THE ASPLUNDH TREE

Spring/Summer 2015
THE ASPLUNDH TREE
AMAZING TREES
WE SEE EVERYDAY
S
hon Haile, a journeyman trimmer in the
Barry Suddreth Region in South Carolina,
drives by this southern live oak (Quercus
virginiana) and many others each day as he prunes
limbs away from Laurens Electric Cooperative
power lines. The species is commonly seen in
coastal regions from Virginia to Texas.
A few years back, Shon and his family traveled
to Charleston, on the coast of South Carolina, to
visit the historic USS Yorktown. After a tour of
the battleship, they decided to go visit the Angel
Oak that they had heard about, located on nearby
Johns Island. By the time they got to the park it
was closed, but the sheer size and mysterious
beauty of this massive southern live oak was
impossible to miss. Shon’s wife, Crystal, took
p A southern live oak (Quercus
photos through the fence that now protects the
virginiana) in Laurens, South Carolina tree from too much foot traffic.
p Live oak leaves are shiny and
leathery, making live oaks a heat
tolerant species. They are called
evergreen, but live oaks drop their
leaves just before new leaves appear
in the spring. The acorns are small,
oblong and sometimes nearly black.
Since 1991, the City of Charleston has owned
and preserved the Angel Oak whose name comes
from the estate of Justis and Martha Angel. Local
folklore says ghosts of former slaves appear as
angels around the tree. Due to the deep tap-root
and widespread root system that typically anchors
southern live oaks, as well as the low spreading
branches, the Angel Oak has withstood numerous
hurricanes in its lifetime, including some serious
damage by Hurricane Hugo in 1989.
Although Shon grew up in (and first started
working for Asplundh) in California where he saw
many giant sequoia and redwood trees, he was
still pretty impressed with the amazing Angel Oak
— and we are, too!
t The lower limbs of the Angel
Oak sweep down to the ground
and curve upward in many places.
The tree stands 66.5 ft. tall
and its trunk measures 28 ft. in
circumference. Its longest branch
distance is 187 ft. and the canopy
produces 17,200 square feet of
shade. It is estimated to be at least
400 years old.
u Although the Angel Oak
suffered damage from Hurricane
Hugo in 1989, it has since
recovered and continues to spread
its massive limbs wider. Owned by
the City of Charleston since 1991,
support structures have been built
in a few places to prevent collapse.
THE
ASPLUNDH
TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
CONTENTS
Co-op Corner ..............................................3
It’s Time For An IVM Update ...................4
Call In A Crane! ..........................................6
Alternative Fuel R&D With
Roush CleanTech ........................................8
Special Retirement Honors ........................9
Management Update .................................10
Orchids .............................................13
Service Anniversaries ................................18
Crews & News ............................................21
Retirees Honored ......................................28
In Memoriam ...............................................29
Asplundh Goes Pink?! ..............................29
ON THE COVER
With spring green leaves sprouting all around
him, Foreperson Matt Eastwood of the Gary
Shelto Region prunes a branch away from a
Unitil distribution line in Exeter, New Hampshire.
(Photo by Josh Bilodeau)
MANAGING EDITOR
CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS
Patti Chipman
WRITER/EDITOR
Kristin Wild
ASSISTANT EDITOR/
GRAPHICS SPECIALIST
Ronnie Gauker
The Asplundh TREE is a family magazine,
published twice a year for all employees and
friends of 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
below for permission, or call 1-800-248-TREE
(in the U.S. or Canada).
©
2015 Asplundh Tree Expert Co.
Asplundh Tree Expert Co.
708 Blair Mill Road, Willow Grove, PA 19090
www.asplundh.com
Printed on recycled paper
SAFETY SUCCESS
IS NO ACCIDENT
W
hen your team experiences a success, what
do you do? Do you brush over these wins,
automatically working towards the next goal
without an acknowledgement of what has been achieved? Or
do you share a quick “congratulations” or “good job” before
heading back to your office or truck?
In our non-stop, 24 / 7 world, it is all too easy to turn our
focus toward the next task at hand and forget to recognize
what has been achieved.
Setting goals and making the time to celebrate achievements
reminds you of not only why the goal was important, but also
motivates your team to continue to do good work. Teams and
organizations that focus on and celebrate success create more
of it. Success becomes ingrained in the culture and people
naturally look for it, focus on it and expect it. That’s why certain
football coaches and business leaders are always successful. They
implement systems and principles that create a culture which
celebrates and expects success, and this drives behavior and
habits that create positive outcomes.
So how do we put this into practice? The ideas are endless,
but here are just a few recent Asplundh examples:
• In December 2014, the John Moir Region of Asplundh
Canada ULC completed over 2,000,000 man-hours without
a lost-time incident. This is the equivalent of 100 employees
working 10 YEARS without a single lost-time incident. Each
employee was presented with a commemorative travel mug
and a letter of thanks from John.
• In the Keith Confere Region in Ohio, a program has been
implemented to recognize forepersons who oversaw crews
that worked all 12 months in the prior year without an
OSHA recordable incident, property damage, or employee
by Bruce Mellott
Director of Vegetation Safety
caused outage. These are the kind of behaviors the company
values. In January, Keith happily presented a One Year
Exceptional Service coin and a letter of appreciation to the
92% of his forepersons who met the qualifications.
• The Keith Erickson Region in Minnesota and the Dakotas
has held an annual safety awards banquet for the last 10
years to recognize forepersons, general forepersons and
supervisors for their achievements. Recognition is given to
those meeting specified criteria for one year, five years, and
ten years consecutively. Co-workers look forward to the
social occasion, to connect with one another in a way that
is not just work-related, and are reminded that they work
for a winning organization.
Make the time to share success stories, either in person or
by phone, during weekly meetings. If you are in management,
be sure to recognize people and their successes throughout
the year, not just during annual meetings. It is just as important
to celebrate the small wins as it is the big wins. Good leaders
praise people and reinforce successes that shine a spotlight on
important goals and growth initiatives.
What we focus on shows up more in our life. If we look for
and celebrate success, we’ll see more of it.
Bruce Mellott
bmellott@asplundh.com
RECOGNIZING SAFETY SUCCESSES
t While a “Storm Orchids” listing for General Foreperson Dave Kuhn,
Foreperson Eric Miller and Trimmer Zach Carroll (see page 17) was a nice
way to recognize safety success, Manager Keith Confere also sent in this photo
at left. It shows Dave suspended from two trees as he cut the limbs off a broken
60-foot Norway spruce. The tree was leaning on several others along a single
phase tap line on AEP Ohio’s system in Chillicothe in the aftermath of a
windstorm on November 24, 2014. Surrounded by houses, sheds, fences and a
garden pond, Supervisor Rich Simpson of AEP Ohio, Columbus Region Forestry
considered bringing in a crane or helicopter until Dave came up with a clever,
but safe plan. Afterwards, Rich wrote a note to his superiors expressing his
appreciation for Asplundh’s professional rigging, climbing skill and teamwork
that resulted in power restoration and no injuries or property damage. He wrote,
“Dave and his crew truly worked as a team together and with the AEP line
personnel. Safety was at the forefront of every decision and step along the way.”
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
1
RECOGNIZING MORE SAFETY SUCCESSES ...
u In December 2014, Manager Gene Hayden in Tennessee
presented a plaque to General Foreperson Troy Ball for achieving
zero loss cost per hour during the 2013-2014 insurance year. But
Gene knows that this accomplishment is only possible through
the constant safety focus of Troy’s crews. That is why he awarded
the crew members an Asplundh hooded sweatshirt for their vital
contribution to a great safety record. Troy and his crews work on the
Cleveland Utilities system in southeastern Tennessee.
t Thirteen general forepersons from the Bobby King
Region in Kentucky earned congratulations and an
engraved plaque for achieving zero loss cost per hour in
the 2013-2014 insurance year. Unless otherwise noted,
everyone in the photo at left is a general foreperson
(L to R): Steve Martin, Bobby King (Manager), Issac
Jones, Mike Payne, Raymond Kelley, James
Powell, Owen Montgomery, Larry Salyers,
Matt Hutcherson, Jerry Beverly, Chad Lewis,
JJ Brown, Chuck Combs (Corporate Safety Advisor), Mike Young (Superintendent), Chris Highfield, Mike King (Supervisor), Jeff Holder (Supervisor),
Butch Kempton (Corporate Safety Advisor), Yorbi Mallen, Chris Asplundh, Jr. (Executive Vice President/Sponsor) and Bill Johnson (RSS).
u In January, Foreperson Randy McDonald and his Trimmer/brother Jake
McDonald (second and third from L, respectively) spotted a damaged open
wire secondary dangling low over the driveway of their job site in Knoxville, Iowa.
Understanding the electric hazard posed by the situation, this crew from the
Joe Sterbenz Region decided to stand-down and contact General Foreperson Ryan
Lewis (far L), who quickly notified MidAmerican Energy of the need for a repair. The
next day, District Forester Todd Reese (center)
wrote a grateful e-mail recognizing the safety
actions of Ryan, Randy and Jake. To celebrate their
safety success, Asplundh Supervisor Kevin Kasal (third from R) took them out for lunch along with MidAmerican
Energy Forestry Manager Jason Ewers and Analyst Brooke Deters (second from R and far R, respectively).
t In February, a Safety Orientation was given by Duke Energy’s new Eastern Transmission Forester Wade Teague
for Doug Smith Region transmission crews in North Carolina. In addition to setting expectations for 2015, recognition
was given by Asplundh and Duke Energy to those employees who worked all four quarters of 2014 incident free.
General Foreperson Charles Fowler (L) was one of 50 employees who were rewarded with a gift card from
Duke Energy, as well as a commemorative coin and thank you letter from Vice President Doug Smith, presented by Supervisor Ken Melton (R).
WITH TRAINING AND PRACTICE
u Over 100 employees from the Allen LeBlanc Region,
who work on the Austin Energy system in Texas, gathered in the
city’s Walnut Creek Park for a full day of safety training on
October 24, 2014. Asplundh Superintendent Bruce Didriksen,
assisted by various general forepersons and the Austin Fire
Department, coordinated the program which included five
separate training stations. Groups of approximately 20
employees rotated through the stations which included the Volts Wagon electrical hazards training trailer,
aerial lift and tree rescue, first aid/CPR, heat-related safety and a fire prevention and response demonstration
by fire department personnel (photo at R). A number of Austin Energy inspectors also attended.
2
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
CO-OPCORNER
C
entral Alabama Electric
Cooperative (CAEC) serves
more than 40,000 meters
connected to about 5,500 miles of
distribution line in 10 counties of the
state. With plenty of hills and vegetation
in this 90% rural part of Alabama, CAEC
and Asplundh work together to keep the
power flowing to the members.
Maintaining CAEC rights-of-way is not
just a job for Asplundh Supervisor Don
Hogan, along with General Forepersons
Johnny Cleckler and Tony Connell, and
their 24-member team from the Rickey
Bailey Region. That’s because most of
them are also members of the co-op
and they like their electricity! The crews
work under the leadership of CAEC’s Vice
President of Engineering and Operations
Jimmy Gray and Manager of Vegetation
Management Jacoby Dennison, who both
report to CEO Tom Stackhouse.
t Pictured here outside
the main office of
Central Alabama Electric
Cooperative (CAEC) in
Prattville are (L to R): Vice
President of Engineering
and Operations Jimmy
Gray, Manager of
Vegetation Management
Jacoby Dennison and Asplundh Supervisor Don Hogan of the Rickey Bailey Region.
u The hilly, forested terrain of the CAEC service
territory lends itself to the use of mechanical
side-trimming machines. The co-op keeps two side
trimmers working all year and brings in additional
units if needed for particular segments of the co-op’s
system. CAEC uses herbicide applications on the floor
of the right-of-way as part of an effective and efficient
integrated vegetation management (IVM) program.
Asplundh has had the pleasure of
working for this utility for 15 years now.
Starting out with a single mowing crew
in January 2000, Mr. Dennison recently
recalled the evolution of the vegetation
management contracts with Asplundh.
“We added a few buckets, with a
manual crew doing most of the chipping.
Before long we were running a couple
more bush hog tractor crews, as well as
a Hydro-Ax crew. By the end of the year,
we were running three trimming gangs
and the manual crews had been replaced
by loader crews.”
Over the next five years, CAEC and
Asplundh managed to complete the entire
system. Each time the contract was put
out to bid, Asplundh has been able to
prove its value and continues to help the
utility stay on cycle.
“Our work currently keeps two
full-time units busy year round. Each unit
is comprised of a side-trimming machine,
two or three buckets, and a loader. When
needed, a second side trimmer is added
to each unit,” explained Mr. Dennison. “A
third unit is normally brought in around
the last quarter of each year to help finish
up. We also have two two-man bucket
t An Asplundh brush loading crew
cleans up after a long row of removals
were done in preparation for a new line
near Friendship, Alabama.
u Fifteen years ago, the first work that Asplundh
did for CAEC was mowing. Now that the utility’s
IVM program is well established, a mowing crew
is only brought in now and then, depending on the
vegetation conditions and the location of the power
line. For instance, Alabama DOT may require mowing
in conjunction with herbicide applications to control
vegetation under lines that run alongside state roads.
crews that help with our day-to-day tree
maintenance orders, mid-cycle trimming,
and cutting out rights-of-way for new
line construction.”
the feed of the lines and which members
they need to contact to access them.
Having people in the field with this
knowledge has been a great help.”
“We have a good relationship with the
Asplundh crews. Most of the employees
have been working on our system for
about as long as Asplundh crews have
been here,” said Mr. Gray. “They know
With experienced people who
are equipped with appropriate tools,
Asplundh and CAEC are working together
for safe, reliable and affordable electricity
for this beautiful region of Alabama.
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
3
IT’S TIME FOR
AN IVM UPDATE
T
he 2015 spray season is in
full swing now with a variety
of application methods and
herbicide products in use. Together with
mowing, pruning and removals, properly
applied herbicides control undesirable
vegetation along rights-of-way. So, let’s
get an update on how we prepare to
deliver these professional integrated
vegetation management (IVM) services.
Each year from January to June, Vice
President Joe Lentz and Vegetation
Management Specialist Dave Krause of
the Arborchem Products Division travel
throughout the United States providing
applicator training and recertification
for thousands of applicators and utility
customers. In addition to receiving
credits toward their pesticide and
arborist credentials, Asplundh spray
crew personnel, work planners and
utility foresters also get information
on best management practices, safety,
and the latest industry products and
developments in application technology.
This year, Dave decided to give special
recognition to general forepersons,
forepersons and applicators for excellence
in vegetation management. As determined
by the region supervisor and utility / DOT
personnel, their herbicide treatments and
stewardship over hundreds of acres of
rights-of-way were the most productive
and provided the highest percentage
of control while having no property
owner complaints. Individuals received a
certificate and small gifts from Dow.
The window of opportunity for foliar
applications is wide open until fall sets
in, so Asplundh crews are putting their
training and expertise to good use on
utility, highway, pipeline and railroad
rights-of-way throughout North America.
They know that best practices in IVM rely
on applying scientific research. You can
read more about that on the next page.
t In early March, annual applicator
training and recertifications were conducted
by Dave Krause of Arborchem in Abingdon
and Roanoke, Virginia for the Larry Kirk
Region. Asplundh spray crew personnel and
foresters from AEP and Virginia DOT also
received updates from Bayer, Dow and the
Department of Agriculture.
u Excellence in Vegetation
Management Certificates were
presented to these Larry Kirk Region
employees under Supervisor Mike
Meador (L to R): Preston Hawks,
Steve Lark, Joel Shores, Jahn Shores
and Mike Lane (Mike Davis was
unavailable for the photo). Certificates were also awarded to the following employees under
Supervisor Jack Thompson, but a group photo was not available: Benny Brewer,
Anthony Robbins, Michael Connor and William Blankenship.
p At the annual training for Dennis Mauk
Region employees in Hazard, Kentucky,
Vegetation Management Specialist Dave
Krause (R) presented certificates to Bobby
Noble (L) and Krouc Noble (center) who
work on AEP Kentucky property.
p At the Paintsville, Kentucky applicator
training in April, certificates were presented
to (L to R): Mike Rogers, Zachary
Brasington and Benny Poe of the Dennis
Mauk Region. They also work on the AEP
Kentucky system.
t Innovative application equipment is often
discussed at the annual training sessions. An
example is this tracked, side-by-side UTV from
the Keith Erickson Region in Minnesota. It’s
equipped with a 50-gallon ULV spray system
connected to a computerized flow monitor. The
region also outfitted this super stable unit with
a spill kit and the following fire suppression
equipment: a five-gallon water backpack, fire
extinguisher, fire rake, shovel and Pulaski.
Don’t forget ... Free online video training is available at www.arborchem.com.
Eleven videos cover topics such as best practices in herbicide application, safety and equipment maintenance. There are also online pesticide
training modules for purchase ($25 per credit) which can earn CEUs for license holders in Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
4
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
The Three-Year Plan for Game Lands 33 and Green Lane Research
With Lead Researcher Dr. Carol Mahan, Penn State University
A
fter 62 years of research and
demonstration on the State
Game Lands 33 (SGL 33)
project in central Pennsylvania, you may
be wondering if there is anything new
to be learned. The same thing could be
asked about the 29-year-old Green Lane
Research and Demonstration site in
southeastern Pennsylvania.
For good or for bad, herbicide
products, application technology, climate
and ecology are constantly changing.
Because of this, the research projects’
cooperators believe there are plenty
of reasons to continue to measure the
effect of herbicide applications and other
vegetation management approaches on
plant communities and wildlife groups.
Early successional (meadow-like)
habitat is dwindling, especially in the
northeastern U.S., and rights-of-way can
provide critical habitat for numerous
species of conservation concern.
Almost three years ago Dr. Carolyn
Mahan, a professor of biology and
environmental studies at Pennsylvania
State University, moved informally into
a leadership role when the previous
research leader, Dr. Richard H. Yahner,
transitioned into retirement from the
university. Fortunately, she was already
familiar with the projects as she had
worked as a research assistant in the early
1990s under the original researcher,
Dr. William Bramble. Almost 10 years
later, she also worked with Dr. Yahner on
SGL 33 and more recently with his son,
Rich, who collected plant and wildlife data
for his dad to maintain the continuity of
the research during the transition.
Earlier this year a formal agreement
was created between Penn State and
the cooperators (Asplundh, FirstEnergy,
PECO, Dow and the Pennsylvania Game
Commission). A major part of that
agreement is a three-year research plan
designed by Dr. Mahan.
“I’m excited about re-energizing
the projects,” says Dr. Mahan. “We’ll
be making long-term improvements by
establishing control plots, permanently
marking and GPS mapping the study
sites and using GIS software to track
treatments. We will establish a more
consistent schedule for our studies
t Dr. Carolyn Mahan (center), a professor
of biology and environmental studies at
Pennsylvania State University, paused for a
photo while conducting a plant survey last
July on the State Game Lands 33 (SGL 33)
plots. Assisting her were Rich Yahner (L) of
NAROW Consultants (he is also the son of
Dr. R.H. Yahner) and Brad Ross (R) who is
an instructor and research assistant at Penn
State. All three have been involved in this
research project in the past.
t Carolyn Mahan is shown here
assisting Dr. William Bramble (L)
as he took a photo of a towhee
nest at the SGL 33 site in the
early 1990s.
u Dr. Richard H. Yahner (R) and
Dr. Mahan (L) prepared small
mammal traps together to
survey populations on the
SGL 33 site in 2004.
u In January 2014,
Dr. Mahan (fifth from R)
and Rich Yahner (second
from L) met most of
the cooperators on the
Green Lane Research and
Demonstration Project to
inspect the right-of-way
and discuss ongoing data
collection. Pictured here
(L to R) are: Asplundh Technical Services Manager Dave Johnson, Rich, PECO Manager of
Vegetation Management Alex Brown, PECO Senior Project Manager, Transmission Vegetation
Management Sara Hall, retired Asplundh Senior Vice President Hyland Johns (who has played a
crucial role in both the SGL 33 and Green Lane research and demonstration plots for over 60 years),
Dr. Mahan, Asplundh Vice President Jim Orr (now retired), Arborchem Vegetation Management
Specialist Dave Krause, FirstEnergy Manager of Transmission Vegetation Management Shawn
Standish and Asplundh Vice President Larry Gauger whose crews perform the treatments at Green
Lane. The only cooperator not pictured is Dow IVM Market Development Specialist Travis Rogers.
and we’ll be developing a project web
site that will be hosted at Penn State,
to share data and techniques regarding
right-of-way maintenance.”
In addition to the continuation of
vegetation surveys, Dr. Mahan and her
research assistants will conduct transect
surveys for breeding birds at both sites.
A survey protocol for bees and other
insect pollinators will be developed for
implementation in 2016 and there will be
a complete analysis of the various “host”
plants available on the research plots for
butterfly / moth eggs and larvae.
For those who are interested in the
history and future of IVM research on
SGL 33 and Green Lane, Dr. Mahan
will be presenting at the Environmental
Concerns in Right-of-Way Management
11th International Symposium in Nova
Scotia, Canada in September.
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
5
CALL IN A CRANE!
A
splundh crews often encounter
challenging or unusual tree
removal circumstances which
require expert climbing and elaborate
rigging. But sometimes certain obstacles
make it nearly impossible to complete the
job safely and efficiently. That’s when it’s
time to call in a crane with a skilled and
certified operator.
Portland General Electric, Hillsboro, Oregon
Successful crane operations require
expertise in planning, not only for the
safety of tree workers who attach (or
“set”) the choker cables to each segment
of the trunk, but also for the protection
of the crane operator, ground crew and
surrounding property. Communications
between all parties must be crystal clear
so everyone knows exactly how each
“pick” will be made and where it will it be
placed. That’s why radios and special hand
signals are usually used.
In addition to these safety concerns,
hiring a crane can be costly, so good
planning and communication are what
make it possible to get the job done
cost-effectively.
With the rising concern about large
over-mature trees that are just off the
right-of-way, or those that are too risky
to climb due to pests and diseases, crane
operations may become more common.
To help our vegetation management
regions work safely and efficiently with a
crane operator, Joe Kern of Asplundh’s
Safety Operations Group is qualified to
provide certain types of training. Tree
crew members and supervision can
now become Qualified Riggers-Level
One, Qualified Riggers-Level Two and
Signalpersons with this training.
The photos on these pages depict
recent crane operations involving
Asplundh crews in the Pacific Northwest
and New Zealand. Performed for a
variety of customers, they illustrate some
of the reasons why hiring a crane and
a qualified operator is well worth the
expense. Very big trees and especially
tight or awkward drop zones made it
necessary to put our tree expertise to
work in support of some amazing lifting
and moving experts!
6
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
t On May 21, a 90-ton crane with a
157-foot boom assisted Asplundh crews
under Manager Bill Harrington to remove
three 180-foot Douglas-fir trees next to
a Portland General Electric (PGE) line in
Hillsboro, Oregon. The 115kV line, with
a 12.5kV underbuild, is scheduled to be
moved to make room for a wider road
and as a result, 32 huge trees in a park
alongside the line had to come down.
Three of the trees were especially risky for
removal due to the lack of space in which
to safely fell the trees and that’s why a
crane was hired to assist. You can barely
see Journeyman Adrian Gutierrez and
Apprentice Chris Steen in the huge tree at
left, setting a choker for the next lift.
u After a day of climbing over 150 feet up into the
trees to remove limbs prior to the crane’s arrival,
Foreperson Rigo Mendoza is shown here working
from a 60 / 70 bucket truck to set a choker for the
crane to lift a shorter, but much thicker section
closer to the base of the tree. The crane was able to
lift 30-foot sections from the upper portions of the
trees, making them suitable for commercial lumber
purposes. Radio communication between the crane
operator and the Asplundh workers was crucial for
safety and efficiency.
t The crane carefully lowered
and stacked the massive logs
parallel to the parking lot,
avoiding the park’s restroom
facilities and most importantly,
the PGE power lines which feed
major Intel and Nike facilities in
Hillsboro, as well as numerous
homes and businesses.
u The bark on these old-growth Douglas-firs is so
thick that it must be sawed away to get at the wood.
To make the final cut, a chainsaw with a 42-inch bar
was used. Manager Bill Harrington, who oversaw the
operation with General Foreperson Jonathan Geyer,
said the crane project was a great experience for the
crews. “It’s a feather in their caps, to have everything
go off without a hitch. Everyone went home safely,
the trees are on the ground and the power’s intact.”
City Of Olympia, Washington
When A Crane Can’t Fit ...
u This Big Leaf Maple in Olympia, Washington,
was dealt a fatal blow by the installation of traffic
control equipment which severely damaged its
root system. The tree posed a significant risk
to vehicles and pedestrians, as well as a Puget
Sound Energy three-phase line. Because of
the obstacles under and beside the tree, the
Kevin Dove Region hired a crane to assist in the
removal. Foreperson Steve Metcalf, Trimmer
Casey Long and Groundperson Steve McQuesten,
under General Foreperson Kerry Castle, tackled
the tree whose trunk at the base was so wide
that a slab had to be sawed off the side so the
crane could fit it into a large dump truck.
Hiring or operating a big crane is only
a good option if there’s adequate access
to the work site. The terrain must not
be too soft or uneven, and due to the
time needed for a proper set-up, there
must be plenty of work to do within
the crane’s reach to be cost-effective.
A climbing crew may be the only option
for some off-road, steep or swampy
conditions, but when a power line
runs through backyards and there are
numerous fences, gates and outbuildings
that limit access, a self-propelled aerial lift
may be the best option.
Southland District Health Board, Dunedin, New Zealand
t Decades ago, a home for disabled
people in the town of Wakari, New
Zealand was built around a beautiful
redwood tree that eventually grew to
approximately 125 feet (38 meters) tall.
Unfortunately, falling branches were
becoming a serious hazard to the house
and its residents. The local health board
requested a full removal.
Many Asplundh regions use these
compact aerial lifts to speed up the
pruning and removal process along backlot
lines. From a safety perspective, these
“backyard” or “spider” lifts have become
ever more valuable to tree crews in recent
years as the number of ash trees killed
by the Emerald Ash Borer increases.
Many of these trees are too unstable or
brittle to climb, so these lifts offer a safer,
more efficient way to reduce the risk to
workers and power lines.
While there will always be a need for
Asplundh’s skilled climbing crews, big
cranes and compact lifts are great to
have in the “tool box,” too!
u In August 2014, with the help of a
147-foot (45-meter) crane, Asplundh
New Zealand took on the tricky task.
Climbers David Barrett and Jason Strang,
under Contract Supervisor Nicholas
Houghton and Area Manager Alan Page,
spent four days climbing and setting
chokers for the crane operator so they
could safely saw off the limbs and trunk.
t The top quarter of the tree was taken
down in sections and steadied by the crane
while Groundpersons Masiu Akauola and
Ben Hohaia sawed off the limbs. Lower
down the trunk, the larger, heavier limbs
were taken one by one, leaving the trunk
which was then removed in sections.
u Each piece of the redwood had to be
lifted over neighboring trees into a parking
lot due to the risk of damaging the house
and the extremely tight quarters. The last
piece was about 8 feet (2.4 meters) tall and
weighed 7.5 tons. Fortunately, most of the
trunk was milled and used to build a house.
p With a 55-foot working height, this
compact, self-propelled, tracked “backyard” lift
will never compete with a big crane, but it can
straddle a ditch and quickly put a tree worker
up high enough to work on overhanging limbs.
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
7
ALTERNATIVE FUEL R&D WITH ROUSH CLEANTECH
I
n 2014, Asplundh was one of the first in the vegetation
management industry to develop and field test propane
autogas for medium-duty trucks in its fleet. The past year
of research and development (R&D) has generated a good deal
of data that is helping Asplundh evaluate the pros and cons of
propane autogas and how best to expand its alternative fuel fleet
of vehicles. The ultimate goals are to reduce emissions and avoid
gasoline’s generally higher costs.
Currently, Asplundh has two Ford F-650 prototype trucks
powered by ROUSH CleanTech propane autogas fuel systems.
With the help of a grant from North Carolina State University,
and with cooperation from Altec Industries, a 58-foot aerial lift
began operating in the Barry Suddreth Region in North Carolina in
October 2014, pruning trees away from Duke Energy power lines.
Another Asplundh-affiliated company also operates a split dump
truck in California where emissions regulations are stringent.
p This platform-mounted lift truck in the Barry Suddreth Region in
North Carolina operates on an alternative fuel called propane autogas
which runs much cleaner and costs less than gasoline. Working on
the Duke Energy system, this alternative fuel prototype joins with
Husqvarna’s battery-powered chainsaws as the latest “green” initiatives
being field tested by the Suddreth Region.
“We’ve been searching for a cost-effective alternative fuel that
provides an adequate refueling infrastructure and also meets our
environmental initiatives,” said John Talbot, director of fleet services
for Asplundh. “Propane autogas was our best choice for testing.”
t Foreperson Leon
Miller is shown here
using a propane autogas
powered Asplundh
bucket truck to prune
limbs away from a
12kV Duke Energy line
in Charlotte, North
Carolina. After correcting
a starting issue in the
first couple of weeks, the
truck has performed very
well ever since.
“Autogas is an affordable, abundant American fuel that allows
companies like Asplundh to lower their operating costs while
helping to preserve the environment in which they work,”
said Joe Thompson, president of ROUSH CleanTech. As a
Ford QVM-certified alternative fuel vehicle manufacturer, the
company designs, engineers, manufactures and installs propane
autogas fuel system technology for light- and medium-duty Ford
commercial vehicles.
It is estimated that each of these trucks will reduce carbon
dioxide emissions by about 117,000 pounds over its lifetime.
Compared to conventional diesel counterparts, propane autogas
vehicles also minimize smog-producing hydrocarbons, virtually
eliminate particulate matter, and lessen noise levels. Even with the
recent decrease in gas prices, propane autogas still offers lower
fuel and maintenance costs and reduces reliance on imported
oil. Another advantage of propane autogas is the relatively
widespread refueling infrastructure, with thousands of stations
located across the nation.
The propane autogas tanks on the North Carolina lift are
mounted under the cab, which maintains a clean frame rail behind
the cab. This means there is enough room for compartments
to hold tools and other equipment needed for vegetation
management. Field testing has shown that some of that space may
be needed for an additional tank, or larger capacity tanks, in order
to reduce the frequency of refueling for future units. ROUSH
CleanTech is working on a variety of fuel capacity options.
Overall, Vice President Barry Suddreth and the local utililty, Duke
Energy, are very pleased with the environmental and cost benefits
of this alternative fuel vehicle. The performance reliability of the
truck has been quite good, as well. If greater fuel capacity and a
mobile refueling service were available, Barry believes it would
8
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
u The propane autogas
station that the Suddreth
Region uses does not allow
Asplundh employees to
refuel the truck themselves.
A mobile refueling service
might be worthwhile if there
were at least three of these
units parked in one place.
be possible to send propane autogas trucks on storm work.
However, until another tank is added to the prototype and the
fueling infrastructure expands, he would be hesitant to send his
test truck away for a storm response.
In the meantime, our R&D efforts with the ROUSH CleanTech
lift truck and split dump continue to help Asplundh and its
customers learn new ways to improve the environment in a
cost-effective way.
SPECIALRETIREMENTHONORS
Steve Bostock, vice president of
Asplundh operations in Alabama and parts
of Mississippi and South Carolina, took up
a new position as an Asplundh retiree on
February 25. Executive Vice President Matt
Asplundh paid tribute to his 38-year career
during the Managers’ Meeting in April.
Following the career choice of his father,
retired Vice President Connie Bostock, Steve
started out on an Asplundh underground
construction crew in Georgia during summer breaks from college.
In 1977, he joined an Asplundh tree crew full time after earning a
bachelor’s degree in economics from Georgia Southern College. Working
his way up the ranks, Steve was promoted to manager of operations
in Alabama, Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle in 1989. Two years
later, he was elected vice president and was instrumental in the growth
of meter reading and line construction services. In 2004, Steve was given
responsibility as a sponsor of seven field management regions. Eight years
later, he returned to field operations in Alabama as a vice president.
Steve will remain active with some consulting and sales work, but
retirement will afford him more time with his wife, Lynn, and their family.
Bruce Musgrove, manager of
UtiliCon’s Musgrove Construction subsidiary,
stepped into the honored ranks of the
retired on October 31, 2014. UtiliCon Senior
Vice President Greg Holman is the sponsor
of Musgrove Construction.
Although he was born in Georgia, Bruce
has lived in Live Oak, Florida since he was
two years old. His father Clyde started the
line construction business in 1962, primarily
serving rural electric cooperatives, and added line clearance services in
the late 1960s. Bruce joined the company in 1976 and worked in the
field on various construction projects for 15 years. After transferring into
the office to focus on developing bids, Bruce advanced to vice president
in 1991 and four years later, he purchased the company from his father.
In September 2009, UtiliCon acquired Musgrove and he continued to
manage operations in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. Bruce earned
corporate recognition in 2014 for performance excellence. Retirement
for Bruce will mean more opportunities to hunt, fish and enjoy life with
his wife, Debbie, and their family.
Marsha Riley, vice president of
Asplundh operations in Kansas and parts
of Missouri and Colorado, made the move
into retirement as of January 2. Executive
Vice President Brent Asplundh served as her
sponsor since 2004.
A 32-year Asplundh veteran, Marsha
had eight years of prior line clearance
experience in her home state of Iowa before joining the company
as a general foreperson in Texas in 1982. Within two years, she
had advanced to supervisor and in 1987, she was named manager
of Asplundh operations in Missouri. Marsha expanded the region
throughout Kansas and into Colorado, as well as assisting with the
acquisition of various line construction companies. She became a vice
president in 1991 and earned corporate recognition numerous times
for safety performance, controlling costs, consistent growth and storm
response. Marsha holds a bachelor’s degree in forestry with a minor
in industrial engineering from Iowa State University. She is staying
active and enjoying the freedom of retired life.
Danny Rampani, vice president of
Asplundh operations in the Hawaiian
Islands, transitioned into the venerable
ranks of the retired on January 2. Executive
Vice President Matt Asplundh paid tribute
to his 39 years of loyal service during the
Managers’ Meeting in April.
Danny started out on a tree crew in his
native state of Missouri in 1975. By 1982,
he had advanced to general foreperson
and was promoted to supervisor four years later. In 1989, Danny
took on the task of starting up and overseeing Asplundh operations
in the state of Hawaii and in 2002, he was promoted to manager. Six
years later, Danny was elected vice president, managing tree crews
working for various utilities, municipalities and resorts throughout the
Hawaiian Islands. An ISA Certified Arborist, Danny is a graduate of
the Military Police Academy and studied business administration at
Longview Community College. His retirement has brought him back to
Missouri where he owns a small ranch and can be closer to his family.
Dave Puckett, vice president of
Asplundh operations in parts of western
Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, advanced to
the respected position of Asplundh retiree
on May 16. Executive Vice President Chris
Asplundh, Jr. honored Dave for his 40 years
of dedicated service to the company during
the Managers’ Meeting in April.
Born and raised in Florida, Dave first came
to work for Asplundh in Indiana in 1974
after graduating from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in
forestry. Not long after he started there was a layoff, but he returned as
a foreperson and in 1976, he advanced to general foreperson. In 1978,
Dave was promoted to supervisor and transferred to Maryland where he
first began to work with what are now FirstEnergy companies — Potomac
Edison and MonPower. He advanced to manager in 1985 and was
elected vice president two years later. His region and responsibilities grew
over the next 25 years to the point where it is now four management
regions! Dave is looking forward to relaxing with his wife, Cheryl, and
having time to devote to his farm, as well as fishing and hunting.
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
9
MANAGEMENTUPDATE
NEWMANAGERSINTHEFIELDANDHOMEOFFICE
Joe Cherone, Fleet Systems and
Maintenance Manager in the Willow Grove
Home Office, joined Asplundh in November
2014 under Fleet Services Director John Talbot.
Executive Vice President Chris Asplundh, Jr.
sponsors the Fleet Services Department.
Joe came to Asplundh with over 15 years of
experience in fleet and operations management,
most recently with one of the nation’s largest privately-held engineering
and construction firms based in the Philadelphia area. In his position
with Asplundh, he is using his experience working with IT professionals
to develop a fully-integrated fleet management system, as well as
overseeing the company’s Call-In Service. Joe holds a bachelor’s
degree in business administration from Gwynedd-Mercy College in
Pennsylvania and is working toward a dual MBA / Finance degree from
Northeastern University in Massachusetts.
Ted Fiala, formerly with UtiliCon’s Grid One
Solutions subsidiary, transferred into Asplundh
Construction Corp. (ACC) in September 2014
as a new regional manager for gas operations in
the Mid-Atlantic region. Ted reports to ACC Vice
President Frank Giordano and UtiliCon Senior
Vice President Greg Holman is the sponsor.
Ted started his 28-year career in the utility
industry as a gas operations engineer and field supervisor for PECO
in southeastern Pennsylvania. In 1998, he transitioned into Exelon
Infrastructure Services where he rose to director of gas operations for
PECO. Four years later, he joined VSI Meter Services as a vice president.
In 2003, Asplundh acquired VSI which then became a subsidiary of
UtiliCon. Ted helped to expand meter services throughout the U.S. and
Canada, and managed the transition of VSI and UMS to become Grid
One Solutions in 2011. Ted holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical
engineering from Drexel University in Philadelphia.
John Hutchinson was promoted to
manager of Asplundh operations in the
Hawaiian Islands in October 2014. Executive
Vice President Matt Asplundh sponsors the
Hutchinson Region.
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, John joined Asplundh
in 1988 with over 12 years of prior tree service
experience and soon advanced to general
foreperson. In 1997, he transferred as a general foreperson to work
in Northern California and six years later, returned to Hawaii. In
preparation for Vice President Danny Rampani’s retirement, John took
on responsibility for all Asplundh vegetation management operations
on the properties of various investor-owned and cooperative utilities on
the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui and Kauai. John is an ISA Certified
Arborist and a graduate of ASTP in 2000 (now named GFTP). He also
participated in the August 2014 Management Leadership Academy.
10
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
Phil Karaganis, a regional manager of
UtiliCon’s American Lighting and Signalization
(ALS) subsidiary in Florida, took on additional
responsibility in July 2014 as regional manager
of ALS of North Carolina. He reports to ALS
Vice President James Hardiman and President
David Fleischner.
Originally from Massachusetts, Phil joined
ALS as a supervisor in Florida in 2007. He came aboard with
over seven years of experience of managing and inspecting fiber
optic, communications and signal construction projects for various
companies and the Florida DOT. In December 2011, Phil advanced to
regional manager and currently oversees ALS operations for DOTs,
municipalities, private developers and roadway contractors in Florida
and the Carolinas. In addition to numerous certifications, he earned
a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Massachusetts.
Gregg Kludjian joined UtiliCon in July 2014
as the director of operations for the West Coast
Division of Asplundh Construction Corp. (ACC).
UtiliCon Senior Vice President Greg Holman
sponsors the West Coast Division of ACC.
A native of Southern California, Gregg
joined UtiliCon with 32 years of experience
working in executive, managerial and field
operations positions with Southern California Edison. Most recently,
he served as the utility’s director of transmission and distribution
asset management. As a director of operations for four ACC regions,
Gregg is responsible for the Western Division’s high voltage electric
line construction, civil construction, and electric system planning
and engineering operations, serving various West Coast utilities. He
earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from California State University,
Northridge and an MBA from Pepperdine University in California.
Joe Marsala joined UtiliCon in June 2014
as director of strategic development for its
construction subsidiaries, ACC and Utility Lines
Construction Services (ULCS). He reports to
UtiliCon Senior Vice President Greg Holman.
Joe brings to UtiliCon 24 years of engineering
and finance experience in the utility industry,
most recently as a senior project manager for
the Exelon Generation Group. He has operational and management
expertise in the design and construction of transmission and distribution
systems, as well as in nuclear and fossil fuel power generation. Joe is
responsible for developing and implementing improvements in business
processes and tools, particularly those that can utilize technology,
throughout the UtiliCon lines of business. He holds a bachelor’s degree
in mechanical engineering from Polytechnic University in New York and
an MBA from Duke University in North Carolina.
Brett Martin rejoined UtiliCon in October
2014 as director of electric and gas operations
for Asplundh Construction Corp. (ACC) in New
England. Brett reports to ACC Vice President
Frank Giordano and UtiliCon Senior Vice
President Greg Holman is the sponsor.
A 30-year veteran of the utility industry, Brett
spent the first 14 years in project management
for Keyspan Energy (now National Grid). In 1999, he joined ACC on Long
Island, New York as manager of its gas division. Six years later, Brett
advanced to region manager of electric transmission and distribution
contracts in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania. He left for other
management positions in 2011, but has now returned to ACC to direct
both electric and gas operations in Connecticut, Massachusetts and
Rhode Island. Brett earned an associate’s degree in civil engineering from
State University of New York, Delhi and studied architectural technology
at New York Institute of Technology.
Danny Roy was promoted to region
manager for the Asplundh Brush Control Co.
(ABC) operation based in Oklahoma in July
2014. Vice President Larry Moore sponsors the
Roy Region of ABC.
Danny joined ABC, our right-of-way clearing
subsidiary, in 1989 as a gate builder for access
roads. He was following in the footsteps of his father Lionel Roy,
a recently retired general foreperson for ABC. Danny moved into
equipment operation and overseeing crews primarily in Texas under
Vice President Rod Cornett who recently retired. Danny currently
manages all aspects of ABC operations on various investor-owned and
cooperative utility rights-of-way in Oklahoma, Texas and Missouri. He
holds a pesticide license for Texas and Oklahoma and is an August
2014 participant in the Management Leadership Academy.
Tim Smith advanced to manager of UtiliCon’s
Musgrove Construction subsidiary, in addition
to a Utility Lines Construction Services (ULCS)
region in Florida in October 2014. UtiliCon
Senior Vice President Greg Holman sponsors
these Musgrove / ULCS Regions.
Born and raised in Florida, Tim has over 35
years of experience in the line construction
industry. He started out framing H-structure transmission lines in
1979 and gradually gained experience as a lineman in eight different
states. In 1989, Tim came to work for Musgrove as a foreperson
and nine years later, he left for an opportunity to move into a
general foreperson position. Tim returned to Musgrove in 2007
as a superintendent and upon the retirement of President Bruce
Musgrove in October, he is fully responsible for Musgrove and ULCS
operations on the properties of eight utilities in Florida and Alabama.
NEWSUPERVISORSINTHEFIELD
Mike Edgecomb, former operations
superintendent in Kansas, was promoted to
supervisor under Manager Ed Bradshaw in June
2014. Executive Vice President Brent Asplundh
sponsors the Bradshaw Region.
Mike joined Asplundh as a foreperson in 1999
in his home state of Kansas. He had four years
of prior experience working in urban forestry
for the City of Topeka. With a bachelor’s degree in forestry / natural
resource management from Kansas State University, Mike soon became
an ISA Certified Arborist and advanced to general foreperson. In 2007,
he became a regional safety superintendent and three years later, he
was promoted to operations superintendent. Mike’s supervisory duties
include overseeing Asplundh crews on the properties of various
investor-owned, cooperative and municipal utilities in parts of Kansas
and Colorado. He holds a herbicide applicator license for Kansas.
Sebastian Lagunas, former
superintendent in Texas, advanced to supervisor
there in June 2014 under Vice President Gene
Blount. The Blount Region is sponsored by
Executive Vice President Matt Asplundh.
Sebastian first came to work on an Asplundh
tree crew in his home state of Texas in 1999.
Three years later, he transferred to Florida and advanced to general
foreperson, overseeing outsourcing crews in 14 different states. In
2007, Sebastian returned to the Blount Region in Texas with temporary
assignments in Florida. In 2013, he was promoted to superintendent.
As a supervisor, he is primarily responsible for overseeing Asplundh
crews on the property of CenterPoint Energy in the Houston area.
Sebastian is a 2003 graduate of ASTP (now called GFTP) and
participated in the May 2015 Management Leadership Academy.
Scott Leonard, former superintendent
in Kansas and Missouri, was promoted to
supervisor there in June 2014 under Manager
Ed Bradshaw. Executive Vice President Brent
Asplundh sponsors the Bradshaw Region.
Born and raised in Kansas, Scott joined an
Asplundh crew in 1998 and within four years, he
had advanced to general foreperson. In 2009,
Scott was promoted to superintendent and his current responsibilities
include supervising Asplundh crews working for various investor-owned
and public utilities, as well as pipeline and municipal accounts, in parts
of Kansas and Missouri. He served from 1993 to 2009 in the U.S.
Army (active and reserve) and holds a bachelor’s degree in agriculture /
park resource management from Kansas State University. A member
of the ISA and UAA, Scott is an ISA Certified Arborist / Utility Specialist
and a licensed pesticide applicator in Kansas.
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
11
NEWSUPERVISORSINTHEFIELD
Matt Lewis, former regional safety
superintendent (RSS) for the Larry Gauger Region
in southeastern Pennsylvania, was promoted to
supervisor in September 2014. Vice President
Doug Gober sponsors the Gauger Region.
A native of Pennsylvania, Matt first came to work
on an Asplundh crew on the PECO system in
1991 after serving two years in the U.S. Army.
He left in 1993 to attend Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania where
he earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial psychology and then worked
in corporate recruitment. In 2010, Matt returned to the company as
a general foreperson and two years later, he advanced to RSS for the
Gauger Region. As a supervisor, he is responsible for overseeing Asplundh
crews performing mid-cycle and 34kV work on PECO property. Matt
is an ISA Certified Arborist / Utility Specialist and participated in the
March 2015 Management Leadership Academy.
Josh Magrath, former superintendent in
Kansas, advanced to supervisor there under
Manager Ed Bradshaw in December 2014. The
Bradshaw Region is sponsored by Executive Vice
President Brent Asplundh.
Josh started out on an Asplundh crew in his
home state of Kansas in 2004. With a little
over five years of foreperson experience, he
was promoted to general foreperson over crews working on the
Westar Energy system. During this time, he had also completed a
bachelor’s degree in park management and conservation, with a
minor in business, from Kansas State University. In January 2014, Josh
advanced to superintendent and now as a supervisor, he is responsible
for Asplundh crews working on the Westar Energy system, as well
as various cooperative and pipeline accounts in Kansas. He is an ISA
Certified Arborist / Utility Specialist / Municipal Specialist.
Rob McKillips joined the Ray Schneider
Region in Michigan as a supervisor in October
2013. Executive Vice President Chris Asplundh, Jr.
sponsors the Ray Schneider region.
Born and raised in Ohio, Rob came to Asplundh
with 23 years of prior line clearance experience.
Starting out with a tree crew in 1990, he
advanced through the foreperson and planner
positions to become a general foreperson in 1999. Eleven years
later, Rob was promoted to regional safety superintendent, covering
Northern Ohio and parts of Michigan and Pennsylvania. In 2012, he
transferred to Michigan to supervise tree crews working for Consumers
Energy and now, as an Asplundh supervisor, he is responsible for
overseeing crews on both Consumers Energy and Lansing Board of
Water and Light. A licensed herbicide applicator in Ohio and Michigan,
Rob is working toward becoming an ISA Certified Arborist.
12
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
William Merithew, former superintendent
for Asplundh Brush Control (ABC), was
promoted to supervisor under Manager Ray
Seaman in June 2014. Vice President Larry
Moore sponsors the Seaman Region of ABC.
With seven years of prior experience, William
first joined Asplundh as a foreperson in his
home state of Michigan in 1998. Two years
later, he advanced to general foreperson and in 2002, he worked as
a corporate safety supervisor for nine months. In 2009, William left
Asplundh to work as an apprentice lineman for a line construction
firm in Michigan, but he returned in 2011 to work for ABC as a
general foreperson. He was promoted to superintendent two years
later. Now as a supervisor, he oversees ABC’s right-of-way clearing and
maintenance projects for various electric utilities in Michigan, Illinois,
Missouri and Kentucky, as well as a pipeline account.
Chad Rucker, former regional safety
superintendent (RSS) in parts of Colorado, Texas
and New Mexico, advanced to supervisor under
Manager David Fulford in January. Vice President
Doug Gober sponsors the Fulford Region.
Originally from California, Chad first came to
work on an Asplundh tree crew in Colorado in
2000. He left the company for a few years,
but returned in 2006 and became a foreperson the following year.
Chad was promoted to general foreperson in 2009 and five years
later, he took on the duties of an RSS for the Fulford Region. His
current responsibilities include overseeing Asplundh crews working
for various rural electric cooperative and municipal accounts, as well
as providing residential services, in Colorado and New Mexico. Chad
is an ISA Certified Arborist / Utility Specialist and recently earned a
Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) through the ISA.
Bob Zehler, former general foreperson
in western New York state, was promoted
to supervisor in the Mike Zehler Region in
September 2014. Vice President Larry Moore
sponsors the Zehler Region.
Bob joined an Asplundh tree crew in his home
state of New York in 1996 after 15 years of
managing a dairy farm. Within six years, he
had worked his way up to a general foreperson position. Now, as a
supervisor, Bob is responsible for overseeing Asplundh distribution
tree crews working in western and central New York state on the
properties of National Grid, New York State Electric and Gas,
Rochester Gas and Electric, and Jamestown Board of Public Utilities.
He is a December 2004 graduate of ASTP (now named GFTP) and
participated in the March 2015 Management Leadership Academy.
Orchids
Letters and telephone calls were received complimenting the following forepersons 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 Department
between August 5, 2014 and January 31, 2015. For their outstanding job performance or special
volunteer efforts, we say ...
Thank you and congratulations!
ALABAMA
Robert Bonner, for his friendly
and positive demeanor,
Alabama Power Co.
General Foreperson Robert
Schatz, Forepersons Larry
Adkison, Shane Adkison,
Paul Broach and Kenny
Schatz, and Equipment
Operator Adam Hartley,
South Carolina Electric & Gas
ARIZONA
Fire Safety Coordinator
Michael Bradley and Crew,
APS
ARKANSAS
General Foreperson
Jonathan Burris,
Forepersons Doug Brooks,
Thomas Campbell, Kyle
Dougherty and Geoff Perry,
and Journeymen Douglas
Edgmon and Mike Herring,
Entergy Arkansas
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Derreck Grozell and
Groundperson Alex Broome,
for helping to hang the Christmas
lights in downtown Aldergrove,
Township of Langley
COLORADO
Trimmers Angel Cruz, Jose
Lira Rojas and Jose Vargas,
Xcel Energy
Manager David Fulford,
General Foreperson Wilson
Wood and Crews, for
donating four hours of their
chipping services to the Low
Income Wildfire Risk Reduction
Program in the Montezuma
County area,
Xcel Energy
General Foreperson Andy
Kotulak, Job Planner Tony
Tidwell and Crews,
Xcel Energy
RSS Luke Peters, Job Planner
Ed Smith, Foreperson
Jaime Vasquez, Trimmers
Alex Gomez, Victor Torres
and Jaime Vasquez, Jr.,
and Groundperson
Franklin Martinez,
Xcel Energy
General Foreperson
Shaun Rapp, Foreperson
Steve Dawson and Trimmer
Marc Kovacs,
City of Loveland
Jeff Reisner and Crew,
United Power
Job Planner Tony Tidwell,
for patiently meeting with
a homeowner several times
to discuss scheduled
maintenance work,
Xcel Energy
Work Planner Jeff Trent,
Forepersons Chris Barter
and Oscar Delira, and
From an e-mail to Manager Jeff Vining in Arizona regarding Fire Safety
Coordinator Michael Bradley and crew working on APS property:
“I wanted to send a note of thanks for the fantastic job Asplundh did
on NE-04. I was relieved when you told me that Michael Bradley was
running the crew because he did such a great job of cleaning up the mess
on 345-1, and did equally outstanding on NE-04. [Michael] was very
good to work with. He kept me in the loop on how things were going and
was quick to make sure the work was done correctly. Thanks for your
contributions to a successful 2014.”
Andy Whetten, APS NE Forestry Coordinator
Trimmer Frederico Rivas,
United Power
CONNECTICUT
Asplundh Construction
Journeymen Tim Fallon and
Jeff Place,
Eversource Energy
Asplundh Construction
Director of Electric and Gas
Operations Brett Martin
and Crews, for doing an
outstanding job on the trouble
ticket contract,
Eversource Energy
FLORIDA
General Foreperson Ezequiel
Herrera, Forepersons Angel
Antunez and Angel Jesus
Cruz-Torres, Trimmer Jorge
Villafayes-Rivera and
Journeyman Alberto Herrera,
Florida Power & Light
General Foreperson Steven
Jonas and Crews,
Florida Power & Light
IDAHO
Nick Myers, Trimmer Richard
Hurst and Groundperson
Frank “Guy” Williams,
Avista Utilities
(two letters were received)
ILLINOIS
Kenyon Shepard and
Trimmer Josh Smith,
MidAmerican Energy
INDIANA
Manager Robbie Adkins, for
his support of the 2014 STIHL
Tour des Trees,
Duke Energy
Work Planner Gary Peace,
Forepersons Carl Collins,
Eduardo Salazar and Shane
Strauser, and Groundpersons
Jeff Koons, Austin Meyer and
Joey Skaggs,
Vectren Energy
IOWA
General Foreperson Rob
Benda, Foreperson Jason
Thornton and Trimmer
Grant Bunce,
MidAmerican Energy
Trimmer Dustin Biddle, for
returning a check he found to its
proper owner,
MidAmerican Energy
Work Planner Dana
Blatchford, Foreperson
Willy Thompson, and
Trimmer Dustin Biddle,
MidAmerican Energy
Trimmer Nathan Dailey,
MidAmerican Energy
Work Planner Chad
Hollingshead and Crew,
MidAmerican Energy
Work Planner Terry
Hughes, Forepersons Eric
Nelson, Ed Sickels and
Emigdio Vasquez, and
From a letter to the Robbie Adkins Region office in Indiana about
work performed by crews under Forepersons Carl Collins, Eduardo
Salazar and Shane Strauser:
“I’m writing to commend the Asplundh crew performing vegetation
management right-of-way (ROW) clearance for Vectren Energy in
Madison, Indiana this winter. ... [They] did an amazing job of clearing a
high-pressure natural gas ROW. ... They displayed a high skill level, were
thorough in their cleanup and safety was Job No. 1, not to mention how
respectful they were to adjoining property owners.”
Bob Greene, Pres. / Exec. Dir. of the Heritage Trail Conservancy
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
13
Orchids – August 5, 2014 through January 31, 2015
Trimmers Troy Moyer and
Gabe Robinson,
MidAmerican Energy
Zeke Morris and Crew,
MidAmerican Energy
Eric Nelson and Trimmer
Richard Taylor,
MidAmerican Energy
(two letters received)
Work Planner Matt Pregon
and Crew,
MidAmerican Energy
Jeff Prucha and Ed Sickels,
and Trimmer Troy Moyer,
MidAmerican Energy
Jake Roberts and Trimmer
Jake Jones,
MidAmerican Energy
Willy Thompson and Crew,
MidAmerican Energy
KANSAS
Geoff Eads and Jerry Slavens,
and Trimmer Dean Swalley,
Kansas City Power & Light
General Foreperson Preston
Harbison, Forepersons
Ron Aguilar and Dave
Gonzales, and Trimmers
Jerry Bergstrom, James
Harrington and Ben Zegarelli,
Black Hills Energy
Kevin Hards, who received
a certificate from SafetyFirst
recognizing his safe driving
practices while on the job in
the Topeka area,
Westar Energy
Jeremy James, Justin
Williams and Kevin Young,
and Groundperson
Jonathan Rawlins,
Westar Energy
General Foreperson Mark
Thompson, for donating a flat
screen TV to Kaw Valley
Electric’s annual meeting,
Kaw Valley Electric
David Bobick and Jeff
Krippner, and Trimmers
Gustave Felleson and
Michael Hohman,
Xcel Energy
General Foreperson Luke
Visser and Crews,
Westar Energy
Marvin Creel and Trimmers
Lucius Brackee, Steven
Calabrese and Sean O’Neil,
Connexus Energy
Ralph Williams and Crew,
Kansas City BPU
(two calls were received)
LOUISIANA
Robert Fontenot and
Trimmer Kenneth Mouton,
City of Lafayette
MARYLAND
General Foreperson Will
Rogers (now in NJ) and Crews,
for their excellent work in the
Kenmore / Landover area,
Baltimore Gas and Electric
MASSACHUSETTS
General Foreperson Peter
Powers and Crew,
Unitil
General Foreperson Peter
Powers, Foreperson Garrett
Roy and Crew,
Unitil
Mike Weston and Trimmer
Kevin Erickson,
Unitil
MICHIGAN
Tim Dunham and Crew,
Consumers Energy
MINNESOTA
Shawn Abrams and Alex
Kovdiy, and Trimmers Joe
Haupert, Kevin Lind, James
Martin and Chuck Michealson,
Xcel Energy
From a letter to the Asplundh Home Office in Willow Grove,
Pennsylvania concerning the work of Ray Schneider Region
Foreperson Tim Dunham and crew in Michigan:
“In mid-October, Asplundh workers performed electric line clearing
for Consumers Energy on our ⅛ mile of road frontage. ... Both
our preparation by Consumers and Asplundh ... was thorough, but
they left the remaining trees looking good. ... They were thoughtful,
communicative, helpful and left everything in good shape. ... We enjoyed
cooperating with them on trimming our property.”
John and Judy Dircks
14
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
General Foreperson Danny
Smith, Foreperson Joseph
Greene and Trimmer
Nick Patterson,
Barry Electric Cooperative
NEW HAMPSHIRE
George Dalglish and
Trimmers David Snyder and
George Stout,
Xcel Energy
General Foreperson Shayne
Dion and Foreperson Kyle
Tibbetts, for pruning trees for
the Laconia Area Community
Land Trust as part of the United
Way’s Day of Caring,
Eversource Energy
Bill Higgins and Doug Olsen,
and Crews,
Connexus Energy
William McKinstry and
Groundperson Michael Jones,
Unitil
General Foreperson Cliff
Larson, Forepersons Bill
Higgins and Doug Olsen,
and Trimmers Sebastian
Belcher, Curt Gariepy,
Derrick Krueger, Tanner
Miller, Kevin Murray and
Sean O’Neil,
Connexus Energy
General Foreperson Peter
Powers and Crews,
Unitil
General Foreperson Larry
Mensing, Foreperson
Jeremiah Carlson and
Trimmers Bryce Dankers
and Mike Schedivy,
Xcel Energy
MISSISSIPPI
General Foreperson Marty
Harper, Foreperson Curtis
Wilson and Trimmer
Timmy Boutwell,
Mississippi Power Co.
MISSOURI
Equipment Operator Danny
Garrison and Groundperson
Bryan Henry,
Osage Valley Electric Co-op.
Joshua Smerdon and Crew,
Eversource Energy
William Thompson and Crew,
Eversource Energy
General Foreperson Jake
Treamer and Crews,
Unitil
Mike Weston and
Groundperson Jesse Clark,
Unitil
NEW JERSEY
Crew Leader Jose Lopez,
for his conscientious and
cost-effective coordination
of New Brunswick Police
Department personnel for traffic
control and flagging at work sites,
PSEG
NEW MEXICO
Josh Liska and Crew,
Farmington Electric
From an e-mail to Manager Brian Walters regarding the work of a
crew working on Mississippi Power Co. property:
“... This crew did a wonderful job cutting the trees, but they also gave
great customer service that’s rarely seen today. I would like to thank you
from the bottom of my heart for sending [Foreperson] Curtis Wilson
and [Trimmer] Timmy Boutwell! They were amazing. ... As long as you
have crews like this, my family and I will forever support the great work
of the Southern Company! ... Not one neighbor in the community has
had any complaints.”
Kourtney Hollingsworth
Orchids – August 5, 2014 through January 31, 2015
NEW YORK
Asplundh Construction Gas
Department Manager Jim
McNulty, Supervisor Vince
Brandi, RSS Joe Blazejewski,
General Forepersons Ray
Fitzgerald and Jeff Neder,
Foreperson Eric Klein,
Operating Engineer Jerry
Festa, Journeyman Arti
Hartmann, Laborers Tom
Gaynor, Tom Kuhlman, Tom
Maurer, Tom Oswald and
Tarell Youngs, and Truck
Driver Mike Capobianco,
National Grid
Asplundh Construction
Underground Foreperson
James Maringo, Mechanic
Anthony Capozzi and
Laborer Dean Barr,
National Grid
Asplundh Construction
General Foreperson Tom
O’Connell, Foreperson
William Horan and
Journeyman John Hartig,
PSEG Long Island
General Foreperson Craig
Ormandy and Trimmers
Dennis Clark, Joe Gasbarro
and Earl Martin, IV,
Central Hudson Gas & Electric
Cliff Osborne and Crew,
National Grid
General Foreperson Rob
Santoff, Foreperson Greg
Goodliff and Trimmers
Kalen Baker, Roger
Burton and Chris Francis,
National Grid
Eric Thoman and Trimmers
Lucas Eastabrook and
Brandon Harrington,
Oneida-Madison Electric Co-op.
NORTH CAROLINA
General Foreperson Danny
Davis and Crews,
Duke Energy
General Foreperson Shane
DeLuca and Crews,
Duke Energy
American Lighting and
Signalization Street Light
Technician Derek Gray, for
going above and beyond with his
customer service and superior
attitude while changing out lights
at a parking lot in Charlotte,
Duke Energy
Roby Jones and Jamie
Miller, and Journeyman
Dustin Gregory,
EnergyUnited
RSS John McLamb, General
Foreperson Rickey Smith
and Forester Jim Cincotti,
for conducting a Live Line
Hazard demonstration for the
municipal employees,
Town of Forest City
Rannie Matthews and
Shanell Nicholson, and
Crews, for performing their
work safely and professionally at
the home of an ElectriCities of
North Carolina safety training
specialist who took notice of
their safe work practices,
Greenville Utilities Commission
Journeyman James
Underwood and Crew,
Duke Energy
General Foreperson David
Whitley, Foreperson Don
Hunt and Journeymen
Bradley Bumgarner and
Ronald Dunn,
Duke Energy
OHIO
Ian Artman and Tom Labbe,
for their friendly and professional
demeanor while reaching out
about utility tree trimming
specifications to homeowners in
the Cleveland and Mayfield areas,
The Illuminating Company
Mike Ayers and Journeymen
Vincent Allen and Ryan
Wilson, for coming to the aid
of a motorist who was stuck on
a steep, icy road in the Maxburg
area in January,
Washington Electric Co-op.
Steve Bailey, Sam
Brookover and Sam Mullins,
Trimmer Paul Drobina,
Journeymen Walter Allison,
John Hearn and Billy Taylor,
and Groundperson
Tracey Wintermute,
AEP Ohio
Assistant General
Foreperson Matt
Campfield, for his patience
and professionalism in
communicating with a
homeowner who had just
undergone tongue surgery,
AEP Ohio
General Foreperson Ernie
DiBacco, for his excellent
customer service skills,
AEP Ohio
purse with a valued memento he
found discarded alongside the
road at a work site,
Ohio Edison
General Foreperson Earle
Hall, Forepersons John
Amore, James Barringer,
Gary Bell, Ryan Korpi, Kevin
Lowe and Lukus North, and
Trimmers William Gardner
and Hue Jones,
AEP Ohio
Curtis Hamilton, Damien
Schmersal, Richard
Scurlock, II and Edward
Tiller, Journeyman Andy
Jeffers and Apprentices
Augustus Barron and
Benjamin Hawk, for the
excellent herbicide spray work
they performed in Ohio,
Buckeye Rural Electric Co-op.
Jared Helsel and Crew,
Guernsey-Muskingum
Electric Cooperative
Chris Horstmann and Marc
Tarulli, and Crews,
Carroll Electric Cooperative
Obsuliman Leyva and
Thomas Talbott, and
Journeymen Edwin Jolon, Jose
Latorre and Luis Penaflor,
AEP Ohio
Work Planner Nicholas
McPherson and Crew,
AEP Ohio
General Foreperson Ernie
DiBacco and Crews,
AEP Ohio
Work Planner Joshua
Malone, Foreperson Richard
Walker and Groundperson
Scott Verduce,
Consolidated Electric Co-op.
Jason Diefendorf, for
personally returning a stolen
General Foreperson Jesse
Martin, for coming to the aid
From an e-mail to Supervisor Don Behling of the Mike Zehler
Region about Foreperson Eric Thoman and crew in New York:
From an e-mail to General Foreperson Don Blumenstock of the Les
Parsons Region in Ohio, regarding Foreperson Jason Diefendorf:
“I am writing to let you know how pleased we are so far with your crew’s
excellent work here for us. ... Project leader Eric and the crew are doing
a fine job of serving our members. ... It has been a true pleasure to work
with Eric, who has proven himself to be reliable, professional, flexible and
member focused. ... I look forward to the conclusion of the C-Line project
and again, want to express my pleasure with how it has gone so far.
“My purse was stolen from my car while attending my son’s cross country
meet. ... Last Thursday, I received a call from Jason Diefendorf, who
had found my purse while cutting trees for your company. ... There were
irreplaceable items in my purse, the most important of which was a
Captain’s badge I received from my father who was a Cleveland Police
Officer. ... You have a great employee in Mr. Diefendorf.”
Keith Pitman, CEO / GM, Oneida-Madison Electric Cooperative
Kelly Joyce Dilorio
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
15
Orchids – August 5, 2014 through January 31, 2015
of a teenager who had been
involved in a traffic accident,
AEP Ohio
General Foreperson Kasey
Miller, Foreperson Jeremy
Stapleton, Trimmer William
Bonner, Journeyman David
Dunkle and Groundperson
Rayshawn Glaze,
AEP Ohio
General Foreperson Eric
Orender, Forepersons Eric
Allen and Stephen Ross, and
Trimmer Cody Massie,
AEP Ohio
General Foreperson
Kevin Parks, Forepersons
Aaron McGrail and Dan
Porter, and Crews,
AEP Ohio
General Foreperson
Kevin Parks, Foreperson
Chris McGrail, Trimmers
Logan Bowles, Daniel Diaz
and Heath Porter, and
Groundperson Larry Moore,
AEP Ohio
Mike Parry and Trimmer
Kevin Parry, for assisting a car
accident victim and setting up
cones around the accident site
until emergency responders
arrived on scene,
AEP Ohio
Permissions Person
Bryan States,
AEP Ohio
Work Planner Art Ward,
Foreperson Logan Markert,
Journeyman Jarod Vorys, and
Groundperson Josh Eckard,
AEP Ohio
Amos Wilson, Trimmer
Chris Shaw and Crew,
AEP Ohio
OKLAHOMA
General Foreperson
Shannon Moore and
Apprentices Ryan Haff and
Dustin Jumper, for bringing gas
to a stranded motorist along the
Inola Highway,
Public Service Co. of Oklahoma
ONTARIO
General Foreperson John
Groves, Foreperson Steven
Waters, Climber Mike Smith,
Stumper Operator Brandon
Watkins and Groundperson
Keifer MacInnes,
Municipality of Clarington
PENNSYLVANIA
General Forepersons Jose
Ayala-Rivera and Angel
Pagan, Trimmers Gabriel
Fernandez and Samuel
Rodriguez-Torres, and Crews,
PECO
Railroad Division
Forepersons Fidencio
Cortez and Jason Finstad,
and Equipment Operator
Nate Meade,
Amtrak
General Foreperson Bill
Curran, Foreperson Corey
Bannister and Crew,
PECO
J. Cruz and Salvador
Fonseca and Crews,
PECO
Crew Leader Steve Matecka
and Crew,
Duquesne Light
Journeymen Joe Milstead
and John Mulligan,
Northwestern Rural
Electric Co-op.
Supervisor Pablo Oropeza
and Crews, for quickly
delivering wood chips to a
homeowner in the Manheim area
so they could be spread before a
snow storm,
PECO
RSS Rick Sankolewicz and
Crews, for pruning ornamental
bamboo trees that were
damaged during the pruning of
another storm damaged tree,
PECO
RHODE ISLAND
Larry Foote and Roger
Lister, and Trimmer
Eric Lakota,
National Grid
SOUTH CAROLINA
Forester Randall Talbert,
Foreperson Jason
Cooper and Apprentice
James Harmon,
Duke Energy
TENNESSEE
General Foreperson
James Blevins, Foreperson
Leonard Moore and Crew,
Chattanooga EPB
Adam McPeek, Trimmer
Walter Miller and
Groundperson Rob McLain,
Greeneville Light & Power
TEXAS
General Foreperson Aaron
Benavides, Foreperson
Mario Mata and Trimmer
Juan Milian,
AEP Texas
General Foreperson Mike
Delafuente, Foreperson
Pedro Tello and Crew,
CPS Energy
General Foreperson Jaime
Lagunas, for recovering two
lost dogs in the Cypress area,
CenterPoint Energy
Superintendent James
Mitchell and Crew,
Entergy Texas
General Foreperson Alberto
Torres, Jr., Foreperson
Donadin Torres and
Trimmers Elmer Canales
and Martin Hernandez,
Oncor Electric Delivery
Jason Williams and Crew,
Lubbock Power & Light
VERMONT
Jeff Machain and
David Nicholas, and
Groundpersons David
Johnson, Brad Patten and
Mike Quevedo,
Green Mountain Power
General Foreperson Keith
Martz, Foreperson Bob
Tomasko and Crew, for
volunteering to remove broken
branches dangling above two
roads in the Town of Hartland,
Green Mountain Power
Jeremy Maxwell and Keith
Stone, and Crews,
Green Mountain Power
General Foreperson Justin
Miller and Crew,
Green Mountain Power
From an e-mail to Vice President Dave Puckett about Crew Leader
Steve Matecka and crew in Western Pennsylvania:
From an e-mail to Manager Jerry Kensinger in Texas regarding the work
of Foreperson Jason Williams and crew for Lubbock Power & Light:
“An Asplundh crew has been in our area for a few days pruning for
Duquesne Light – including a beautiful sugar maple in front of our house.
As you would expect, they did an excellent and conservative pruning job,
but more important, they were excellent diplomats, taking time to show
me in advance which branches would or would not be cut, and to explain
the specifications they need to follow for utility company and PUC
compliance. The whole crew ... is a credit.”
“... One of my trees was growing [into] a public utility line and your
company was responsible for trimming those lines and keeping
everything safe. ... I was given the option to have it trimmed or pruned. I
opted to just have it removed to make my back yard look more open. ...
The employees did a fantastic job. The fence that is adjacent to the tree
was not touched or damaged, all limbs and any evidence of the tree were
professionally removed.”
Larry Breck
16
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
David Henley
Orchids – August 5, 2014 through January 31, 2015
General Foreperson Justin
Miller, Foreperson Rick
Tebidor and Groundperson
Kyle Tebidor,
Green Mountain Power
Gary Symonds and Crew,
Green Mountain Power
VIRGINIA
General Foreperson Greg
Davis, Forepersons Timothy
Bryan, William Miller and
Raymond Ruff, Trimmers
Donald Baldwin and Ed
Cumbee, Journeymen Paul
Hodnett and Brent Hutchins,
and Apprentices Gregory
Broadwater, Jr., Jordan
Hahn, Dustin Howard and
Jonathan Williams,
Virginia DOT
General Foreperson Wes
McKinney and Crews,
Appalachian Power Co.
WASHINGTON
Mike Freitag and Crew,
Puget Sound Energy
Forester Tyson Goeppinger,
Foreperson Brandon
Kittleson and Trimmer
Evan Aaltonen,
Puget Sound Energy
Steve Goetz and Fred Rose,
and Crews,
Tacoma Power
Charlie Matthews,
Trimmer Curtis Glenn and
Apprentice Dusty Mathews,
Avista Utilities
Rick Milbourn and Trimmer
Daniel Heyting,
Grays Harbor PUD
Chris Osberg and Crew,
Avista Utilities
We Energies and Wisconsin
Public Service Corp.
Larry Whitney and Crew,
Avista Utilities
General Foreperson Scott
Krusick, for his time and effort
supporting Trees for
Tomorrow’s Forest Fest 2014,
We Energies
WEST VIRGINIA
Supervisor John Belton,
General Forepersons Sammy
Roy and Richard Varner, and
Notification Person Jerry
Rexrode, for volunteering their
time to install and take down
banners for the Mountain State
Forest Festival in Elkins,
Mon Power
Work Planner Skip Buecke
and Crew,
Appalachian Power Co.
Allen Daniels and Trimmer
Martha Stone,
Appalachian Power Co.
Alex Hall, Trimmer Craig
Cooper and Apprentice
Bernie Scarberry,
Appalachian Power Co.
General Foreperson Darryl
Roy and Notification
Person Jerry Rexroad, for
volunteering to replace the lights
at the Pendleton County High
School football field,
Mon Power
WISCONSIN
General Forepersons James
Bembenek, Mike Friese, Jim
Richter and Kevin Richter,
and Forepersons Tom
Bauman and Bob Selner, for
helping to install banners and
provide snacks to the riders of
the 2014 STIHL Tour des Trees
stops in Baraboo, Plover and
Seymour, Wisconsin,
STORM WORK
June – Thunderstorm
Jonathan Swain and Trimmer
David Reynolds, for their efforts
clearing thunderstorm-downed
tree limbs from power lines in
upstate New York,
Delaware Co. Electric
Co-op. (NY)
July – Windstorm
General Forepersons Robert
Bottcher (ID) and Kipp
Dennis (WA), and Crews,
for their hard work helping the
restoration efforts after high
winds caused power outages
throughout the Lewiston area
on July 23,
Avista Utilities (ID)
August – Thunderstorm
General Foreperson Duane
Walsh and Crews, for their
excellent handling of debris
removal during the August 11
thunderstorm restoration in the
New Caney and Cleveland areas,
Entergy Texas (TX)
September – Thunderstorm
General Foreperson Steve
Deveney, Foreperson
Edward Wollschlager
and Crews,
November – Thanksgiving Storm
Pat Disley and
Groundperson Averill
Holmes, who quickly and
safely removed trees blocking
the main traffic arteries of
Leyden, allowing the town and its
residents to get back to normal
following a heavy snow storm on
Thanksgiving Day,
Eversource Energy (MA)
General Foreperson Dave
Kuhn, Foreperson Eric
Miller and Trimmer Zach
Carroll, for using their skill and
knowledge to manually remove a
60-foot Norway spruce knocked
onto a single phase tap without
any damage to surrounding
property or structures,
AEP Ohio (OH)
December – Windstorms
General Foreperson Darrin
Steele, Foreperson Chris
Brockway and Crew, for
safely removing a large tree
downed across power lines by
90 mph winds coming out of the
Columbia River Gorge area,
Portland General Electric (OR)
General Foreperson Kerry
Castle, Forepersons Steve
Metcalf and Wayne Spoelstra,
Trimmers Ross Johnston and
Alan Maybin, and Crews,
for their help during the power
restoration efforts following the
December 11 windstorm,
Snohomish County PUD (WA)
Liberty Utilities (NH)
From an e-mail to Supervisor Mike Meador of the Larry Kirk Region
about a crew working on Virginia DOT property:
From a letter to Grays Harbor PUD regarding a crew from the Kevin
Dove Region in Washington state:
“I cannot shower enough praise on [General Foreperson] Greg Davis
and all the men who worked on this project. ‘Top notch’ and
‘excellent’ are the words that come to mind. They have been
professional and attentive to the needs and requirements. I cannot
say enough good things. Please share with them when you get a chance.
Thank you greatly!”
“A short time back, [Foreperson] Rick Milbourn and [Trimmer]
Daniel Heyting came out ... to take down some danger trees hanging
over the power lines. Some trees were two-and-a-half feet on the stump
and 130 feet tall. They did an excellent job of getting them on the
ground in the right direction, even though they had to wait out the worst
electrical storm I have ever encountered. They are a very hard working
crew. ... Thanks so much for sending them.”
Bill Lewis, Lynchburg District Roadside Mgr., Virginia DOT
Cliff Kramer, Newton Valley Construction Co.
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
17
SERVICE
ANNIVERSARIES
January – June
1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990 and 1995
45YEARS
John Klunk
Journeyman
Pennsylvania
Ernie Meyers
Foreperson
Ohio
Joyce Gillette
Senior AP Analyst
Accounts Payable
Willow Grove
Perry Morris
Foreperson
Georgia
Thomas Pringle
Journeyman
Pennsylvania
40YEARS
Gary Anderson
Journeyman
Mississippi
Norris Frazier
General Foreperson
Louisiana
Walter G. Jones
Foreperson
Virginia
Mike Smith
Supervisor
Mississippi
35YEARS
Randy Brown
Foreperson
Kentucky
Terry Bunkleman
General Foreperson
Wisconsin
Tim Cornett
General Foreperson
Indiana
Dean Delsman
Supervisor
Wisconsin
Brian Holley
Foreperson
Oklahoma
Michael Quick
General Foreperson
Virginia
Mike Reese
General Foreperson
Washington
Larry Salyers
General Foreperson
Kentucky
Joe Schultheis
Foreperson
Pennsylvania
Timothy Sells
Foreperson
North Carolina
Glenn Erickson
General Foreperson
Minnesota
Glen Ortagus
RSS
Georgia
18
Joe Pomeroy
Foreperson
Pennsylvania
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
30YEARS
Roger Aguayo-Galvez
Crew Leader
Illinois
Jerry Beverly
General Foreperson
Kentucky
Scott Blackford
Foreperson
Wisconsin
Danny Coggins
Crew Leader
New Jersey
Charles Crosby
General Foreperson
Georgia
Warren Day
Foreperson
Kansas
James Dessler
Foreperson
Minnesota
Dave Ellifritz
RSS
Railroad Division
West Virginia
William Gallimore
Foreperson
Ohio
Chris Gantt
Foreperson
Georgia
Robert Gordon
RSS
Asplundh Canada ULC
Alberta, Canada
Walter Harder
Lead Hand Foreperson
Asplundh Canada ULC
British Columbia, Canada
John Helm, III
Foreperson
Missouri
Matt Hinman
Supervisor
Missouri
Carey Johnson
Foreperson
Maine
Bobby King
RSS
Georgia
Wilmer McWhirter
Manager
Georgia
David Moats
Foreperson
West Virginia
Walter Moats
Notification Person
West Virginia
Donan Orban
Journeyman
ULCS
Alabama
Glenn Pressel
Foreperson
Connecticut
Arthur Roy
Foreperson
Asplundh Brush Control
Illinois
Johnny Singleton
General Foreperson
West Virginia
Robert Smith
Equipment Operator
Virginia
Russell Smith
Foreperson
Pennsylvania
Paul Snethen, Jr.
RSS
Kansas
Troy Williams
Work Planner
West Virginia
25YEARS
Daniel Anderson
Foreperson
Maine
Steven Bailey
Foreperson
West Virginia
Scott Bouvette
General Foreperson
Wisconsin
Tony Bullard
Foreperson
West Virginia
James Carder
Permissions Person
West Virginia
Roger Davis
Permissions Person
West Virginia
Robert Echard
Trimmer
West Virginia
Ricky Flanagan
Foreperson
West Virginia
Brian Fuge
Vice President
New York
Larry Gauger
Vice President
Pennsylvania
Glen Harris
Foreperson
Massachusetts
Richard Hunter
Permissions Person
West Virginia
Randall Johnson
General Foreperson
Ohio
Gregory Kahler
Work Planner
Arizona
Ernie Knotts
General Foreperson
West Virginia
Kevin McFatridge
Foreperson
ULCS
Pennsylvania
Ken Mann
General Foreperson
Arizona
Mario Miller
Groundperson
ULCS
Alabama
Harry Owens
Journeyman
West Virginia
Anthony Pinelli
General Foreperson
Pennsylvania
Bob Ray
Vice President
Asplundh Brush Control
New York
Jerry Rexrode
Notification Person
West Virginia
Terry Richter
Foreperson
Wisconsin
Timothy Schladweiler
Foreperson
Wisconsin
Roger Semeraro
General Foreperson
Connecticut
Rhonda Turner
Data Entry Clerk
Customer & Field Liaison
Willow Grove
Ralph Wadsworth
Equipment Operator
Alabama
Wes Washek
Supervisor
Minnesota
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
19
20YEARS
Jesus Arreola
Foreperson
Florida
Erik Bard
Foreperson
Washington
Stephen Beisner
Permissions Person
Colorado
Jose Cantu
Foreperson
Texas
Michael Capobianco
Truck Driver
Asplundh Construction
New York
Michael Carew
Foreperson
Wisconsin
Wilson Dugat
Foreperson
Florida
Michael Eicholz
Trimmer
Missouri
Billy Forrest, Jr.
Foreperson
Railroad Division
Ohio
Jaime Galarza-Vargas
Foreperson
Texas
Jason Gustafson
Foreperson
Asplundh Construction
New York
Richard Halko
Foreperson
Wisconsin
Javier Hernandez
Patroller
ArborMetrics Solutions
California
Ernest Hively
Foreperson
West Virginia
John Hutchison
Trimmer
Indiana
Ted Itczak
Crew Leader
Indiana
Doug Jewell
Foreperson
Asplundh Canada ULC
British Columbia, Canada
Christopher Joyner
Foreperson
Oregon
Robert Judy
Foreperson
West Virginia
Wayd Keirn
Foreperson
Asplundh Canada ULC
British Columbia, Canada
Vincient Lang
Foreperson
ULCS
Alabama
Johnny Lewis
General Foreperson
Virginia
Jeffery Link
General Foreperson
Kansas
Jean-Marie Malbranche
Foreperson
Florida
Joel Marheine
Trimmer
Wisconsin
Joey Mays
Foreperson
Kentucky
Bobby Mitchell
General Foreperson
Oklahoma
Ken Moyer
Crew Leader
Ohio
James Murphy
Permissions Specialist
New York
Scot Muse
Truck Driver
Asplundh Construction
New York
John Nance
Trimmer
Alabama
Donald Nelson
General Foreperson
West Virginia
Ryan Nelson
Foreperson
Montana
James Nemetch
Foreperson
Railroad Division
Florida
Floyd Nice
Foreperson
Indiana
Matthew Pence
Supervisor
North Carolina
Clarence Pontius
Crew Leader
Ohio
Shawn Poydence
Crew Leader
Pennsylvania
Henry Ramey
Foreperson
Railroad Division
West Virginia
Ronald Reed
Foreperson
Arizona
Marie Sankus
A/R Analyst
Accounts Receivable
Willow Grove
Steve Scheunemann
Foreperson
Wisconsin
Charles Schonder
General Foreperson
Florida
Troy Smith
General Foreperson
Missouri
Anthony Studzinski
Foreperson
Wisconsin
Alberto Torres
Superintedent
Texas
Matthew Trowbridge
General Foreperson
Washington
James Waage
Equipment Mechanic
Asplundh Construction
New York
Scott Weiman
Foreperson
Wisconsin
Steven Wetlesen, II
General Foreperson
Alabama
Jesse Whitley
Permissions Person
North Carolina
20
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
Steven Wilcenski
Foreperson
Wisconsin
CREWS
& NEWS
WILDLIFECORNER
t Owl Rescued
From A Sticky
Situation—Imagine
General Foreperson
John Ryan’s (L)
surprise when he
received a call on
the morning of
September 30, 2014
that an owl was stuck
inside the portable toilet at the Bill Harrington Region show-up in Estacada,
Oregon. John grabbed leather gloves and some supplies, then headed to the
yard. He gently collected the owl, which seemed unharmed, but may have
been in the toilet for a while before its rescue. He placed it into a cat carrier
for safe transport to Portland General Electric’s Wildlife Biologist Andy
Bidwell. Andy took the Western screech owl to the Audubon Society where it
was cleaned and checked out before being released back into the wild.
t You can tell by the smile
on James Stearns’ face in
this photo that he’s holding
something extraordinary.
On January 17, the
Dan Duncan Region
groundperson reeled in an
18.3-lb., 34.5'' Seeforellen
brown trout while ice fishing
in Ledyard, Connecticut—
the second largest trout
of this kind ever caught in
the state! The impressive
catch was even featured
in the February 2015 issue of The Fisherman magazine. When not
waiting for the next big one to take the bait, James works under General
Foreperson Steve Bennett on Eversource Energy property.
p Ron Sklodowski proudly displays the 8-pt. buck he harvested in
Pike County, Pennsylvania just after Thanksgiving in early December 2014.
Maybe it was the blaze orange Asplundh ball cap given to Ron by his wife,
LaDonna, that brought him luck on the hunt? LaDonna is an accounts
payable specialist at the Home Office in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania.
u Zach Satterfield, a
C-Class lineman in the Danny
Stanley Region of Utility Lines
Construction Services, Inc. (ULCS)
was featured on the November
2014 cover of North Carolina
Sportsman magazine after
harvesting a record-breaking
12 pt., 235-lb. buck with a
black powder muzzleloader in
Rockingham County. This was
Zach’s second record-breaking
buck in as many years. His father,
General Foreperson Tommy
Satterfield of Asplundh’s Barry
Suddreth Region in North Carolina,
couldn’t be prouder of his son’s
accomplishments. However, Zach credits his success to his father for
teaching him the right way to hunt. Both work on Duke Energy property.
November 25, 2014 turned out to be an unforgettable day for Tony Garst.
He harvested two of the largest bucks of his life while rifle hunting on this
date in Millersburg, Ohio. t The first was a 50-pt., 340-lb. buck (at left),
which is a very respectable kill for any hunter, but the day wasn’t over for
Tony. u He also came across a 42-pt., 370-lb. buck (at right), which is the
largest he’s ever harvested. Both of these bucks have a Boone and Crockett
Club green score of over 300. When not enjoying hunting and fishing, Tony is
a general foreperson in the Larry Kirk Region of Virginia, overseeing crews on
Appalachian Power Co. property.
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
21
30-YEARWATCHES
t Foreperson Robert
Fleming (R) was
presented with a
specially-engraved watch
for 30 years of dedicated
service by Manager Rickey
Bailey (L) during a work
site visit. Robert joined
Asplundh in October 1983
as a foreperson working
in Alabama Power Co.’s
Southeast Division. Robert
has worked his entire
career as a foreperson,
overseeing crews
working for a variety of
investor-owned, cooperative and municipal utilities. Currently, he and his
crew work on Pea River Electric Cooperative property in Alabama.
u Manager Rickey
Bailey (L) also had the
pleasure of bestowing a
specially-engraved watch
upon Foreperson Jimmy
Cleckler (R) to mark
his 30 years of service.
Jimmy began his Asplundh
career in March 1984 as a
groundperson on a danger
tree crew in Alabama Power
Co.’s (APCo) Southern
Division. His diligent work
ethic was rewarded in 1992
when he was promoted to
foreperson of a crew on
APCo property. He has
served in this role ever since and currently works with his crew on the
property of Central Alabama Electric Cooperative.
t With a handshake
and specially-engraved
watch, Vice President
Steve Miller (L)
thanked Crew Leader
Bruce Clark (R)
for over 30 years
of loyal service at
the Miller Region’s
Annual Herbicide
Recertification meeting,
held in Atlantic City,
New Jersey in May
2014. Bruce joined Asplundh in June 1983 as an apprentice 1st class on
Atlantic City Electric property in southern New Jersey, and has worked
for this customer ever since. He was promoted to crew leader about
two years later and in the early 1990s, Bruce put his experience to use
as a training crew instructor, making sure that new employees learned
essential line clearance and safety skills so they could have safe and
productive careers like his.
22
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
u Foreperson George Norris
(L) received a handshake from
Manager Wilmer McWhirter
(R) and a specially-engraved
watch at a dinner held to
mark his 30 th anniversary with
Asplundh. George started his
career in utility line clearing
with Farrens Tree Surgeons
in February 1984 as a
groundperson on Georgia Power
property in the Thompson
area. He was promoted to
foreperson one year later and
joined Asplundh in this capacity when Farrens was acquired in October 1993.
George is still safely running a crew in the Thompson area, and is a
multi-time winner of the Georgia Power Foreperson of the Year award.
t At a dinner held in his
honor, Foreperson Mark
Pogue (R) was recognized
for 30 years of outstanding
service and presented
with a specially-engraved
watch by Manager Wilmer
McWhirter (L). Mark joined
Asplundh in August 1984 as
a groundperson on Georgia
Power property in the Augusta
area. Mark was promoted to
foreperson of the same crew
in 1987. With the exception of a couple of general foreperson assignments
on South Carolina Electric & Gas property in the Columbia area, he’s worked
on Georgia Power property his entire career. It’s no surprise that he’s been
named the Georgia Power Foreperson of the Year several times.
p Foreperson Charles (Randy) Rushing, Jr. (center) received a double
handshake from Vice President Kevin Dove (R) and General Foreperson
Keven Moore (L), along with a specially-engraved watch for his 30-plus
years of dedication to the company. Charles comes from a family who has
worked for Asplundh for generations. His father, two uncles and a brother
worked for the company, and two of his nephews are currently part of
the “orange army”. Charles first joined Asplundh in his native Louisiana
in November 1982 as a groundperson/trimmer on Southwestern Electric
Power Co. property in Shreveport. Looking for an opportunity to challenge
himself further, he moved to Washington state in 1995 and earned his
journeyman trimmer certification one year later while on Chelan County
PUD property. An ISA Certified Arborist, Charles has been a foreperson on
Puget Sound Energy property for the past eight years. He’s working on his
next challenge and is preparing to take the ISA Utility Specialist exam.
p (L to R) Supervisors Jesse Long and Dean Delsman, General Foreperson
Scott Krusick and Supervisor Robert Kubacki (far R) were on hand as
Vice President Joe Schneider (second from R) recognized Foreperson Jeff
Strombergh (third from R) for 30 years of dedicated service. In addition
to a handshake of appreciation and a specially-engraved watch, they
shared a luncheon at Pine Mountain Resort in Iron Mountain, Michigan
last June. Jeff first started with the company in September 1982 as a
temporary employee working on crews in Michigan. In June 1984, he
accepted a full-time trimmer position on a crew working in Prescott,
Wisconsin for Northern States Power (now Xcel Energy). Jeff was promoted
to foreperson in 1994, overseeing crews on We Energies property in
Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, which he continues to do today.
p Vice President Joe Schneider (far L), Supervisor Jesse Long (second
from R), General Foreperson Bart Miller (far R) and Permitter Steve
Beaumont (not shown) were pleased to present Foreperson Tom
Rasmusson (second from L) with a specially-engraved watch at a lunch
recognizing his 30 years of excellent service. Tom first joined Asplundh
in March 1984 as a part-time groundperson in the southern area of
Wisconsin Electric (now We Energies) property before being offered a
full-time position a few months later. He advanced to climber in 1986 and
was promoted to foreperson by 1991. Tom has worked his entire career
for the same customer in the same area, and is proud to have been
recognized numerous times for leading a safe and productive crew.
p Foreperson Dean Ellefson (third from L) received a field visit from
(L to R) Supervisor Wayne Bailey, Vice President Keith Erickson, Xcel
Energy Vegetation Management Supervisor Adam Larson and General
Forepersons Chris Pearson and Mike Palmer to mark his 30 th anniversary
with Asplundh. With a handshake, Keith then presented Dean with a
specially-engraved watch as a token of appreciation. Dean joined Asplundh
as a temporary employee in September 1982 on Northern States Power
(now Xcel Energy) property in Minnesota. He got a full-time position as
a groundperson in the same area in April 1984, and was promoted to
foreperson in 1991. Dean has worked for the same customer his entire
career, and he says that he’s lucky to work with a great group of folks.
Currently, he and his bucket crew work in the St. Michael / St. Cloud area.
p During the September 2014 Board of Directors Meeting, Executive
Vice President Brent Asplundh (center) was recognized for 30 years of
service to the corporation, and was presented with a specially-engraved
watch by Chairman of the Board Chris Asplundh, Sr. (second from L), CEO
Scott Asplundh (second from R), President George Graham (far R) and
UtiliCon Solutions President Steven Asplundh (far L). Brent worked for the
company during summer breaks from college before beginning the family
management training program full-time in 1984 as a trimmer on PECO
property in Pennsylvania. His assignments took him to Delaware, Florida and
Texas before returning to the Home Office in Willow Grove as a sponsor in
1992. Brent was elected vice president in 1993 and in 2004, he joined our
newly-formed infrastructure services group, UtiliCon Solutions, Ltd., as a vice
president over various construction, street lighting and pole maintenance
operations. As an executive vice president he continues to lend his expertise
to nine Asplundh management regions, as well as the UtiliCon subsidiary
Grid One Solutions, Inc., and the Home Office Marketing Group.
t RSS Paul Snethen (center) was congratulated for 30 years of loyal service by
Manager Ed Bradshaw (L) and Executive Vice President Brent Asplundh (R) at the
Bradshaw Region’s Annual Meeting in Williamsburg, Kansas in May 2014. He was also
presented with a specially-engraved watch in front of his peers to mark the occasion. Paul
started his Asplundh career as a groundperson in the south district of Kansas City Power
& Light (KCP&L) in June 1984. Advancing to general foreperson in 1993, he remained on
KCP&L for nearly 20 years. In 2003, Paul accepted the position of RSS, helping to ensure
safe operations in his region. Paul’s still doing a great job overseeing safety and facilitating
training for crews working on the properties of various investor-owned and cooperative
utilities in Kansas and parts of Colorado and Missouri.
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
23
TRAININGTIMES
u THINVERT ®
Demo in Texas—
The Allen LeBlanc
Region hosted a
THINVERT ® ULV
demonstration in
Beaumont last July
for his Entergy Texas
customers, Manager
Texas Forestry
Christy Wright
and Operations
Coordinator Richard
Buckner. Arborchem
Vice President Joe
Lentz and Asplundh
Manager Brian Walters were also in attendance as LeBlanc Region
Superintendent Duane Walsh and crews performed both foliar and side
trimming applications (shown above) and discussed herbicide safety.
p September MLA—The Management Leadership Academy on Business
and Project Management was held on September 15-19, 2014 at both the
Home Office in Willow Grove and in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. Led
by Vice President of Corporate Compliance Joe Lee, the attendees were
(back row, L to R): Zach Bertalot, Oregon; Clint Barron, Colorado; Kris Keefer,
Ohio; Mike Spitler, Oklahoma; James Smith, Texas, and Mike Roosendaal,
Washington. In the front row were (L to R): Doug Newton, Tennessee; John
Hutchinson, Hawaii; Mike Edgecomb, Kansas; Danny Roy, ABC, Oklahoma;
Elijah Gilliam, Ohio; and Malcolm Calderon, Pennsylvania.
p September UPDP—On September 22-25, 2014, Vice President of
Corporate Compliance Joe Lee coordinated a Professional Development
Program (PDP) for employees of the UtiliCon Solutions, Ltd. subsidiaries
in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. The attendees were (front row, L to R): Joe
Marsala, UtiliCon, Pennsylvania; Aimee Elizondo, ACC, California; Walter
Ward, ULCS, Georgia; Jeff Hunter, ULCS, North Carolina; Wendell Spohn,
ALS of NC, North Carolina; Mike Forrest, ACC, New York; Matt Tatum, ULCS,
Georgia; and Frank Marinelli, UtiliCon, Pennsylvania. In the back row were
(L to R): Derrick Hager, ULCS, North Carolina; Jeremy Jones, ACC, Indiana;
Tom Tysseling, ACC, California; Jeff Spinney, AET, New Jersey; Jay Devers,
AET, New York; Peter Delgado, ALS of NC, North Carolina; Tim Smith, MCI,
Florida; Mike Audette, GOS, Pennsylvania; Bill Hester, ACC, California; Clint
Sonnier, ULCS/Highlines, Texas; and Casey Condra, APL, Tennessee.
24
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
p September GFTP—Vice President of Corporate Compliance Joe
Lee held the General Foreperson Training Program (GFTP) at the Home
Office in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania on September 8-12, 2014. The
participants were (back row, L to R): Don Moore, Kentucky; Larry Miller, Jr.,
Pennsylvania; Jason Bass, Missouri; Wes Moorhead, Pennsylvania; and
Rob Benda, Iowa. Seated in the front row were (L to R): Terry Cartwright,
Oklahoma; Pete Harrington, Colorado; Ricky Pike, Louisiana; Bill Gurich,
Ohio; and Rick Selvoski, Pennsylvania.
p October MLA—The Management Leadership Academy on Leadership
and Sales was held on October 20-24, 2014 at the Home Office in Willow
Grove, Pennsylvania. Led by Vice President of Corporate Compliance Joe Lee,
with assistance from Chuck Hitzemann of Positive Growth International,
the attendees were (back row, L to R): Dave Craddock, Florida; Ivan Zavala,
Oklahoma; Moises Guerrero, Texas; Greg Chapple, Missouri; Chris Townsend,
Kentucky; David McConnell, North Carolina; and Jason Coccodrilli, BTS,
Tennessee. Seated in the front row were (L to R): James “Doug” Thompson,
Ohio; Scott Leonard, Kansas; Derik Wolfe, Maryland; Andrew Anthony,
Louisiana; Kenneth Wyatt, Florida; and Reggie Charlesworth, Washington.
p October UGFTP—Vice President of Corporate Compliance Joe Lee
coordinated a General Foreperson Training Program (UGFTP) for the UtiliCon
Solutions, Ltd. subsidiaries on October 6-10, 2014 at the Home Office in
Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. The graduates were (front row, L to R): Daryl
Zombro, ULCS, Maryland; Scott Lee, GOS, Pennsylvania; Ben Stinson, MCI,
Alabama; Mark Bare, ULCS, North Carolina; Greg Ryan, ACC, Ohio; Jacob
Marsh, ULCS, Alabama; and Shane Smithson, ACC, Maryland. Standing in the
back row were (L to R): John Cramer, GOS, Pennsylvania; Craig Davis, ULCS,
North Carolina; Travis Stanforth, ACC, Ohio; Ron Soucy, ACC, Massachusetts;
Eric Scott, GOS, Maine; Jake Guarino, ACC, New York; Kevin Curran, GOS,
Virginia; Phil Chuken, GOS, California; and Bubba Dorsey, ULCS, Maryland.
ONTHEJOB
p Alabama Crew Rescues Child Stuck In Tree—November 11,
2014 seemed just like any other day on the job for Foreperson Trent Baker
(center) and Journeyman Gary Williams (R) of the Rickey Bailey Region.
While working on a dead pine removal for Wiregrass Electric Co-op. in
Dothan, Alabama, the crew was approached by a deputy sheriff who asked
if they would help rescue a four-year-old boy who was stuck 50 feet up in a
tree. After clearing the rescue with their General Foreperson Joshua Volf (L),
Trent and Gary used their bucket truck to safely retrieve the exhausted child
(inset), who had been in the tree for two hours. For their efforts, Trent and
Gary were presented with special “Above and Beyond” Challenge Coins.
t Challenging Palm Tree
Removal—A 70-foot palm
tree growing close to SRP power
lines, a shed, pool and deck
can make for a tough job, but
Foreperson Ken Knight and
Groundpersons Adam Garrison
and Joseph Teran of the Jeff
Vining Region in Arizona were
up for the challenge. Over the
course of two days, the crew
used their communication
and tree felling skills to safely
rope and lower portions of the
tree into a drop zone without
any damage. The impressed
homeowner sent an e-mail
to SRP praising the crew’s
exceptional customer service.
u Observant Employee Prevents
ROW Fire—Equipment Operator Cliff
Billings of the Barry Suddreth Region in
North Carolina was just beginning his
day’s work of side trimming along an
EnergyUnited circuit on February 4 when
he saw a smoking wood pole, sparks
and an arcing line. He then noticed that
the wood pole had split in two—it had
smoldered and burnt about five feet
above the ground. The top of the pole,
which held the three-phase power and
communication lines, then separated
and dropped to the ground, bringing the
lines low across an adjacent roadway.
Cliff quickly notified R/W Coordinator Rocky Beam, and a construction
crew was dispatched to the site to repair the pole and lines, preventing
widespread fire or a power outage to the members served by the line.
u Historic Schoolhouse
Safe After Removals—
On January 9 and 12, crews
from the Kevin Dove Region
removed 13 large high-risk
trees leaning toward Avista
transmission and distribution
lines, as well as a historic
schoolhouse in Arden,
Washington. Forepersons
Brandon Cady and Mark
Palaniuk, Apprentices Cody
Halliday and Ryan Hansen,
and Groundperson Casey
Matthews used a 55-foot
aerial lift to skirt the trees
before climbing and attaching two ropes to each tree. The ropes provided
tension for the face cuts made by the crews, and helped to guide each
tree safely into the drop zone behind the school. All of the trees were
removed without incident.
HOMEOFFICEHONORS
u Home Office Employee Of
The Year—Claims Examiner Karen
White (R) of the Risk Management
Department was named the 2014 Home
Office Employee of the Year at the
Holiday Assembly on December 11. She
was nominated by Jacob Taylor of the
Rickey Bailey Region in Alabama (now
the Corporate Safety Environmental
Health & Safety Specialist) for her
professionalism, knowledge and
unwavering dedication in helping the field
navigate various insurance and legal issues. For her efforts, Karen received
a bouquet of roses along with a plaque and a $1,000 cash prize. Karen
has been a member of the Risk Management Department since 1994
and is a past PRIME award winner. She currently assists 24 vegetation
management regions across the country with their claims needs.
t Home Office
Employees Of
The Month—Each
month, the Home
Office recognizes
an employee for
providing superior
support to our
field and internal
operations. Here are
the latest recipients
of this award (back
row, L to R): Crystal
Brough of Legal
was announced as the winner at the Holiday Employee Assembly in
December 2014; Neil Dierolf of Accounts Receivable became the first
winner of the new year in January 2015; and Nathaniel Gallo of HR/
Benefits was honored for his efforts in February. Diana Doyle (front L)
of Supply Chain Management received the award in March; and Donna
Kemmerer (front R) of Corporate Communications was recognized in
April. Congratulations to all of our winners!
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
25
COMMUNITYSERVICE
p New Jersey Crews Volunteer To Help 9/11 Memorial—The
Grove of Remembrance is located in Liberty State Park, just across the
Hudson River from New York City. Over 750 trees are planted here, one
for each New Jersey victim of the 9/11 attacks. Sadly, some of the trees
were irreversibly damaged by Superstorm Sandy, so the New Jersey Tree
Foundation, which maintains the park, contacted the Ryan Swier Region
for help. Pre-Planner Bill Costello and Groundperson Orlando Quiroz
volunteered, removing about 20 trees from the park. The removals not
only help keep the grove safe for visitors, but mulch created from the
high-risk trees has been put to use throughout the park.
p Gauger Region Spruces Up Historic Field In Philadelphia—
Fifty employees under General Forepersons Jose Ayala and Carlos Bonilla
from the Larry Gauger Region in Pennsylvania stepped up and volunteered
their time to clear vegetation from the perimeter fence of the Lighthouse
Field in Philadelphia. The project was one of several developed to help
improve the look and safety of the historic field in honor of its 100th
anniversary celebration in 2014. Asplundh crews spent two Saturdays last
September trimming and chipping overgrown tree limbs and brush.
p Golfing For A Good Cause—On August 3, 2014, the Joe Schneider
Region of Asplundh teamed up with We Energies to support the TREE
Fund’s annual golf outing. Held in conjunction with the ISA Annual Conference
and Trade Show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the group enjoyed beautiful
weather and 18 holes of golf, helping to raise over $16,000 to benefit
urban tree research grants and scholarships. The happy golfers were: (L to R):
Tony Orlando, Kevin Runt, Kevin Bushberger, Bart Miller, Jesse Long, John
McNamara, Bob Kozelek, Terry Bunkleman, David Bohman and Bob Kubacki.
26
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
u Asplundh Gets “FireWise”
In Colorado—On October 10,
2014, Foreperson Alex Gallegos
(chipping brush) and Permissions
Person Joe Burris (collecting brush)
of the David Fulford Region spent
half a day hauling and chipping
slash removed near homes in
Montezuma County as part of
the Low Income Wildfire Risk
Reduction Program developed by
FireWise of Southwest Colorado.
FireWise supports community
involvement and education to help protect lives and homes adjacent to
forested land from wildfire damage.
t Annual Xmas
Tree Recycling
Programs Benefit
Communities Far
And Wide—On
January 31, General
Foreperson Jeff
Deuschle, Foreperson
Dustin Clouthier and Crew Members Skyler Deuschle and Jamie Meikle of
the John Moir Region of Asplundh Canada ULC teamed up with FortisAlberta
to chip 3,500 trees for the Town of Okotoks. They were assisted by local high
school students working on community service hours needed to graduate.
u The Kevin Dove Region
in Washington state
continued their tradition of
helping the Boy Scouts of
America earn funding for
summer camp by manning
two Christmas tree recycling
locations. Shown here are
the kind-hearted folks
who worked at the Kirkland location (L to R): Foreperson Wayne Spoelstra,
Flagger Cheryl Fenske, Apprentice Dan Green, Groundperson Teri Kannor,
and Trimmers Zoltan Dornay, Brian Gould and Sean Reavy.
AWARDS&REWARDS
p Excellent Customer Service Rewarded With Challenge Coins—
(L to R) General Foreperson Robert Schatz, Forepersons Kenny Schatz,
Paul Broach and Shane Adkison, Equipment Operator Adam Hartley and
Foreperson Larry Adkison became the first recipients in the Steve Bostock
Region (now the Rickey Bailey Region) in Alabama to receive challenge
coins. The coins were presented last September after the group was
recognized in an e-mail by a customer of South Carolina Electric & Gas
for their hardworking, safe and courteous behavior while performing utility
line clearance work on the right-of-way adjacent to his property.
FAMILYALBUM
t That’s Noah Marks, 2,
sporting his dad Ben’s green hard
hat. Ben started as a journeyman
back in January and the bright
green helps co-workers look out
for new employees. Ben’s father,
Foreperson Marvin Marks
(Noah’s granddad), approves of
this because as the photo shows,
they both have a very good reason
to return home safe each night.
Marvin and Ben work in the
Barry Suddreth Region of North
Carolina on Mecklenburg Electric
Cooperative property.
t Looking pretty dapper
behind the wheel of a retro
pedal car is Jameson
Bennett who just celebrated
his first birthday on May 8.
He’s the 3rd child of Jermaine
and Clarissa Bennett, and is
the little brother of big sisters
Jocelyn, 5, and Jalissa, 3.
Dad Jermaine is a supervisor
in the Tim Jessup Region,
overseeing crews working on
Florida Power & Light property
along the west coast of Florida.
u Chris and Kaela
Hoffer are pleased
to introduce you to
the newest addition to
their family, Hadleigh
Marie. She was born
on November 11, 2014,
weighing 5 lbs., 14 oz,
and measuring 19.5''
long. While she’s not yet
big enough to use the
beautifully personalized
ball glove next to her, I’m
sure Hadleigh’s older brother, Zane, 2, can’t wait to play catch with her.
Dad Chris is a foreperson in the Keith Confere Region, working with his
crew on AEP Ohio property in the northeast Columbus area.
u Is that the world’s youngest
general foreperson? No, it’s
Leyland Hopson, 6, dressed
up in his Halloween costume.
Like father, like son, Leyland
decided that he wanted to be
a “future” general foreperson,
complete with a hard hat and
safety whistle. The costume
made his father, Foreperson
Joseph Hopson, III, very proud
that his son may one day follow
in his footsteps. Joseph and
his crew work on Duke Energy
property in the Barry Suddreth
Region of North Carolina.
PROCERTIFICATIONS
Congratulations to the following Asplundh employees who
have gone the extra mile to better themselves and earn
professional development certifications:
ISA Certified Arborist Utility Specialist ™
W. Matthew Lewis
t Little Sophia, 1 ½, looks
right at home wearing an
Asplundh hard hat that she
found during a trip to visit her
mom, Maria Mantovani, at
the Brian Fuge Region office in
Yaphank, New York. Sophia’s
energy and sunny personality
definitely brighten up the office
and delight the folks who work
there. Maria is Brian Fuge’s
executive secretary, helping to
ensure that vital administrative
functions are completed to make
operations run smoothly.
ISA Certified Arborist ®
Jason Arroyo
Tina Folk
Phil Jackson
Branden Peters
Kristin Wild
J. Andy Young
Certified Utility Safety Professional
Tracy Hawks
Joseph Kern
U.S. Dept. of Labor Journeyman Lineman
Scott Phillips
Chris Winn
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
27
RETIREES
HONORED
Congratulations and best wishes for a happy and healthy
retirement to all the retirees listed here!
Robert Astgen
First employed July 2012
Utility Lines Construction Services Retired October 2014
Foreperson, Iowa
Patricia Coulter
First employed June 2008
General Foreperson, New Jersey
Retired October 2014
First employed February 1987
Retired February 2015
Larry Baker
Foreperson, Florida
Gerald Dean
First employed May 1994
General Foreperson, West Virginia
Retired January 2015
First employed April 1979
Thomas Barton
Retired January 2015
American Lighting and Signalization
Journeyman Lineman, Pennsylvania Richard Demory
First employed August 2012
Utility Lines Construction Services
Retired September 2014
Supervisor, West Virginia
First employed July 2007
Donald Baumhardt
Retired January 2015
Asplundh Construction Corp.
Foreperson, Illinois
Michael Gianelli
First employed February 2013
Grid One Solutions
Retired February 2015
Meter Reader, North Carolina
First employed October 2005
Charles Bellcour
Retired October 2014
Trimmer, Wisconsin
First employed August 1989
Philip Goss
Retired December 2014
Utility Lines Construction Services
Operator / EMJ Tech, Michigan
Anthony BiFulco
First employed July 2008
American Electrical Testing
Retired January 2015
Project Manager, Florida
First employed April 2008
Troy Hayes
Retired August 2014
Foreperson, Louisiana
First employed January 2004
Oscar Bonilla
Retired November 2014
Journeyman, Maryland
First employed April 1994
Earl Hinz
Retired February 2015
Foreperson, Wisconsin
First employed March 1995
Michael Burley
Retired December 2014
Foreperson, Ohio
First employed January 1978
John Jones, Jr.
Retired November 2014
General Foreperson, North Carolina
First employed December 1972
Karen Bush
Retired January 2015
Accounts Payable Specialist
Willow Grove, Pennsylvania
Peter Konen
First employed December 1982 Trimmer, Wisconsin
Retired October 2014
First employed April 1973
Retired August 2014
Lelon Caldwell
Utility Lines Construction Services
Equipment Operator, Arkansas
First employed December 2009
Retired September 2014
Charles Maben
Patrick Chavis
Denny Marlar
Foreperson, Louisiana
28
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
Trimmer, Ohio
First employed August 2011
Retired August 2014
Forester, South Carolina
First employed January 2012
Retired December 2014
Scott Maroney
Edwin Santiago
Martir Moreno
Mike Smathers
Foreperson, South Carolina
First employed January 2006
Retired January 2015
Groundperson, Virginia
First employed July 1989
Retired August 2014
Stuart Muscott
Foreperson, Florida
First employed June 1989
Retired October 2014
General Foreperson, North Carolina
(plus 22 years with Wilson
Tree Co.)
First employed October 1993
Retired March 2015
Utility Lines Construction Services
Journeyman Lineman, Michigan Donald Stover
First employed May 2009
Foreperson, Ohio
Retired January 2015
First employed November 2003
Retired January 2015
Ronald Nyhouse, Jr.
Trimmer, Wisconsin
First employed October 1985
Retired November 2014
Donald Patterson
Superintendent, Virginia
First employed April 1971
Retired January 2015
Helen Patterson
Asplundh Construction Corp.
Admin. Assistant, New York
First employed January 2009
Retired January 2015
Dwight Preston
Asplundh Brush Control Co.
Foreperson, New York
First employed January 1986
Retired October 2014
Greg Rambow
Foreperson, Minnesota
First employed March 1993
Retired August 2014
Terrance Reniger
John Surkamer
Crew Leader, Illinois
First employed September 1999
Retired October 2014
Jeffrey Swan
Asplundh Construction Corp.
Foreperson, Minnesota
First employed May 2012
Retired January 2015
Paul Sykes, Sr.
Parts and Service Supervisor
Fleet Services, Virginia
First employed June 1980
Retired January 2015
Juan Umanzor
Foreperson, Virginia
First employed September 1987
Retired December 2014
Robert Veleber
Work Planner, Washington
First employed September 2010
Retired September 2014
Utility Lines Construction Services
Operator / EMJ Tech, Michigan
First employed August 2007
Retired January 2015
Lex Ward
Jerry Robinson
Robert Webb
Foreperson, North Carolina
First employed August 1994
Retired August 2014
Arthur Sands
Trimmer, Illinois
First employed December 1999
Retired February 2015
Advanced Power & Lighting
Mechanic, Tennessee
First employed July 2007
Retired November 2014
Foreperson, Oklahoma
Lavernon Wright
First employed November 1993 Trimmer, Illinois
Retired November 2014
First employed February 2010
Retired January 2015
MORERETIREESHONORED
u Vice President / Sponsor Larry Moore says it was no easy task
getting these far-flung Asplundh Brush Control Co. (ABC) managers
together in one place for one evening, but it was well worth it! They all
gathered in Chicago, Illinois on December 16, 2014 to pay tribute
to the 34 years of service contributed by ABC Vice President
Rod Cornett who retired in July 2014. Joining in the festivities
were (L to R): Larry, Manager Ray Seaman, Rod, Vice President
Bob Ray, Manager Randy McCulloch and Manager Danny Roy.
t On February 19,
Executive Vice President
Gregg Asplundh (L) and
Manager Keith Confere
(R) were on hand to help
Supervisor Bob Jernigan
(center) celebrate his
retirement at a dinner held in
his honor in Columbus, Ohio.
In attendence were several
co-workers from his 47-year
Asplundh career, as well as
family members and AEP Ohio Forester Rich Simpson. In addition to having more
time with his family and grandchildren, Bob’s retirement plans include relaxing at
his camp in Pennsylvania, fishing, golfing and rooting for the Cleveland Browns!
t Asplundh Brush
Control (ABC) General
Foreperson Lionel Roy
displays the engraved
Henry Golden Boy rifle
that he received as a
token of appreciation for
his 42 years of service.
He worked under
retired Vice President
Rod Cornett for many
years and most recently under Manager Randy McCulloch.
Last June, Randy presented the gift to Lionel with best wishes
from Rod. ABC Manager Danny Roy says his dad is enjoying
retirement and looking after his cattle in Oklahoma.
INMEMORIAM
Phil Gerloff, retired foreperson and 48-year Asplundh veteran in Wisconsin, passed away January 13, 2015 at his
home in Hayward, Wisconsin at the age of 81. Phil started working for Asplundh, based out of Burlington, in 1948.
He relocated to Watertown from 1953 to 1977 and then his career brought him back to Burlington until 1998 when
he retired and moved to Hayward. Being an avid fisherman and hunter, Phil always enjoyed the outdoors. He is survived
by his wife of 62 years, Irene; his children, John, Bill and Irene; four grandchildren, Jerry, Christa, Tom and Callie; seven
great-grandchildren and two sisters. We extend our sincere sympathy to Phil’s family and to the circle of friends and
co-workers who knew him.
ASPLUNDH GOES PINK?!
t Pink is not just for
females as Supervisor
Kenneth Wyatt (R) of
the Tim Jessup Region
in Florida demonstrated
last October when he
ordered breast cancer
awareness shirts for
Administrative Assistants
Serena McAdams (L),
Stacie Stonesifer (center) and himself. Unfortunately, there is
a history of this disease on both sides of Kenneth’s family so
he always tries to do something for breast cancer awareness.
t Last fall, General Foreperson Brian
Hatchcock of the Ronnie Collins Region
in Florida arranged to get t-shirts for his
crews who were interested in supporting
breast cancer awareness. Supervisor
David Craddock was proud to report that
the crews took the initiative to buy the
shirts and think of a clever slogan: Real Tree Men Wear Pink. Half the proceeds
went to breast cancer awareness and research. Proudly displaying their pink t-shirts
were (front row, L to R): Christian Rivera, Kyle Ballentine, Jeff Puckett, Alan Miller
and John Caylor. In the back row (L to R) were: Dennis Noonan, Nick Council, Chris
Johnson, Rich Lichtenberger, Brian Ballentine, Josh Lenz and General Foreperson
Brian Hatchcock. The t-shirts really got the conversation going about the cause.
The Asplundh TREE
Spring/Summer 2015
29
PRESORTED
STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
BELLMAWR, NJ
PERMIT # 1081
International Headquarters
708 Blair Mill Road
Willow Grove, PA 19090
www.asplundh.com
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
WALL CALENDAR PHOTOS ARE DUE
JULY 31, 2015
SHOOT OUT DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 2, 2015
D
ust off that camera, clean the lens of your smart
phone and then get creative! Put that camera or
smart phone to good use by sending us your very
best shots of Nature and Work Related subjects. You
may enter in more than one category, up to 10 photos total
combined. High-resolution digital images (either e-mailed or
on disc) are acceptable, as well as color or black and white
prints. No cell phone photos or negatives, please.
If your photo is selected for the 2016 wall calendar,
you will be sent three complimentary copies. If your photo
is judged to be a Shoot Out winner, you will receive a VISA
gift card, ranging from $75 for Honorable Mention to $200
for first place.
Please be sure to include your name, address, phone
number and the categories you wish to enter along with
a brief description of each picture. If you send in prints or
a disc, please package them carefully. Entries will not be
returned unless you specifically request it. Please submit
your entries via e-mail to:
corpcomm@asplundh.com
or via USPS:
Asplundh Corporate Communications
708 Blair Mill Road
Willow Grove, PA 19090
Thank you!