THE ASPLUNDH TREE

Transcription

THE ASPLUNDH TREE

Spring 2013
THE ASPLUNDH TREE
Our 85th Anniversary
Arbor Day Events
I n honor of Arbor Day and
the company’s 85th anniversary,
Asplundh sponsored a service
project in conjunction with
PECO Vegetation Management at Smith Memorial
Playground in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Two climbing
crews from the Larry Gauger Region (at left) carefully
removed two large, dead and dying trees from the
Smith Playground while a team of 13 Asplundh Home
Office and PECO employees did spring clean-up and
planting work.
Two beautiful weeping cherry trees (below),
donated by Lentzcaping, Inc., were also planted to
replace two that had
succumbed to last
summer’s drought
and other stresses.
This service project
demonstrated the
importance of proper
tree care and planting
the right tree in the
right place, whether it’s
Arbor Day or not.
Once again, the Gene Blount Region in
Texas competed in the Houston Area Urban
Forestry Council’s tree planting competition
during the city’s February 9th Arbor Day
celebration. This orange-clad volunteer team
placed second in the professional category
by properly planting 100 five-gallon trees in
36 minutes, 27 seconds! Let’s join Supervisor
(Team Captain) Jeff Vining in congratulating
(L to R) Jose Garcia, Nestor Negrete,
Sebastian Lagunas, Saul Sanchez, Leonel Perez, Jr., David Sandoval, Manuel
Tinoco, Gary Bourke, Hector Delgado, and Andres Mendoza for their great
tree-planting performance—and a good deed for the environment!
Connecticut Light & Power Arborist
Steve Child gave a lively presentation
to the 4th and 5th graders of Hampton
Elementary School to celebrate Arbor
Day. Adding to the experience were
Asplundh Foreperson Ron Harwood
and Bucket Operator Frank Stanton
of the Dan Duncan Region who gave
a tree pruning demonstration in the
school parking lot. The kids were very
excited to learn about the value of
trees and each took home a Colorado
Blue Spruce sapling.
THE
ASPLUNDH
TREE
Safety Success
Is No Accident
Spring 2013
WHY I WORK SAFE today
Contents
Co-op Corner ..............................................3
A History Of Innovation In IVM ................4
Stormy Times .................................................6
Merit Awards .................................................8
Management Update ....................................9
Orchids .................................................12
Service Anniversaries .................................16
Crews & News ............................................19
Retirees Honored ......................................23
In Memoriam ...............................................24
Fighting The EAB Battle ............................24
New Product Review ..............................25
On The Cover
On Carroll Electric Cooperative’s system in
Northeast Ohio, hilly terrain is no problem for
Foreperson James Mills operating a ‘puddle
jumper’ lift and Jarraff Operator John Hafner.
See more about Carroll Electric on pg. 3.
(Photo by John Rader)
Managing editor
Corporate Communications
Patti Chipman
Writer/Editor
Kristin Wild
Assistant Editor/
Graphics Specialist
Ronnie Gauker
Editorial assistant
Donna Kemmerer
The Asplundh TREE is a family magazine,
published three times 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).
©
2013 Asplundh Tree Expert Co.
Asplundh Tree Expert Co.
708 Blair Mill Road, Willow Grove, PA 19090
www.asplundh.com
Printed on recycled paper
by Tim Walsh
Director, Safety Operations
W
e hear, see and say the word “safe” every day,
in its many different forms and for a variety of
circumstances. Whether it is “safe”, “safety” or
“safely”, we surround ourselves with the words and hopefully,
we understand the true meanings of them. What is interesting
is how people define these terms differently.
Some say that being safe can mean anything from just not
having any accidents/incidents, to no near misses. Everyone
seems to have their own way of defining it. For me, and the
way we use the term in SafeProduction®, being “safe” means
no unnecessary exposure to risk. (And now we have to define
“risk”… which is the opportunity for loss.)
There is risk in everything we do, but we do not have to
expose ourselves to risk needlessly. A few quick examples of
the difference are below:
• Driving has inherent risk, but driving without a seatbelt
or not using our Decision Driving principles clearly entails
unnecessary risk.
• Using a chain saw has risk, but operating it with only one
hand, or using it without proper PPE or safety features, is
taking a truly unnecessary risk.
• Tree felling has risk, but not following ALL five steps of the
tree felling process invites way too much unnecessary risk!
The training our employees receive through the Line
Clearance Qualification Standard (LCQS) is designed to reduce
risk. Other ongoing procedures such as the Job Behavior
Observation (JBO) process, general foreperson co-location
work and the vehicle inspection logs (FD-514) all help to
prevent unnecessary risk.
As we know from our Human Performance training, we are all
human and can make mistakes. The key is to avoid the Error Traps
(the mistakes that we are likely to make and get hurt), so we can
work safe and go home uninjured every night.
I challenge all of our employees to ask themselves why they
work safe. For many, the answer will be to see their friends
and family again. I write this not only to each and every
employee of the company, but also (and maybe more
importantly) to the friends and families of our employees.
I would like our folks to share this article with their friends
and family, and let them know that they are the reason that
the employee is working safe.
We are kicking off a new campaign with the theme of this
article. We have created a small, flexible fabric picture frame—
no thicker than a helmet
liner— to go inside your
helmet/hard hat with the
phrase, “Why I Work Safe
Today.” The idea is to provide
a constant, visual reminder
of who is waiting for us after
work. This follows along our
previous campaigns:
a refrigerator magnet
frame that says, “My
Reason for Working
Safely,” and the truck
visor frame which
says, “Get Home
Safe Tonight.”
The current
campaign is designed
so that every
employee will be
reminded of why they
should work safe
and why they should
follow our policies
and procedures every
time they put on
their helmets.
Please share this with your friends and family! Our hope
is that every day, you are reminded of why you should work
safe. And when you see that person, he or she might ask you
the question, “Did you work safe for me today?” And you can
truthfully say, “Yes!”
Tim Walsh
[email protected]
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
1
with Training And practice
u The Safety Operations Group has developed a special training packet and
qualification for the new rigging kit tools, which must be completed to make sure that
our crews and supervision understand how to safely use and maintain the kit. The Tom
McDonnell Region in Virginia recently invested in the new rigging kit and on March 5,
Vegetation Trainers Joe Kern and Gary Shaffer came to ‘train the trainers’ in the
region. Thanks to Senior Forester Jeff Geis of Dominion Virginia Power and RSS Billy
Higgins, 18 Asplundh employees (forepersons to supervisors) plus three Dominion
foresters, were able to
comfortably participate in
the classroom and outdoor
hands-on training in
Dominion’s Training Center
in Chester, Virginia. Above, Joe and Gary demonstrate how to assemble the
5-to-1 mechanical advantage system as (L to R) Mike Anderson, Jovel Benavides,
Jeff Rawls and Jose Reyes observe. t Gary (center) discusses the different
scenarios for appropriately using a port-a-wrap and Whoopie sling, as (L to R) Carlos
Dennison, Jody Messick
and Steve Sharpe listen
and ask questions. All of
the Asplundh employees
had to demonstrate correct use of the equipment to pass the qualification.
u Around the same time in March, General Foreperson Rob Forell of the
Dave Puckett Region in Western Pennsylvania captured this photo of Foreperson
Mark Cogley demonstrating his skill and knowledge in a manual tree rescue
procedure. This was part of Rob’s monthly foreperson evaluation, which also required
a demonstration of administering first aid for a chain saw cut while in the tree.
These folks all work on the property of West Penn Power, safely and efficiently.
That’s what SafeProduction® is all about!
national and REGIONAL safety recognition
t We are pleased to report that 18 Asplundh employees were recognized by the Tree Care Industry Association in
February for their outstanding safety performance in providing emergency assistance to citizens in need during 2012.
In addition to the engraved glass award at left, each employee received a Cabela’s gift card and letter of appreciation
signed by CEO Scott Asplundh, President George Graham and Director of Safety Tim Walsh. Please join us in
congratulating: Christopher Goral, Todd Lyles, Jason Anderson, Jon Bax, Josh Murphy, Simon Chavers,
Ben McFadden, Charles Smith, Jose Lemus, Mark Vickers, Hugo Uribe, Hector Rodriguez, Mario
Banuelos, Jose Luis Luna, Irving Martinez, Robert Wisting, Jason Vanartsdalen and Dillion Vanaman.
u In January, General
Foreperson Dave Fox of the
Dave Puckett Region in Western
Pennsylvania treated his hard working, safety
minded employees to breakfast for achieving a three-year
incident-free milestone! Supervisor Bill Crouse (far L) joined
with West Penn Power Manager of Forestry Services Chip
Brown (not shown) and Advanced Forestry Specialist Sharon
Ross (third from L) to congratulate Dave and his people. As
a reward, each employee received a hi-vis hooded sweatshirt
and Kevlar work gloves. The employees who achieved the
three-year goal are (in alphabetical order): Greg Basinger, Chris Coughenour, Michael Coughenour, Chad Johnson, Rob Kraft,
Glenn Levtzow, Evan May, Daniel Riley, Jeffrey Ritenour, Jeremy Samek, Adam Shaffer, Richard Smiley, James Spargur,
Timothy Wiltrout and Nicole Zelinsky. This team is now totally committed to working toward four years incident-free!
2
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
Co-OPCorner
C
hoptank Electric Cooperative,
a member-owned utility which
serves nearly 53,000 homes
and businesses on the Eastern Shore of
Maryland, celebrates 75 years of service
this year. Quite a few things have changed
since 1938, but Choptank’s emphasis on
service and support remains the same.
For nearly a decade, Asplundh staff
members from the Steve Miller Region
have participated in Choptank’s annual
meetings, welcoming the opportunity
to get to know the co-op’s members
and staff. In honor of Choptank’s 75th
anniversary, Asplundh made an extra effort
with its equipment display at the annual
meeting on April 16 in Salisbury, Maryland.
Over 600 members came by to ‘kick
the tires’ and ask questions about the
standard and offroad aerial lifts on display,
as well as the Volts Wagon Electrical
Hazards Training Trailer. This training
center on wheels allowed members to see
the dangers of electricity up close and gain
a greater understanding of the hazards
faced by the co-op’s staff and Asplundh
crews in the field.
u Choptank’s members were encouraged to
explore and ask questions about the Asplundh
equipment on display—a standard roadside
bucket truck and offroad 4x4 platform-mounted
lift (aka ‘puddle jumper’). Annual meetings are a
great time to build understanding between
co-op members, staff and Asplundh personnel.
t RSS Jose Irizarry and RST Carlos
Escobar presented valuable information
on electrical hazards to Choptank’s
members and staff as they toured the
Asplundh Volts Wagon. Also on hand
to interact with members were Vice
President Steve Miller and Supervisors
Sam Patchett and Jim Beam.
A Welcome And A Farewell
Choptank has recently hired a new
system forester, Bryan Hall, but he is
not exactly a stranger to Asplundh. A
graduate of West Virginia University with
a degree in forest resource management,
Bryan got his first exposure to vegetation
management activities years ago on
an Asplundh crew working along a
Delmarva Power & Light transmission
right-of-way! For the past 17 years, he
has worked for the State of Delaware as
a forester, planner and arborist. Bryan
is an Eastern Shore native and Asplundh
is pleased to be working with him to
help maintain safe, affordable power for
Choptank’s members.
In addition to our welcome to Bryan,
Asplundh bids farewell to Choptank’s
Manager, Cooperative Communications
Anne Whaples who will be retiring after
19 years. Although Anne says that she has
always enjoyed working with Asplundh
folks at the co-op’s annual meetings, she
t Choptank Electric Cooperative’s
System Forester Bryan Hall (far L)
joined with (L to R) Asplundh General
Forepersons Jeff Elliott, Jasin Stewart
and Mike White to answer questions
from co-op members during the utility’s
annual meeting and 75th anniversary
celebration in Salisbury, Maryland in April.
is looking forward to spending more
time with her family after retirement—
especially her two grandchildren.
Carroll Electric Cooperative
Asplundh trucks from the Keith Confere
Region have dotted the six-county service
territory of Carroll Electric Cooperative,
Inc. in northeastern Ohio since early 2012.
At the time, Asplundh had won the bid to
clear 175 miles of line and since then, the
crews have worked hard to be more than
just a tree contractor.
Open communication about the
right-of-way clearing process between
Asplundh and Carroll Electric members
and staff has been promoted through an
interactive display at the co-op’s annual
meeting. An Asplundh manual crew was
actually featured in the co-op’s magazine,
but the operation under General
Foreperson John Rader also includes
a Jarraff side-trimming machine and a
4x4 ‘puddle jumper’ lift to tackle steep
terrain and maintain efficiency.
Carroll Electric awarded a second
contract to Asplundh to clear 199 miles
of line and has also hired two hourly
crews to work in the gated community
of Lake Mohawk in 2013, where they will
clear an additional 27 miles of line.
“Asplundh has proved to be a full-service
contractor, capable of working in the hilly
terrain of Northeast Ohio, while providing
professional and courteous service,”
recently wrote Yvonne Ackerman, Carroll
Electric’s Manager of Marketing and
Member Services.
We aim to maintain that level of service
and exceed it whenever possible!
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
3
A History Of
Innovation IN IVM
A
lways striving for safety,
efficiency and environmental
sustainability, Asplundh has
been a leader in innovative vegetation
management methods and equipment
since the company began in 1928.
Take the design of the first Asplundh
chipper in 1948 or Lester Asplundh’s own
design of the first fully-insulated, fiberglass
aerial lift boom in 1958. Creative thinking,
persistence and collaborations with others
have helped the company solve many
vegetation management problems over
the past 85 years.
Through its own basic research and pilot
projects in actual right-of-way (ROW)
settings, Asplundh found that some
integrated vegetation management (IVM)
ideas worked and some didn’t. Often,
our partnerships with utilities, academia,
herbicide manufacturers and equipment
suppliers speeded up the evolution and
adoption of new products and methods
in IVM, such as low volume applications.
To give an example of how much has
changed in IVM, oil base spraying in the
1940s called for up to 100 gallons per
acre of herbicide/fuel oil mixture and up
to 300 gallons per acre for water-based
formulations. That was the norm. Today,
with highly selective and concentrated
chemistry, plus ultra low volume (ULV)
application technology, spray volume can
be as low as five gallons per acre and still
achieve accurate control. Asplundh and
its valued suppliers have worked hard to
meet the challenges of high petroleum
prices, changing regulations and public
misconceptions about herbicides.
Asplundh and the staff in its
Arborchem Products Division can
now tailor a utility, railroad, pipeline or
highway vegetation management program
to address very specific ROW conditions.
With properly trained applicators and
precise operations, IVM can be the safest,
most economical and environmentally
sustainable tool in the tool box.
Let’s look back and take some pride in
a few highlights of Asplundh’s history of
innovation in IVM.
4
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
Bringing New Products And
Methods To Market
Collaborations With Utilities
And Other Organizations
p In 1952 Asplundh helped to create
a partnership of stakeholders to
scientifically evaluate ROW management
methods, especially herbicide applications,
and their effect on the environment. The
Pennsylvania State University School of
Forestry and Conservation conducted the
studies on a Penelec (now FirstEnergy)
transmission ROW that crossed through
Pennsylvania Game Lands 33. Common
herbicide products by Amchem, DuPont
(no longer involved) and more recently,
Dow, were used in the studies and our
crews performed the various treatments.
Known now as the Game Lands 33
research and demonstration project, the
first test plots were treated in 1953 and
have continued over 60 years, generating
over 200 papers that prove IVM works for
both wildlife and electric reliability.
p In 1986, Asplundh joined with PECO,
Pennsylvania State University, Dow and
other cooperators to initiate a research
project, similar to Game Lands 33, on
a stretch of PECO transmission line
ROW in Green Lane, Pennsylvania. It
continues to demonstrate the safety and
environmental benefits of herbicide use
in utility vegetation management.
p An Asplundh-sponsored TREE Fund
research grant in 2009 measured the
effectiveness of cut stump applications
by species and geography to better
define the benefits of this simple
method, used since the early 1950s, of
controlling resprouts from stumps.
p Asplundh worked with various
chemical manufacturers to test and
develop new herbicides, carriers, wound
treatments and cleaners. From the 1950s
through the 1970s, some products were
marketed with an Asplundh label. In
1986, the Arborchem Products Division
was established to offer ROW managers
an even wider selection of products,
advice, training and technical support.
Education And Training
Efforts
p The Radiarc® spray system, introduced
in 1986, applies herbicide in a uniform
pattern while providing excellent drift
control with low volume applications.
u Published
in 1952, the
industry’s
first practical
herbicide
manual for
spray crews
was written
during the
early career
years of
now retired Asplundh Senior Vice
President Hyland Johns.
p Beginning in the 1990s, all-terrain
vehicles were modified by Asplundh for
LV and ULV applications to increase crew
productivity in rugged terrain.
Investigations Of Our Own
p Before states required pesticide
applicator licenses, Asplundh developed
a herbicide training certification program
of its own in 1985.
p In the early 1980s, Asplundh worked
with developers on an injection system
for tree growth regulators (TGRs).
p As another means of slowing the
growth of tree branches near power
lines, in 2002 Asplundh introduced
ultra low volume (ULV) chemical side
trimming via 4x4 aerial lifts for off-road
transmission ROWs.
p Asplundh worked with Jim Esposito,
a retired formulation chemist from the
Amchem Division of Union Carbide, to
patent the first commercial ultra low
volume (ULV) basal oil in 1984. The
mineral oil and emulsifier formulation
mixed easily with herbicides and
penetrated the bark well.
p In the early 1980s, Asplundh worked
with various companies and designers to
test and develop low volume technology.
In 1994, Asplundh began promoting
the ULV Thinvert® application systems.
A thin invert emulsion spray fluid and
special spray nozzles control drift and
reduce the amount of herbicide and
carrier needed to achieve control.
p Asplundh began testing, as early as
1981, the ‘cut stubble’ method of mowing
followed by a soil-activated herbicide.
This method continues to be an excellent
way to establish an easier-to-maintain
meadow-like ROW.
p Since 1986, the Arborchem Products
Division has done custom blending for
ready-to-use (RTU) basal and other
treatments, which takes the mixing
process out of the field and helps crews
deliver consistent results. It also provides
container management programs.
t Leading the
IVM research and
training efforts of
Asplundh since
1977 is Vice
President Jim
Orr, shown here
presenting in
North Carolina
in 1987.
p Following in the footsteps of Jim Orr
(center) are Vice President Joe Lentz
(L) and Vegetation Management Specialist
Dave Krause (R) of the Arborchem
Products Division. As regular presenters
throughout the ROW industry, they received
the UAA Education Award in 2008.
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
5
StormyTimes
A
fter a record-breaking
response for Superstorm
Sandy last fall, Asplundh crews
were mobilized several times during the
winter as Mother Nature continued to
wreak havoc with snow, ice and wind.
Three storms in particular required a
significant number of outside crews.
MORE POST-SANDY APPRECIATION
From Vice President SC Gary Benz, Director EDSC Bill Wolfe and Manager EDSC
John Nauer of FirstEnergy to UtiliCon President Steven Asplundh:
“Super Storm Sandy had a devastating impact on millions of our customers in New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland. ... As the leadership within
FirstEnergy’s Supply Chain, we wanted to reach out and thank you for your outstanding
support and exceptional customer service during this trying time.
u With potential hazards all around, Foreperson
Michael Barnett of the Scott Harmon Region
in Missouri used advanced rigging techniques
to remove this 80-ft. pine that was threatening
Entergy power lines in North Little Rock, Arkansas
after a Christmas storm brought unusually large
amounts of snow, ice and wind.
p While waiting for their next assignment
from NSTAR, General Foreperson Cletus
Hottle of the Tom McDonnell Region
conducted some impromptu safety training for
his crews who normally work on the Dominion
Virginia Power system.
A Snowy, Icy Holiday In Ark-La-Tex
Customers of Entergy and SWEPCO
might have been wishing for a white
Christmas, but they got way more than
they bargained for on December 25, 2012!
Freezing rain, sleet, high winds and
over a foot of wet snow in some places
brought down trees and poles, knocking
out power for over 240,000 Entergy and
almost 17,000 SWEPCO customers in
the immediate aftermath of the storm.
Entergy Arkansas was the hardest hit
with over 100,000 outages in the Little
Rock area alone.
The Asplundh Storm Center Team
coordinated with Managers Don Redden
and Jerry Kensinger to mobilize an
additional 82 tree crews (more than 240
employees) from three neighboring states
to assist their local crews already working
for Entergy, SWEPCO and other utilities
and municipalities affected by the storm.
Power was restored for the vast majority
of customers by December 31, but some
Asplundh ‘foreign’ crews continued the
clean-up work until they were released
on January 2, 2013.
Asplundh crews, starting on February 6.
Additional infrastructure crews from
Asplundh Construction Corp. and Utility
Lines Construction Services were also
called into action.
p On his way to the Cape Cod area to assist
NSTAR, Lead Foreperson Steve Hosaflook of
the Tom McDonnell Region in Virginia is shown
here digging out of a Milford, Connecticut parking
lot early on the morning of February 9.
u RSS Matt Hinman from the Jim Winemiller
Region in Missouri sent in this shot of some of
General Foreperson Johnny Wilson’s bucket trucks
in Farmington, Connecticut getting ready to leave
so they could start their assignment with National
Grid after Nemo dumped up to 40 inches of snow.
t Corporate Safety Advisor Shawn Smith took
this photo near Plymouth, Massachusetts as he
touched base with dozens of Asplundh crews
working in the snow and wind to remove Nemodamaged trees from power lines and roadways.
Winter Storms Nemo And Saturn
In The Northeast
As if utilities and municipalities in the
northeastern part of the United States
hadn’t had enough of storm work since
Hurricane Irene hit in August 2011, the
weather forecasters ominously predicted
that February 8-9 would see blizzard
conditions in the Northeast due to Winter
Storm Nemo. The prediction certainly
came true for parts of Connecticut,
Massachusetts and Rhode Island where
almost 500,000 customers lost power over
the course of the storm response.
Nine utilities from Pennsylvania to
New Hampshire acted on the forecasters’
predictions and requested additional
6
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
As the Asplundh Storm Center Team
worked on getting crews released from
utilities in 18 different states, our eight
local tree and construction managers
prepared to host the mobilized crews
and respond quickly to the storm. Wind
and heavy snow on the night of February 8
halted many crews in Connecticut as they
attemped to get to their assignments
throughout New England.
u A crew under General Foreperson Alex Joya
of the Mark Lohse Region in Baltimore, Maryland
prepares to remove a blizzard-blown pine tree
from an NSTAR line not far from Cape Cod,
Massachusetts. NSTAR received an additional 163
Asplundh tree crews (about 400 employees) to
assist in the storm emergency while
National Grid brought in 322 tree crews
(approximately 820 employees).
At the peak of Asplundh’s response, over
1,700 tree workers (more than 660 crews)
and over 200 infrastructure workers were
sent in from as far away as Florida and
Missouri. Crews that had initially been
sent to utilities in Pennsylvania and New
York were released and some of them
were redirected to the harder-hit utilities
of National Grid and NSTAR in eastern
Massachusetts, and to a lesser degree
Connecticut Light & Power.
By February 13, all of the ‘foreign’ crews
had been released to return home.
However, about a month later, on March 5,
Winter Storm Saturn brought similar
conditions. Asplundh sent 66 tree crews
(about 150 employees) to NSTAR and
National Grid for two days to help
restore power in parts of Massachusetts.
Thankfully, all of Asplundh’s storm
workers safely completed their tasks and
returned home uninjured. Many thanks
to the utilities and municipalities who
released our crews to assist others, and
to the families of our employees, who
supported this important work.
Your continued dedication to FirstEnergy and our customers has been continually
reaffirmed by your help in Hurricane Irene, Snowmageddon, Derecho and now Sandy
(aka Frankenstorm). ... We really appreciate the trust we can place in you and even more
appreciate the partnership we’ve forged in order to meet the challenges of these storms
and natural disasters.”
From President James Laurito and Chairman/CEO Steven Lant of Central Hudson
Gas & Electric in New York to ACC Vice President Frank Giordano:
“I am writing to express my sincere gratitude to Asplundh Construction Corp. for
providing Mutual Aid resources to Central Hudson during Hurricane Sandy. ... Central
Hudson experienced outages accumulating to over one third of our customer base and,
with your help, restored 90% of those customers affected within three days.
It is of great comfort to know that when the need arises, quality organizations such as
yours stand ready to assist.”
u On January 14, on the first floor
rotunda at the Iowa State Capitol,
Governor Terry E. Branstad (far L) and
Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds (far R) held
a short public recognition ceremony in
honor of the Iowa utilities, utility workers
and contractors that provided mutual
aid resources to restore essential utility
services to the Eastern United States
following Superstorm Sandy. Manager
Adam Larson (second from R) and
Supervisor Kevin Kasal (second from L)
attended on behalf of the Asplundh Tree
Expert Co. A certificate of appreciation signed by both the Governor and Lt. Governor was mailed
out to each Asplundh employee from Iowa that participated in the storm restoration work.
t For several days after Superstorm
Sandy hit LIPA/National Grid on Long
Island, Mike McPeck, an engineer from
National Grid in Syracuse, New York
worked closely with General Foreperson
Jeff Elliott and crews from the Steve Miller
Region in Delaware and Maryland, and
the Bobby King Region in Kentucky to
help restore power in Locust Valley, New
York. The crews are shown here in front
of the fire station which became their
home away from home. After their assignment together, Mike wrote to Jeff: “I want to personally thank
you and all the crews that worked under you during the storm in early November, including the two tree
climbing crews from Kentucky. They all showed professionalism and their dedication in bringing the power
back on to the residents of Locust Valley, New York. ... Safety was always their number one priority, and
they showed it in every job they worked. ... It would be a pleasure and honor to work with you all again.”
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
7
Merit
A
Awards
splundh is proud to recognize
seven employees whose
observant, selfless and skillful
actions recently earned them Silver Merit
Awards. Their heroic stories follow.
Burning BBQ On Deck
On October 10, 2012, while driving
home from a long day of tree work for
Sault Ste. Marie Public Utility Commission
in Ontario, Foreperson Bud Irving and
Groundperson Mike MacKay spotted a
fire on the back deck of a home adjacent
to the highway. The crew, from the John
Moir Region of Asplundh Canada ULC,
immediately pulled in and saw that a
propane BBQ grill had caught on fire.
Reacting quickly, Bud grabbed a garden
hose and started spraying down the house
to prevent the spread of the fire. Mike
called 911 and then ran to the front door,
knocking and yelling to see if anyone was
home. The man who owned the home
had been using the grill to cook his supper,
but then fell asleep on the couch. The
food caught fire and then ignited the siding
on the house. Fortunately, the man woke
up and was able to exit safely. Local fire
crews soon arrived and extinguished the
propane grill.
Silver Merit Award pins were
presented to the “men in orange”
at right who did not hesitate to
enter a smoking mobile home to
assist an elderly couple in safely
escaping last November. Joining in
the Silver Merit Award presentation
were (L to R): Senior Staff Forester
Matt Simons and Staff Forester
Nick Bocchicchio of Atlantic City
Electric, Crew Leader Robert Wisting, Apprentice Jason Vanartsdalen, Apprentice Dillion
Vanaman, Asplundh Vice President Steve Miller and Manager of Forestry for PHI Pat Byrne. This
heroic event took place during the Superstorm Sandy response in New Jersey.
After presenting Silver Merit Awards,
Asplundh Brush Control Manager Ray
Seaman (far L) posed for a photo with
(L to R): Trimmer Ryan Stahl, Kevin Nicholl
of ITC/ULCS Forestry, North Region, General
Foreperson Scott Wilson and Equipment
Operator Brook Lawe. Ryan and Brook
courageously saved an 83-year-old woman
from her burning home on March 14.
Senior Citizens Saved
Our employees often witness unusual
things while responding to storm work.
On November 6, 2012, about a week
after Superstorm Sandy struck New
Jersey, Crew Leader Robert Wisting
and Apprentices Jason Vanartsdalen and
Dillion Vanaman of the Steve Miller
Region noticed heavy black smoke
coming from a nearby mobile home park.
They were just pulling into the Atlantic
City Electric operations center at the
Cape May Court House after a 16-hour
shift of cleaning up storm damaged trees.
Initially they thought it was just a diesel
truck starting, but the smoke became
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
NewVICEPresidentsElected
Asplundh Canada ULC President John
Moir (far L), Executive Vice President and
Sponsor Chris Asplundh, Jr. (far R) and
Forest Technician Peter Bursche (center) of
Sault Ste. Marie Public Utility Commission
in Ontario all joined in congratulating
Foreperson Bud Irving (second from L)
and Groundperson Mike MacKay
(second from R) for preventing a major house fire and possibly saving the life of the sleeping
homeowner. In early December, they were presented with gift cards (just in time for the winter
holidays) instead of the usual Silver Award pins.
If not for the sharp eyes and quick
actions of Bud and Mike, the entire home
and homeowner might have been lost!
Well done!
8
ManagementUpdate
heavier so the crew quickly went to
investigate. They found a mobile home
with smoke coming out of it and Jason
called 911 while Robert and Dillion
knocked on the door. An elderly woman
came to the door and they sat her down
outside to get fresh air. She then told
them that her 92-year-old husband was
sleeping in the rear bedroom, so they
went in and helped him outside as well.
The emergency services soon arrived,
but it turned out that the smoke was
coming from a malfunctioning heater.
Thankfully, Robert, Jason and Dillion
did not hesitate or these senior citizens
might have died from smoke inhalation or
carbon monoxide poisoning. Great work!
Rescue From House Fire
The fire rescue work continued on
March 14, 2013 around 5 p.m., when an
Asplundh Brush Control crew from the
Ray Seaman Region was returning from
an ITC-METC job site in Iosco County,
Michigan. Equipment Operator Brook
Lawe and Trimmer Ryan Stahl slowed
down as they saw some people standing
continued on page 11
Ronnie Collins, manager of Asplundh
operations in parts of Florida, was elected
vice president by the Board of Directors
in January. Executive Vice President Matt
Asplundh sponsors the Collins Region.
John Dettl, manager of Labor Relations,
Ronnie joined the company in 1993
when Asplundh acquired Farrens Tree
Surgeons. With five years of prior line
clearance experience, he advanced to
general foreperson the following year and
in 1997, he transferred to New Mexico. Six years later, Ronnie was
promoted to supervisor and in 2004, he transferred back to his home
state of Florida. He advanced to manager in 2008 and is responsible
for overseeing crews working in the Northern Region of FPL, Duke
Energy (formerly Progress Energy) and several municipal and rural
electric cooperative accounts in Florida. Ronnie has earned corporate
recognition for storm coordination, safety management and equipment
expense control. He is an ISA Certified Arborist/Utility Specialist and
serves on the board of the Florida Vegetation Management Association.
In September 2002, John joined Asplundh
with 25 years of experience in labor
relations and human resources. He started
his career in 1977, working for the State of
Michigan after earning a bachelor’s degree
in public affairs management from Michigan State University. He
moved into corporate industrial relations in 1984 and then employee
relations and human resources. In his last position before joining
Asplundh, he served as vice president of labor relations for a nationwide
armored truck service and had successfully negotiated over 400 union
contracts for various companies across the country. John continues to
negotiate 40 to 50 contracts per year for Asplundh and its subsidiaries,
as well as assisting with acquisition integration and regional start-ups.
He has also received corporate recognition for storm response logistics.
was elected vice president by the Board
of Directors in January. He reports to
Asplundh President George Graham and
UtiliCon President Steven Asplundh.
NewmanagersInTheHomeOfficeandField
Ken Chan joined Asplundh’s Supply Chain
Management Department in December
2012 as the chief procurement officer.
He reports to Vice President / Corporate
Administration Manager George Licci.
Ken brings to Asplundh 18 years of
international consulting and industry
experience. Prior to Asplundh, he was with
Deloitte Consulting and PriceWaterhouse
Coopers PRTM Consulting, helping Fortune
500 companies improve profits through strategic sourcing, procurement
transformation and value engineering. Before that, he was a professional
electrical engineer. At Asplundh, Ken leads our cost reduction and
organizational capability improvement program. He holds an MBA with
highest distinction from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, as well
as an electrical engineering degree from the University of Hong Kong
and a management degree from the University of London.
Robert Coffman, former branch
manager in parts of Oklahoma, was
promoted to region manager in January.
Executive Vice President Brent Asplundh
sponsors the Coffman Region.
Robert started on an Asplundh tree crew
in his home state of Oklahoma in 1988.
Within nine years, he had advanced to
general foreperson. In 2009, Robert was promoted to supervisor
and then branch manager a year later. His current management
responsibilities include overseeing Asplundh operations on the property
of Oklahoma Gas & Electric and various municipal, rural electric
cooperative and pipeline accounts throughout the state. Robert is an
ISA Certified Arborist and is an April 2011 graduate of Asplundh’s
Management Leadership Academy. He has also studied criminal
justice at Langston University in Oklahoma.
David Fulford, former district area
manager for parts of Colorado, New
Mexico and Texas, advanced to region
manager in October 2012. Vice President
Doug Gober sponsors the Fulford Region.
David joined the company as a general
foreperson in Colorado in 2003. He came
with seven years of experience with a
tree service company in his home state of
Florida. In 2005, David was promoted to
supervisor and six years later, he advanced to district area manager
under Vice President Will Willis. As manager of his own region, David
oversees Asplundh operations on the property of Xcel Energy in parts
of Colorado, New Mexico and Texas, as well as various cooperative
and municipal accounts in Colorado and New Mexico. He earned a
bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of
North Florida and has been an ISA Certified Arborist since 1997.
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
9
NewManagerscontinued
Scott Harmon, former branch
manager, was promoted to region manager
in parts of Missouri and Kansas in January.
The Harmon Region is sponsored by Vice
President Doug Gober.
With five years of prior experience in city
park supervision and maintenance, Scott
joined an Asplundh tree crew in 1998 in
his home state of Missouri. By 2000, he
had advanced to general foreperson and
two years later, he was promoted to supervisor in the vicinity of Kansas
City, Missouri and Kansas. In 2010, Scott was given branch manager
responsibilities and now as a regional manager, he oversees Asplundh
crews working on the properties of cooperative, municipal and pipeline
accounts in parts of Missouri and Kansas. An ISA Certified Arborist,
Scott also holds a degree in outdoor education from Missouri State
University in Springfield.
Gene Hayden, former branch manager,
advanced to region manager in south
central Florida in January. Vice President
Doug Gober sponsors the Hayden Region.
Gene began his Asplundh career on a tree
crew in his native state of Florida in 1992
and within four years he had advanced
to general foreperson. A talented climber,
Gene won the 1999 Florida ISA Chapter
Tree Climber’s Championship while fulfilling
his general foreperson duties. In 2002, he began a year of service as a
corporate safety supervisor and then worked as a reactive coordinator
until his promotion to field supervisor in 2006. Gene was given branch
manager responsibilities four years later and currently manages a
region that serves several municipal and cooperative accounts in south
central Florida. He is an ISA Certified Arborist and a member of the
Utility Arborist Association and Society of Municipal Arborists.
Mark Lohse, former supervisor in
NewManagerscontinued
Dennis Mauk, former supervisor
in eastern Kentucky, advanced to region
manager for that area in January. Executive
Vice President Brent Asplundh sponsors the
Mauk Region.
With two years of prior tree service
experience, Dennis joined an Asplundh
tree crew working on Kentucky Power
property in 1987. He advanced to general
foreperson by 1995 and gradually took on
regional safety training and compliance duties. In 2006, Dennis was
promoted to supervisor under Vice President Larry Kirk, overseeing
Asplundh crews working on the property of Kentucky Power. Now he
holds region manager responsibilities for this territory. Dennis is an
ISA Certified Arborist, First Aid/CPR Instructor and a licensed herbicide
applicator. He is a member of the Kentucky Arborist Association and
the Vegetation Management Association of Kentucky.
Les Parsons, former branch manager,
advanced to region manager in northern
Ohio and parts of western Pennsylvania
in January. Executive Vice President Gregg
Asplundh sponsors the Parsons Region.
A 36-year Asplundh veteran, Les is
originally from Indiana and he worked
briefly for Asplundh in West Virginia before
settling in Ohio. Les gained experience
in tree, spray and specialized equipment
operations before he was promoted to general foreperson in 1997.
Thirteen years later, he advanced to supervisor and in July 2010,
Les was named branch manager. His current responsibilities include
managing Asplundh tree crews working for FirstEnergy utilities in
northern Ohio and western Pennsylvania, as well as various municipal
and cooperative accounts. Les is an ISA Certified Arborist and an April
2011 graduate of Asplundh’s Management Leadership Academy.
Utah Villines, former branch manager,
southeastern Pennsylvania, was promoted in
January to region manager in the Baltimore,
Maryland area. Executive Vice President
Brent Asplundh sponsors the Lohse Region.
was promoted to region manager in
Arkansas in January. The Villines Region is
sponsored by Executive Vice President
Matt Asplundh.
In 1999, Mark joined an Asplundh tree
crew in his home state of Illinois, working on
the property of ComEd. Within four years,
he had advanced to general foreperson
and had passed the ISA Certified Arborist
exam. In 2005, Mark was promoted to supervisor and transferred to
Pennsylvania to oversee Asplundh crews on the property of PECO. As
a region manager, he is responsible for managing Asplundh vegetation
management operations on the property of Baltimore Gas & Electric,
now part of Exelon Corporation. Mark is a March 2012 graduate of
the Asplundh Management Leadership Academy.
Utah got his start with the company
in his home state of Arkansas in 1982.
He progressed to general foreperson in
1991 and served as a superintendent of
Arkansas crews for about a year before
his promotion to supervisor in 2005. Utah was given branch manager
responsibilities five years later. He currently manages Asplundh
tree crews working on the property of Entergy Distribution and
Transmission in Arkansas, as well as various rural electric cooperative
and municipal accounts throughout the state. Utah is a June 2011
graduate of the Asplundh Management Leadership Academy.
10
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
Brian Walters, former supervisor in North Carolina, advanced to region manager in parts of Florida, Mississippi and
Louisiana in January. Executive Vice President Chris Asplundh, Jr. sponsors the Walters Region.
A 31-year Asplundh veteran, Brian joined a tree crew in his native state of Pennsylvania in 1982. He transferred to Florida
four years later and became a general foreperson in 1988. Brian was promoted to supervisor in 1994 of Farrens Tree
Surgeon crews (a former Asplundh subsidiary). Seven years later, he transferred to North Carolina as a coordinator and
in 2007, he returned to a supervisor position. Now, as a region manager, Brian is responsible for overseeing Asplundh
operations on the properties of various investor-owned and cooperative utilities in the Florida Panhandle, Mississippi
and southern Louisiana. A March 2012 graduate of the Asplundh Management Leadership Academy, Brian is also
an ISA Certified Arborist.
NewSupervisorsInTheField
Brian Allison joined Asplundh as a
supervisor in Michigan under Manager Ray
Schneider in December 2012. Executive
Vice President Chris Asplundh, Jr. sponsors
the Schneider Region.
Brian has 23 years of experience in utility
vegetation management and over 13 of
them were with Asplundh. In fact, he got
his start on a tree crew working on the
property of Detroit Edison in Michigan in
1990. Brian advanced to general foreperson under Ray in 1999, but
he left the company in 2004 due to contract changes. He has now
returned to Asplundh as a supervisor, overseeing tree crews working
on the properties of various investor-owned, municipal and cooperative
utilities in Michigan. A qualified CPR/First Aid instructor, Brian is
currently studying to be recertified as an ISA Certified Arborist.
Clint Barron, former regional safety
supervisor, was promoted to supervisor in
Tennessee under Manager Ezekiel Klomp
in December 2012. The Klomp Region is
sponsored by Vice President Larry Moore.
Born in Arizona, Clint joined Asplundh in
2005 as a general foreperson in Colorado.
He came to the position with three years
of tree service management experience and 10 years of work with the
U.S. Forest Service in his home state of Arizona. In 2009, Clint was
promoted to regional safety supervisor for crews working in parts of
Colorado, Texas and New Mexico. As a Klomp Region supervisor, he
is responsible for overseeing Asplundh operations for various municipal
and cooperative accounts in western Tennessee. In addition to being an
ISA Certified Arborist/Utility Specialist, Clint holds an associates degree
from Glendale State College in Arizona and is a licensed helicopter pilot.
John Devlin, former general foreperson
on Long Island in New York, advanced to
supervisor under Vice President Brian Fuge
in December 2012. Executive Vice President
Chris Asplundh, Jr. sponsors the Fuge Region.
Born and raised on Long Island, John first
came to work on an Asplundh tree crew
in 1985 and within two years, he had
advanced to foreperson. In 1997, John left
the company for two years, but returned as
a general foreperson in 1999. Now, as a supervisor, he is responsible
for overseeing Asplundh tree crews working for LIPA/National Grid
and outsourced crews working for New York State Electric & Gas. His
crews also serve a variety of state, federal and municipal accounts
on Long Island and in the greater New York City area. John is a May
2012 graduate of the Asplundh Management Leadership Academy.
merit awards
continued from page 8
near the road, watching smoke and flames coming from a
house. The bystanders had already called 911, but no one
knew if anyone was in the house. Brook and Ryan decided
they had better go check it out.
When the crew got to the front door of the home, they
could see an elderly lady with a walker trying to get through
the thick smoke to the door. Brook and Ryan quickly entered
the home and assisted her outside to a safer location away
from the house. Within moments the home was completely
engulfed in flames.
Although the fire department was not able to save the
house, the determination and heroism shown by Brook
and Ryan surely saved the life of a woman who might not
have been able to get out of her burning home in time.
Congratulations and keep up the good work!
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
11
Orchids
Orchids – November 10, 2012 through April 7, 2013
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 November 10, 2012 and April 7, 2013. For their outstanding job performance or special
volunteer efforts, we say ...
Thank you and congratulations!
Alabama
Utility Lines Construction
Services Forepersons
Tommy Huggins and Leon
Keel, and Apprentice
Adam Davis,
Alabama Power Co.
Arizona
General Foreperson Dave
Brower, Foreperson Ken
Knight and Trimmer
Dominique Garcia,
Salt River Project
British Columbia
Michael Kalivoda, Apprentice
Jeff Henderson and
Groundperson Russ Bauer,
TELUS
Colorado
General Foreperson Chris
Gay, Foreperson Jeff King and
Trimmer Mike Palmerino,
Mountain Parks Electric
Connecticut
General Foreperson Roger
Semeraro and Crews,
Connecticut Light & Power
Delaware
Utility Lines Construction
Services Supervisor Melvin
Gilliam, Foreperson Craig
Bradshaw and Crews,
Delmarva Power
Florida
General Foreperson Ronald
Douglas, Foreperson Jacques
Geffrard, Journeyman Flobert
Lami and Groundperson
Chadrac Premier,
Vero Beach Utilities
Hamilton and Crews,
Florida Power & Light
Georgia
General Foreperson Pedro
Espinoza, Foreperson
Jean-Claude Antoine,
Trimmer Chris Wilson and
Groundpersons Travis Bower,
Chris Garcia and Wade James,
Georgia Power
HAWAII
David McKown and
Apprentice Mason Jordan,
Hawaiian Electric Company
Idaho
Matt Mackler, Trimmer
Travis Hightower and
Apprentice Lukas Lee,
Avista Corp.
Casey Rendall, Trimmer
John Wood and Apprentice
Scott Topp,
Avista Corp.
Indiana
Asplundh Construction
Foreperson Jeremy Jones
and Equipment Operator
Billy Davis, for coming the aid of
a contractor-support employee
who fell and broke her ankle, as
well as making the area she fell in
safe so no one else would get hurt,
Indiana Michigan Power
Asplundh Brush Control
Supervisor Jean Labrie,
General Foreperson Randy
Beemer, Foreperson John
Trombly and Crews,
IN Dept. of Natural Resources
General Foreperson
Paul “Beagle” Thomas,
Forepersons Bill Fowler and
Ron Minix, and Journeyman
Roger Bradley, for coming to
the aid of three people who were
trapped by a tree that had fallen
on the car they were traveling in,
NIPSCO
IOWA
Chris Brown and Trimmers
Ric Neil and Don Winders,
MidAmerican Energy
Kory Einfelt and Trimmer
Jason Thoren,
MidAmerican Energy
Aric Hollingshead and
Trimmer Oscar Bermudez,
MidAmerican Energy
Work Planner Chad
Hollingshead, for his excellent
customer service skills,
MidAmerican Energy
Wayne Johnson and
Trimmer Derek McNicol,
MidAmerican Energy
Rob Phillipsen and Crew,
MidAmerican Energy
General Foreperson Rob
Benda, Foreperson Matt
Pregon and Trimmers Rick
Bates and Nick Gilchrist,
MidAmerican Energy
Brandon Reeves and
Trimmer Brad Schneckloth,
MidAmerican Energy
William Thompson and
Trimmer Victor Fuentes,
MidAmerican Energy
Jason Thornton and
Trimmer Grant Bruce,
MidAmerican Energy
Kansas
Jimmy Rodgers and Crew,
Westar Energy
Kentucky
General Foreperson
Raymond Kelley and Crews,
Big Rivers Electric Corporation
General Forepersons
Bryant Lewis and Danny
Rose, and Crews,
Kentucky Power
Maine
Brandon Brewer, Jacob
Chase and Jason Perkins,
and Crews,
Central Maine Power
Joe Purington and
Trimmer Ian Lamberton,
Bangor Hydro Electric
Maryland
General Foreperson Miguel
Gonzalez, Forepersons
Trinidad Alvarez and Salvador
Reyes, Groundperson
Sergio Rodriguez,
Potomac Electric Power Co.
From an e-mail to Vice President Danny Rampani regarding the
work of Foreperson David McKown and Mason Jordan in Hawaii:
From an e-mail to Supervisor Jeff Holder in the Bobby King Region
of Kentucky about General Foreperson Raymond Kelley and crew:
“... The customer was extremely pleased not only with the work
performed but also with the courteous way in which the crew
behaved. The customer commented that they were ‘the best tree
trimmers that she had ever seen’ and looked forward to seeing your
company around the island more often. ... It is quite rare that we
receive compliments for good work in this day and age, and I wanted
to ... commend Mr. McKown and Mr. Jordan on a job well done.”
Gregory Chun, Supervisor, Veg. Mgmt., Hawaiian Electric Co.
“I want to commend Raymond Kelley and his crew for the excellent
work they performed for Big Rivers Electric in 2012. Raymond and
his crew were exemplary in their safety attitude, work ethic and
attendance. They never complained or hesitated, even though there
were times it may have been justified. We can count on Raymond
to handle any situation that arises ... and deal with it appropriately.
We certainly appreciate his efforts and those of his crew.”
Randy Hutchison, Veg. Mgmt. Supervisor, Big Rivers Electric Corp.
12
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
Massachusetts
Bill McKinstry and Crew,
Unitil
Minnesota
Ramiro Loa, Gary Palmer
and Adam Repp, and Crews,
for helping a stranded motorist
free her car from a snow drift,
Xcel Energy
General Foreperson Jeff
Lopeman, Foreperson Eric
Herberg and Crew,
Connexus Energy
Lopeman, Foreperson
Clint Merritt and Trimmer
Shaun Sutherland,
Connexus Energy
Clint Merritt and Trimmer
Shaun Sutherland,
Connexus Energy
General Foreperson Bob
Turner, Foreperson Joel Behm
and Trimmer Tim Kelley,
Xcel Energy
General Foreperson Bob
Turner, Foreperson Jason
Frey and Trimmers Herman
Ortega and Tyler Villarreal,
Xcel Energy
Bob Warner and Trimmer
Ken Korkowski,
Xcel Energy
Montana
Tom Horning, Groundperson
Malachy Horning and
Apprentice Chad Barber,
NorthWestern Energy
Nebraska
Noah Bogus and Trimmer
John Reising,
Lincoln Electric System
Eric Hartman, Trimmers
Sam Decker and Shawn
Strahan, and Groundperson
Jake Walter,
Lincoln Electric System
New Hampshire
General Foreperson Joel
Cook, Forepersons Marty
Chase, Tim Grant and
Aaron Gregg, Trimmer Paul
Downs and Groundperson
Ryan Marcoux,
Public Service Co. of NH
Zack Grootenboer
and Groundpersons
Lane Morrissette and
Tanner Thompson,
FairPoint Communications
Chris Guillou and Trimmer
Kurt Belanger,
Permissions Person Scott
Robitaille and Crew,
New Jersey
General Foreperson Fran
Whilden and Crews,
Atlantic City Electric
New York
Foreperson Eric Bell and
Trimmers Jennifer Ballard,
Roger Ballard, Steve
Coddington, Vinnie Dunn, Will
Seymour and Terry Spohn,
Orange and Rockland Utilities
Underground Mechanic
Jim Carey and Apprentice
Trevor Macdonald,
LIPA/National Grid
Underground Foreperson
Marc Lackner and
Mechanic Timothy Dunn, Jr.,
LIPA/National Grid
Crew Leader Wayne Vanaken
and Trimmers Hugh Jones,
Alfredo Lira and Al Slavin,
Con Edison
North Carolina
Charles Cummings and
Groundpersons Jason Davis
and Todd Davis,
Town of Louisburg
General Foreperson
Danny Davis,
Duke Energy
John Schultz and Crew,
City of Shelby
Forester Phillip Shook,
Forepersons David Flores,
Jose Macedo and Gerson
Manzanares, and Trimmer
Natividad Padilla,
Duke Power
General Foreperson
Jonathan Stevens and Crew,
Duke Energy
General Foreperson Joey
Vines and Crews,
Duke Energy
Ohio
Campfield, Forepersons
Chris Huhn and Dean
Hughes, Trimmer John
Hastings and Journeymen
Will Clark and Ted Frame,
AEP Ohio
Kuhn, Forepersons Brian
Davis, Chris Holland and Mike
Osborne, Trimmer Heath
McDaniel and Groundperson
Zach Ekermeyer,
AEP Ohio
Harry Moore and Crew,
AEP Ohio
Manager Les Parsons,
Supervisor John Wolfe,
General Foreperson Tim
Cowden and Crews,
FirstEnergy/Toledo Edison
Jim Watson, Journeymen
Todd Lenarz and
Jesse Scarberry, and
Groundperson R. Prysi,
AEP Ohio
Oklahoma
General Foreperson Tim
Aguilera, Foreperson
Brandon Paine and
Apprentice Tyler Nunley,
for helping Apache High School
replace the American flag
outside the school,
PSO
General Foreperson Jason
Hughes, Foreperson
Francisco Herrera and
Apprentice Enrique Gonzalez,
PSO
General Foreperson Jose
Munoz, Foreperson Everado
Sigla and Apprentices Wesley
Smith and James Wilson,
PSO
Oregon
General Foreperson Zach
Bertalot, Forepersons
Donato Parkerson and
Nicholas Thompson, and
Trimmer Aaron House,
Portland General Electric
Pennsylvania
Jose Alaniz and Lupe Ybarra,
and Trimmers Leo Martinez
and Pat Ybarra, for keeping
their eyes on a suspicious person
From an e-mail to ACC Vice President Frank Giordano about
Underground Mechanic Jim Carey and Apprentice Trevor
Macdonald who were working for LIPA/National Grid in New York:
From a letter to the Keith Confere Region regarding Foreperson Jim
Watson and crew, who assisted an elderly gentleman after a fall in
his Ohio home:
“I wanted to send you a note about what a good job your directional
drill crew ... did for Roslyn Gas Field Operations today. ... Believe me
when I say the job we asked them to drill for us was not easy. The
weather outside today was extremely bitter and the angle that the
drill had to travel was very steep. Needless to say, Jim got it done as
he always does, along with a great attitude on the job site.”
Robert Hughes, Gas Field Operations, LIPA/National Grid
“... My husband fell down the cement steps leading to our basement. He
was bleeding profusely ... and insisted that I not call 911. .. Your guys were
coming to our house to get permission [and] I asked them to help me get
[my husband] up. However, when they saw his condition, they ... told him
it would be best for a paramedic to check him. Gene lost a lot of blood
and their comments made him realize he needed professional help.”
Gene and Janet Barstow
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
13
until police arrived on the scene,
PPL Electric Utilities
General Foreperson Robert
Forstburg, Forepersons
Ron Fronheiser and Cliff
Hettler, and Trimmers
Skylar Knighton, Dave
McShaw, Dave Remaley
and Bill Williams,
Vice President Larry
Gauger and Manager
Mark Lohse, for volunteering
equipment and their time to
support a local Boy Scout’s Eagle
Scout project at Bondsville Mill
Park by cleaning and painting a
flag pole, installing a solar light
and clearing vegetation from the
WWII memorial,
PECO
General Foreperson Joe
Kasisky, Foreperson Martin
Kulp, Journeyman Earl
Faulkner and Apprentice
Spencer McCloskey,
General Foreperson Juan
Sampedro, Foreperson
Juan Marquez, Trimmer
Alejandro Reyes and
Journeyman Celin Castillo,
South Carolina
Trey Barker and Angie
Westmoreland, and Crews,
Duke Energy
General Foreperson
Kenneth Whitt and Crews,
Duke Energy
Tennessee
Trimmer Robert Evans
and Crew,
Chattanooga EPB
Daniel Loftin and
Journeyman Kirk Harrison,
for helping an elderly couple
out of their car after the driver
lost control and the car wound
up on its side in a ditch,
Cleveland Utilities
Jonathan Smith and Crew,
Chattanooga EPB
Texas
Chad Allen and Trimmer
David Gutierrez,
Xcel Energy
Dextor Burgess, Mickel
Rodriguez and Greg Sanchez,
and Groundpersons Sam
Alford and Chris Castillo,
Lubbock Power & Light and
South Plains Electric Coop.
Virginia
John Corbin, Lloyd Corbin
and William Smith, and
Groundpersons Samuel
Funkhouser, Harry
Miller, Chris Ramey and
Ronnie Tennett,
Shenandoah Valley Electric Co-op.
General Foreperson
Tony Garst, Foreperson
David Ramey, and
Journeymen Charles
Ramey and Jeff Williams,
Appalachian Power Co.
Steve Jasionis and
Apprentice Steve Benson,
Dominion Virginia Power
Washington
General Foreperson Ken
Dillinger, Forepersons
Jeremy Barriault and
Daimen Butterton,
Journeyman Bill Harrison
and Apprentice Tom Espey,
Puget Sound Energy
Trimmers Nick Fowler and
Brandon Kittleson,
Puget Sound Energy
Garry Isaacs and
Apprentice Casey Long,
Puget Sound Energy
Pete Oliviero, Trimmer
Jared Wright and
Apprentice Slone Lewis,
Tacoma Power
Robert Reimer and
Apprentices Kevin Johnson
and Forrest Reynolds,
Avista Corp.
(two letters were received)
West Virginia
General Foreperson Mike
Bolen, Foreperson Willy
Wilson and Crew,
Appalachian Power Co.
Notification Person Kathy
Cottrell, for her excellent
customer service skills,
FirstEnergy/Mon Power
Wisconsin
John Holmes and Trimmer
Derek Lewis, Shawn Petsch
and Inocente Ramires,
Xcel Energy
Storm work
October – Superstorm Sandy
Pat Disley and Dave Viveiros,
and Groundpersons Darren
Regini and Dave Vassar,
Connecticut Light & Power (CT)
General Foreperson
Margaret Samela and Crews,
Wallingford Public Utilities (CT)
Supervisor Paul Arno,
General Forepersons Nate
Baker, Greg Bath, Mike
Towle and Jake Trudelle,
and Crews (NH),
ArborMetrics Solutions Work
Planner Tom Hollingsworth
and Crews (OH),
Supervisor Billy Campbell,
General Foreperson Ron
Fountain and Crews (SC),
Foreperson Gene Ouellet,
Sr. and Crews (VT),
Liberty Utilities (NH)
General Foreperson Ron
McGinnis, Crew Leader Bob
Floyd, Trimmer Keith Reed
and Groundperson Tonya Erb,
FirstEnergy/Jersey Central
Power & Light (NJ)
Donny Feathers and Glen
Smith, and Journeyman
David Rhodes (WV),
First Energy/Jersey Central
Power & Light (NJ)
General Foreperson Chad
Bailey, Permissions Person
Jimmy Davis and Crews (AL),
LIPA/National Grid (NY)
Joshua Volf and Crew (AL),
Supervisor Sam Patchett,
General Foreperson Jeffrey
Elliott, Sr., Forepersons
Alvin Bales, John Castelow,
Jonathan Denny, Paul Dixon,
Travis Handy, Natanael
Lebron, William Lewis, Scott
Lynch and Aaron Moore, and
Crews (DE, MD and KY),
Ray Miller, Journeyman Don
McClellan and Crews (FL),
Con Edison (NY)
Supervisor Emilio Perez,
General Foreperson
Deogracio Rodriguez,
Forepersons Jean
Alexandre, Eribert Cius,
Claudain Duroque, Ifocsa
Federic, Frederic Johnson,
Remy Pettithomme,
Joseph Pierre and Roberto
Rocha, and Crews (FL),
Trimmer Brittian Flowers
and Crews (GA),
General Forepersons Scott
Hodge and James Rowland,
Forepersons Jerry Campbell,
Daniel Cox, Mark Pogue,
John Richardson and Tim
“Tiny” Tatum, Trimmers
Hunter Cox, Obediah “OB”
Harris, Derek Joyce and
Dennis Schebler, Equipment
Operator Klaus Taylor and
Groundpersons Armando
DeSoto and Josh Mathis (GA),
Rick Pierce, Trimmer Chris
McCoy and Groundperson
Jimmy Pagel (KY),
Marco Castillo and Crew,
Mechanic Mark Ferri and
Journeyman Mechanic
Ronnie Tusa,
General Foreperson Dan
Griffiths and Crews,
NYSEG (NY)
Kuhn and Trimmers Dave
Kerns and Jesse Kuhn,
General Foreperson John
Rader, Foreperson Nathan
Scaduto and Trimmer
Tracey Moore (OH),
American Electrical
Testing Co. Regional
Manager Mike Schacker
and Test Technicians
Stephan Andrzejewski,
Angel Davila, Jay Devers,
Angelo Digangi, Bob
Herrmann, John Michalski
and Mike Normandy,
New York Power Authority (NY)
General Foreperson Zach
Foley and Crew (PA),
Supervisor Mark Williams
and Crews (TN),
Saul Aguilar, Chris Argilan,
Gustavo Bolanos, Jess
Beall, Timmy Lee Cave,
Edwin Gutierrez, Mike
Hilliard, Steve Hosaflook,
Brandon Moomaw, Jess
Rhinehart, Dwayne Rosser,
James Rosser, William
Sandy, Chris Taylor and
William Tharpe (VA),
General Foreperson Keith
Martz, Forepersons Brad
Collins, Christian Cowell,
Anthony Standish and
Chris Vinal, Trimmers
Travis Blake, Troy
Guertin, Joshua Hartwell
and Josh Randall, and
Groundpersons Joe Logan
and William Cowell, (VT)
General Foreperson Johnny
Hunt and Crews,
Duke Energy (NC)
General Forepersons
Bartolome Garcia (IL), Brent
Winfree and John Wright
(KS), Wilson Wood (NM)
and Thien Adams (TX),
PPL Electric Utilities (PA)
Irwin, Foreperson John
Stonelake and Trimmer
Andrew Lester,
Office Manager Laura Bolger
and Supervisor Keith Carrier,
Verizon (PA)
General Foreperson Jeremy
Compton, Forepersons Jeff
Compton, Justin Compton,
Chris Hunsicker, Adam
Marencik, Andrew Messer,
and Kyle Wentz, Trimmer
Chris Dewalt and Crews,
Yamil Diaz and Trimmers
Juan E. Arreguin, Beruabe
Cruz and Elias Mourani,
PECO (PA)
Chris Hunsicker and
Angel Velazquez, and
Trimmers Kevin Wernett
and Jack Whiteman,
Tommy Marx and Jolian
Zerrato, Trimmer Chris
Dewalt and Permissions
Person Bob Collier,
General Foreperson Max
Bendix, Forepersons
Hilde Enamorado, David
Shea, Danny Turner and
Shane Weyer, Trimmers
John Naylor and Thomas
Parks, Journeymen
Jessie Enamorado, James
Shreaves, Brian Sterling
and Marcus Thomas, and
Groundpersons Bo Brady
and Pat Walker,
A&N Electric Cooperative (VA)
General Foreperson Darryl
Roy and Crews,
FirstEnergy/Mon Power (WV)
November – Nor’easter
General Foreperson Rick
McKinney, Crew Leaders
Robert Bowser, Sr. and
Jamie Shaffer, and Crews,
First Energy/Jersey Central
Power & Light (NJ)
December – Ice Storm
General Forepersons Randy
Brabham and Carolyn
McNabb, and Crews (LA),
Entergy (AR)
General Forepersons Greg
Chapple, Jared Rumfelt
(MO), Gary Redden (LA)
and Heradio Sosa (TX), and
Permissions Persons Jose
Bautista and Luis Suarez (TX),
Entergy (AR)
General Foreperson Garry
Redden and Crews,
Entergy (AR)
February – Winter Storm Nemo
General Forepersons Jennifer
Cristea, David Hernandez,
William “Floyd” Marlow,
Anthony Pinelli, Anthony
Preast and Ron Tucker (PA),
National Grid (MA)
General Foreperson Cletus
Hottle, Foreperson Steve
Hosaflook and Crews (VA),
NSTAR (MA)
March – Winter Storm
Cody Walters, Trimmer
Daniel Diaz and
Groundperson Antonio
Lizama, for helping to push a car
that got stuck in deep snow,
AEP Ohio
From an e-mail to Vice President Larry Kirk concerning the work
of a crew under General Foreperson Tony Garst and Foreperson
David Ramey for Appalachian Power Co. in Virginia:
From an e-mail to Manager Dan Duncan in Connecticut regarding
the crews of Forepersons Pat Disley and Dave Viveiros during the
Superstorm Sandy storm restoration:
From an e-mail to Manager Wilmer McWhirter concerning the storm
work his Georgia crews under General Forepersons Scott Hodge and
James Rowland in Long Island, NY after Superstorm Sandy:
From an e-mail to Manager Don Redden in Louisiana regarding the
work of crews under General Forepersons Randy Brabham and
Carolyn McNabb after a major snow storm in Arkansas:
“... This crew took down a tree that was huge, with enclosed power
lines and has been a problem for several years. The men on this
crew were the most polite, well-mannered and friendly crew I have
ever met. They did a huge job in a very timely manner and removed
all the debris and brush from my property. I wanted to let you know
... what an example they are to represent your company.”
Robby Young
“... We had a particularly tenuous situation ... with an ash tree
of epic proportions that had uprooted and become entangled in
utility wires. ... A major concern was the tension on the wires. ...
Again, with the experience and training of your men, tragedy was
avoided. ... You should be proud to have employees of this caliber
representing your interests.”
Douglas Reese, Superintendent of Operations, Town of Coventry
“... [The crews] were always professional, hard working, never
complained about the conditions and always worked safely. These
men not only made sure that everything they did was done safely,
they always made sure that I was protected. You see, I do not have
any electric field experience, so they always made sure that I was
safe. ... I feel like I now have 15 brothers.”
Mario Carlino, Principal Engineer, LIPA/National Grid
“Every major storm event I work, one group of tree trimmers will
rise to the challenge and do an outstanding job for me. ... During
our winter storm in Arkansas last week, your group ... did an
exceptional job for me here in Little Rock. They were thorough and
conscientious in their work. ... I can’t say enough good things about
this group. They are welcome back here anytime.”
Bryan Rogers, Central Arkansas Veg. Mgmt., Entergy Arkansas
14
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
15
Service
Anniversaries
January – June
1963, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988 and 1993
40years
50years
30years
Billy Campbell
Supervisor
South Carolina
Steve Carter
Foreperson
Virginia
Roger Haskiell, Jr.
Foreperson
West Virginia
Orval Jenkins
Permissions Person
Alabama
Bernadette Kobol
Supervisor
Field Accounting
Willow Grove
Robert Lagonegro, Jr.
Foreperson
Pennsylvania
Donna Mealo
Technician
Customer & Field Liaison
Willow Grove
William Pugh
General Foreperson
Virginia
Randy Williams
Foreperson
Georgia
Virgil Wilson
Journeyman
West Virginia
25years
John G. Adams
General Foreperson
Missouri
Steve Kershman
RSS
Colorado
Neil Bradshaw
Foreperson
Pennsylvania
Christopher B. Asplundh, Sr.
Chairman of the Board
Willow Grove
Ned Landis
General Foreperson
Pennsylvania
Donnie Conner
Foreperson
Kentucky
Donald Gardner
Crew Leader
Pennsylvania
Jack Johnston, Jr.
General Foreperson
Ohio
Samuel McClain
General Foreperson
South Carolina
Peter Konen
Trimmer
Wisconsin
James Powell
General Foreperson
Kentucky
Harry Stock, Jr.
General Foreperson
Pennsylvania
James Thompson
Foreperson
Virginia
35years
Kenny Gearin
Work Planner
Ohio
Terry McFarlan
General Foreperson
West Virginia
16
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
Jonathan Howells
Foreperson
Pennsylvania
Jerry Rexrode
Foreperson
West Virginia
Doug McClure
Permissions Person
Alabama
Dan Stubbs
Supervisor
Ohio
Michael Burley
Foreperson
Ohio
Michael Clark
General Foreperson
Hawaii
Kenneth Herrold
Foreperson
Pennsylvania
Joseph Kasisky
Journeyman
Pennsylvania
Ronald Kasisky
General Forperson
Pennsylvania
Terry Murray
Foreperson
Alabama
Danny Neal
Foreperson
Ohio
David Nicholas
General Foreperson
Pennsylvania
Eddie Webb
General Foreperson
North Carolina
Benny Bice
Foreperson
Alabama
Michael Bredice
Permissions Person
Washington
Lonny Bridges
Permissions Person
Alabama
Ernest Brinker
Foreperson
Ohio
Ricky Crowder
Groundperson
Tennessee
Michael Davison
General Foreperson
Colorado
Bruce Foote
Asst. General Foreperson
Massachusetts
Keith Gardner
Foreperson
Ohio
Sue Jurina
Manager
Office Personnel
Willow Grove
Mick Kavran
Regional Advisor
Washington
Leon Keel
Edwin Knickerbocker
Foreperson
Trimmer
Utility Lines Construction Services
New York
Mississippi
Keith Mittlesteadt
Keven Moore
Trimmer
General Foreperson
Wisconsin
Washington
Gary Palmer
Foreperson
Minnesota
Daniel Stokes
Foreperson
Florida
John Romanowski
General Foreperson
Pennsylvania
Jimmie Tonkin
Trimmer
West Virginia
Michael Brock
General Foreperson
South Carolina
Pamela Collins
Office Manager
New York
Jose Gutierrez
Frederic Johnson
Utility Forester
Foreperson
ArborMetrics Solutions
Florida
California
Larry Mason, Jr.
Foreperson
Virginia
Scott Miller
Foreperson
Tennessee
Tony Sandfer
Foreperson
Kentucky
Ralph Schneider
Foreperson
Wisconsin
Scott Woodrow
Foreperson
New York
20years
Charles Adams
General Foreperson
Louisiana
Benjamin Alvarez
Foreperson
Texas
Wendy Anderson
Supervisor
HR/Benefits
Willow Grove
Brian Beck
Foreperson
North Carolina
Ralph Bryant
Lead Engineer
New York
Jeff Burleson
Foreperson
Alabama
Scott Campbell
General Foreperson
Oklahoma
Cirilo Canales
Trimmer
Texas
Timothy Clark
General Foreperson
Florida
Peter Collar
Permissions Person
West Virginia
Donna Conard
AP Specialist
Accounts Payable
Willow Grove
Colleen Crimins
Input Operator
Payroll
Willow Grove
Monty Daniels
Foreperson
Arkansas
Terry Eisenhart
Foreperson
Pennsylvania
Ignacio Gutierrez, Jr.
Utility Forester
California
James Hinton
General Foreperson
Indiana
Jim Horrocks
Foreperson
Washington
James Johnson
Permissions Person
Alabama
James Kilgallon
Foreperson
Pennsylvania
Zeke Klomp
Manager
Tennessee
Jackie Lauver
Shop Teamleader
Arborchem Products
Pennsylvania
Roger Lister
Foreperson
Maine
Richard Lovett
Foreperson
Maryland
William Maxwell
Foreperson
New York
Charles Middleton
General Foreperson
Mississippi
Robert Oliver
Foreperson
Pennsylvania
John Rader
General Foreperson
Ohio
Ronald Redden
General Foreperson
Louisiana
Brian Roberts
Foreperson
New Hampshire
Miguel Rodriguez
General Foreperson
Virgin Islands
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
17
20years
Margaret Samela
General Foreperson
Connecticut
Troy Setters
Journeyman
Indiana
Minard Severance
Foreperson
Maine
David Simmons
General Foreperson
North Carolina
David Sliwinski
Foreperson
Pennsylvania
Scott Smith
Foreperson
New York
Jesus Soriano
Utility Forester
California
Raymond Spence
Trimmer
Virginia
Benjamin Stinson
General Foreperson
Musgrove Construction
Alabama
Brian Tompkins
General Foreperson
New York
Wayne Vanaken
Crew Leader
New York
Cloyd Varner, Jr.
Foreperson
Pennsylvania
Pete White
Foreperson
New York
Leo Wooden
Foreperson
Missouri
Kevin Yowell
General Foreperson
Missouri
30-YearWatches
t Vice President Mel Riley (L) was presented with a specially-engraved watch and a handshake of
appreciation for 30 years of outstanding service by Executive Vice President Brent Asplundh (R) at the
2013 Managers’ Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. In November 1982, Mel joined Asplundh in Texas as a
general foreperson with eight years of previous line clearance experience. Two years later, he advanced to
supervisor. In 1987, Mel was promoted to division manager in Missouri, where he also worked to expand
Asplundh’s utility construction services with the acquisitions of three construction companies. This hard work
and initiative led to Mel being named a vice president in 1988. He continues to oversee utility line clearance
operations for various investor-owned, municipal and cooperative customers in Kansas and parts of Missouri
and Colorado. Over the years, Mel has been recognized for outstanding performance, controlling operating
costs and storm response.
u At a holiday luncheon for the Accounts Payable (AP) Department last December, AP Manager Sue
Mann (R) had the pleasure of recognizing AP Specialist Karen Bush (L) for her 30 years of dedicated
service. Along with congratulations from her co-workers, Karen received a specially-engraved watch from
Sue to mark the occasion. Karen joined Asplundh in 1982 as a temp in the Benefits Department. A few
months later, a check writer’s position opened in the AP Department and she was selected to fill the
vacancy in December 1982. She has worked in AP ever since, in just about every capacity that you can
imagine, which brings true meaning to her “specialist” title. Currently, Karen works with over 30 regions in
several Asplundh subsidiary companies to keep their bills paid accurately and on time.
t Vice President Mike Zehler (L) and several customers from National Grid in New York took Forestry
Consultant Dino Elwood (R) out for a festive lunch to recognize his 30 years of loyal service to Asplundh.
After lunch, Mike had the honor of presenting him with a specially-engraved watch as a token of gratitude.
Dino began his Asplundh career in November 1982 as a groundperson on National Grid property. About five
years later, he was promoted to foreperson. Dino continued to work in New York for National Grid and a
variety of customers including New York State Electric & Gas and Orange & Rockland before being promoted
to general foreperson in 2006. He accepted a regional safety superintendent position, then was promoted
to corporate safety supervisor in the Home Office in Willow Grove in 2010. When the Safety Operations
Department was reorganized in 2011, Dino returned home to the Mike Zehler Region in New York as a
forestry consultant for National Grid, where he continues to do a great job today.
18
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
Crews
& News
CommunityService
(L to R): RSS Joe McManus, Vice President Frank Giordano, Safety
& QC Supervisor Vinny “Santa” Brandi and QA/QC Joe Blazejewski
helped raise money for the Robin Hood Relief Fund.
p The Spirit of Giving Thrives in the Giordano Region—When
the employees in the Frank Giordano Region of Asplundh Construction Corp.
(ACC) in New York were personally impacted by the devastation caused by
Superstorm Sandy, they dug in deep and gave even more to help others.
As they worked long hours to help LIPA/National Grid’s storm restoration
efforts, these folks held a food drive and fund-raiser to provide relief to the
communities impacted by
the storm. Employees came
together at a holiday luncheon
and raised $3,700 for the
Robin Hood Relief Fund, which
provides support to those
whose homes were damaged
and/or lost their belongings
during Superstorm Sandy.
u Contract Administrator
Patty Kelly and System
Compliance Curtis Small also organized a food drive for Island Harvest.
Shown above is just a fraction of the more than 3,000 lbs. ACC collected.
p Portland Crews Recycle Holiday Greenery—Portland General
Electric Forester Patrick Donovin (far R) joined with (L to R) Asplundh
General Foreperson Zach Bertalot and Forepersons Donato Parkerson,
Aaron House and Nick Thompson as they volunteered their time over the
January 12 weekend to chip Christmas trees and greenery for the Portland
Organic Society. Instead of winding up in a landfill, the Christmas decorations
are recycled as wood mulch that is beneficial to gardens and tree plantings,
or can be used as a ground cover.
p Owlet And Nest Secured By Asplundh—A late summer storm
knocked a Great Horned owlet and part of its nest out of a tree in New
Berlin, Wisconsin. The volunteers at the Wildlife in Need Center (WINC)
arrived on site, but the tree was too difficult to climb. They contacted We
Energies, thinking an aerial lift was the answer, but the driveway near the
tree was too fragile to park the lift on. So, General Foreperson Bart Miller
and Planner Steve Squires of the Joe Schneider Region were called in to help.
They skillfully climbed the tree, secured a wicker laundry basket in the tree to
act as a nest, then safely placed the owlet and its sibling into their new home.
u A Buzz In Duryea—When a hive of
over 10,000 honey bees in a catalpa tree
became a nuisance to a neighborhood in
Duryea, Pennsylvania, Streets Supervisor
Gino Marriggi realized that the colony
needed to be relocated. He contacted PPL
Utilities to see if they could remove the tree
without harming the hive. PPL brought in
Asplundh General Foreperson Joe Kasisky,
Foreperson Martin Kulp, Journeyman
Earl Faulkner and Apprentice Spencer
McCloskey of the Larry Gauger Region to
perform the tree removal. After the location
of the hive in the trunk was determined by a bee keeper, the crew carefully
sectioned the tree, then used PPL’s crane to remove the trunk containing the
hive. The work was completed safely and the colony is happy in its new home.
t Illinois Crews Do
Feed The Animals—
The Jeff Ness Region
in Illinois and ComEd
have teamed up to
provide tree trimmings
for the animals at
the Brookfield Zoo.
Certain trees, such
as mulberry, maple
and willow, provide a
healthy and desirable
food source. Asplundh crews under General Foreperson Freddy Bracero
and Brian Hartmann put the trimmings from these trees aside and deliver
approximately 45 cubic yards a week to the zoo from May through October.
It’s a brilliant and environmentally-responsible way to reuse the materials.
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
19
TrainingTimes
p October 2012 MLA—On October 9-12, 2012, the Management
Leadership Academy (MLA) was held in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania
for supervisors and managers from across the United States. CEO Scott
Asplundh (center) stopped by the training, led by Field Personnel Manager
Joe Lee, with assistance from Chuck Hitzemann of Positive Growth
International. The attendees were (standing, L to R): Shawn Shapiro, New
Jersey; John Devlin, New York; Kevin Kasal, Iowa; Eric Stall, California; Tim
Blankenship, West Virginia; CEO Scott Asplundh; Sam Patchett, Maryland;
Carlos DeLaTorre, Florida; Darhl Trail, Maryland; and Keith Confere, Ohio.
Kneeling in the front were (L to R): Saul Mancera, Illinois; and Matt Pence,
North Carolina.
p February 2013 GFTP—On February 18-22, the General Foreperson
Training Program (GFTP) was conducted by Field Personnel Manager Joe Lee.
Held at the Home Office in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, the participants
were (back row, L to R): John Bablitch, Wisconsin; Aaron Benavides, Texas;
R.B. Roberts, South Carolina; Gary Martz, Pennsylvania; and Leon Case, Jr.,
Louisiana. In the middle row were (L to R): Jake Trudelle, New Hampshire;
Branden Peters, Arizona; Scott Raber, Pennsylvania; Van Gallman, North
Carolina; John Geyer, Oregon; Kevin Parent, Massachusetts; and Derek Nichols,
Maryland. Seated in front were (L to R): Rodney Carey, Oklahoma; Caleb
Marlin, Missouri; Roy Burrows, Sr., Pennsylvania; and Josh DeWulf, Michigan.
OnTheJob
p Crash Pad Is A Lawn Saver—We all know that homeowners’ lawns
can suffer dents and ruts as pruned branches and tree trunks from line
clearance work fall to the ground. On October 16, 2012, Foreperson Maxwell
McAuliffe and Groundperson Riley Jones of the Dan Duncan Region went
the extra mile to protect the lawn of a Western Massachusetts Electric Co.
customer in Whatley, Massachusetts by creating a “crash pad.” The crash
pad was made from the tree’s limbs as they were removed by the crew.
Then the crew skillfully felled the remaining trunk to land on top of the pad,
thus preventing unnecessary damage to the lawn. It’s just one of the many
ways our crews go the extra mile to keep our utility customers, and their
customers, happy.
Sportsmen’sCorner
p UtiliCon MPDP—Field Personnel Manager Joe Lee, along with
Chuck Hitzemann of Positive Growth International, hosted a Management
Professional Development Program (MPDP) for selected employees of UtiliCon
Solutions, Ltd. subsidiaries on October 16-19, 2012 in Plymouth Meeting,
Pennsylvania. The participants were (standing, L to R): Rick Chrissley, ULCS,
North Carolina; Gene Nichols, ULCS, Delaware; Fritz Matthews, Grid One,
Pennsylvania; Jim Marsh, ULCS, Alabama; Bruce Rockwell, AETCO, New
Jersey; Ricky Smithson, ULCS, Maryland; Jamie Caldwell, ULCS, Georgia;
Brian Delmonico, ACC, Ohio; Mike Ward, Grid One, New Jersey; and UtiliCon
Sr. Vice President Greg Holman. Kneeling in the front were (L to R): Rodney
LeBeau, ULCS, Michigan; and Charlie Davis, Grid One, Pennsylvania.
p January 2013 UGFTP—The first General Foreperson Training
Program (GFTP) of 2013 was held at the Home Office on January 7-11 for
UtiliCon Solutions personnel. Led by Field Personnel Manager Joe Lee, the
graduates were (front row, L to R): Dave Lambert, ULCS, Maryland; Mike
Jinks, ULCS, Michigan; Jim Glad, ULCS, Iowa; Mike Puckett, ULCS, Maryland;
and Gerry Cabrera, ACC, California. Standing in the back row were (L to R):
Rocky Hall, Highlines, Louisiana; Wes Touchet, Highlines, Louisiana; Pete
Hooft, ULCS, North Carolina; and Dave Pesta, ALS, North Carolina.
20
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
t Last fall, Foreperson
Tom Fantin from the Keith
Confere Region harvested this
beautiful buck in Tuscarawas
County, Ohio. The buck’s rack
was measured and scored a
172 with the Buckeye Big Buck
Club. When not out hunting,
Tom can be found overseeing
a crew working on the AEP
Ohio system.
p March 2013 GFTP—Field Personnel Manager Joe Lee hosted another
General Foreperson Training Program (GFTP) group on March 11-15 at the
Home Office in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. The attendees were (front row, L to
R): Jose Maldonado, Blume Tree Service, Tennessee; David Kuhn, Ohio; Chuck
Terrell, California; Art Ortiz, Illinois; Floyd Marcum, Indiana; Joshua Johnson,
Delaware; Bobby Mobley, Kentucky; and Mark Smith, Florida. In the back
row were (L to R): Jason Hughes, Oklahoma; Phil Hogan, Jr., Pennsylvania; Joe
Scarpato, III, Pennsylvania; Jared Rumfelt, Missouri; David Stickley, Jr., Maryland;
Tony Schooley, Kansas; Tim Steele, Indiana; and Pat Brown, South Carolina.
p Austin Energy Training Day—On October 24-25, 2012, Austin Energy
and Asplundh held their annual two-day training event for employees in the Allen
LeBlanc Region and all Austin Energy inspectors under Utility Forestry Manager
Ray Henning. The first day consisted of classroom training and exercises, then
the group headed to Walnut Creek Park in Austin for additional safety training
organized by Superintendent Bruce Didriksen. The participants brushed up on
a variety of skills, including job site set-up, fire fighting, tree and bucket rescue,
chipper safety and an aerial lift inspection course led by Equipment Training and
Inspection Supervisor Greg Homiller of the Home Office.
u General Foreperson Roger
Semeraro took down this
10-point 210-lb. buck while
hunting in Maine in November
2012. Roger works in the Dan
Duncan Region on Connecticut
Light & Power property.
p Tight Spots Are No Problem For Spider Lift—The Keith Confere
Region has a new tool to battle vegetation encroaching on power lines—the
spider lift! It’s actually a Skylift Super Arborist 55 aerial lift that gets its
creepy name from its four outrigger “legs” that provide stability when the lift
is deployed. AEP Ohio Forestry Supervisor Mike Chedester sent in the photo
above taken near Tiffin, Ohio to show how this small, nimble lift can get the
job done in the tightest locations or in areas where access is an issue. Crews
under Supervisor Elijah Gilliam and General Foreperson Dale Brown are now
using these smaller aerial lifts on ash trees that have been damaged by the
Emerald Ash Borer on AEP Ohio property.
PROCertifications
Congratulations to the following Asplundh employees
who have gone the extra mile to better themselves
and earn professional development certifications:
ISA Certified Arborist®
Charlie Amos
Jeremy Fox
Russell Pool
Mark Brillo
Jason Hughes
Duane Sundberg
Keith Carrier
Greg Kulp
Lee Taylor
Caleb Crofford
Ron McCauley
Jody Terwilliger
Bob Forstburg
Shannon Moore
Beige Turner
Project Management Professional®
Lon Nutter
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
21
FamilyAlbum
t Some children like to
dress up like princesses or
pirates. Morghan, 3, likes
to take after her father,
Foreperson Paul Scarberry,
by putting on his PPE. As
you can see here, Morghan
dressed up in her father’s
hard hat, vest and safety
glasses. Paul works in
the Steve Bostock Region
in Alabama where he
oversees a crew on Decatur
Utilities’ property.
t Chris Vinal sent in this
photo of his son, Blaine, 5,
as he posed by his father’s
work truck proudly wearing
the hard hat given to him
by General Foreperson
Ed Cote. With that
ear-to-ear grin on his face,
Chris believes Blaine could
be in the next generation
of tree trimmers. Chris is
a foreperson on Green
Mountain Power property in the Ralph Guadagno Region of Vermont.
t ( L to R): Brad
Burns, David
Clarke, David
Zensea, Michael
James and Scott
McSweeney of
Asplundh Australia
completed the
Tough Mudder
obstacle course last
fall. Our guys “down
under” proved that
they had the grit, stamina and teamwork needed to complete the 10-12 mile
course designed by British Special Forces.
t Kevin Blount, the
manager of Blume Tree
Service in Memphis,
Tennessee, has double the
reasons to celebrate. His twin
daughters, Tracey (L) and
Michelle (R) both graduated
from college in December
2012. Tracey received a BS in
Interdisciplinary Studies, 4-8
Mathematics from Texas State
University. Michelle graduated
from Louisiana State University
with a BS in Industrial
Engineering and a minor in
Business Administration.
22
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
u General
Superintendent
Josh Lamb
of the Jerry
Kensinger Region
in Texas was
away serving on
the Superstorm
Sandy restoration
in Connecticut
for his birthday
on November 4, 2012. When he returned home his wife, Crystal, surprised
him with a belated birthday party complete with a beautifully decorated
aerial lift truck cake. The reasons to work safely don’t get much sweeter than
this! When not helping on storm restoration duty, Josh oversees transmission
crews on SWEPCO property.
HomeOfficeHonors
t Home Office Employee
of the Year—Christine Mayer,
a technician in the Customer &
Field Liaison (CFL) Department,
was named the 2012 Home
Office Employee of the Year at the
Holiday Assembly on December
13. For her hard work and
phenomenal service to the field,
CFL Manager Lesley Katz had the
pleasure of presenting Christine
with a $1,000 prize, a speciallyengraved plaque, an Asplundh
jacket and a bouquet of roses.
Christine joined Asplundh in
March 1997 as an input operator
in the Input Department. Less
than a year later, she accepted a technician position in PC Billing (now the
CFL Department), where she continues to do an outstanding job today.
u Home Office
Employees of the
Month—Another
round of helpful, friendly
employees in the Home
Office in Willow Grove,
Pennsylvania were
recognized for going
above and beyond
to support the field.
Pictured (L to R): Kim
Bock of HR/Benefits
was recognized in
December 2012; Maureen Cruice of Supply Chain Management became
the first Employee of the Month in January 2013; Kevin Wilson of Field
Personnel won in February; Jeff Powell of CFL was honored in March; and
Rosa Pulgar of CFL/Input Billing was presented with the award in April.
Congratulations and keep up the great work!
Retirees
honored
Congratulations and best wishes for a happy and healthy
retirement to all the Asplundh retirees listed here!
Michael Abram
First employed February 1970
Retired February 2013
Crew Leader, Indiana
First employed September 1998 Pete Fengler
Retired December 2012
Municipal Division
Manager, Pennsylvania
Roger Barneycastle
First employed July 1986
Journeyman, Virginia
Retired January 2013
First employed August 2002
Retired November 2012
Donald Geresy
Robert Belden, Jr.
Operator/EMJ, Michigan
Foreperson, Wisconsin
First employed June 2004
First employed March 2005
Retired March 2013
Michael Boxx
Railroad Division
General Foreperson, Mississippi
Edward Castle
Foreperson, Ohio
Kent Collins
Trimmer, Oregon
First employed May 1991
William Dagenhart
Foreperson, Pennsylvania
Retired March 2013
Jack Donahue
Field Technician, Michigan
Russell Drew
Trimmer/Climber, Texas
Ramon Gomez
Foreperson, California
First employed April 1997
Retired March 2013
Joe Guerrero
Foreperson, Iowa
Jimmy Tackett
First employed September 2008 Foreperson, Kentucky
Retired March 2013
First employed April 1984
Retired December 2012
Cornell Johnson, Sr.
Grid One Solutions
James Tasch, Jr.
Foreperson, Maryland
Foreperson, Pennsylvania
Steven Jurewich
Ronald Mohney
Foreperson, Delaware
Willie Richards
First employed November 1976 Supervisor, Hawaii
Retired October 2012
Fred Hall
Daryl Hanson
Trimmer, Maine
First employed January 1980
Retired March 2013
Bennett Turley
Utility Lines Construction Services Operator/EMJ, Michigan
First employed September 2003 Retired January 2013
Asplundh Construction Corp.
Region Director, California
Eddie Pitts
First employed November 2000 Foreperson, Louisiana
Ted Guyant
Field Technician, Florida
Henry Tomlin
Utility Lines Construction Services General Foreperson, Tennessee
First employed December 1997
Ricky Vaughan
General Foreperson, Virginia
Daniel Whisler
Equipment Specialist, Michigan
Benito Sanchez
William Zachman
Nicholas Scelsi
Ralph Zehring
Foreperson, Texas
First employed October 1993
(plus 8 years with Blume Tree)
Grid One Solutions
Foreperson, Maryland
Wayne Heim
Utility Lines Construction Services Retired January 2013
Asplundh Construction Corp.
Mechanic, New York
Railroad Division
General Foreperson, Tennessee
SPECIALRETIREMENTHONORS
Pete Fengler, manager of the Asplundh Municipal Division and 27-year company veteran,
stepped into the honored ranks of the retired on January 5. He probably won’t miss his daily
commute from New Jersey, but he will surely enjoy more time with his wife, Pat, and family!
Pete started working for Asplundh in 1986 as an urban forestry consultant with four years
of consulting experience as a partner in Fengler and Lovallo Tree Experts in New Jersey.
He joined the Municipal Division full-time in 1987 as a supervisor and was promoted to
manager eight years later. Primarily responsible for assisting the field in developing and
maintaining operations with municipal utilities and agencies, Pete also capably served several
years on the Storm Coordination team. At a special gathering of Willow Grove co-workers,
Pete was presented with a farewell cake and thanked for his contributions to the company.
Joining Pete (front and center) for a photo were (L to R) Technical Services Assistant Bridgit
Monaghan, Vice President/Technical Services Jim Orr, Director of Corporate Strategy John
McNamee, Operations Support Manager Victor Sirvydas and Municipal Division Assistant
Phyllis Visco. Here’s to a healthy, happy and active retirement, Pete!
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
23
MORERETIREMENTHONORS
N
E
Executive Vice President Gregg Asplundh (L) recently paid a visit to Connecticut
and presented a special retirement gift to Permissions Person Ken Cunningham
(center) who was Gregg’s first foreperson when he began working in the field in
1986. Manager Dan Duncan (R), who has known Ken for over 30 years, joined in
congratulating him on his dedication and professionalism ever since he first started
with Asplundh in 1974. With his many years of experience as a foreperson over
climbing, bucket and spray crews, Dan said that Ken was always the ‘go-to’ guy for
special projects, including the training of a future Asplundh executive! Best wishes
for a relaxing retirement, Ken!
InMemoriam
Bill Robinson, retired manager in Ohio and
37-year veteran of the company, passed away on
February 18 at the age of 80.
Harry “Kent” Suddreth, retired general foreperson
and father of Vice President Barry Suddreth,
passed away on March 16 at the age of 69.
The son of W.E. “Shorty” Robinson, an Asplundh
pioneer, Bill first joined the company in 1951,
but left two years later to attend the University
of Cincinnati and start his own company. He
returned to Asplundh full-time in 1960, working
in Ohio and then Indiana. With a promotion to supervisor in 1969,
Bill settled in Ohio and was named manager of Asplundh operations
in 1993. He retired for health reasons two years later. Bill is survived
by his wife; a son; three daughters; 12 grandchildren; and five great
grandchildren. We send our deep sympathy to Bill’s family and friends.
Kent first came to work for Asplundh in his home
state of North Carolina in the late 1950s, but
he officially started full-time in 1961. Working
his entire career on the Duke Energy system,
Kent loved the outdoors and climbing, serving as
the foreperson of a manual crew for over 30 years. In addition to four
brothers and four sisters, Kent is survived by his long-time friend and
mother of his children, Lois; two sons, Harry Kent, Jr. and Barry; three
daughters, Teresa, Susan and Beth; and 14 grandchildren. We extend
sincere condolences to Kent’s large circle of family and friends.
Fighting The eab Battle
I
n the United States, there are an estimated 7.5 billion
ash trees and millions of them can be found along utility
transmission and distribution rights-of-way. The Emerald
Ash Borer (EAB), since its official identification as an invasive
pest in 2002, has infested and killed millions of ash trees as it has
spread outward from its epicenter in Michigan. Its known range
now includes an area from Kansas to New Hampshire, as well as
the southern parts of Ontario and Quebec in Canada.
The number of large dead ash trees within striking distance of
electrical conductors is growing every day. In Michigan, ground
zero for the EAB infestation, Consumers Energy recently
conducted sampling surveys along 490 miles of low voltage
distribution lines and found an average of 16 ash danger trees
per mile. An estimated 150% increase in tree-related outages is
expected without proactive removals of dead ash trees outside
the right-of-way.
24
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
Better Safety, Access and More
T
he Forestry Defense Package from Earthborne in Warrington,
Pennsylvania turns the JCB Compact Tracked Loader into a
fortress. Already the world’s safest tracked loader, the JCB with
The Forestry Defense Package, includes additional safety features and
top-notch attachments, protecting both the operator and the machine
while also offering superior performance.
JCB designed the first compact tracked loader with a left side entry
door, allowing the operator to easily enter and exit the machine safely
without having to climb over the attachment. It also offers an unparalleled
270° of visibility, 60% more than that offered by ordinary skid steers.
EASY MAINTENANCE
p Side entrance door allows for safer, easier access.
More accessibility means less downtime. JCB’s forward tilting cab
design allows for easy access to the machine’s power train and
hydraulic components.
t The 15,000 lb.
capacity winch
offers excellent
angle of departure
of 28.7°. Its
swing-out style
mount makes daily
checks and routine
maintenance
easy tasks.
SAFER, MORE EFFICIENT T4i ENGINE TECHNOLOGY
The JCB Diesel EcoMAX engine uses an innovative clean-burn design
that does not require an exhaust gas after-treatment to meet the new
Tier 4i (T4i) emissions requirements. The JCB uses a highly-efficient
combustion method that eliminates the need to heat the exhaust to
extreme temperatures in order to burn excess soot caught by
exhaust filters.
• With the clean-burn design, there’s reduced risk of starting a fire.
Utilities and municipalities in EAB-infested states are creating plans
of attack (tree risk assessment and mitigation) to avert big losses
in reliability and safety. Asplundh has become an experienced
soldier in the EAB battle and stands ready to continue the fight!
In a collaboration to improve
public safety and reduce
tree-caused outages, AEP
Ohio Forester Delores Adams
complimented the hard work
of two crews from the Keith
Confere Region who removed
13 huge EAB-killed ash trees
from a park in Chillicothe
in late January. The crews
carefully cut sections so they
would land in the designated
drop zone at each job site.
With the growing EAB
threat, utilities are using risk
assessment and other tactics
to deal with high-priority trees
before they fail.
Pesticide control for selected trees is an option for some
homeowners and cities, although the cost per tree is high, and
while biological controls are being carefully introduced, their
effectiveness is untested on a large scale. This pest is expected
to continue spreading and the vast majority of ash trees in its
path are likely to become infested and die.
W
product
Review
• The JCB’s lower operating temperature eliminates the need for
costly heat-resistant engine oils.
• The JCB does not require diesel exhaust fluid, which means less
maintenance and more savings.
TOP-NOTCH ATTACHMENTS
The Bradco Magnum MM60 II mulcher offers reversible carbide teeth.
This feature gives you an additional set of 44 teeth, which doubles the
operating life and minimizes downtime. The staggered cutting teeth design
yields a smoother, rhythmic cut, which causes less engine pull down and
lowers machine vibration. A variety of other attachments are available.
p Manufactured in Savannah, Georgia, the JCB is
retrofitted by Earthborne in Warrington, Pennsylvania.
USA-made all the way!
AND MORE ...
• Largest cab in the industry by 33% (49 cubic feet)
• Longest run time on one tank of fuel
• 13 grease points, an average of 40% less than other skid steers
Several of these machines are already working in the field for Asplundh,
with more on the way. For videos of the JCB in action and a full brochure,
visit www.earthborneinc.com/forestry300T.htm. To schedule a demo,
contact Doug Taylor at [email protected] or call (215) 651-3753.
your supplier for
all equipment
from
Frank Robertson/Chillicothe Gazette
The Asplundh TREE
Spring 2013
25
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT 286
SEPA 19399
International Headquarters
708 Blair Mill Road
Willow Grove, PA 19090
www.asplundh.com
Wall Calendar Photos Due
July 12, 2013
shoot out deadline september 30, 2013
We’re looking for your very best shots of Nature and
Work Related subjects. You may submit up to 10 photos
total and enter in more than one category. 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 2014 wall
calendar, you will be sent three complimentary copies. Shoot
Out winners receive a VISA gift card in place of cash.
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 to:
Asplundh Corporate Communications
708 Blair Mill Road
Willow Grove, PA 19090
or e-mail: [email protected]
Thank you!

THE ASPLUNDH TREE

Transcription

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