Davey Tree Expert Company

In 1873 at age 27, John Davey traveled from his native England to the United States, first to Castle Garden, New York, and later to Warren, Ohio, where he worked as a janitor. He moved to Kent, Ohio, in 1881 to take a job at Standing Rock Cemetery. The cemetery let him experiment with the property's trees, shrubs and flowers. He planted hundreds of trees along the Kent streets and around homes in the community and performed some tree work. He wanted people to care about trees so wrote a book.{{Cite web|url = http://www.library.kent.edu/detailed-history|title = Davey Tree, Detailed History |work=Kent State University Library Special Collections and Archives |publisher=Kent State University |access-date=January 12, 2024}}

That book was published in 1901 known as "The Tree Doctor".{{Cite web|url = https://archive.org/details/treedoctorbookon00daveuoft|title = The tree doctor: a book on tree culture}} John Davey was the President, and his son, Martin L. Davey, became the general manager and treasurer eight years later when The Davey Tree Expert Company was incorporated in 1909.{{Cite web|title=Davey Tree, Detailed History|url=http://www.library.kent.edu/detailed-history|publisher=Kent State University Special Collections and Archives|accessdate=September 25, 2015}} By 1915, Davey Tree was growing and expanding; during the period from 1915 to 1920, the company expanded more than fivefold.{{Cite web|url = http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Davey_Tree_Expert_Company|title = Ohio History Central'}} Today, its sales are more than $1.6 billion.

The Davey Tree Expert Company has been employee-owned since 1979 and is the 9th largest employee-owned company in the U.S., according to data from the National Center for Employee Ownership.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nceo.org/articles/employee-ownership-100|title=The Employee Ownership 100: America's Largest Majority Employee-Owned Companies|date=September 2023}} (The 2024 Employee Ownership 100 list includes the nation's largest companies that are at least 50 percent owned by an employee stock ownership plan or other broad-based employee ownership plan.{{Cite news|url = http://www.nceo.org/articles/employee-ownership-100|title = The National Center for Employee Ownership.|last = NCEO website.|date = 2008|access-date = 2008-09-02}}) The list also names Davey as the largest employee-owned company in Ohio.

File:Davey Tree headquarters 2.jpg.]]

John Davey established the Davey Institute of Tree Surgery in 1908.{{Cite journal|last=Abbott|first=R.E|date=August 1977|title=Commercial Arboricultural Practices in North America (Vol. 3, No 8)|url=http://joa.isa-arbor.com/articles.asp?JournalID=1&VolumeID=3&IssueID=8|journal=Journal of Arboriculture}} A training facility was staffed by experts and also provided employees with the skills and tools needed to advance tree science. Today, the company still provides basic tree science as the educational foundation for its employees.{{Cite news|last=BAWDEN-DAVIS|first=JULIE|date=February 13, 2015|title=Parade Online, Tree Training: Nation's Arborists Gather for Intense Program|url=http://communitytable.parade.com/369278/juliebawdendavis/tree-training-nations-arborists-gather-for-intense-program/}} According to the company, scientists and technical advisers guide field service teams in diagnosing and prescribing products, application procedure, and pest and disease cultural practices.{{Cite web|title=About The Davey Institute, Davey Tree Company Website|url=http://www.davey.com/about/the-davey-institute/}}

Davey is building a new research and training facility, known as the Davey Science, Employee Education and Development (SEED) Campus, at its home headquarters in Kent, Ohio. The campus covers approximately {{convert|190|acre}} and will be used for a variety of research and training programs.{{Cite web|title=The Davey Tree Expert Company SEED Campus|url=https://www.davey.com/seed/|website=The Davey Tree Expert Company|language=en-US}} Some areas it plans to research are water management and pollinator habitat as well as ways to test how to build more sustainable landscapes as the world faces climate change.{{cite web |title=Davey Tree Builds Training & Research Center in Ohio |url=https://www.tdworld.com/vegetation-management/article/21242498/davey-tree-builds-training-research-center-in-ohio |publisher=T&D World |access-date=October 3, 2023 |work=TDWorld.com |date=May 23, 2022}}

The campus mainly occupies the former Oak Knolls East Golf Course, and Davey also made a deal with the Kent City School District to exchange the closed Franklin Elementary School, which was adjacent to the golf course property, for some other property adjacent to the district's middle and high school campus. Construction began in 2022 and will feature a {{convert|25000|sqft}} training facility and a {{convert|10700|sqft}} indoor climbing center. The SEED campus is expected to open in 2025.{{Cite web|author=Staff Report|title=Kent schools, Davey Tree Expert Co. exchange land on North Mantua Street and Hudson Road|url=https://www.record-courier.com/story/news/2021/05/01/kent-schools-agree-mutually-beneficial-exchange-davey-tree-expert-company-portage-ohio/7317782002/|access-date=2022-01-28|website=Record-Courier|language=en-US}}

The company partners with other organizations to promote the benefits of trees, such as the Arbor Day Foundation, American Forests, International Society of Arboriculture and the Tree Care Industry Association and programs like the National Register of Big Trees and fundraisers like Tour des Trees.{{Cite web|title=Davey Tree Partners, davey.com website|url=http://www.davey.com/about/davey-in-your-community/partners/)}}{{Cite web|title=TREE Fund welcomes new Crown Partner, The Davey Tree Expert Company, STIHL, Tour Des Trees|url=http://stihltourdestrees.org/2014/05/tree-fund-welcomes-new-crown-partner-the-davey-tree-expert-company/}} It also partners with universities such as Kent State.{{Cite web|title=Davey Tree, Kent State Partnership Produces Inaugural Graduate {{!}} Kent State University|url=https://www.kent.edu/trumbull/news/davey-tree-kent-state-partnership-produces-inaugural-graduate|access-date=2021-07-30|website=www.kent.edu|language=en}}

In 2012, the company published its first corporate social responsibility report.{{Cite web|url = http://daveytree.uberflip.com/i/351980-davey-2013-corporate-responsibility-report/2|title = CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT 2013, The Davey Tree Co."}} The company has been involved in many projects to help care for the environment with initiatives such as i-Tree,{{Cite web|url = https://www.itreetools.org/about.php|title = i-Tree.org Website}} software created by Davey and the USDA Forest Service used to quantify the benefit of trees,{{Cite news|url = http://na.fs.fed.us/newsnotes/2010/july_aug10_newsnotes.pdf|title = Northeastern Area State & Private Forestry News Notes|last = U.S. Forest Service|date = August 2010}} as well as helping the National Park Service care for the trees at the Flight 93 National Memorial.{{Cite web|url =http://www.honorflight93.org/join/?fa=our-supporters |title= Honor Flight 93 Our Supporters |accessdate =October 1, 2015 }} It also assists and helps clean up from natural disasters, such as Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Katrina.{{Cite journal|url = http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/18675003/davey-tree-workers-help-clean-up-from-hurricane-rita|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151001122153/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/18675003/davey-tree-workers-help-clean-up-from-hurricane-rita|url-status = dead|archive-date = 2015-10-01|title = Davey Tree workers help clean up from Hurricane Rita ( (Vol. 44 Issue 10, p22))|date = Oct 2005|journal = Landscape Management}}{{Cite journal|url = http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/19955645/hurricane-aftermath|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151001132024/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/19955645/hurricane-aftermath|url-status = dead|archive-date = 2015-10-01|title = Hurricane Aftermath|date = Dec 2005|journal = Arbor Age}} Hurricane Katrina created widespread tree damage prompting the International Society of Arboriculture, Davey Tree, and Urban Forest Strike Teams to deploy certified arborists into at least nine communities along the Mississippi/Louisiana Gulf Coast.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fs.fed.us/managing-land/urban-forests/ucf|title=Urban and Community Forestry Program |publisher= US Forest Service|website=www.fs.fed.us|language=en|access-date=2018-05-07}} Throughout September and October 2017, thousands of federal, state, and private agencies were deployed to areas that were impacted by hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Nate. These first responders are there to help the people in the storm's path. However, Davey is part of another group of responders that go into storm-ravaged towns to aid the trees.{{Cite web|url=https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2017/10/25/after-storm-who-takes-care-trees|title=After the Storm, Who Takes Care of the Trees?|publisher=US Department of Agriculture|language=en|access-date=2018-05-07}} {{PD-notice}}

File:Davey Tree Expert Company tree trimming Superior Township Michigan.JPG]]

The company operates in two segments, residential/commercial, and utility. It has research, technical support, and laboratory diagnostic facilities.{{Cite news|url = https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=921791|title = Commercial Services & Supplies Company Overview of The Davey Tree Expert Company, Bloomberg Business}} The residential/commercial segment is involved in the treatment, preservation, maintenance, removal, and planting of trees, shrubs, and other plant life. The segment's services also include landscaping, grounds maintenance, tree surgery, as well as the application of fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides. The utility services segment engages vegetation management around power lines, rights-of-way, and chemical brush control services; and natural resource management and consulting, forestry research and development, and environmental planning services.

About half the company growth in this century has come from mergers and acquisitions, the largest being Illinois-based The Care of Trees in 2008.{{Cite web|title=The Davey Tree Expert Co. Merges with The Care of Trees|url=https://www.lawnandlandscape.com/article/the-davey-tree-expert-co--merges-with-the-care-of-trees/|access-date=January 14, 2025|website=Lawn & Landscape|language=en |date=June 30, 2008}} Davey Tree has also purchased VanCuren Services, Inc. and Midwest Land Clearing, Inc. in 2024,{{Cite web|title=VanCuren Services and Midwest Land Clearing Join Davey Tree|url=https://www.davey.com/about/newsroom/vancuren-services-and-midwest-land-clearing-join-davey-tree/|website=The Davey Tree Expert Company|language=en-US |date=August 24, 2024 |access-date=January 14, 2025}} Mickman Brothers, Inc. in 2023,{{Cite web|title=Mickman Brothers Joins Davey Tree|url=https://www.davey.com/about/newsroom/mickman-brothers-joins-davey-tree/|website=The Davey Tree Expert Company|language=en-US |date=April 18, 2023 |access-date=January 14, 2025}} Restoration Systems LLC in 2022,{{Cite web|title=Restoration Systems Joins DRG|url=https://www.davey.com/about/newsroom/restoration-systems-joins-drg/|website=The Davey Tree Expert Company|language=en-US |date=December 19, 2022 |access-date=January 14, 2025}} and TGC Engineering in 2020.{{Cite web|date=August 6, 2020| title=TGC Engineering joins Davey Resource Group |url=https://www.davey.com/about/newsroom/tgc-engineering-joins-davey-resource-group/ |access-date=January 14, 2025|website=The Davey Tree Expert Company|language=en-US}}

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• {{cite book |title=Green Leaves: A History of The Davey Tree Expert Company |last=Pfleger |first=Robert E. |year=1977 |publisher=Pequot Press |location=Chester, Connecticut, USA |isbn=978-0-87106-081-5}}
• {{cite book |title=Growth Rings: A History of the Davey Tree Expert Company and Companion to Green Leaves |last=Fredmonsky |first=Matt |year=2023 |publisher=Davey Tree Expert Company |location=Kent, Ohio, USA}}
• {{cite book |series=The Davey Tree Expert Company |title=International Directory of Company Histories |volume= 11 |url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/The-Davey-Tree-Expert-Company-Company-History.html |accessdate= 15 June 2010| year=1995 |publisher=St. James Press}}

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Category:Companies based in Ohio

Category:Kent, Ohio

Category:Privately held companies based in Ohio