were things like the employees are forced to sign a non compete clause for something like 2 years. I don't know what the pay is over there, but I do know that there has been plenty of theft at that place by employees.

 

[MasterBlaster]

People that operate that way screw all of us up.

 

[John Stewart]

Hey
Davey Canada only allows back handled saws no top handles. 026 0r MS260 is their main climbing saw!
Later
John

 

[Dadatwins]

I wonder what the actual number of small - mid size company owners did work for one of the biggies before going on their own. Not counting those that were in a family biz I am guessing the numbers would be pretty high. The big boys can give you some training and experience for doing general tree work but it is not the end of the line. Like Netree said the big orange still encourages a TL and I have seen their climbers out with 3 strand lines. Those companies know that the best they have will move on somewhere else quickly so thay use them up as quickly as they can to make as much $$$ for the company while they are there.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

I know that Lewis Tree Service ( they are a big local line clearence co. ) are questionable on the way that treat their employees. Most of the guys that work for them do buzzwork on the side. Most stay with them so they have a constant source of income during the cold months.

 

[Nickrosis]

But the companies must be doing something right. It varies a lot from company to company and the approach of their leadership. Some have a lot of independence and variation between offices which can lead to pukey ones and great ones. Some have a lot of top-down direction which I've come to prefer when it's done correctly. Not when they're pushing the taut-line hitch, but when they're pushing the Z and DOT compliance and other safe work practices.

If the company is ethical and wants to balance productivity, profitability, and personnel interests, they're halfway to achieving it. If they don't care about profitability, they'll be out in no time. If they don't care about people, they won't last. And just because a company has been around since 1880 or 1909 doesn't mean the present leadership is on a long-term course.

If you see a problem in a company, the best thing you can do is to alert the people who can do something about it. Tell the decision-makers FIRST then get on AS tell us about how much they suck. But don't do it the other way around, please. I'd hate to be bad-mouthed for something I wasn't aware of. Know-whatta-mean?

 

[ORclimber]

I worked for Asplundh here. Employees are treated as a renewable resource. The pay and benefits were excellent as it was union. Lots of politics. If a guy could ignore the BS and just do there job 8 hours a day it would be a decent living(outside of Portland anyway). I wouldn't want to be any higher than a forman. And would expect to get bumped down to trimmer a few times. That said any journeyman with a valid drivers license, half a brain, and the willingness to show up to work everyday could have a $22+hour job, plus medical/dental for whole family, plus $6k a yr into retirement. They were supporting blakes with split tails using company gear when I left.

 

[Nickrosis]

I've heard Asplundh's turnover rate is around 50%. Does that sound right to you? Why do you think that is if the benefits are so good? The BS you referred to?

 

[a_lopa]

big cos, big bullchit.i got sent out to drive a chipper truck on an hourly rate contract,the chipper had no engine(was being re-built)and told to just 'keep driving' around contracted area,LMAO power co found out.most foremen in big cos cant work so they grovell to managment till they climb the greasy pole.ill stop there i have a bad opinion of big cos

 

[ORclimber]

I've only seen what it's like here. I had 5 general formen in the same area during 3.5 years. Definitely the political BS and hostile work environment contributes to the turnover. Dunno what exact turnover % is.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by Nickrosis
But the companies must be doing something right. It varies a lot from company to company and the approach of their leadership.
That's it. Big Yellow is pretty consistently responsible here; Big Greem has done some major treesins, apparently out of ignorance mostly and greed somewhat.

If you see a problem in a company, the best thing you can do is to alert the people who can do something about it.
They might not want to hear it, but they will listen, if it's said right, and documented.
Tell the decision-makers FIRST then get on AS tell us about how much they suck. But don't do it the other way around, please. I'd hate to be bad-mouthed for something I wasn't aware of.

Good point. Small companies are inherently more efficient, so we can't judge the ethics of big companies based on their efficiency. Gossip sucks.:Monkey: