autumn 2005 the asplsplundh treeundh tree · crews and by sunday, july 10th when dennis came ashore...
TRANSCRIPT
Jean Shink, a 44-year veteran of Asplundh Brush Control Co. (ABC), officially retired
in June. He had been working with Rod Cornett (now manager) since September 2004
to smooth the transition of leadership for his region in the Midwest. During the Managers’
Meeting in October 2004, Vice President Brent Asplundh (his sponsor at the time)
thanked Jean for his years of outstanding service and dedication to ABC.
A native of Quebec, Canada, Jean joined ABC in 1961 as a chainsaw operator. Three
years later, he advanced to foreman of a right-of-way clearing crew working throughout
New England and the Midwest. In 1971, Jean was promoted to general foreman/
supervisor under retired Vice President Bill Neidig. Twenty years later, he became a
regional manager and in 1992, Jean was elected vice president of ABC. He received a
special corporate award in
2002 for his record of
maximizing cost controls.
Retirement will mean more
time for auto restoration,
carpentry, motorcycling and
sharing more family time
with his wife, Ginette.
Asplundh’s expertise and resources
in vegetation management are
unsurpassed. A new brochure for
customers of Asplundh describes
the wide variety of equipment and
services available including: aerial
lift, chipper and manual climbing
operations, emergency storm services,
herbicide applications and specialized
mowers, side trimmers, chippers
and lifts. Interested utility or
municipal personnel may order a
complimentary copy of Asplundh’s
new Comprehensive Vegetation
Management brochure by calling
Corporate Communications
at 1-800-248-8733 ext. 4232 or
e-mail [email protected].
The Asplundh TREE is a family magazine,published quarterly for all employees and friendsof the Asplundh companies.
Asplundh welcomes requests to reprint or otherwise duplicate this magazine, in whole or in part. Please contact the Managing Editor of Corporate Communications at the address belowfor permission, or call 1-800-248-TREE (in theU.S. or Canada).
©2005 Asplundh Tree Expert Co.
On the Cover
A collage of scenes from Hurricane Katrina. Forfurther descriptions and photo credits see page 3.
Managing EditorCorporate CommunicationsPatti Chipman
Writer/EditorKristin Wild
Assistant Editor/Graphics SpecialistRonnie Gauker
Asplundh Tree Expert Co.
708 Blair Mill Road, Willow Grove, PA 19090
www.asplundh.com
Printed on recycled paper
ContentsHurricane Devastation Sparks Innovation ..... 1
Safety Success Is No Accident ....................... 4
Asplundh Railroad DivisionAt Work In Mexico .................................... 7
Arbor Day Celebrations Across The Nation ...................................... 7
New Product Review ...................................... 8
Management Update ....................................... 9
Retirees Honored ........................................... 10
Service Anniversaries .................................... 11
Orchids ........................................................... 13
Crews & News ............................................... 17
Industry Involvement .................................... 23
Winning Shots From Shoot Out 2005 ........... 24
Asplundh Brush Control Co.VP Jean Shink Retires
New Brochure Available
Autumn Issue 2005
THETHEAASPLSPLUNDHUNDH
TREETREE
Vice President Brent Asplundh (R), Jean’s sponsorat the time, presented him with a Harley Davidson
leather cap and jacket as part of his retirement gift.Jean is pictured above with his motorcycle, ready to
ride into retirement relaxation. Best wishes, Jean!
1The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
Hurricane Devastation Sparks Innovation
fter last year’s ‘four-in-a-row’
marathon of hurricane work, no one was
sure what to expect this year. As bad as
Hurricane Dennis was on July 10, 2005,
the devastation and over 1,200 deaths
caused by Hurricane Katrina in late August
completely stunned the nation and stretched
every Asplundh resource to the max.
Utilities all along the Gulf Coast were
under immense pressure to restore power.
Although thousands of workers and trucks
had been mobilized to help them, damaged
communications systems made logistical
support extremely difficult. It is during
hard times like these that the drive, pride
and innovation of Asplundh people shines.
First, let’s look back at how this record-
breaking hurricane season got started.
Hurricane DennisThe Asplundh Storm Center went into
full swing shortly after the July 4th break
to prepare for Hurricane Dennis. Utilities
from Florida to Louisiana were calling for
crews and by Sunday, July 10th when
Dennis came ashore as a Category 4 storm,
more than 2,300 employees (865 crews and
supervision) had been mobilized. About
half of these crews were stopped along the
way or released soon after the storm struck.
However, with winds clocked at 145
miles per hour, Dennis caused extensive
damage when it made landfall not far from
where Hurricane Ivan hit ten months earlier.
Once again, Gulf Power in the Florida
Panhandle and Alabama Power suffered
the most outages—almost 500,000 total.
Together, Manager Mike Smith in Florida
and Manager Wendell Smitherman in
Alabama oversaw more than 450 additional
crews during the storm restoration work,
which lasted for almost a week.
A Double Punch from KatrinaThe devastation caused by Hurricane
Katrina on August 29 in Mississippi,
Louisiana and Alabama has overshadowed
the severe damage she inflicted on South
A
� The Asplundh Storm Center wasmanned this summer and fall by sevenstorm coordinators who took turns in theStorm Room, including Vice President/Sponsor Steve Bostock (standing, L)whose regions were severely impacted.
� Due to close coordination, the restorationwork for FPL after Katrina hit was completedwithin a week and most of the Asplundh crews
that had been sent to Florida were then mobilizedto work in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana
where the devastation was unprecedented.
� Ice trucks distributed the only refrigerationpossible due to Hurricane Dennis’ damage on
July 10th to Gulf Power’s electrical system.Here, Asplundh crews load up with ice for a day
of restoration work in Pensacola, Florida.
� During restoration work after Dennis, the Gulf Power tent city in Pensacola even had a nurse and
first aid station to treat scrapes, bites, rashes and heat exhaustion for the tree and line construction workers.
� Hurricane Katrina first made landfall in theU.S. as a Category 1 hurricane. It knocked outpower to 1.45 million Florida Power & Lightcustomers. This Asplundh employee was one ofmore than 2,700 who were mobilized to workwith FPL to systematically remove tree debrisfrom power lines throughout South Florida.
� General Foreman Mike Eason of the PatWhite Region in Florida took this picture of thekind of damage caused by Katrina’s 30-footstorm surge near Gulfport, Mississippi.
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2The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
� Creating his own personal sink and mirror with a cut-offwater bottle and a truck mirror, Foreman William Carnell
of the Dan Thurston Region in Oklahoma managed to finallyget a refreshing shave after roughing it for a few days.
� At the utility’s request, Asplundh arranged tohave two large tents (with cots, cushions and
sleeping bags) and a catering tent built for ourcrews working for Coast Electric.
� An Asplundh crew works in thevicinity of Gretna, Louisiana to helpremove a large oak from an Entergypower line. Crews were escorted byNational Guard troops to the strangelyquiet communities around NewOrleans after Katrina hit. Many evacuees were not able to return totheir homes and businesses for weeks.
� Carefully cutting back large pines that hadfallen on Coast Electric power lines near Kiln,Mississippi, Foreman Joseph Breed of the Wendell Smitherman Region in Alabama waspart of a 600-person Asplundh team assigned toassist the cooperative utility that lost power toall 70,000 of its rural and coastal members.
� Planner Juan Oropeza of the Larry GaugerRegion in Illinois sent in this photo of crewswading through fallen trees and debris withCLECO representatives to determine thebest way to clear the mess out of the road.
� Shower trailers were hard to come by. So, with a little ingenuity, Asplundh employees rigged several garden hoses, pipes and nozzles togetherto create a large showering area next to the soccerpark pavillion where Asplundh’s tent city was built.
Florida four days earlier. On August 25th,
a Category 1 Hurricane Katrina pummeled
Florida’s heavily populated Miami-Dade
and Broward Counties. Approximately
1.45 million customers of Florida Power &
Light (FPL) were knocked out of service.
Fortunately, Vice President Eugene Wyatt
had more than 2,700 mobilized Asplundh
workers there to help his local crews clear
the tree debris from FPL’s power lines.
By Sunday, August 28th, however,
Hurricane Katrina had grown to a Category
5 storm and was headed straight toward
New Orleans, Louisiana. It actually made
landfall slightly to the east in Pass Christian,
Mississippi as a Category 4 on Monday,
August 29th. The 145 mile per hour winds
and 30-foot storm surge devastated a
150-mile stretch of coast from Mobile,
Alabama to New Orleans.
With so many crews already committed
to FPL, the Asplundh Storm Center was on
the phone constantly to mobilize more
crews to the Gulf Coast. Thanks to our
many utility customers across the country
and Asplundh managers who prepared the
crews, an additional 2,300 workers were
sent to help Entergy, CLECO, Mississippi
Power, Alabama Power, and several rural
electric cooperative utilities, including Coast
Electric Power Association in Mississippi.
It was with Coast Electric that Asplundh
really had to be creative. The utility’s service
area took a direct hit and all 70,000 of its
customers were without power. In fact,
more than 12,000 meters for homes and
businesses were completely wiped out.
Needless to say, there were no shelters
large enough to house the 600 Asplundh
tree workers they requested. Sleeping in
their trucks and their own tents would not
suffice for long.
Coast Electric offered a large soccer
field complex with a pavillion still intact
that miraculously had electricity and water.
Asplundh stepped in to handle the rest of
the logistics. Arranging for sleeping tents,
catering services, cots, sleeping bags,
disposable towels, toilets, fuel services,
shower trailers, security, and buses was a
challenge for Asplundh. However, our tent
city was a success and logistics are now
part of the Asplundh menu of services!
Many thanks to all who left their families
behind to work long hours for weeks on end
in hazardous and unpleasant conditions. The
Corporate Storm Team did a great job as well.
The 2005 hurricane season is not over yet,
though, so look for more stories and photos
in the next issue of The Asplundh TREE.
3The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
� After a longday of clearingtrees from powerlines and rights-of-way, more than500 Asplundhworkers lined up in the darkness fordinner. With anhour or so to relaxor catch a quickshower, mostcrews were soundasleep by 10 p.m.
Asplundh-contracted police officers patrolled the site to maintain securitythrough the night. Breakfast always started in the dark as well, with mostof the crews hitting the road before 7 a.m. To conserve fuel, crews thatwere working farther away were bussed to their trucks and work sites.
� Each morningbefore startingwork, corporatesafety supervisorslike Chuck Combs(R) conducted asafety stand downto communicatethe tips and topicsgathered duringthe previous afternoon’s conference calland the evening’s
general foremen meeting. In this way, employees learned from the nearmisses of others and were warned of the hazards that changed from day-to-day. It was also a chance to reward a worker now and then with agift certificate when they answered impromptu safety quizzes correctly!
Dozens of complimentary notes and
e-mails have been received here in
Corporate Communications regarding
the great work of our employees in the
aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and
Dennis. Compliments with specific
names will be listed in the ‘Orchids’
section of the upcoming Holiday issue.
The following quotes are from general
or non-specific thank-you notes.
“Your company is to be congratulated notonly because of the work you performed inthis area, but also because of the splendidquality of personnel you employ. They doyou proud.”—F.W. Finger, Picayune, Mississippi
“Thank you cannot express our full appreciation for all of your help after thedevastating effects of Hurricane Katrina.We have all been impacted by the storm—some of us more than others ... May Godrichly bless you for all of your help!”—Mrs. Sumrall’s class at Pearl River
Central High School in Mississippi
“Your crew members are very professional... These people have worked their tails off!We as business owners and homeowners
are very glad to see the response fromyour employees. Thanks so much forhelping Louisiana in this time of need.”—Lisa Magee, Kentwood, Louisiana
“As one who has family displaced by thisterrible disaster, I think I speak for all ofthem when I say THANK YOU for yourever rapid response. I wish I could thank
each worker individually for their hardwork and sacrifice. I know they will beworking in horrible conditions and hopethere is some way to let them know thatSouth Louisiana is very grateful.”—e-mail from Marty Scott
“To our Asplundh team members, we alsosay thanks for another strong restorationperformance. Long hours, hazardous conditions and several logistics challengesdid not deter the successful and safe completion of the job.”—Jim Rutig, Florida Power & Light
From a letter to a Gulf Power customer
after Asplundh crews helped them in the
aftermath of Hurricane Dennis: “Asplundhis a very strong and valued partner of ours,both during storm restoration as well asduring the entire year.”—Susan Story, President/CEO, Gulf Power
“I would like to thank your company and allthe employees who came to our assistanceafter Hurricanes Dennis and Ivan. It wasan unselfish act for them to leave their families and their homes to help other people. People they don’t even know.”—Vicki Boutch, Mary Esther, Florida
A Sampling of Hurricane Katrina and Dennis Thank-Yous
Cover Photo Descriptions and CreditsTop photo: Asplundh’s tent city for Coast Electric Power Association, by VP Pat White. Center photo: Setting up the storm
response trailer from the Wendell Smitherman Region at Asplundh’s tent city, by Kathleen Gott. Top film strip (L to R):
Storm damage to Entergy lines near Gretna, LA, by Kleinpeter Photography; Tents and trucks, by VP Pat White; Bigfoot lift
working near Gulfport, MS, by Kathleen Gott. Bottom film strip (L to R): The remains of homes in Bay St. Louis, MS, by GFMike Eason; To safeguard tools and other valuables, some crews stored them in raised buckets overnight, by Mississippi Power Photographer Billy Dugger; Downed power lines and a flipped over car, by GF Mike Eason.
4The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
� Nashville Region 171—After a full-day session of Hazard RecognitionTraining in May, these graduates posed with one of their instructors,Regional Safety Superintendent Jose Alarcon (far L, standing).
� Nashville Region 190—Congratulations to these recent graduates ofthe Hazard Recognition Training led by Corporate Safety Training ManagerRick Bentley and assisted by Supervisor Alex Teran (far L, kneeling) andRegional Safety Superintendent Jose Alarcon (far R, standing).
At Asplundh, safety is good business because working safely is
simply the right thing to do! Safety is one of our core values. This
may be a simple statement, but during my recent travels in the
landfall arenas of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, I have seen with
my own eyes how a sense of ‘doing the right thing’ has made a
dramatic impact in our company’s safety culture.
To top off the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita, as of this writing, the 2005 hurricane season is still not over.
The exposure for injury to our employees, the public and other
response personnel is still extremely large. I’m pleased, however,
to report that to date we have had only a few minor injuries. There
are many reasons for this kind of success—I will discuss two.
I’m confident that the following reasons, which are working
today, will continue to work as we move forward: (1) Safety
Awareness; and (2) Employee Involvement. Again, some simple
statements, but let me give you examples of each.
First, safety awareness. The safety team, which accompanies
our troops on storm duty, holds nightly conference calls. These
calls have approximately 60 to 80 people on them every night—
some managers and even upper executives, but mostly our
corporate safety supervisors and regional safety superintendents.
We discuss the day’s events, hot safety issues, any injuries or
near-misses, and then we provide at least five safety talking points
that are communicated to 100% of our employees the next morning
before they leave their ‘show-up’ site. The talking points range
from proper roadside set up to environmental hazards such as
Excerpted from an article in the October 2005 Tree Care Industry magazine by Gil Niedenthal,Director and Corporate Safety OfficerTwo Reasons for Safety Success
spiders, snakes and bees. The message is given in both Spanish
and English, depending on the employee’s native tongue.
Secondly, employee involvement. As part of our growing
safety culture, we encourage our employees to get involved with
all aspects of their safety. This involvement includes helping the
foreperson and all crew members identify hazards at each job
location, actively participating in the job briefings, coming up
with ideas to raise safety awareness, and only performing their
tasks when everyone on the crew believes it is safe to do so. Of
course some work is performed ‘hot’, but when the only safe way
to trim is when the line is dead, our employees are ‘doing the right
thing’ and making the situation as safe as can be!
How is all of this possible? The answer … management’s
commitment! Our management staff from President Scott Asplundh
down to every general foreperson in the field is committed to our
VISION: Safety First ... No One Gets Hurt! I believe that our
employees can feel the spirit behind these words.
Are we perfect? Have we actually achieved this vision? Not
yet, but we’re close! As I mentioned earlier, we still had a few
minor injuries. Of course our employees don’t come to these
storm-stricken areas to get injured; nobody wants to get hurt! But I
believe that because our commitment is clear, our company will
do whatever it takes to ensure everyone goes home the same way
they came. To this end, our employees make the right choices
because our vision and values are clear. It really makes our safety
performance easier—and that’s good business!
Training for Safety SuccessAs the company’s VISION: ‘Safety First ... No One Gets Hurt!’
spreads throughout the country, many Asplundh regions are taking
full advantage of the training being offered by the Corporate Safety
Department. Classes range from one- or two-hour morning and
evening sessions, to full- and multiple-day programs.
The hands-on training is tailored to meet the needs of specific
regions. Topics include: live electrical hazards demo, tree/lift
rescue, inspection of tools and equipment, tree felling procedures,
roadside set-up, job briefing, DOT post-trip inspection, knot tying,
stump cutter safety and employee certification training.
5The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
� Regional SafetySuperintendentIgnacio Vazquez ofthe Tom LeverentzRegion sent in several photos ofan electrical arcingdemonstration forover 40 Asplundhemployees given byTXU Delivery inWaco, Texas onMarch 23. This onevery clearly showsthe intense energy
that travels through electrical conductors and what happens when abranch touches the line. While it’s important to meet regulatory requirementsfor this training, the most important requirement is for our employees tounderstand how to work safely around power lines. Ignacio thanks JimFielding, Mike Nation and Johnny Campbell of TXU Delivery for arranging this valuable training and demonstration.
� Grand Prize Winner General Foreperson Brian Graver(2nd from R) receives a $5,000 check and congratulationsfrom Vice President Eugene Wyatt, VP/Sponsor MattAsplundh (R) and Supervisor Max Sanchez (L). Brianoversees crews on Florida Power & Light property.
� SupervisorDonald Cottrell(standing, far R) of the DavePuckett Region is shown hereleading a topnotch group of 11 generalforepersons inreviewing the steps
of a proper Job Behavior Observation (JBO). This JBO ImplementationWorkshop, held in Clarksburg, West Virginia on March 30, was just oneof several that were conducted for the Puckett Region’s 52 generalforepersons working in five states, who oversee Asplundh crews workingon the properties of Allegheny Power and South Central Power. The JBOprocess was formally introduced at the Asplundh Supervisors’ Meeting inmid-March and requires general forepersons to record and electronicallysubmit their observations of work behaviors. This data allows the companyto measure its safety performance month-to-month, region-to-region oreven general foreperson-to-general foreperson.
Corporate Recognition for Safety Success
Training for Safety Success continued
� Another Wyatt Region general foreman in Floridagot lucky in the drawing! Dario Gonzalez (2nd from L)received a $1,000 Cabela’s gift certificate and a hand-shake of thanks from Supervisor Ronnie Collins (L).
Coming home uninjured everyday may be its own reward, but reinforcing
safe behavior with recognition and rewards is even better! Three corporate
safety incentive programs, started over the past year, have already generated
valuable awards for hundreds of crew members, office staff and management.
At the crew member and foreperson level, Asplundh’s Safety Excellence
Award program for 2004 recognized thousands of accident-free employees
across the country with a certificate and a special helmet sticker. Then, a
drawing was held at the Home Office in Willow Grove on March 7 for each
management region’s qualified employees. The winners were awarded a $500
Cabela’s gift certificate!
At the general foreperson’s level, the President’s Safety Challenge for
2004/05 rewards those who achieve a loss cost per hour (LCPH), during the
designated six-month period, that is below a certain benchmark. Each general
foreperson who qualifies earns chances for a semi-annual raffle based on their
LCPH results at the end of each six-month period. The better the safety results,
the more chances earned! The first six-month period ended January 31 and
after tallying up the results to determine the number of chances per qualified
general foreperson, the Corporate Safety Department held the drawing.
The sole grand prize was $5,000 cash, but there were also 119 Cabela’s gift
certificates issued in amounts ranging from $100 to $1,000!
Thanks to Asplundh’s Driver Monitoring Program, tracked by Safety
First, the total number of Motorist Observation Reports (MORs) has fallen
steadily over the past year. To recognize those employees who help to make the
program a success, a certificate of Outstanding Performance and a $50 gift card
were awarded to each region’s key person(s) responsible for achieving over a
90% return rate on MORs. Paying attention to the paperwork pays off, too!
In April, three full-day sessions were conducted in Shreveport,
Louisiana and Tulsa, Oklahoma for employees of the Tom
Leverentz Region. In May, the company’s training trailer was
used to conduct two full-day Hazard Recognition Training classes
in Nashville, Tennessee for the Hispanic employees of Vice
President Martin Arriola’s Regions 190 and 171. Since then,
training sessions have been given in Ohio, Minnesota, South
Dakota, North Carolina, Texas and California—with more being
scheduled every day. Photos from these sessions will appear in a
future issue of The Asplundh TREE magazine.
Corporate Safety Training Manager Rick Bentley coordinates
these programs in conjuction with the local manager, as well as
regional and corporate safety staff. Rick can be reached by phone
at (267) 246-2847 or e-mail [email protected].
6The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
� The rest of General Foreperson Henry Dawson’s safety award winnerswere (back row, L to R): Henry, Charlie McCrum, Peter Collar, SammyRoy, Roger Miller and Matt Smith. Front row (L to R): Gerald Stevens,Edward Taylor and Virgil Stewart. Many thanks to Allegheny Power’sRight-of-Way Technician Todd Riggleman who graciously took these photos.
� In February,employees in theKelly Runkle Regionwho worked accident-free and without safety violationsthroughout 2004earned Asplundhhooded sweatshirts!Pictured here (L to R)receiving their
rewards from General Foreperson Roger Zurcher (far L) are: TrimmersWilliam Zurcher, Mike Hendrickson and Marty Miller, Jr. and ForepersonMarty Miller, Sr. In addition to sweatshirts, the names of accident-freeemployees were entered into a drawing for a $500 Cabela’s gift certificate—and the winner was Marty Miller, Sr. (far R)! All of theseemployees work on the property of Cinergy/PSI in Indiana. Good job!
� Twice a year, the Dave Puckett Region rewards employees who haveeither worked six months or one full year accident-free with $25 Cabela’sgift certificates. In January, General Foreperson Henry Dawson proudly gaveout the awards to his crews who work for Allegheny Power Co. in the Elkins,West Virginia area. Shown above (back row, L to R): Henry, Willie Walden,Harold Spencer, Paul Schoonover, William Fenstermacher, Larry Pennington,Floyd Smith and Josh Surguy. Front row (L to R): Brian Schoonover, GarySisler, William Sturdivant, Dustin Doerr and David Nelson.
� Working accident-freeduring the firstquarter of 2005earned special“Safety First” t-shirts for thesesafety-consciousemployees (at L)under General
Foreperson Elpidio Diaz of theTom Leverentz Region in Texas. Pictured at right are more ofElpidio’s t-shirt winners. All ofthese crews work on the propertyof TXU Delivery in the Wacoarea and if they keep workingsafely, they might have four newshirts by the end of the year!
Corporate Recognition for Safety Success continued
Regional Recognition for Safety Performance
� Safety Excellence Award in Alabama—Manager Wendell Smitherman (L) shookhands with Equipment Operator Eddie Jones(center) as he presented him with a $500Cabela’s gift certificate for being a winner inthe Corporate Safety Excellence drawing.Supervisor Rickey Bailey (R) also offered hiscongratulations for working accident-freethroughout 2004. Eddie works on the propertyof Central Alabama Cooperative.
� 100% Return Rate on MORs—Proudly displaying their certificates next to their SafetyVision poster are Administrative AssistantsSherry Baumgartner (L) and April Capps (R)of the Doug Smith Region in the Carolinas.These women put together a routine for handlingthe region’s Motorist Observation Reports(MORs) and they enforce it each month so thatall reports are reviewed, signed and returned toSafety First in a timely fashion. They achievedover a 90% return rate in 2004 and so far, in2005 they have a 100% return rate!
� Corporate AND Regional Safety AwardWinner in Oregon—Utility Tree Service GeneralForeperson Dee Baugher (L) had the pleasureof giving out a $500 Cabela’s gift certificate toForeperson Wayne Tyner for having his namedrawn from the Corporate Safety Excellencedrawing. April was a lucky time for Wayne ashe had also just won one of the Pete SparacioRegion’s $100 quarterly safety award drawingsfor the Oregon area. Keep it safe, Wayne!
Asplundh Railroad Division At Work In Mexico
Arbor Day Celebrations Across The Nation
7The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
� The maneuverability of the brush cutter’sarms make it relatively easy to grind up vegetation growing down into the narrow rocky corridors of the TFM track.
� Ten employees from the Pat White Regionparticipated in the City of Tallahassee, FloridaArbor Day on January 22. They joined with about150 community volunteers to plant 250 treesalong one of the city’s bike/hike trails. Asplundhprovided plenty of wood chips for mulching!
� In addition to planting 50 trees, the ArborDay celebration in Riverside, California featured an Asplundh tool and truck display.Crew Member Victor Vargas (L) of the DaveStall Region manned the display with Southern California Edison’s Tony Cluchey(center) and Gil Garcia (R).
� New Jersey’s celebration of Arbor Day tookplace in Delaware Heights Park in Phillipsburgthis year. Supervisor Tom Anderson (far L) wasthe sole Asplundh volunteer who joined withthese dedicated Public Service Electric & Gasdivision foresters to plant trees.
Some of you may recall an article in the
Holiday 2003 issue of The Asplundh TREEdescribing the work being done by the
Asplundh Railroad Division in Mexico. Well,
that was spray work. This year, the Railroad
Division provided mechanical vegetation
control for its customer there, Transportacion
Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM).
A double-armed, on-track brush cutter
crew spent two 3-month periods in Mexico
grinding up vines and small trees to
re-establish a 24-foot right-of-way on either
side of the TFM track. To achieve that
width, the cutter had to make three passes,
cutting an 8-foot swath each time. Care had
to be taken to avoid coffee bean and banana
plantations next to the track.
Asplundh Railroad Division Western
Field Manager Eddie Evans and Supervisor
Rickie Boxx have been overseeing the work
� Clearing vegetation from TFM’s right-of-way, Asplundh’s on-track brush cutter climbsthrough the lush highland forests of the SierraMadre Oriental Mountains in eastern Mexico.
� General Foreman Steve Swartzell, PermissionPerson Mark Morrow and Foreman TommieLusk of the Jeff Duncan Region joined withNorthern Indiana Public Service Co.’s JasonLietz for an Arbor Day presentation at JeffersonElementary in Goshen, Indiana.
� Even Vice President Mick Kavran got intothe Arbor Day seedling potting project in Maple
Valley, Washington with over 30 volunteersfrom Puget Sound Energy and Asplundh.
� Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicanahas been an Asplundh
Railroad Division customer since 2002.
for TFM. Rickie and veteran Equipment
Operator Wes Butler joined with the
equipment skill and bilingual expertise of
Angel and Douglas Manzo to get the job
done. Their teamwork made the project
go smoothly and effectively.
8The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
New Product ReviewNew T-Shirts Meet ANSI Class II Requirements
Earlier this year, Supervisor Matthew Pence of the Barry Suddreth Region in the Carolinas
sent the Asplundh Equipment Department some photos of a front bumper cone holder used
on Duke Energy vehicles. He thought the idea would encourage the proper use and storage
of traffic cones on Asplundh trucks. A few weeks later, Southco Industries, Inc. of Shelby,
North Carolina took the basic concept and engineered a variety of changes, based on input
from Asplundh’s Safety and Equipment Departments. The resulting features include:
� Cone and weight capacity = 16 (maximum) 36-inch traffic cones; 165 lbs. (maximum)
� Can be locked in the closed position
� Does not interfere with opening the hood
� Curb finders for parking and driving safety
� Complete kits with drawings and all applicable fasteners are provided to those
who wish to retro-fit new or existing standard GMC construction bumpers with the
cone holder. At the current time, this feature is optional on new split dumps.
Kits can be ordered through the
Parts Call-In-Service in Lynchburg,
Virginia by calling 1-800-248-8731.
Please reference ‘Front Bumper Cone
Holder’ part #291-05 when placing
your order.
New Safety Cone Holder Is Strong and Compact
This past summer, the Lion Uniform Group began offering Asplundh
employees high visibility t-shirts (short- and long-sleeved) that meet ANSI
Class II requirements. Many employees have tried them out as a one-layer
alternative to wearing a safety vest over a t-shirt.
ANSI stands for American National Standard Institute and this garment is
designed to increase visibility for employees working in poor weather conditions
and along roadways where traffic speed exceeds 25 mph. To stay at the
forefront of safety, Asplundh has already begun to meet the ANSI Class II
requirements which are voluntary right now, but will become mandatory
next year. The features and benefits of the t-shirt include:
� Fluorescent lime yellow background fabric with two-inch wide
Scotchlite 3M® silver reflective striping on the front, back and sides provides
increased visibility, day and night. Even when the shirt is tucked in, there are
enough square inches of reflective fabric to meet ANSI Class II standards.
� 100% spun polyester jersey contains a moisture management finish
that wicks perspiration away from the body and soil release, which keeps
the shirt looking newer longer.
� An easy care garment that is machine washable, wrinkle-free and has low shrinkage.
The brightness of the reflective fabric holds up to repeated launderings.
While this shirt costs a little more than a standard t-shirt, one should consider the importance of
personal safety AND comfort (as in hot weather) when deciding to buy one or not. To order these
shirts, please use the Clothing Order Form #3071 available in the Forms/Purchasing folder on the
Asplundh network’s Public Folders, or call Lion Uniform Group at 1-800-543-9698.
Shirt front in low light
Cone holder rod unlatched, ready to load
Shirt back
Cones loaded and locked, ready to travel
1-800-543-9698
www.southcoindustries.com
1-800-331-7655
9The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
Rod Cornett, former transitional manager of Asplundh Brush Control Co. (ABC) under Vice President Jean Shink, advanced to
manager of the region in June upon Jean’s retirement. The Cornett Region of ABC is sponsored by Vice President Larry Moore.
A 25-year Asplundh veteran, Rod joined the company in his home state of Indiana as a sprayman and then worked on tree crews
until his promotion to general foreman in 1986. Two years later, he advanced to supervisor and in 1993, Rod transferred into
Asplundh One Call as a call center manager in Indiana. The following year, he returned to the Tree Co. as manager of Asplundh
operations for ComEd in the Chicago, Illinois area. In 2003, with his excellent safety management record, Rod joined the Risk
Management Department as its Training and Education Manager. About a year ago, he returned to field management, working
for ABC under Jean as he prepared for retirement. Rod’s responsibilities include overseeing ABC’s right-of-way clearing and
maintenance operations in parts of the South and Midwest.
Harry Juarez, former regional safety
superintendent under Vice President Martin
Arriola, advanced to supervisor of his Outsourcing
operations in March. The three Arriola Regions,
based in Texas, are sponsored by Vice President
Chris Asplundh, Jr.
Harry joined the company in 1993 in his home state
of Florida when Asplundh acquired Farrens Tree
Surgeons. With a year of prior line clearance experience, he soon advanced
to foreman and in 1999, he was promoted to general foreman. Two years
later, Harry became a regional safety superintendent in Florida, but moved to
Texas in 2004. As a supervisor of Outsourcing operations, Harry oversees
Asplundh vegetation management crews working for utilities in Florida,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas. Harry is a certified
CPR/First Aid instructor and a March 2002 graduate of ASTP.
David Fulford, former general foreman in
Colorado, was promoted in May to supervisor
under Vice President Will Willis. Vice President
Keith Asplundh sponsors the Willis Region.
Originally from Florida, David joined the company
as a general foreman in Colorado in August 2003.
He had seven years of prior experience working in
and managing a tree service company in Florida.
With Asplundh, his supervisory responsibilities include overseeing crews
working on the properties of Xcel Energy, Colorado Springs Utilities,
City of Longmont and various cooperative utilities in parts of Colorado,
Texas and New Mexico. David earned a bachelor’s degree in business
administration from the University of North Florida and is an April 2004
graduate of ASTP. He has been an ISA Certified Arborist since 1997.
Mike Jessup, former general foreman, advanced
to supervisor in April and is now working in the
Eugene Wyatt Region in Florida. Vice President
Matt Asplundh sponsors the Wyatt Region.
Mike started out in the line clearance industry in
Florida in 1987 after one year of college and four
years in the U.S. Army. He first came to work for
Asplundh in 1997, but left for two years to run his own tree service. In 2000,
James Smith, former regional safety superintendent
in Texas, was promoted to supervisor under Vice
President Allen LeBlanc in May. Vice President
Chris Asplundh, Jr. sponsors the LeBlanc Region.
A native of Texas, James came to work on an
Asplundh crew in 2003. With over 10 years of prior
experience in municipal tree work, he quickly
advanced to general foreman. In December 2004,
James became a regional safety superintendent for the LeBlanc Region
and with his promotion to supervisor, he is responsible for overseeing
Asplundh tree crews working on the properties of AEP and several rural
electric cooperatives in South and West Texas. An ISA Certified Arborist
and qualified CPR/First Aid instructor, James also holds a Texas herbicide
license and is a member of the ISA.
Robert Brown, former general foreman in
Oklahoma, advanced to supervisor under Vice
President Tom Leverentz in August. Vice President
Steven Asplundh sponsors the Leverentz Region.
A native Oklahoman, Robert first came to work
for Asplundh as a foreman in 1989 with three
years of prior utility line clearance experience. In
1993, he left the company to work in California,
but returned to Oklahoma (and Asplundh) a year later and was promoted
to general foreman in 1994. As a supervisor, Robert is responsible for
overseeing a growing number of Asplundh bucket, climbing, mowing
and Jarraff crews working on the property of AEP (Public Service Co.
of Oklahoma). Robert is a 1998 graduate of ASTP and is a certified
pesticide applicator in the state of Oklahoma.
New Manager in Asplundh Brush Control Co.
Management Update
New Asplundh Supervisors in the FieldMike returned and was promoted to general foreman in 2001. In April, he
advanced to supervisor under Manager Jason Coccodrilli in Pennsylvania,
but an opportunity opened up in Florida so he transferred back to the Wyatt
Region in July. Mike currently supervises preventive maintenance crews
working in the western coastal area of Florida Power & Light. A July 2004
graduate of ASTP and a member of the ISA, Mike recently became an ISA
Certified Arborist and is a certified CPR/First Aid instructor.
10The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
Jude Solis, former general foreman in Illinois,
was promoted in April to supervisor in Pennsylvania
under Manager Larry Gauger. Vice President
Doug Gober sponsors the Gauger Regions in
Pennsylvania and Illinois.
Born in the Phillipines, Jude joined Asplundh in
Illinois in 1999 as a foreman. He came to the
company with over 15 years of prior residential
and line clearance experience. Jude also had specialized training and
experience as an equipment mechanic. With his recent promotion and
transfer to a new state, Jude is now responsible for supervising Asplundh tree
crews working on the property of PECO Energy in southeastern Pennsylvania.
An October 2001 graduate of ASTP, he has also taken various computer
courses and climber training. Jude has been an ISA Certified Arborist
since 1996 and is a qualified CPR/First Aid instructor. He is a member of
the UAA and ISA.
Utah Villines, former superintendent in Arkansas,
advanced to supervisor in July under Manager Tim
Manners. The Manners Region is sponsored by
Vice President Matt Asplundh.
A 23-year Asplundh veteran, Utah got his start
with the company in his home state of Arkansas in
1982, learning the trade from his great uncle Lee
Goodall and Eugene Wyatt, who is now a vice
president in Florida. By 1991, he had progressed to general foreman and
for the past year, he served as superintendent of Arkansas crews. Utah’s
responsibilities as a field supervisor include overseeing Asplundh lift,
manual, mowing, spray and Jarraff crews working on the properties of
Entergy/Transmission and various rural electric cooperatives throughout
Arkansas. A 1992 graduate of ASTP, he has also advanced his knowledge
with courses in business and computers. Utah is a qualified CPR/First Aid
instructor and holds a herbicide license in the state of Arkansas.
New Asplundh Supervisors in the Field continued
Retirees HonoredCongratulations and best wishes for a happy and healthy retirement to all the Asplundh retirees listed here!
Argelio AlmodovarTrimmer/Climber, FloridaFirst employed July 1986Retired June 2005
James BaileyForeman, KentuckyFirst employed August 2003Retired August 2005
William BishopEquipment Operator, VirginiaFirst employed February 1999Retired April 2005
Glenn BlevinsGeneral Foreman, KentuckyFirst employed August 1978Retired May 2005
Jerry GannTrimmer/Climber, North CarolinaFirst employed April 1999Retired May 2005
Eugene HarwickForeman, IllinoisFirst employed October 1999Retired April 2005
Leonard KnellTrimmer/Climber, New YorkFirst employed May 1993Retired June 2005
James McCoyGeneral Foreman, FloridaFirst employed September 1979Retired June 2005
Kenneth Morgan Foreman, OklahomaFirst employed May 1993Retired July 2005
Billy NewellGeneral Foreman, FloridaFirst employed October 1993 (plus 33 years with Farrens Tree Surgeons)Retired July 2005
Leah RiggsAdministrative Assistant, California First employed April 1996Retired April 2005
Jean ShinkAsplundh Brush Control Co.Vice President, MissouriFirst employed March 1961 Retired June 2005
Hector TorresForeman, FloridaFirst employed February 1999 Retired April 2005
Former Safety Supervisor J. Darrell Smith
passed away on April 6 in Lodi, California.
He was 54 years old.
A 29-year Asplundh veteran, Darrell joined
the company in his native state of Kentucky in
1973 after serving two years in the U.S. Army
during the Vietnam Conflict. He was promoted
to general foreman in 1980 and then safety
supervisor four years later. After serving as a field supervisor in
West Virginia for a year, Darrell transferred to Oregon in 1987 to
oversee Asplundh operations there. Nine years later, he returned
to a safety supervisor position, this time in northern California.
Darrell is survived by his wife, Debbie; a son, Cole; and three
daughters, Ginger, Jacke and Andrea, as well as three brothers
and four sisters. He is greatly missed by all!
Norman Dishman, Sr., a 34-year Asplundh
veteran, died at his home in Indianapolis,
Indiana on June 5 after a long illness. He
was 69 years old.
Born in Kentucky, Norman joined an
Asplundh crew in 1964 and worked in the
Indianapolis area for most of his career. He
was certified up to the foreman level and
retired in April 1998. Norman is survived by his wife of 50
years, Rose; three daughters, Peggy, Connie and Anna; two sons,
Norman, Jr. and Carl; as well as 16 grandchildren and three
great-grandchildren. We send our sympathy to all of his family
and friends who mourn his loss.
In Memoriam
11The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
Service AnniversariesJanuary - June
1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980 and 1985
45 Years 40 Years
Lindsey SmithForemanVirginia
Robert CrawfordForeman
Pennsylvania
Phil MooneyPermissions Specialist
Maryland
Joyce GilletteSenior AccountantAccounts Payable
Willow Grove
John KlunkJourneymanMaryland
Ernie MeyersForeman
Ohio
Robert ShadeForeman
Ohio
Thomas PringleForeman
Pennsylvania
Russell DrewForeman
Texas
Ken MironGeneral Foreman
Massachusetts
Perry MorrisForemanGeorgia
30 Years
35 Years
Wendell SmithermanManagerAlabama
Norris FrazierGeneral Foreman
Louisiana
Ronald MooreForeman
Pennsylvania
Mike SmithManager
Mississippi
Harold SterlingForemanIndiana
Walter JonesForemanVirginia
Gary AndersonJourneymanMississippi
12The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
Partrick SheeranJourneymanWisconsin
Daniel SerianForeman
Pennsylvania
Dean DelsmanSupervisorWisconsin
Johnny SullivanForemanAlabama
Glen OrtagusGeneral Foreman
Georgia
20 Years
25 Years
Scott BlackfordForeman
Wisconsin
Wilmer McWhirterActing Manager
Georgia
Raymundo MarfilGeneral Foreman
Texas
Doug MasonForeman
Pennsylvania
Richard EvansForemanOregon
Mathew HinmanGeneral Foreman
Missouri
Dan DickensForemanMaryland
Wayne SearsForemanKentucky
Russell SmithForeman
Pennsylvania
Paul Snethen, Jr.General Foreman
Kansas
Robert SwansonForemanMichigan
Dave EllifritzManagerKentucky
Ed SmallwoodGeneral Foreman
Maryland
Jerry BeverlyGeneral Foreman
Kentucky
Timothy SellsGeneral ForemanNorth Carolina
Brian HolleyForemanKansas
Tim CornettGeneral Foreman
Indiana
Glenn EricksonGeneral Foreman
Minnesota
Joe SchultheisGeneral Foreman
Pennsylvania
Randy BrownForemanKentucky
Terry BunklemanPermissions Person
Wisconsin
Michael HarrisTrimmer/Climber
Maryland
Michael ReeseGeneral Foreman
Washington
Miguel SaenzGeneral Foreman
New Mexico
Jose RiosForeman
California
Joseph PomeroyForeman
Pennsylvania
Kelly CarmenGeneral Foreman
Maryland
Donald CoashPermissions Person
Massachusetts
Terry McDanielGeneral ForemanNorth Carolina
Larry SalyersGeneral Foreman
Kentucky
Paul NelsonForemanIndiana
Timothy FrinkCrew Member
Minnesota
Walter MoatsPermissions Person
West Virginia
Warren Day Journeyman
Kansas
Michael VanceGeneral Foreman
Tennessee
Rogelio AguayoSafety Superintendent
Illinois
Robert SmithGroundman
Virginia
David MoatsForeman
West Virginia
Carey JohnsonTrimmer/Climber
Maine
Glenn PresselForeman
Connecticut
Lawrence BronnerGeneral Foreman
Massachusetts
Johnny SingletonGeneral Foreman
West Virginia
Michael QuickGeneral Foreman
Virginia
Betty RobsonGeneral Foreperson
Maryland
Arthur RoyForeman
Asplundh Brush Control Co.Illinois
John Helm, IIIForemanMissouri
Imber HernandezGeneral Foreman
Texas
Charles CrosbyGeneral Foreman
Georgia
William GallimoreJourneyman
Ohio
Troy WilliamsForeman
West Virginia
Jim WelshManager Western Division
Mechanical ServicesRailroad Division
Willow Grove
Michael AndersonForemanAlabama
Chris GanttForemanGeorgia
Loren Sellner, Sr. Journeyman
Missouri
Juan FuentesGeneral Foreman
Texas
Mario RoblesForemanFlorida
Bobby KingGeneral Foreman
Georgia
James DesslerForeman
Minnesota
Wayne KoesterGeneral Foreman
Wisconsin
Howard WilsonGeneral Foreman
Connecticut
Danny CogginsGeneral Foreman
New Jersey
Dan YargerGeneral Foreman
Georgia
Paul Sykes, Sr.Parts & Service Supervisor
Equipment DepartmentLynchburg
13The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
rchidsLetters and telephone calls were received complimenting the following foremen
and their crews working on the property of the utility or organization listed
below the employees’ names. This listing covers all “Orchids” that were
received in the Corporate Communications Dept. between March 20, 2005
and July 31, 2005. For their outstanding job performance or special
volunteer efforts, we say . . .
Thank you and congratulations!
OALABAMA
General Foreman Charles
Bearden, Foreman Greg Roberts,
and Trimmer/Climbers Joseph
Howton, Charlie Kimbrell and
Robert Orr, for assisting a
resident who had fallen off his roof,
Alabama Power Co.
Permissions Person Daniel
Hammock, Foremen Brian
Atcheson, Roger Kent and
Derrick Lockhart, and
Trimmer/Climbers Wesley
Easterling and Jamie Edward,
Central Alabama Electric Cooperative
General Foreman Lance
Mathews, Foremen E.J. Burton,
Patrick Green, Harold McKee,
Joe Mitchell, James Johnson and
Chester Skinner, and Trimmer/
Climbers Tim Atchison, Brad
Betts, Aaron Law, Michael
Rogers and Glenn Webster, for
their outstanding work on a special
project in Indiana,
NIPSCO
ARIZONA
Foreman Antonio Avalos and
Trimmer Jaime Campuzano,
Salt River Project
General Foreman Dave Brower,
Foreman Mark Delp and
Trimmer Jimmy Garcia,
Salt River Project
Foreman Ismael Garcia and
Trimmer/Climber Tony Brower,
Salt River Project
Foreman Dave McKown and
Trimmer Travis Stewart,
Arizona Public Service Co.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Foremen Rob Boersma and
Adam Hildebrand, and Crews,
BC Hydro
Foreman David Fleming, for
donating equipment and time to
the Sechelt and Gibson Scouts’
Christmas tree chipping project,
BC Hydro
General Foreman Steve Later,
Foreman Wes Combs and Crew
Member Maverick Daoust,
BC Hydro
Foreman Roben Rudichuk
and Crews,
Fortis Electric
General Foreman Ralph
Terpstra and Crews,
BC Hydro
CALIFORNIA
Foreman Jose Pina and
Apprentice Franklin Acosta,
Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
COLORADO
General Foreman Mike Davison,
Foreman Mike Darnall
and Crew,
Delta-Montrose Electric Association
General Foreman Adam Pena
and Crews, for their hard work
which helped the Cooperative to
receive the Tree Line USA Utility
award from the National Arbor
Day Foundation,
San Luis Valley REC, Inc.
DELAWARE
General Foreman Gary
Brittingham, Foreman Alvin
Bales and Crew,
Delaware Electric Cooperative
Foreman James Jester and
Journeyman Sean Woodhead,
Delaware Electric Cooperative
FLORIDA
General Foreman Tommy Bishop,
Foreman Chuck Marshall
and Crews,
Gulf Power Co.
General Foreman Richard
Hilliard and Crews,
Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc.
General Foreman Sylvester
Roberson, Permissions Person
Jesse Lawson and Crew,
Florida Power & Light
Vice President Pat White and
Crews, for donating palms to the
Academy of the New Church in
Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania for Palm
Sunday services,
Lee County Electric Cooperative
IDAHO
Foreman Charlie Matthews,
Trimmer Matthew Johnson and
Groundman Scott Syverson,
Kootenai Electric
ILLINOIS
Manager Larry Gauger and
Crews, for achieving over
three million man-hours without
a lost workday,
ComEd
General Foreman Greg Great,
Foremen Arturo Hernandez and
Mike O’Claire, and Journeymen
Adrian Guzman, Bernardo
Guzman, Ismael Guzman, Jose
Jimenez, Herberto Quilo and
Benigno Silva,
ComEd
Permissions Person Mike Nichol,
ComEd
INDIANA
General Foreman Frank Gosnell,
Sr., Foreman Ronald Zike,
Trimmer/Climber Robert
From a letter sent to Supervisor David Fulford of the Will WillisRegion in Colorado commending the work of General ForemanMike Davison, Foreman Mike Darnall and Crew on Delta-MontroseElectric Association property:
These lads were by far the best tree trimmers you’ve ever sent. Theywere not only quick and highly efficient in their work, but also willing to do the work just as we asked, cheerfully and with precisionand care. ... These two men did such a great job that we will not belikely to need them again for some years. If there are any awards forthe best tree service, these two deserve it!
MaryJoy and M. Joyce Martin
From a letter to Manager Larry Gauger in Illinois congratulatinghis region for achieving over three million man-hours without a lost workday on ComEd property:
... This is a significant accomplishment for you and your organization. Asplundh, on the ComEd property, has historicallyperformed well in the area of safety. This most recent accomplishmentfurther validates your commitment to maintaining a safe work force,and an overall safe operation. ... As you know, safety is paramountat Exelon, and your positive contribution is recognized.
John Costello, Sr., Vice President, Exelon Energy Delivery
14The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
Phillips and Groundman
Anthony Burton,
Southeastern Indiana REMC
General Foreman Steve
Swartzell, Permissions Person
Mark Morrow and Foreman
Tommie Lusk, for a presentation
they made to third grade students
and for donating trees and mulch at
Jefferson Elementary School in
South Bend,
NIPSCO
KANSAS
Railroad Division Spray
Operator Dub Erwin,
Kansas Army Ammo Plant
Foremen Terry Hamilton and
Robert Hildreth,
Westar Energy
Foreman Donald Harvey and
Apprentice Clinton Brookshire,
for coming to the aid of a resident
who collapsed in his backyard,
Westar Energy
Foreman Steve Jimmerson and
Apprentice Jose Escobar,
Aquila
LOUISIANA
Supervisor Kenny Cuevas,
General Foreman Norris Frazier,
Foremen Charles Bynog and
Paul Taylor, Climber John
Johnson and Groundman
Roland Autrey, for their help in
removing trees from the “Right to
Play” playground,
AEP/SWEPCO
Foreman Melvin Miller and
Journeyman Michael Miller,
Dixie Electric Membership Corp.
Work Planner Joe O’Brien,
Foreman Porfidio Rosales and
Trimmer Martine Rosales,
AEP/SWEPCO
MASSACHUSETTS
General Foreman Ken Miron,
Foremen Nil Lange and Rob
Watkins and Apprentices Kiel
Breault and John Castine,
National Grid
MINNESOTA
Foremen Jess Paulson and Jason
Young, and Trimmers Russell
Mongan and Jody Paulson,
Dakota Electric
Foremen Jess Paulson and Jason
Young, and Trimmer C.W. Dean,
Dakota Electric
Foreman Jarrod Schiltz and
Apprentice Adam Knowlton,
Xcel Energy
MONTANA
Foreman Dan Clark and
Trimmer Tom Landry,
Northwestern Energy
NEW HAMPSHIRE
General Foreman Steve Plante,
Foremen Jeff Fellows, Chaz
Kushnir, Rich Milburn
and Brock Mitchell, and
Trimmer Scott Gagne,
Public Service Co. of NH
NEW JERSEY
General Foreperson Trish
Coulter and Foremen Ariel
Gonzalez, Douglas Vineyard and
Bobby Whisting, for helping a
driver whose car had broken down
near their work site,
Conectiv/Atlantic Electric
NEW YORK
Manager Brian Fuge, Permissions
Person Darrin Petroro and Crews,
Long Island Power Authority
NORTH CAROLINA
General Foreman Chris Creed
and Crews,
Duke Energy
Foremen Brandon Davis,
Brian McManamon, Nick
Richardson, Kevin Ryan and
Jeff Shockey,
Progress Energy
Foreman Sandy Jarvis,
Trimmer/Climber Kevin Wood
and Journeyman Alex Ramirez,
EnergyUnited
General Foreman Jesse McClure
and Foreman Doug Sides,
for safely helping a driver to
change a tire,
Duke Energy
Permissions Person Tommy
Satterfield and Crew,
EnergyUnited
Permissions Person Tommy
Satterfield, Foreman Philip
Williams and Crew,
EnergyUnited
Foreman Pierre Thys and Crew,
Duke Energy
OHIO
Foreman Steve Call and Crew,
AEP
Journeyman Mickey Carman,
Ohio Department of Agriculture
General Foreman Jim Dunaway,
Foremen Fred Hammonds, Bob
Reed, Jeff Tackett and Daniel
Williams, and Trimmers Jeff
Hubbard and Ken Newsom, for
returning a stolen purse they found
near their job site,
AEP
General Foreman Greg Parkinson
and Foreman Ronald Painter, for
their help with a security light at
Hopewell Methodist Church,
AEP
General Foreman Greg Parkinson,
Foreman Ronald Painter,
Climber David Griffith and
Journeyman William Griffith,
AEP
(two letters received)
General Foreman Clarence
Pontius, Foreman William
Smith, Jr., and Crew,
FirstEnergy Corp.
General Foreman Ritchie Tuttle,
Foremen Dennis Elkins, Matt
Hall and Jeremy Leightey, and
Trimmer/Climber Josh Morris,
AEP
From a letter to Manager Doug Smith in North Carolina complimenting the work of Foremen Brandon Davis, BrianMcManamon, Nick Richardson, Kevin Ryan and Jeff Shockey onthe property of Progress Energy:
... I just wanted to say how impressed I am with the cooperation, attitude and general approach of all the members of the crew. The head of the group listened to my concerns about the trees withrespect and complete attention. ... In addition, they went beyond the “job description” in taking down some dying/dead trees on our property that were in the area of the lines, but now activelyblocking them. ... I just wanted to go on record with how impressedI was (as were our neighbors) with the general approach andactions of this group of workers.
Nell Kriesberg
From a letter from the Maysville Police Department commendingForemen William Carnell and Calvin Haynes, III and GroundmanJoseph Townsend of the Dan Thurston Region in Oklahoma:
I received a call about a traffic accident on Highway 74, north ofMaysville. [When I arrived at the accident,] I noticed that threemen were helping the injured parties and directing the safe flow of traffic around the accident. ... All three men stayed until theaccident investigation was complete and then they cleaned up theroadway. Their actions to ensure the safety of the injured partiesand the safety of everyone on the roadway reflects great credit onthemselves and the Asplundh Tree Expert Co. ... Thank you forprotecting the safety of those involved and those on the roadway.
Greg Herriman, Chief of Police
15The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
General Foreman John Wolfe,
Foreman Bob Brown and Crew,
Cuyahoga Falls Electric System
General Foreman John Wolfe,
Foreman Jeff Hughes,
Groundman Troy Arrington and
Apprentice Larry Groves,
City of Hudson
OKLAHOMA
General Foreman Jack
Benningfield, Foreman
Roger Benningfield and Crews,
AEP/PSO
Foremen William Carnell and
Calvin Haynes, III, and
Groundman Joseph Townsend,
for assisting injured drivers
and directing traffic after a
road accident,
Oklahoma Electric Cooperative
OREGON
Foreman Marvin Carter
and Crew,
Portland General Electric
General Foreman Eric
Cunningham, Foreman
Gerry Erickson and
Journeyman Ian Powell,
Portland General Electric
General Foreman Eric
Cunningham, Foreman Jason
Woosley, Trimmer Al Bean and
Journeyman Wayne Worden,
Portland General Electric
PENNSYLVANIA
Supervisor Lisa Altmiller in the
Customer & Field Liaison
Department at the Home Office,
for eight years of dedicated service,
Florida Power & Light
General Foreman John Lacy,
Foreman Keith Dibler and
Journeymen Victor Ayala, Jack
Dibler, Steve Eddy and Jason
Readinger, for volunteering their
time to chip tree debris at Hawk
Mountain Sanctuary in Kempton
after a January ice storm,
Pennsylvania Power & Light
General Foreman Claudio Maestri,
PECO Energy
Foremen Doug Palmer, Shaun
Poydence and John Seidel,
Journeymen Dave Bailey, Jim
Douglas, and Bud Duncan, and
Apprentice Al Cramer,
Duquesne Light Company
Alfredo Munoz and Florencio
Santillan, and Crews,
TXU Electric Delivery
Foreman Mario Hernandez
and Crew,
Garland Power & Light
General Foreman Jerry
Kensinger and Crews, for their
work at the Mansion on Turtle
Creek in Dallas,
TXU Electric Delivery
Supervisor Ezekiel Klomp,
General Foreman Glen
Garner and Crews,
Austin Energy
General Foreman Keith McAnear
and Foreman Antonio Resendiz,
TXU Energy
General Foreman Tony Morales,
TXU Energy
General Foreman Frank Perez,
Foreman Eric Diaz and
Journeyman Antonio Garza,
Texas-New Mexico Power Co.
General Foreman Javier
Trevino, Foreman Daniel Castillo
and Trimmer Omar Garcia,
AEP
VIRGINIA
Supervisor Robbie Adkins,
General Foreman Ronald King,
Foreman Mark Dodd and
Trimmer/Climbers Keith Goff
and Larry Morehead, for
donating mulch to the Timberlake
Christian Schools in Forest,
AEP
General Foreman Darwin
Beahm, Foremen William
Hosaflook, Jerry Oats,
Edwin Peters and John Sager,
and Crews,
Harrisonburg Electric Company
Foreperson Lori Cash and Crew,
Virginia DOT
Foreman Anthony Florow and
Trimmer/Climbers James
Stephens and Corey Willis,
AEP
From a letter to Supervisor Robbie Adkins in the Larry KirkRegion in Virginia thanking him and his crews for their donationto the Timberlake Christian Schools:
I want to extend our deepest gratitude to the Asplundh Tree ExpertCo. for all of the mulch your company has continued to donate toour campus preschool and kindergarten. ... The generosity of yourcompany has saved us hundreds of dollars for the safety and beautification of our playgrounds. ... Our firm belief is for ourschools to offer a service to the parents and businesses in our community. We appreciate it when we are on the receiving end ofthis belief as well.
Randl J. Spear, Ed.D., Superintendent
From a letter to the Mick Kavran Region in Washington thankingForeman Gary Gast, Journeyman Paea Ngauamo and GroundmanDavid Lane for a successful job for the Clark County PUD:
... Their attention to safety was apparent throughout the four daysthey were here. ... Customer satisfaction is obviously a very highpriority as well. ... They left the site clean and accommodated mywishes more than I could have expected. Their respect for the environment was also apparent. ... I had the opportunity to speak toquite a few number of neighbors, motorists, bicyclists, joggers andpeople who were just plain curious and many of them commentedto me on the professionalism of this crew. ... Many thanks, andcongratulations to your crew on a job well done!
Victor Dobyns
TENNESSEE
General Foreman Troy Ball,
Foremen David Duncan and
Daniel Loftin, Trimmer/
Climbers Thomas Beck and
Robert Haney, and Groundman
James Mullins,
Cleveland Utilities
General Foreman Bill Pomeroy,
for coming to the aid of a stranded
traveler in Bucks County,
PECO Energy
RHODE ISLAND
General Foreman R. Michael
Seward, for inviting John Cookson
and Michael Sikora from National
Grid to participate in his First Aid,
CPR and driver training program,
National Grid
SOUTH CAROLINA
General Foreman Leonard
Hughes, Foreman Daniel Marsh
and Groundman Adrian Swaney,
Duke Energy
Foreman Stoney Pendergrass, for
risking his life in order to save the
lives of others in a house fire near
his work site,
Cleveland Utilities
General Foreman Andrew Steel
and Crews,
Rockwood Electric Utilities
TEXAS
General Foremen Robert
Barrios, Reymundo Hernandez
and Jake Kitzmiller, and Crews,
TXU Electric Delivery
General Foremen Charles Harris
and Jerry Kensinger, Foremen
Jose Enriquez, Javier Lara,
16The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
General Foreman Daniel Kidd
and Crews, for helping the
Greenvale School in Roanoke hang
signs for a fundraiser,
AEP
General Foreman Neil Moore
and Crews,
AEP
Foreman Robert Vorous
and Crew,
Dominion Virginia Power
WASHINGTON
Permissions Person Steve Bruffy,
Foreman Richard Lloyd,
Trimmer Eric Force and
Groundman Tomas Cruz,
Puget Sound Energy
General Foreman Reggie
Charlesworth, Foremen Steve
Chase, Alan Doney, Dennis
Erspamer, Gary Gast, Pat
Hartley and Sione Ngauamo,
Trimmer/Climber Brent
Larwick, Journeymen John
Eiseman, Don Erspamer,
Gerald Tabor and Paea Ngauamo,
Groundmen John Buffington
and David Lane, and Apprentice
Aram McTay,
Clark County PUD
Foreman Dennis Erspamer
and Crew,
Clark County PUD
Foreman Gary Gast, Journeyman
Paea Ngauamo and Groundman
David Lane,
Clark County PUD
Foreman Mark Johnson,
Climber Ed Tarantino and
Groundman Monte Peterson,
Snohomish County PUD
(two letters received)
General Foreman Roy Kaufman,
for graciously donating his time
and energy to chip branches for
the Wildlife Botanical Gardens
in Vancouver,
Avista Corp
General Foreman Richard Lloyd,
Trimmer Eric Force and
Groundman Tomas Cruz,
Snohomish County PUD
Foremen Mike Meloni and Crew,
Seattle City Light
Foreman Sione Ngauamo and
Journeymen Paea Ngauamo and
Gerald Tabor,
Clark County PUD
STORM WORK
General Foreman Chris Pratt
and Crews (TX), for coming to the
aid of the residents in the town of
Monroeville after Hurricane Ivan
last September,
Alabama Power Co.
General Foremen Robert Forell,
Jesus Guadalupe, Chuck Hess,
William Neiman and Anthony
Pinelli, and Crews (PA), for
putting in long days in high
temperatures and humidity
away from their families after
Hurricane Dennis,
Gulf Power Co. (FL)
General Foreman Richard
Holt, Foremen Alfred Richardson
and Tim Underwood, and
Journeymen Norman Gormley,
Domingo Ramirez and Robert
Richardson, for their professional
demeanor and outstanding
workmanship when clearing
debris which had fallen during the
three Hurricanes that hit Sanford
last year,
Florida Power & Light
General Foreman James Rhodes,
Foremen Stephen Gipson, Sr.
and Kenneth Jordan, and
Trimmer Orrin Weiss, for
removing tree limbs from an
elderly couple’s house after
Hurricane Dennis in July,
Gulf Power Co. (FL)
Foreman Carl Collins and
Trimmer Jerry Dunlap (OH), for
their hard work during the icy
weather conditions that hit Indiana
last holiday season,
Licking Rural Electric Co-op. (IN)
Foreman Alexander Batres and
Crew, for working in freezing
conditions to trim limbs which fell
on the power lines after a storm,
Potomac Electric Power Co. (MD)
From a letter to the Home Office in Willow Grove, Pennsylvaniathanking General Foreman James Rhodes, Foremen Stephen Gipson, Sr. and Kenneth Jordan and Trimmer Orrin Weiss of theMike Smith Region in Florida:
After Hurricane Dennis, Asplundh employees came by our houseand helped clean-up the broken trees, branches, and other stuffthat threatened the wires on our city lot, as well as our house. Wealso had two trees which fell on our house in back. ... These menwere highly professional and helpful and were so nice to us, afterall we’ve been through. I am 84 and my husband is 85 and in poorhealth. We want to thank them for helping us when we really needed it.
Ray and Helen Mathis
From a letter to the Jeff Duncan Region in Indiana thanking hiscrews for their hard work after a holiday ice storm:
The Energy Cooperative Family of Licking Rural Electrificationwould like to express our gratitude for all of your hard work during the long, icy weather conditions that fell upon us during theChristmas and New Year holidays. To leave your families duringthis time to help a cooperative with an emergency situation isextremely commendable. We appreciate everything you did to helprestore power to our members.
David Potter, President/CEO
WISCONSIN
Foremen Tanner Asplund
and Jason Cawley, and
Apprentices Patrick Koerner
and Brad Resler,
WE Energies
Foreman Scott Blackford
and Journeyman Pete Berelc,
WE Energies
WEST VIRGINIA
Foreperson Michele Clay and
Trimmers Jeff Parsons and
Steve Turley,
AEP
Foremen David Corkhill,
Curtis Hanshaw and
Jason Pringle, and Crews,
AEP
Permissions Person Sammy Roy,
for assisting a driver who was
trapped inside her vehicle after she
lost control and drove her car over
an embankment and into a tree,
Allegheny Power
General Foreman Tim Guetzke,
Foreman Jay Hafemeister and
Journeyman Rahn Mihelich,
WE Energies
Foreman Rick Reed and
Journeyman Tom Bianchi,
WE Energies
Permissions Person Joanna
Rogers, Foremen Tanner
Asplund and Jeff Thieme, Jr.,
and Journeyman Dave Kieffer,
WE Energies
General Foreman Bob Swanson
and Journeyman Joe Ropiak,
WE Energies
17The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
Crews & News
30-Year Watches
L o n g e v i t y — O v e r 5 0 Ye a r s o f S e r v i c e !
� On June 9, Foreman Wayne Sterling (second from R) was recognizedat a regional general foremen’s meeting for 30 years of dedicated service.Asplundh Manager Kelly Runkle (L), Cinergy/PSI Coordinator PaulZurcher (second from L) and General Foreman Roger Zurcher (R) presented Wayne with a specially-engraved watch to mark his achievement.Wayne began his career with Asplundh in March 1975, working as agroundman on Cinergy property. His positive attitude and can-do spirithelped him reach foreman level. Wayne currently oversees a crew working on the Cinergy/PSI transmission system in southwest Indiana.
� Vice PresidentTom Leverentz (R)was proud to present GeneralForeman NorrisFrazier (secondfrom R) ofLouisiana with aspecially-engravedwatch to mark his30th anniversarywith Asplundh. Also on hand wereCarl Matthews (L)and Danny Salter (second from L) ofAmerican ElectricPower (AEP), whoextended their
gratitude to Norris for all of his hard work over the years. Starting hiscareer with Asplundh in November 1973 as a groundman, Norrisquickly built a reputation as a go-getter. In 1998, he was promoted togeneral foreman, overseeing crews on AEP property in and aroundShreveport, Louisiana, a role in which he continues to excel to this day.
� A surprise party was thrown in Tom Anderson’s (back L) honor forachieving 50 years of service to Asplundh and Public Service Electric &Gas Company of New Jersey (PSE&G) at the Logan Inn on May 14th.On hand for the event were (clockwise from L) Lucy Arriola, LorraineAnderson and husband Tom, Vice President Martin Arriola, retiredDirector of Field Personnel Mike Lynch and his wife, Mary. Also inattendance for Tom’s special night were (not shown) PSE&G Manager,Vegetation Management Rich Wolowicz, New Jersey Shade Tree Federation Executive Director Bill Porter, Bob Lee of Jersey CentralPower & Light, retired Chairman of the Board Carl Asplundh, Jr. andretired Vice President Harold Selvey, among others. Some of the highlightsof the evening included a presentation by Martin Arriola that shared manyanecdotes about the guest of honor, as well as an audio-visual showhighlighting Tom’s career with Asplundh and the “Top 10 Reasons toWork for Another 50 Years”. A great time was had by all!
� Loyalty and longevity are two words to describe Wally Anketell(center) and his 55-years with Asplundh. ACC Vice President FrankGiordano (L) and ATE Manager Brian Fuge (R) took Wally out to lunchin June, presenting him with a specially-engraved pocket watch andclock to commemorate his remarkable service milestone. Wally startedout in April 1950 as a trainee tree trimmer on Long Island Lighting Co.(LILCo) property in New York, where he remained his entire career.Eventually, Wally worked his way up to foreman, and both Frank andBrian got their start on his crew. He decided to retire in March 2000;however, retirement didn’t last long for Wally. Just two months later, he rejoined Asplundh, this time as a flagperson on KeySpan Energyproperty (formerly LILCo). After 55 years with Asplundh, Wally hasmore than earned a sincere thank you from all who have been associatedwith him throughout his long career.
� May 7 BasicClimbing School—
Operational TrainingSupervisor John
Terault, Jr., GeneralForepersons Ed Cote
and Sean MacPheehelped fellow
employees from theRalph Guadagno
Regions of Vermont,Massachusetts andNew Hampshire to
improve their climbing and aerialrescue skills. David
Town, Logan Stone, Nathan Lyonnais, Roger Sawyer, Ryan Marsh andChris Carrier all volunteered their time on what would have been a
Saturday off to perfect their skills.
18The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
� July Forepersons’ School—On July 6-7, the Carl Junghans Regionsof Connecticut and Massachusetts hosted a forepersons’ school for newand experienced forepersons, as well as up and coming employees whohave demonstrated leadership potential. The two-day school, led byOperational Training Supervisor John Terault, Jr., General ForepersonsSteve Bennett, Roger Brisson and Shawn Giroux, Permissions Person FranDemerski and Foreperson Pete Wicklund, focused on all the essentialinformation a foreperson should know in order to be successful. Theattendees of the school were: Todd Clark, Matt Dupuis, Raul Garcia, ChrisGouin, Jay Jolley, Edward Smith, Carrol Spaulding and Nicholas Webster.
� July ASTP—During the week of July 11-15, the Asplundh SupervisoryTraining Program was held at the Home Office in Willow Grove. Led byField Personnel Manager of Training and Development Ryan Swier, thegraduates were (back row, L to R): Tom McKinney, Virginia; Eric Cunningham, Oregon; Brian Tompkins, New York; Greg Lamb, SouthCarolina; and Geoff Lorah, Virginia. In the front row were (L to R):Donnie Shockley, North Carolina; Johnny Burns, Ohio; Dave Kingsbury, Illinois; Terry McFarlan, West Virginia; David Gonzalez,Arizona; and Bob Pappas, Ohio.
� May ASTP—On May 16-20, Ryan Swier, Field Personnel Managerof Training and Development, invited employees to the Home Office inWillow Grove, Pennsylvania to participate in the Asplundh SupervisoryTraining Program. The graduates included (back row, L to R): Ray Walk,Pennsylvania; Maro Valencia, California; Chip Farrington, Michigan;Tim Rounds, Florida; Charles Crosby, Georgia; Wes McKinney, Virginia;Ty Ledford, North Carolina; and David Proctor, Florida. In the front rowwere (L to R): Dwayne Neville, Oklahoma; Roberto Garcia, Illinois; ChrisRychter, Wisconsin; Ron Hatter, Kansas; Mike Clark, Texas; Brian Porter,South Carolina; Brian Fooks, Delaware; and Armando Valdez, California.
� April ASTP Graduates—Fourteen employees from 11 states and oneCanadian province were invited to the Home Office in Willow Grove,Pennsylvania to participate in the Asplundh Supervisory Training Program. Held on April 18-22, the sessions were led by Ryan Swier,Field Personnel Manager of Training and Development. The graduateswere (front row, L to R): Al Kirchner, California; Jeff Eing, Ohio; Brian Hinds, Massachusetts; Jeff Elliott, Delaware; Mitch Oldham,British Columbia, Canada; Jose M. Garcia, Texas; and Scott Thompson,Alabama. In the back row were (L to R): Saul Mancera, Illinois; JuanBarajas, Pennsylvania; Bladimir Cardenas, Florida; Cliff Rasberry, III,Alabama; Robert Wood, North Carolina; Scott Kemna, Virginia; andAlberto V. Torres, Texas.
� June ASTP—Field Personnel Manager Ryan Swier once again invitedemployees from across the country to the Home Office in Willow Grove toattend the Asplundh Supervisory Training Program. Held June 13-17, theattendees were (front row, L to R): Imber Hernandez, Texas; Elijah Gilliam,Jr., Ohio; Larry Spargur, Pennsylvania; Greg Hudson, North Carolina;Scott Leonard, Kansas; Terry Rosenburg, Illinois; Brian Graver, Florida;and Frank Gosnell, Sr., Indiana. In the back row were (L to R): DavidChapman, Kentucky; Bryan Buckner, Louisiana; Todd Dawson, Indiana;Keith Lewis, Louisiana; Jeremiah Sparacio (UTS), California; JonathanBurns, Florida; James Rowland, Georgia; and John Rolinksi, Michigan.
Training Times
19The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
� (L to R)Joshua, 4, Ben,19 months, and
Nathan, 5, are thehandsome children
of Foreman JeffGreene and hiswife, Julie. The
boys love thattheir dad gets to
drive a “bigorange truck” at
work, and theyalways keep an eyeout for Asplundh trucks when they’re out and about town. Jeff works in
the Wilmer McWhirter Region on Georgia Power property in Augusta.
� Congratulations to Kristen Dowdy, who graduated from DodgeCounty High School on May 20. Kristen, along with being a member of thehomecoming court andprom queen, also graduatedwith honors. She is nowattending Middle GeorgiaCollege, studying to becomean anesthesiologist assistant.Her proud father, FreddyDowdy, is a general foremanwho oversees crews forGeorgia Power and variousmunicipal and investor-ownedaccounts in the WilmerMcWhirter Region.
� Joshua, the cute littleguy with the big blue eyes,became the latest addition
to the Wilcox clan onDecember 1, 2004.
Weighing 9 lbs., 2oz. at birth (WOW!), he joins
Mom Laura, Dad Jeff andsix-year-old sister Nicole.Laura, an administrative
assistant in the Gene BlountRegion, helps keep the
Detroit, Michigan office running smoothly.
� Ken and Kristie Barnes welcomed Kenadee Alexis
with open arms on December 28, 2004. The
19-1/2", 6 lb., 3.9 oz.Kenadee has three older
sisters to play with. Ken isa foreman in the WilmerMcWhirter Region, and
oversees a crew in theCentral Region of Georgia
Power property.
Family Album
� Adorable Madison is the first child of Colleen andMichael Wlotko. Born January10, she weighed 7 lbs., 15 oz. and was 22" long. Colleen is aclaims examiner in the Risk Management Department of theHome Office, where she’s worked for the past five years.
� James and TerriWilliams are proud tointroduce their first child,Branden James. Brandenjust celebrated his firstbirthday on September 20.James is a general foreman in the Pat White Region in Florida,overseeing crews onGainesville RegionalUtilities property.
� Beautiful Pilimilose VaiataNgauamo was born on May 17
to delighted first-time parentsPaea and Hilda. The smiling
newborn was a healthy 9 lbs., 3 oz. at birth (WHOA!),
measuring 21.5" long. Paea is a trimmer on Clark County
PUD property in Vancouver, Washington in the Mick
Kavran Region.
� “Orange blood”is certainly coursing throughthe veins of JeffBlevins of ChinaGrove, North Carolina. Jeff’sfather and severalof his family members workedfor Asplundh overthe years, and he has many fondchildhood memories
of his family’s pride in their work and of the “big orange truck” he and his father used to clean and polish together on the weekends. Toshow everyone what a big part of his life Asplundh has been, Jeff had a customized license plate with “Asplundh” on it created for his truck.
20The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
Lift Schools
� San Jose,California—DoYOU know theway to SanJose? If not, you could havefollowed the“Dirt Buzzard”there on April 1.Greg Homillerlanded in theMike EnglishRegion tospread the word
on the importance of proper aerial lift safety and inspections. The crews,overseen by Supervisor Jerry Baker and General Foremen Oscar Avilesand Dave Bloch, work for Pacific Gas & Electric Co. throughout Northern California.
� Laurel, Mississippi—Greg got the chance to teach his Aerial LiftInspection course to more employees from the Mike Smith Region thefollowing day. On March 5, the “Dirt Buzzard” shared his knowledgewith General Foremen Buddy Chambers, Marty Harper, Dennis Middleton and Jimmy Spicer and crews in Laurel, Mississippi. Thesefolks can be found working on the properties of Columbus Light &Water, Entergy and Mississippi Power.
� Hammond, Louisiana—On Friday, March 4, Equipment Trainingand Inspection Supervisor Greg Homiller began his two-day tour of theMike Smith Region. Crews in Hammond, Louisiana got their chance tolearn proper lift inspection techniques and safety practices from one of thebest sources in the industry, the “Dirt Buzzard”. These crews work underSupervisor Andrew Anthony on the utility properties of Central LouisianaElectric Company, Dixie Electric Membership Corp. and Entergy.
� Crystal Lake, Illinois—Greg Homiller conducted a second AerialLift Inspection class in the Larry Gauger Region on June 29 in CrystalLake, Illinois. Supervisor Mark Sanders, General Foremen Greg Great,Brian Huffhines, Jim Hudgin, John Jones, Mark Lohse, Rafael Perez,Kurt Pilz, Terry Rosenburg, Ron Tardio and Jim Winder and crews wereeager to learn proper lift safety and inspection skills from the “Dirt Buzzard” himself.
� Lombard, Illinois—On June 28, the “Dirt Buzzard” flew to Lombard,Illinois to visit our Asplundh co-workers in the Larry Gauger Region.Held at the ComEd Glen-Bard office, Greg Homiller taught his AerialLift Inspection course to crews under Supervisors Jeff Ness, Art Perezand Joe Sterbenz. All work on the property of ComEd.
� Stockton, California—Equipment Training and Inspection Supervisor Greg Homiller stayed an additional day in the “GoldenState” to present his Aerial Lift Inspection course to as many MikeEnglish Region employees as possible. On April 2, Greg met withSupervisor Marc Salvatore and his crews at the Stockton yard to helpeveryone there improve their lift inspection and safety techniques.These crews work on the utility properties of Sacramento MunicipalUtility District and Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
Double-headers aren’t just for baseball anymore! EquipmentTraining and Inspection Supervisor Greg Homiller packed hisrecent regional visits with back-to-back training sessions. Enjoy!
21The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
Sportsmen’s Corner� Eleven-year-oldDustyn Thoney certainlyoutfished the competitionthis past winter. On Februrary 5, he and hisfather Daniel spent fourhours on a frozen lake inIron County, Michigan,competing in an all-agesice fishing derby. Dustyn’s12-1/8" perch took the topspot and his 11-7/8" catch tied for second.Daniel, who works in the Joe Schneider Regionon Wisconsin Public Service Corporation property, couldn’t havebeen prouder of his son’s accomplishment.
� Dave Powers couldn’t waitto show the readership of The
Asplundh TREE magazine theone that didn’t get away. Dave,
a handyperson in the HomeOffice Maintenance Departmentand an avid fisherman, caught this impressive 6 lb., 22" long
bass on May 22 at a pond inHuntington Valley, Pennsylvania.
Using a new rod and reel hereceived as a PRIME award,
and a plastic worm lure madefor him by IT Database
Administrator Paul Wiley,Dave was just about to give upon fishing for the day when the
big one decided to bite. Afterposing with “Bubba” for the
camera, Dave released the bass back into the pond, perhaps to becomesomeone else’s “big catch” story!
� Volunteer Spirit Lights UpBallfield—When several lightbulbs over the Ainsworth Ball
Association’s baseball field burntout, the group wasn’t sure how
they would reach the bulbs toreplace them. When word of the
problem reached the Kevin DoveRegion in Iowa, Foremen Kevin
Shultz, Brycen Woltering and Tim Woltering immediately
donated their time to help out.Using an aerial lift truck, the men
easily replaced the burnt outbulbs. The association later sent a letter thanking Manager Kevin
Dove and his workers for helpingtheir small community with such
a big task.
� Foreman Aids Local FireStation—Foreman MikeGoriesky of the Joe SchneiderRegion spent one of his daysoff last May helping spruce upthe exterior of the Iron CountyFire Department in Iron River,Michigan. With the help of an aerial lift truck, Mikerepainted the station’s flag pole.In addition to volunteering histime as a firefighter in IronCounty, Mike also makes timeto inspect the fire extinguishersin his region to keep them up tocode. Thanks, Mike, for helpingAsplundh employees put safetyfirst on and off the job!
� Florida Crew Cares Enoughto Help United Way—GeneralForeman Mike Venezia, Foreman Gary Miller, Jr. andGroundman Jason Quinn of thePat White Region donated theirtime to the Arnette House inOcala, Florida during the UnitedWay’s “Day of Caring” on February 2. The Arnette Houseserves as a temporary shelterfor troubled and neglected 10- to 17-year-olds in MarionCounty. Sumter Electric Cooperative, Inc. had alreadyvolunteered to help the shelterduring the “Day of Caring,”and asked Asplundh for helppruning several trees aroundthe shelter that were damagedby last year’s hurricanes.Thanks to Mike and his crew,the Arnette House continues tobe a safe and welcoming placefor those in need.
� Florida Crew“Egg”cels inSafety—MikeSmith Region
General ForemanJim Rhodes
and ForemenHiram Petty and
Mike Citarellaunselfishly gaveseveral hours of
their personaltime this past
spring to assistthe Saint Rose of
Lima CatholicChurch in Milton, Florida. The church had hoped to host an Easter
egg hunt on their festival grounds, but after several trees were damaged by Hurricane Ivan they thought they might have to cancel the event due to unsafe conditions. Jim and his crew gladly trimmedhanging limbs out of the trees and removed several storm-damagedtrees from the church grounds. Thanks to their efforts, the children
from the church enjoyed a fun and safe Easter egg hunt.
Community Service
22The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
Awards & Rewards
On the Job
� Xcel Energy RewardsWillis Region Foreman—Foreman Sherman Gossett
(center), who works onXcel Energy property in
Lubbock, Texas, waschosen by the utility as
the “Foreman of theYear” for 2004. Sherman
was selected for his outstanding achievementin productivity, training,equipment maintenance,
crew professionalism and positive attitude. Along with a certificate,gift card, time off with pay and a jacket with “Foreman of the Year” on
it, Sherman was also taken out to dinner and toasted for a job welldone by (L to R), Xcel Energy Director of Vegetation Management Jim
Downie, Asplundh Supervisor David Fulford, Vice President WillWillis, Trimmer Joel Poe, Vice President/Sponsor Keith Asplundh and
Xcel Energy Vegetation Management Coordinator David Wall.
� Special Project Handled With Safety in Mind—In January, HolyokeGas & Electric Vegetation Manager Jan Zwirko arranged to have a 115 kV line in this Massachusetts municipality de-energized and groundedso that Asplundh crews from the Carl Junghans Region could safely trim out the conductors. The project called for six Asplundh crews (sixscissor lifts and one manual crew) under the direction of Supervisor Dan Duncan and General Foreman Barry Croke.
� Crew of theMonth Has Plentyto Smile About—Foreman LynnDawn Wiseman(L) and TrimmerGeno Spriggs (R)of the Dave SachsRegion in Ohioearned theregion’s first“Crew of theMonth” award inMarch. Based oncriteria tabulated
from the Foreman’s Monthly Tracker, Lynn and Geno’s commitment to safety, production, customer service, equipment maintenance andaccurate paperwork put them above the competition. Along with a pat onthe back from their Supervisor Keith Confere, Lynn and Geno received t-shirts (shown above) that let everyone know they’re number one! � The Buzz is Over
Safety First ... No OneGets Hurt!—What would
have been a simple trimming job for Foreman
Josue Tinoco (R) andJourneyman Cruz Pineda
(L) of the Tom LeverentzRegion, turned into a
tricky ordeal when theyrealized that the TXU
Electric Delivery powerlines ran through a bee
keeper’s property. Regional Safety
Superintendent IgnacioVazquez sent in this
picture of the two workers geared up and
ready to start the job in their bee suits. There were about 10 hive boxesbelow the power lines, which were home to a mix of Native and African
bees. The noise and the movement of the foliage near the hives causedthe bees to become aggressive. If the workers did not have the protection
from the suits they would have surely gotten stung multiple times.
� Texas Crew Takes Top Honors—Foreman James Evans (L) andTrimmer Chris Lathey (R) of theWill Willis Region became the XcelEnergy “Crew of the Quarter” forthe first quarter in 2005. Xcel Energy bestowed this honor on thecrew for their overall excellence in job performance, attitude, production, quality of work, safetyand equipment maintenance. Jameshas been with Asplundh for fouryears, and Chris recently joined the company in 2004. This crewworks out of Lubbock, Texas underGeneral Foreman Butch Lathey.
� Georgia Crew Recognized for Excellence—Everyyear, Georgia Powerevaluates the contractorcrews working on their property and recognizesthose who have excelledin safety, productivity,quality of work, andperformance over thecourse of a 3-4 yearcycle. Wilmer McWhirterRegion Foreman KenBarnes (R) was chosenas the “Foreman of theYear” and TrimmerRonnie Bell (L) was
recognized for overall excellence. Georgia Power Forester StephenScarborough proudly presented plaques to Ken and Ronnie for theirhard work in the Central Region.
23The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
here are many ways that Asplundh
participates in the events of the vegetation
management and utility industries. Whether
it be the Trees and Utilities conference hosted
by the National Arbor Day Foundation and
the Utility Arborist Association, or the
conventions of the Edison Electric Institute
and National Rural Electric Cooperative
Association, Asplundh is always involved
with sponsorships and trade show displays.
One of the most important of these
events takes place each summer—the
annual conference and trade show of the
International Society of Arboriculture
(ISA). This is the meeting place for several
great tree-related organizations, including
the non-profit Tree Research and Education
Endowment Fund (TREE Fund).
For 11 years now, Asplundh has
sponsored a golf outing to raise money for
the TREE Fund. To encourage the most
attendance, it has always taken place just
before the ISA’s annual convention which
was held this year at the Gaylord Opryland
Resort and Convention Center in Nashville,
Tennessee. Over the years, more than
$200,000 has been generated for the TREE
Fund by this event and it’s become a fun
tradition for many of the golfers.
This year, to beat the heat, the outing
kicked off at 7:30 in the morning with 85
golfers in attendance, 18 hole sponsors,
breakfast and beverages sponsored by Altec
and an awards luncheon hosted by Terex. We
thank everyone who participated in making
the event an enjoyable and productive way
to support research and education.
Asplundh also sponsored the 14th annual
Tour des Trees bike ride, which concluded
its 450-mile fundraising trek in Nashville,
at the International Tree Climbing
Championship. The money that Asplundh
contributed to the Tour has been earmarked
for use in completing a TREE Fund video
that will encourage high school age students
to consider a career in arboriculture.
The ISA convention was also where the
Utility Arborist Association held an annual
membership meeting. It was at this gathering
that Asplundh Technical Services Manager
Geoff Kempter was honored with the
group’s Education Award. Congratulations!
� Eighty-five fun-loving golfers devoted a beautiful Sunday, August 7th morning to raising money fortree research and education. The winners of the Asplundh-sponsored event are pictured above, outside the clubhouse of the Springhouse Links in Nashville, Tennessee (L to R): Tom Duffy of Sherrill,Inc., Jerry Brown and Ed Dodak of Bandit Industries and David Fleischner, president of Trees,Inc. Many thanks to all the hole sponsors and Terex Utilities for providing the awards luncheon.
� Asplundh was a platinum level sponsor of the 2005 Tour des Trees and Writer/Editor KristinWild of Corporate Communications raised enough in pledges to ride the whole 450-mile tour fromJackson, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. She also assisted with various PR and education events.
� Vice President Gregg Asplundh (L) discusses Asplundh services with Dale
Crutchfield of Dominion Virginia Power during the ISA Trade Show in Nashville. Thisyear the Asplundh display featured a question
and answer slide show on a wide screen plasma TV that was then donated to the
Gala Auction so that it could raise much-needed money for the TREE Fund.
� Women’s International Tree Climbing ChampionshipCompetitor Rebecca Richardson, a foreperson in the KeithErickson Region in Minnesota, was Asplundh’s only representative at the Nashville event this year. She did thecompany proud with her sixth place finish out of 15—and it was her first time in international competition! After finishing her competition Rebecca commented, “It was areally big thing for me to meet other women competitorswho work in the industry. I learned a lot!” Growing up in St.Cloud, Minnesota, Rebecca has always liked climbing treesand is glad to be paid to do it! She has worked for Asplundhfor five years and became a foreperson in 2003. Her crewworks on the property of Xcel Energy.
T
Industry Involvement
24The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
2nd Prize - Work Related
1st Prize - Work Related
Winning ShotsFrom Shoot Out 2005
Just when we thought the entries couldn’t get any better than last
year’s Shoot Out, here comes a whole host of top notch shots from
Asplundh employees, family members and customers. Shoot Out
2005 had 55 talented contestants from all over North America who
submitted 245 excellent entries. Our judges had their work cut out for
them, trying to narrow it down to a total of only eight winning shots!
We in Corporate Communications thank all who entered, as well as
our three judges who were so careful in their duties—Photographer
Mark McCaron from Kerper Studio in Philadelphia and Corporate
Safety Engineer Victor Sirvydas and Vice President Steven Asplundh
from the Home Office in Willow Grove.
Congratulations to these Shoot Out 2005 winners:
� In the Work Related category, the first place winner out of 130
entries was District Engineering Technician Mike Sofka of American
Electric Power in West Virginia. Second prize went to General Foreman
Reggie Charlesworth of the Mick Kavran Region in Washington
and our third place winner was Line Clearance Coordinator Keith
Ellison of Snohomish County PUD in Washington. Honorable
Mention went to Compliance Officer Ken Sims of the Martin Arriola
Region in Louisiana.
� In the Nature category, the first place winner out of 115 entries
was Pat Marx, wife of Fleet General Manager Ed Marx of the Home
Office in Willow Grove. Second place honors went to Consenter
Wayne Clark of the John Moir Region in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,
and the third place prize winner was Susan Ethridge, sister of Foreman
Ken Mann of the Will Willis Region in Arizona. Honorable Mention in
this category went to General Foreman Shawn Giroux of the Carl
Junghans Region in Massachusetts.
Most of these talented photographers have been awarded CASH
(one size fits all, you know) as their prize. However, third place winner
Keith Ellison was not able to accept the cash prize due to the utility’s
business ethics policies. Keith graciously decided to have his prize
divided equally amongst the remaining five winners. That means our
first, second and third place contestants each earned $165, $115 and
$90, respectively. Honorable Mention winners received a $40 gift
certificate from Cabela’s. We send Keith our special thanks and
recognition of his achievement and generosity!
Once again, we encourage all of our readers to get those cameras
shooting now so you’ll have a nice set of entries for next year’s Shoot
Out. And don’t forget to check out Asplundh’s 2006 wall calendar
where more excellent Shoot Out 2005 entries are featured.
The rolling green hills of Ohio County, West Virginiaprovide a lush working environment for Foreman EdSlone, who spent three days clearing limbs from an AEPdistribution line damaged by high winds in July.
—Mike Sofka, Wheeling, West Virginia
Lightning struck this huge Douglas fir, splitting it and causing it to smolder and burn from within. The tree had to be carefully
removed due to its proximity to Clark Public Utilities transmission lines and the potential to spread the fire.
—Reggie Charlesworth, Aloha, Oregon
Honorable Mention - Work Related
3rd Prize - Work Related
25The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005
The mirror-like surface of Bowman Lake reflects the stillness,peace and quiet beauty of a late afternoon hike in GlacierNational Park, Montana.
—Pat Marx, Churchville, Pennsylvania
The contrast between the dark gray skies of a summer storm and the brilliant green andyellow canola fields of Three Hills, Albertacaught Wayne’s eye as he was patrollingATCO Electric power lines in 2004.
—Wayne Clark, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
1st Prize - Nature
2nd Prize - Nature
A rainbow guides crews back to the staging areaat the Daytona International Speedway after ahard day’s work clearing trees downed by Hurricane Charley in August 2004.
—Ken Sims, Sulpher, Louisiana
Miles of blue sky and serene white clouds are allthat surround Foreman Dave Burress as he blocksdown a big Douglas fir in Lynnwood for Snohomish County PUD.
—Keith Ellison, Everett, Washington
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Winning Shots From Shoot Out 2005 continued
3rd Prize - Nature Honorable Mention - Nature
Great timing and patience pay off in Susan’s photo of a baldeagle majestically perched in front of the American flag inHomer, Alaska. This visually-striking image unifies two of theUnited States’ most endearing symbols of freedom.
—Susan Ethridge, Mesa, Arizona
While vacationing near North Truro, Massachusetts, Shawn and hisfamily discovered this camera-friendly hermit crab inching its wayacross the sand, looking for a dry spot after low tide stranded it on asoggy sandbar in Cape Cod Bay.
—Shawn Giroux, East Longmeadow, Massachusetts