Thomas Andrews

As a subcontracted arborist, I was hired to prune both deciduous and coniferous trees based on the standards set forth by the ANSI A300 pruning standards and guidelines adopted by the International Society of Arboriculture.

Companies I contracted with for over my seven-year tenure were:

-Helping Hand Tree Care (5 years).

-Cutting Edge Tree Care (3 years).

-Baer Tree and Forestry (four years, on and off).

-Multiple owner/operators.

• With each tree, goals and objectives were clearly communicated and established with either the homeowner or the foreman prior to work commencing.
• Technical removals involving complex rigging.
• Crane removals utilizing 25, 40, and 90-ton cranes.
• Advanced climbing to remove dead, dying, diseased, or cross/interfering trees, with consideration given to potential failures and/or defects.
• Reduction cuts, providing clearance via directional cuts, raise up while enhancing natural form, reducing laterals, and subordinating codominant leaders to establish a dominant lead when possible.
• Removing dead, dying, or unwanted trees, implementing felling and/or rigging techniques, and utilizing blocks, pulleys, porta-wraps, GRCS, taglines, and rig lines.
• 500-plus crane removals.
• Bucket truck driver/operator on request.

• Responsible for keeping targeted time allotments for each job.
• Helped to train new climbers in the trade in regard to climbing techniques, safety, nomenclature, and standards.
• Provided feedback to the office in regard to productivity, equipment, and team members.

• Bucket truck operator.
• Climbing arborist.
• Groundman when needed

• Greenhorn started as a groundman, but quickly moved up through the ranks to foreman after two years.
• Bucket truck operator after obtaining a Class B CDL.
• Stump grinder operator.
• In charge of a three-man crew, chainsaw maintenance, and sharpening.
• Vehicle and eqquipment maintenance. Oil changes, air filters, greasing of zerks, basic mechanical repairs, hydraulic hoses, brakes, clutches, etc.
• Filling out of workorders and turning into the office at the end of each shift