autumn 2005 the asplsplundh treeundh tree · crews and by sunday, july 10th when dennis came ashore...

THE ATHE ASPLSPLUNDH TREEUNDH TREEAutumn 2005

Jean Shink, a 44-year veteran of Asplundh Brush Control Co. (ABC), officially retired

in June. He had been working with Rod Cornett (now manager) since September 2004

to smooth the transition of leadership for his region in the Midwest. During the Managers’

Meeting in October 2004, Vice President Brent Asplundh (his sponsor at the time)

thanked Jean for his years of outstanding service and dedication to ABC.

A native of Quebec, Canada, Jean joined ABC in 1961 as a chainsaw operator. Three

years later, he advanced to foreman of a right-of-way clearing crew working throughout

New England and the Midwest. In 1971, Jean was promoted to general foreman/

supervisor under retired Vice President Bill Neidig. Twenty years later, he became a

regional manager and in 1992, Jean was elected vice president of ABC. He received a

special corporate award in

2002 for his record of

maximizing cost controls.

Retirement will mean more

time for auto restoration,

carpentry, motorcycling and

sharing more family time

with his wife, Ginette.

Asplundh’s expertise and resources

in vegetation management are

unsurpassed. A new brochure for

customers of Asplundh describes

the wide variety of equipment and

services available including: aerial

lift, chipper and manual climbing

operations, emergency storm services,

herbicide applications and specialized

mowers, side trimmers, chippers

and lifts. Interested utility or

municipal personnel may order a

complimentary copy of Asplundh’s

new Comprehensive Vegetation

Management brochure by calling

Corporate Communications

at 1-800-248-8733 ext. 4232 or

e-mail [email protected].

The Asplundh TREE is a family magazine,published quarterly for all employees and friendsof the Asplundh companies.

Asplundh welcomes requests to reprint or otherwise duplicate this magazine, in whole or in part. Please contact the Managing Editor of Corporate Communications at the address belowfor permission, or call 1-800-248-TREE (in theU.S. or Canada).

©2005 Asplundh Tree Expert Co.

On the Cover

A collage of scenes from Hurricane Katrina. Forfurther descriptions and photo credits see page 3.

Managing EditorCorporate CommunicationsPatti Chipman

Writer/EditorKristin Wild

Assistant Editor/Graphics SpecialistRonnie Gauker

Asplundh Tree Expert Co.

708 Blair Mill Road, Willow Grove, PA 19090

www.asplundh.com

Printed on recycled paper

ContentsHurricane Devastation Sparks Innovation ..... 1

Safety Success Is No Accident ....................... 4

Asplundh Railroad DivisionAt Work In Mexico .................................... 7

Arbor Day Celebrations Across The Nation ...................................... 7

New Product Review ...................................... 8

Management Update ....................................... 9

Retirees Honored ........................................... 10

Service Anniversaries .................................... 11

Orchids ........................................................... 13

Crews & News ............................................... 17

Industry Involvement .................................... 23

Winning Shots From Shoot Out 2005 ........... 24

Asplundh Brush Control Co.VP Jean Shink Retires

New Brochure Available

Autumn Issue 2005

THETHEAASPLSPLUNDHUNDH

TREETREE

Vice President Brent Asplundh (R), Jean’s sponsorat the time, presented him with a Harley Davidson

leather cap and jacket as part of his retirement gift.Jean is pictured above with his motorcycle, ready to

ride into retirement relaxation. Best wishes, Jean!

1The Asplundh TREE Autumn Issue 2005

Hurricane Devastation Sparks Innovation

fter last year’s ‘four-in-a-row’

marathon of hurricane work, no one was

sure what to expect this year. As bad as

Hurricane Dennis was on July 10, 2005,

the devastation and over 1,200 deaths

caused by Hurricane Katrina in late August

completely stunned the nation and stretched

every Asplundh resource to the max.

Utilities all along the Gulf Coast were

under immense pressure to restore power.

Although thousands of workers and trucks

had been mobilized to help them, damaged

communications systems made logistical

support extremely difficult. It is during

hard times like these that the drive, pride

and innovation of Asplundh people shines.

First, let’s look back at how this record-

breaking hurricane season got started.

Hurricane DennisThe Asplundh Storm Center went into

full swing shortly after the July 4th break

to prepare for Hurricane Dennis. Utilities

from Florida to Louisiana were calling for

crews and by Sunday, July 10th when

Dennis came ashore as a Category 4 storm,

more than 2,300 employees (865 crews and

supervision) had been mobilized. About

half of these crews were stopped along the

way or released soon after the storm struck.

However, with winds clocked at 145

miles per hour, Dennis caused extensive

damage when it made landfall not far from

where Hurricane Ivan hit ten months earlier.

Once again, Gulf Power in the Florida

Panhandle and Alabama Power suffered

the most outages—almost 500,000 total.

Together, Manager Mike Smith in Florida

and Manager Wendell Smitherman in

Alabama oversaw more than 450 additional

crews during the storm restoration work,

which lasted for almost a week.

A Double Punch from KatrinaThe devastation caused by Hurricane

Katrina on August 29 in Mississippi,

Louisiana and Alabama has overshadowed

the severe damage she inflicted on South

A

� The Asplundh Storm Center wasmanned this summer and fall by sevenstorm coordinators who took turns in theStorm Room, including Vice President/Sponsor Steve Bostock (standing, L)whose regions were severely impacted.

� Due to close coordination, the restorationwork for FPL after Katrina hit was completedwithin a week and most of the Asplundh crews

that had been sent to Florida were then mobilizedto work in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana

where the devastation was unprecedented.

� Ice trucks distributed the only refrigerationpossible due to Hurricane Dennis’ damage on

July 10th to Gulf Power’s electrical system.Here, Asplundh crews load up with ice for a day

of restoration work in Pensacola, Florida.

� During restoration work after Dennis, the Gulf Power tent city in Pensacola even had a nurse and

first aid station to treat scrapes, bites, rashes and heat exhaustion for the tree and line construction workers.

� Hurricane Katrina first made landfall in theU.S. as a Category 1 hurricane. It knocked outpower to 1.45 million Florida Power & Lightcustomers. This Asplundh employee was one ofmore than 2,700 who were mobilized to workwith FPL to systematically remove tree debrisfrom power lines throughout South Florida.

� General Foreman Mike Eason of the PatWhite Region in Florida took this picture of thekind of damage caused by Katrina’s 30-footstorm surge near Gulfport, Mississippi.

Phot

o co

urte

sy o

f Flo

rida

Powe

r & L

ight

Phot

o co

urte

sy o

f Flo

rida

Powe

r & L

ight


� Creating his own personal sink and mirror with a cut-offwater bottle and a truck mirror, Foreman William Carnell

of the Dan Thurston Region in Oklahoma managed to finallyget a refreshing shave after roughing it for a few days.

� At the utility’s request, Asplundh arranged tohave two large tents (with cots, cushions and

sleeping bags) and a catering tent built for ourcrews working for Coast Electric.

� An Asplundh crew works in thevicinity of Gretna, Louisiana to helpremove a large oak from an Entergypower line. Crews were escorted byNational Guard troops to the strangelyquiet communities around NewOrleans after Katrina hit. Many evacuees were not able to return totheir homes and businesses for weeks.

� Carefully cutting back large pines that hadfallen on Coast Electric power lines near Kiln,Mississippi, Foreman Joseph Breed of the Wendell Smitherman Region in Alabama waspart of a 600-person Asplundh team assigned toassist the cooperative utility that lost power toall 70,000 of its rural and coastal members.

� Planner Juan Oropeza of the Larry GaugerRegion in Illinois sent in this photo of crewswading through fallen trees and debris withCLECO representatives to determine thebest way to clear the mess out of the road.

� Shower trailers were hard to come by. So, with a little ingenuity, Asplundh employees rigged several garden hoses, pipes and nozzles togetherto create a large showering area next to the soccerpark pavillion where Asplundh’s tent city was built.

Florida four days earlier. On August 25th,

a Category 1 Hurricane Katrina pummeled

Florida’s heavily populated Miami-Dade

and Broward Counties. Approximately

1.45 million customers of Florida Power &

Light (FPL) were knocked out of service.

Fortunately, Vice President Eugene Wyatt

had more than 2,700 mobilized Asplundh

workers there to help his local crews clear

the tree debris from FPL’s power lines.

By Sunday, August 28th, however,

Hurricane Katrina had grown to a Category

5 storm and was headed straight toward

New Orleans, Louisiana. It actually made

landfall slightly to the east in Pass Christian,

Mississippi as a Category 4 on Monday,

August 29th. The 145 mile per hour winds

and 30-foot storm surge devastated a

150-mile stretch of coast from Mobile,

Alabama to New Orleans.

With so many crews already committed

to FPL, the Asplundh Storm Center was on

the phone constantly to mobilize more

crews to the Gulf Coast. Thanks to our

many utility customers across the country

and Asplundh managers who prepared the

crews, an additional 2,300 workers were

sent to help Entergy, CLECO, Mississippi

Power, Alabama Power, and several rural

electric cooperative utilities, including Coast

Electric Power Association in Mississippi.

It was with Coast Electric that Asplundh

really had to be creative. The utility’s service

area took a direct hit and all 70,000 of its

customers were without power. In fact,

more than 12,000 meters for homes and

businesses were completely wiped out.

Needless to say, there were no shelters

large enough to house the 600 Asplundh

tree workers they requested. Sleeping in

their trucks and their own tents would not

suffice for long.

Coast Electric offered a large soccer

field complex with a pavillion still intact

that miraculously had electricity and water.

Asplundh stepped in to handle the rest of

the logistics. Arranging for sleeping tents,

catering services, cots, sleeping bags,

disposable towels, toilets, fuel services,

shower trailers, security, and buses was a

challenge for Asplundh. However, our tent

city was a success and logistics are now

part of the Asplundh menu of services!

Many thanks to all who left their families

behind to work long hours for weeks on end

in hazardous and unpleasant conditions. The

Corporate Storm Team did a great job as well.

The 2005 hurricane season is not over yet,

though, so look for more stories and photos

in the next issue of The Asplundh TREE.


� After a longday of clearingtrees from powerlines and rights-of-way, more than500 Asplundhworkers lined up in the darkness fordinner. With anhour or so to relaxor catch a quickshower, mostcrews were soundasleep by 10 p.m.

Asplundh-contracted police officers patrolled the site to maintain securitythrough the night. Breakfast always started in the dark as well, with mostof the crews hitting the road before 7 a.m. To conserve fuel, crews thatwere working farther away were bussed to their trucks and work sites.

� Each morningbefore startingwork, corporatesafety supervisorslike Chuck Combs(R) conducted asafety stand downto communicatethe tips and topicsgathered duringthe previous afternoon’s conference calland the evening’s

general foremen meeting. In this way, employees learned from the nearmisses of others and were warned of the hazards that changed from day-to-day. It was also a chance to reward a worker now and then with agift certificate when they answered impromptu safety quizzes correctly!

Dozens of complimentary notes and

e-mails have been received here in

Corporate Communications regarding

the great work of our employees in the

aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and

Dennis. Compliments with specific

names will be listed in the ‘Orchids’

section of the upcoming Holiday issue.

The following quotes are from general

or non-specific thank-you notes.

“Your company is to be congratulated notonly because of the work you performed inthis area, but also because of the splendidquality of personnel you employ. They doyou proud.”—F.W. Finger, Picayune, Mississippi

“Thank you cannot express our full appreciation for all of your help after thedevastating effects of Hurricane Katrina.We have all been impacted by the storm—some of us more than others ... May Godrichly bless you for all of your help!”—Mrs. Sumrall’s class at Pearl River

Central High School in Mississippi

“Your crew members are very professional... These people have worked their tails off!We as business owners and homeowners

are very glad to see the response fromyour employees. Thanks so much forhelping Louisiana in this time of need.”—Lisa Magee, Kentwood, Louisiana

“As one who has family displaced by thisterrible disaster, I think I speak for all ofthem when I say THANK YOU for yourever rapid response. I wish I could thank

each worker individually for their hardwork and sacrifice. I know they will beworking in horrible conditions and hopethere is some way to let them know thatSouth Louisiana is very grateful.”—e-mail from Marty Scott

“To our Asplundh team members, we alsosay thanks for another strong restorationperformance. Long hours, hazardous conditions and several logistics challengesdid not deter the successful and safe completion of the job.”—Jim Rutig, Florida Power & Light

From a letter to a Gulf Power customer

after Asplundh crews helped them in the

aftermath of Hurricane Dennis: “Asplundhis a very strong and valued partner of ours,both during storm restoration as well asduring the entire year.”—Susan Story, President/CEO, Gulf Power

“I would like to thank your company and allthe employees who came to our assistanceafter Hurricanes Dennis and Ivan. It wasan unselfish act for them to leave their families and their homes to help other people. People they don’t even know.”—Vicki Boutch, Mary Esther, Florida

A Sampling of Hurricane Katrina and Dennis Thank-Yous

Cover Photo Descriptions and CreditsTop photo: Asplundh’s tent city for Coast Electric Power Association, by VP Pat White. Center photo: Setting up the storm

response trailer from the Wendell Smitherman Region at Asplundh’s tent city, by Kathleen Gott. Top film strip (L to R):

Storm damage to Entergy lines near Gretna, LA, by Kleinpeter Photography; Tents and trucks, by VP Pat White; Bigfoot lift

working near Gulfport, MS, by Kathleen Gott. Bottom film strip (L to R): The remains of homes in Bay St. Louis, MS, by GFMike Eason; To safeguard tools and other valuables, some crews stored them in raised buckets overnight, by Mississippi Power Photographer Billy Dugger; Downed power lines and a flipped over car, by GF Mike Eason.


� Nashville Region 171—After a full-day session of Hazard RecognitionTraining in May, these graduates posed with one of their instructors,Regional Safety Superintendent Jose Alarcon (far L, standing).

� Nashville Region 190—Congratulations to these recent graduates ofthe Hazard Recognition Training led by Corporate Safety Training ManagerRick Bentley and assisted by Supervisor Alex Teran (far L, kneeling) andRegional Safety Superintendent Jose Alarcon (far R, standing).

At Asplundh, safety is good business because working safely is

simply the right thing to do! Safety is one of our core values. This

may be a simple statement, but during my recent travels in the

landfall arenas of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, I have seen with

my own eyes how a sense of ‘doing the right thing’ has made a

dramatic impact in our company’s safety culture.

To top off the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and

Rita, as of this writing, the 2005 hurricane season is still not over.

The exposure for injury to our employees, the public and other

response personnel is still extremely large. I’m pleased, however,

to report that to date we have had only a few minor injuries. There

are many reasons for this kind of success—I will discuss two.

I’m confident that the following reasons, which are working

today, will continue to work as we move forward: (1) Safety

Awareness; and (2) Employee Involvement. Again, some simple

statements, but let me give you examples of each.

First, safety awareness. The safety team, which accompanies

our troops on storm duty, holds nightly conference calls. These

calls have approximately 60 to 80 people on them every night—

some managers and even upper executives, but mostly our

corporate safety supervisors and regional safety superintendents.

We discuss the day’s events, hot safety issues, any injuries or

near-misses, and then we provide at least five safety talking points

that are communicated to 100% of our employees the next morning

before they leave their ‘show-up’ site. The talking points range

from proper roadside set up to environmental hazards such as

Excerpted from an article in the October 2005 Tree Care Industry magazine by Gil Niedenthal,Director and Corporate Safety OfficerTwo Reasons for Safety Success

spiders, snakes and bees. The message is given in both Spanish

and English, depending on the employee’s native tongue.

Secondly, employee involvement. As part of our growing

safety culture, we encourage our employees to get involved with

all aspects of their safety. This involvement includes helping the

foreperson and all crew members identify hazards at each job

location, actively participating in the job briefings, coming up

with ideas to raise safety awareness, and only performing their

tasks when everyone on the crew believes it is safe to do so. Of

course some work is performed ‘hot’, but when the only safe way

to trim is when the line is dead, our employees are ‘doing the right

thing’ and making the situation as safe as can be!

How is all of this possible? The answer … management’s

commitment! Our management staff from President Scott Asplundh

down to every general foreperson in the field is committed to our

VISION: Safety First ... No One Gets Hurt! I believe that our

employees can feel the spirit behind these words.

Are we perfect? Have we actually achieved this vision? Not

yet, but we’re close! As I mentioned earlier, we still had a few

minor injuries. Of course our employees don’t come to these

storm-stricken areas to get injured; nobody wants to get hurt! But I

believe that because our commitment is clear, our company will

do whatever it takes to ensure everyone goes home the same way

they came. To this end, our employees make the right choices

because our vision and values are clear. It really makes our safety

performance easier—and that’s good business!

Training for Safety SuccessAs the company’s VISION: ‘Safety First ... No One Gets Hurt!’

spreads throughout the country, many Asplundh regions are taking

full advantage of the training being offered by the Corporate Safety

Department. Classes range from one- or two-hour morning and

evening sessions, to full- and multiple-day programs.

The hands-on training is tailored to meet the needs of specific

regions. Topics include: live electrical hazards demo, tree/lift

rescue, inspection of tools and equipment, tree felling procedures,

roadside set-up, job briefing, DOT post-trip inspection, knot tying,

stump cutter safety and employee certification training.


� Regional SafetySuperintendentIgnacio Vazquez ofthe Tom LeverentzRegion sent in several photos ofan electrical arcingdemonstration forover 40 Asplundhemployees given byTXU Delivery inWaco, Texas onMarch 23. This onevery clearly showsthe intense energy

that travels through electrical conductors and what happens when abranch touches the line. While it’s important to meet regulatory requirementsfor this training, the most important requirement is for our employees tounderstand how to work safely around power lines. Ignacio thanks JimFielding, Mike Nation and Johnny Campbell of TXU Delivery for arranging this valuable training and demonstration.

� Grand Prize Winner General Foreperson Brian Graver(2nd from R) receives a $5,000 check and congratulationsfrom Vice President Eugene Wyatt, VP/Sponsor MattAsplundh (R) and Supervisor Max Sanchez (L). Brianoversees crews on Florida Power & Light property.

� SupervisorDonald Cottrell(standing, far R) of the DavePuckett Region is shown hereleading a topnotch group of 11 generalforepersons inreviewing the steps

of a proper Job Behavior Observation (JBO). This JBO ImplementationWorkshop, held in Clarksburg, West Virginia on March 30, was just oneof several that were conducted for the Puckett Region’s 52 generalforepersons working in five states, who oversee Asplundh crews workingon the properties of Allegheny Power and South Central Power. The JBOprocess was formally introduced at the Asplundh Supervisors’ Meeting inmid-March and requires general forepersons to record and electronicallysubmit their observations of work behaviors. This data allows the companyto measure its safety performance month-to-month, region-to-region oreven general foreperson-to-general foreperson.

Corporate Recognition for Safety Success

Training for Safety Success continued

� Another Wyatt Region general foreman in Floridagot lucky in the drawing! Dario Gonzalez (2nd from L)received a $1,000 Cabela’s gift certificate and a hand-shake of thanks from Supervisor Ronnie Collins (L).

Coming home uninjured everyday may be its own reward, but reinforcing

safe behavior with recognition and rewards is even better! Three corporate

safety incentive programs, started over the past year, have already generated

valuable awards for hundreds of crew members, office staff and management.

At the crew member and foreperson level, Asplundh’s Safety Excellence

Award program for 2004 recognized thousands of accident-free employees

across the country with a certificate and a special helmet sticker. Then, a

drawing was held at the Home Office in Willow Grove on March 7 for each

management region’s qualified employees. The winners were awarded a $500

Cabela’s gift certificate!

At the general foreperson’s level, the President’s Safety Challenge for

2004/05 rewards those who achieve a loss cost per hour (LCPH), during the

designated six-month period, that is below a certain benchmark. Each general

foreperson who qualifies earns chances for a semi-annual raffle based on their

LCPH results at the end of each six-month period. The better the safety results,

the more chances earned! The first six-month period ended January 31 and

after tallying up the results to determine the number of chances per qualified

general foreperson, the Corporate Safety Department held the drawing.

The sole grand prize was $5,000 cash, but there were also 119 Cabela’s gift

certificates issued in amounts ranging from $100 to $1,000!

Thanks to Asplundh’s Driver Monitoring Program, tracked by Safety

First, the total number of Motorist Observation Reports (MORs) has fallen

steadily over the past year. To recognize those employees who help to make the

program a success, a certificate of Outstanding Performance and a $50 gift card

were awarded to each region’s key person(s) responsible for achieving over a

90% return rate on MORs. Paying attention to the paperwork pays off, too!

In April, three full-day sessions were conducted in Shreveport,

Louisiana and Tulsa, Oklahoma for employees of the Tom

Leverentz Region. In May, the company’s training trailer was

used to conduct two full-day Hazard Recognition Training classes

in Nashville, Tennessee for the Hispanic employees of Vice

President Martin Arriola’s Regions 190 and 171. Since then,

training sessions have been given in Ohio, Minnesota, South

Dakota, North Carolina, Texas and California—with more being

scheduled every day. Photos from these sessions will appear in a

future issue of The Asplundh TREE magazine.

Corporate Safety Training Manager Rick Bentley coordinates

these programs in conjuction with the local manager, as well as

regional and corporate safety staff. Rick can be reached by phone

at (267) 246-2847 or e-mail [email protected].


� The rest of General Foreperson Henry Dawson’s safety award winnerswere (back row, L to R): Henry, Charlie McCrum, Peter Collar, SammyRoy, Roger Miller and Matt Smith. Front row (L to R): Gerald Stevens,Edward Taylor and Virgil Stewart. Many thanks to Allegheny Power’sRight-of-Way Technician Todd Riggleman who graciously took these photos.

� In February,employees in theKelly Runkle Regionwho worked accident-free and without safety violationsthroughout 2004earned Asplundhhooded sweatshirts!Pictured here (L to R)receiving their

rewards from General Foreperson Roger Zurcher (far L) are: TrimmersWilliam Zurcher, Mike Hendrickson and Marty Miller, Jr. and ForepersonMarty Miller, Sr. In addition to sweatshirts, the names of accident-freeemployees were entered into a drawing for a $500 Cabela’s gift certificate—and the winner was Marty Miller, Sr. (far R)! All of theseemployees work on the property of Cinergy/PSI in Indiana. Good job!

� Twice a year, the Dave Puckett Region rewards employees who haveeither worked six months or one full year accident-free with $25 Cabela’sgift certificates. In January, General Foreperson Henry Dawson proudly gaveout the awards to his crews who work for Allegheny Power Co. in the Elkins,West Virginia area. Shown above (back row, L to R): Henry, Willie Walden,Harold Spencer, Paul Schoonover, William Fenstermacher, Larry Pennington,Floyd Smith and Josh Surguy. Front row (L to R): Brian Schoonover, GarySisler, William Sturdivant, Dustin Doerr and David Nelson.

� Working accident-freeduring the firstquarter of 2005earned special“Safety First” t-shirts for thesesafety-consciousemployees (at L)under General

Foreperson Elpidio Diaz of theTom Leverentz Region in Texas. Pictured at right are more ofElpidio’s t-shirt winners. All ofthese crews work on the propertyof TXU Delivery in the Wacoarea and if they keep workingsafely, they might have four newshirts by the end of the year!

Corporate Recognition for Safety Success continued

Regional Recognition for Safety Performance

� Safety Excellence Award in Alabama—Manager Wendell Smitherman (L) shookhands with Equipment Operator Eddie Jones(center) as he presented him with a $500Cabela’s gift certificate for being a winner inthe Corporate Safety Excellence drawing.Supervisor Rickey Bailey (R) also offered hiscongratulations for working accident-freethroughout 2004. Eddie works on the propertyof Central Alabama Cooperative.

� 100% Return Rate on MORs—Proudly displaying their certificates next to their SafetyVision poster are Administrative AssistantsSherry Baumgartner (L) and April Capps (R)of the Doug Smith Region in the Carolinas.These women put together a routine for handlingthe region’s Motorist Observation Reports(MORs) and they enforce it each month so thatall reports are reviewed, signed and returned toSafety First in a timely fashion. They achievedover a 90% return rate in 2004 and so far, in2005 they have a 100% return rate!

� Corporate AND Regional Safety AwardWinner in Oregon—Utility Tree Service GeneralForeperson Dee Baugher (L) had the pleasureof giving out a $500 Cabela’s gift certificate toForeperson Wayne Tyner for having his namedrawn from the Corporate Safety Excellencedrawing. April was a lucky time for Wayne ashe had also just won one of the Pete SparacioRegion’s $100 quarterly safety award drawingsfor the Oregon area. Keep it safe, Wayne!

Asplundh Railroad Division At Work In Mexico

Arbor Day Celebrations Across The Nation


� The maneuverability of the brush cutter’sarms make it relatively easy to grind up vegetation growing down into the narrow rocky corridors of the TFM track.

� Ten employees from the Pat White Regionparticipated in the City of Tallahassee, FloridaArbor Day on January 22. They joined with about150 community volunteers to plant 250 treesalong one of the city’s bike/hike trails. Asplundhprovided plenty of wood chips for mulching!

� In addition to planting 50 trees, the ArborDay celebration in Riverside, California featured an Asplundh tool and truck display.Crew Member Victor Vargas (L) of the DaveStall Region manned the display with Southern California Edison’s Tony Cluchey(center) and Gil Garcia (R).

� New Jersey’s celebration of Arbor Day tookplace in Delaware Heights Park in Phillipsburgthis year. Supervisor Tom Anderson (far L) wasthe sole Asplundh volunteer who joined withthese dedicated Public Service Electric & Gasdivision foresters to plant trees.

Some of you may recall an article in the

Holiday 2003 issue of The Asplundh TREEdescribing the work being done by the

Asplundh Railroad Division in Mexico. Well,

that was spray work. This year, the Railroad

Division provided mechanical vegetation

control for its customer there, Transportacion

Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM).

A double-armed, on-track brush cutter

crew spent two 3-month periods in Mexico

grinding up vines and small trees to

re-establish a 24-foot right-of-way on either

side of the TFM track. To achieve that

width, the cutter had to make three passes,

cutting an 8-foot swath each time. Care had

to be taken to avoid coffee bean and banana

plantations next to the track.

Asplundh Railroad Division Western

Field Manager Eddie Evans and Supervisor

Rickie Boxx have been overseeing the work

� Clearing vegetation from TFM’s right-of-way, Asplundh’s on-track brush cutter climbsthrough the lush highland forests of the SierraMadre Oriental Mountains in eastern Mexico.

� General Foreman Steve Swartzell, PermissionPerson Mark Morrow and Foreman TommieLusk of the Jeff Duncan Region joined withNorthern Indiana Public Service Co.’s JasonLietz for an Arbor Day presentation at JeffersonElementary in Goshen, Indiana.

� Even Vice President Mick Kavran got intothe Arbor Day seedling potting project in Maple

Valley, Washington with over 30 volunteersfrom Puget Sound Energy and Asplundh.

� Transportacion Ferroviaria Mexicanahas been an Asplundh

Railroad Division customer since 2002.

for TFM. Rickie and veteran Equipment

Operator Wes Butler joined with the

equipment skill and bilingual expertise of

Angel and Douglas Manzo to get the job

done. Their teamwork made the project

go smoothly and effectively.


New Product ReviewNew T-Shirts Meet ANSI Class II Requirements

Earlier this year, Supervisor Matthew Pence of the Barry Suddreth Region in the Carolinas

sent the Asplundh Equipment Department some photos of a front bumper cone holder used

on Duke Energy vehicles. He thought the idea would encourage the proper use and storage

of traffic cones on Asplundh trucks. A few weeks later, Southco Industries, Inc. of Shelby,

North Carolina took the basic concept and engineered a variety of changes, based on input

from Asplundh’s Safety and Equipment Departments. The resulting features include:

� Cone and weight capacity = 16 (maximum) 36-inch traffic cones; 165 lbs. (maximum)

� Can be locked in the closed position

� Does not interfere with opening the hood

� Curb finders for parking and driving safety

� Complete kits with drawings and all applicable fasteners are provided to those

who wish to retro-fit new or existing standard GMC construction bumpers with the

cone holder. At the current time, this feature is optional on new split dumps.

Kits can be ordered through the

Parts Call-In-Service in Lynchburg,

Virginia by calling 1-800-248-8731.

Please reference ‘Front Bumper Cone

Holder’ part #291-05 when placing

your order.

New Safety Cone Holder Is Strong and Compact

This past summer, the Lion Uniform Group began offering Asplundh

employees high visibility t-shirts (short- and long-sleeved) that meet ANSI

Class II requirements. Many employees have tried them out as a one-layer

alternative to wearing a safety vest over a t-shirt.

ANSI stands for American National Standard Institute and this garment is

designed to increase visibility for employees working in poor weather conditions

and along roadways where traffic speed exceeds 25 mph. To stay at the

forefront of safety, Asplundh has already begun to meet the ANSI Class II

requirements which are voluntary right now, but will become mandatory

next year. The features and benefits of the t-shirt include:

� Fluorescent lime yellow background fabric with two-inch wide

Scotchlite 3M® silver reflective striping on the front, back and sides provides

increased visibility, day and night. Even when the shirt is tucked in, there are

enough square inches of reflective fabric to meet ANSI Class II standards.

� 100% spun polyester jersey contains a moisture management finish

that wicks perspiration away from the body and soil release, which keeps

the shirt looking newer longer.

� An easy care garment that is machine washable, wrinkle-free and has low shrinkage.

The brightness of the reflective fabric holds up to repeated launderings.

While this shirt costs a little more than a standard t-shirt, one should consider the importance of

personal safety AND comfort (as in hot weather) when deciding to buy one or not. To order these

shirts, please use the Clothing Order Form #3071 available in the Forms/Purchasing folder on the

Asplundh network’s Public Folders, or call Lion Uniform Group at 1-800-543-9698.

Shirt front in low light

Cone holder rod unlatched, ready to load

Shirt back

Cones loaded and locked, ready to travel

1-800-543-9698

www.southcoindustries.com

1-800-331-7655


Rod Cornett, former transitional manager of Asplundh Brush Control Co. (ABC) under Vice President Jean Shink, advanced to

manager of the region in June upon Jean’s retirement. The Cornett Region of ABC is sponsored by Vice President Larry Moore.

A 25-year Asplundh veteran, Rod joined the company in his home state of Indiana as a sprayman and then worked on tree crews

until his promotion to general foreman in 1986. Two years later, he advanced to supervisor and in 1993, Rod transferred into

Asplundh One Call as a call center manager in Indiana. The following year, he returned to the Tree Co. as manager of Asplundh

operations for ComEd in the Chicago, Illinois area. In 2003, with his excellent safety management record, Rod joined the Risk

Management Department as its Training and Education Manager. About a year ago, he returned to field management, working

for ABC under Jean as he prepared for retirement. Rod’s responsibilities include overseeing ABC’s right-of-way clearing and

maintenance operations in parts of the South and Midwest.

Harry Juarez, former regional safety

superintendent under Vice President Martin

Arriola, advanced to supervisor of his Outsourcing

operations in March. The three Arriola Regions,

based in Texas, are sponsored by Vice President

Chris Asplundh, Jr.

Harry joined the company in 1993 in his home state

of Florida when Asplundh acquired Farrens Tree

Surgeons. With a year of prior line clearance experience, he soon advanced

to foreman and in 1999, he was promoted to general foreman. Two years

later, Harry became a regional safety superintendent in Florida, but moved to

Texas in 2004. As a supervisor of Outsourcing operations, Harry oversees

Asplundh vegetation management crews working for utilities in Florida,

New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas. Harry is a certified

CPR/First Aid instructor and a March 2002 graduate of ASTP.

David Fulford, former general foreman in

Colorado, was promoted in May to supervisor

under Vice President Will Willis. Vice President

Keith Asplundh sponsors the Willis Region.

Originally from Florida, David joined the company

as a general foreman in Colorado in August 2003.

He had seven years of prior experience working in

and managing a tree service company in Florida.

With Asplundh, his supervisory responsibilities include overseeing crews

working on the properties of Xcel Energy, Colorado Springs Utilities,

City of Longmont and various cooperative utilities in parts of Colorado,

Texas and New Mexico. David earned a bachelor’s degree in business

administration from the University of North Florida and is an April 2004

graduate of ASTP. He has been an ISA Certified Arborist since 1997.

Mike Jessup, former general foreman, advanced

to supervisor in April and is now working in the

Eugene Wyatt Region in Florida. Vice President

Matt Asplundh sponsors the Wyatt Region.

Mike started out in the line clearance industry in

Florida in 1987 after one year of college and four

years in the U.S. Army. He first came to work for

Asplundh in 1997, but left for two years to run his own tree service. In 2000,

James Smith, former regional safety superintendent

in Texas, was promoted to supervisor under Vice

President Allen LeBlanc in May. Vice President

Chris Asplundh, Jr. sponsors the LeBlanc Region.

A native of Texas, James came to work on an

Asplundh crew in 2003. With over 10 years of prior

experience in municipal tree work, he quickly

advanced to general foreman. In December 2004,

James became a regional safety superintendent for the LeBlanc Region

and with his promotion to supervisor, he is responsible for overseeing

Asplundh tree crews working on the properties of AEP and several rural

electric cooperatives in South and West Texas. An ISA Certified Arborist

and qualified CPR/First Aid instructor, James also holds a Texas herbicide

license and is a member of the ISA.

Robert Brown, former general foreman in

Oklahoma, advanced to supervisor under Vice

President Tom Leverentz in August. Vice President

Steven Asplundh sponsors the Leverentz Region.

A native Oklahoman, Robert first came to work

for Asplundh as a foreman in 1989 with three

years of prior utility line clearance experience. In

1993, he left the company to work in California,

but returned to Oklahoma (and Asplundh) a year later and was promoted

to general foreman in 1994. As a supervisor, Robert is responsible for

overseeing a growing number of Asplundh bucket, climbing, mowing

and Jarraff crews working on the property of AEP (Public Service Co.

of Oklahoma). Robert is a 1998 graduate of ASTP and is a certified

pesticide applicator in the state of Oklahoma.

New Manager in Asplundh Brush Control Co.

Management Update

New Asplundh Supervisors in the FieldMike returned and was promoted to general foreman in 2001. In April, he

advanced to supervisor under Manager Jason Coccodrilli in Pennsylvania,

but an opportunity opened up in Florida so he transferred back to the Wyatt

Region in July. Mike currently supervises preventive maintenance crews

working in the western coastal area of Florida Power & Light. A July 2004

graduate of ASTP and a member of the ISA, Mike recently became an ISA

Certified Arborist and is a certified CPR/First Aid instructor.


Jude Solis, former general foreman in Illinois,

was promoted in April to supervisor in Pennsylvania

under Manager Larry Gauger. Vice President

Doug Gober sponsors the Gauger Regions in

Pennsylvania and Illinois.

Born in the Phillipines, Jude joined Asplundh in

Illinois in 1999 as a foreman. He came to the

company with over 15 years of prior residential

and line clearance experience. Jude also had specialized training and

experience as an equipment mechanic. With his recent promotion and

transfer to a new state, Jude is now responsible for supervising Asplundh tree

crews working on the property of PECO Energy in southeastern Pennsylvania.

An October 2001 graduate of ASTP, he has also taken various computer

courses and climber training. Jude has been an ISA Certified Arborist

since 1996 and is a qualified CPR/First Aid instructor. He is a member of

the UAA and ISA.

Utah Villines, former superintendent in Arkansas,

advanced to supervisor in July under Manager Tim

Manners. The Manners Region is sponsored by

Vice President Matt Asplundh.

A 23-year Asplundh veteran, Utah got his start

with the company in his home state of Arkansas in

1982, learning the trade from his great uncle Lee

Goodall and Eugene Wyatt, who is now a vice

president in Florida. By 1991, he had progressed to general foreman and

for the past year, he served as superintendent of Arkansas crews. Utah’s

responsibilities as a field supervisor include overseeing Asplundh lift,

manual, mowing, spray and Jarraff crews working on the properties of

Entergy/Transmission and various rural electric cooperatives throughout

Arkansas. A 1992 graduate of ASTP, he has also advanced his knowledge

with courses in business and computers. Utah is a qualified CPR/First Aid

instructor and holds a herbicide license in the state of Arkansas.

New Asplundh Supervisors in the Field continued

Retirees HonoredCongratulations and best wishes for a happy and healthy retirement to all the Asplundh retirees listed here!

Argelio AlmodovarTrimmer/Climber, FloridaFirst employed July 1986Retired June 2005

James BaileyForeman, KentuckyFirst employed August 2003Retired August 2005

William BishopEquipment Operator, VirginiaFirst employed February 1999Retired April 2005

Glenn BlevinsGeneral Foreman, KentuckyFirst employed August 1978Retired May 2005

Jerry GannTrimmer/Climber, North CarolinaFirst employed April 1999Retired May 2005

Eugene HarwickForeman, IllinoisFirst employed October 1999Retired April 2005

Leonard KnellTrimmer/Climber, New YorkFirst employed May 1993Retired June 2005

James McCoyGeneral Foreman, FloridaFirst employed September 1979Retired June 2005

Kenneth Morgan Foreman, OklahomaFirst employed May 1993Retired July 2005

Billy NewellGeneral Foreman, FloridaFirst employed October 1993 (plus 33 years with Farrens Tree Surgeons)Retired July 2005

Leah RiggsAdministrative Assistant, California First employed April 1996Retired April 2005

Jean ShinkAsplundh Brush Control Co.Vice President, MissouriFirst employed March 1961 Retired June 2005

Hector TorresForeman, FloridaFirst employed February 1999 Retired April 2005

Former Safety Supervisor J. Darrell Smith

passed away on April 6 in Lodi, California.

He was 54 years old.

A 29-year Asplundh veteran, Darrell joined

the company in his native state of Kentucky in

1973 after serving two years in the U.S. Army

during the Vietnam Conflict. He was promoted

to general foreman in 1980 and then safety

supervisor four years later. After serving as a field supervisor in

West Virginia for a year, Darrell transferred to Oregon in 1987 to

oversee Asplundh operations there. Nine years later, he returned

to a safety supervisor position, this time in northern California.

Darrell is survived by his wife, Debbie; a son, Cole; and three

daughters, Ginger, Jacke and Andrea, as well as three brothers

and four sisters. He is greatly missed by all!

Norman Dishman, Sr., a 34-year Asplundh

veteran, died at his home in Indianapolis,

Indiana on June 5 after a long illness. He

was 69 years old.

Born in Kentucky, Norman joined an

Asplundh crew in 1964 and worked in the

Indianapolis area for most of his career. He

was certified up to the foreman level and

retired in April 1998. Norman is survived by his wife of 50

years, Rose; three daughters, Peggy, Connie and Anna; two sons,

Norman, Jr. and Carl; as well as 16 grandchildren and three

great-grandchildren. We send our sympathy to all of his family

and friends who mourn his loss.

In Memoriam


Service AnniversariesJanuary - June

1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980 and 1985

45 Years 40 Years

Lindsey SmithForemanVirginia

Robert CrawfordForeman

Pennsylvania

Phil MooneyPermissions Specialist

Maryland

Joyce GilletteSenior AccountantAccounts Payable

Willow Grove

John KlunkJourneymanMaryland

Ernie MeyersForeman

Ohio

Robert ShadeForeman

Ohio

Thomas PringleForeman

Pennsylvania

Russell DrewForeman

Texas

Ken MironGeneral Foreman

Massachusetts

Perry MorrisForemanGeorgia

30 Years

35 Years

Wendell SmithermanManagerAlabama

Norris FrazierGeneral Foreman

Louisiana

Ronald MooreForeman

Pennsylvania

Mike SmithManager

Mississippi

Harold SterlingForemanIndiana

Walter JonesForemanVirginia

Gary AndersonJourneymanMississippi


Partrick SheeranJourneymanWisconsin

Daniel SerianForeman

Pennsylvania

Dean DelsmanSupervisorWisconsin

Johnny SullivanForemanAlabama

Glen OrtagusGeneral Foreman

Georgia

20 Years

25 Years

Scott BlackfordForeman

Wisconsin

Wilmer McWhirterActing Manager

Georgia

Raymundo MarfilGeneral Foreman

Texas

Doug MasonForeman

Pennsylvania

Richard EvansForemanOregon

Mathew HinmanGeneral Foreman

Missouri

Dan DickensForemanMaryland

Wayne SearsForemanKentucky

Russell SmithForeman

Pennsylvania

Paul Snethen, Jr.General Foreman

Kansas

Robert SwansonForemanMichigan

Dave EllifritzManagerKentucky

Ed SmallwoodGeneral Foreman

Maryland

Jerry BeverlyGeneral Foreman

Kentucky

Timothy SellsGeneral ForemanNorth Carolina

Brian HolleyForemanKansas

Tim CornettGeneral Foreman

Indiana

Glenn EricksonGeneral Foreman

Minnesota

Joe SchultheisGeneral Foreman

Pennsylvania

Randy BrownForemanKentucky

Terry BunklemanPermissions Person

Wisconsin

Michael HarrisTrimmer/Climber

Maryland

Michael ReeseGeneral Foreman

Washington

Miguel SaenzGeneral Foreman

New Mexico

Jose RiosForeman

California

Joseph PomeroyForeman

Pennsylvania

Kelly CarmenGeneral Foreman

Maryland

Donald CoashPermissions Person

Massachusetts

Terry McDanielGeneral ForemanNorth Carolina

Larry SalyersGeneral Foreman

Kentucky

Paul NelsonForemanIndiana

Timothy FrinkCrew Member

Minnesota

Walter MoatsPermissions Person

West Virginia

Warren Day Journeyman

Kansas

Michael VanceGeneral Foreman

Tennessee

Rogelio AguayoSafety Superintendent

Illinois

Robert SmithGroundman

Virginia

David MoatsForeman

West Virginia

Carey JohnsonTrimmer/Climber

Maine

Glenn PresselForeman

Connecticut

Lawrence BronnerGeneral Foreman

Massachusetts

Johnny SingletonGeneral Foreman

West Virginia

Michael QuickGeneral Foreman

Virginia

Betty RobsonGeneral Foreperson

Maryland

Arthur RoyForeman

Asplundh Brush Control Co.Illinois

John Helm, IIIForemanMissouri

Imber HernandezGeneral Foreman

Texas

Charles CrosbyGeneral Foreman

Georgia

William GallimoreJourneyman

Ohio

Troy WilliamsForeman

West Virginia

Jim WelshManager Western Division

Mechanical ServicesRailroad Division

Willow Grove

Michael AndersonForemanAlabama

Chris GanttForemanGeorgia

Loren Sellner, Sr. Journeyman

Missouri

Juan FuentesGeneral Foreman

Texas

Mario RoblesForemanFlorida

Bobby KingGeneral Foreman

Georgia

James DesslerForeman

Minnesota

Wayne KoesterGeneral Foreman

Wisconsin

Howard WilsonGeneral Foreman

Connecticut

Danny CogginsGeneral Foreman

New Jersey

Dan YargerGeneral Foreman

Georgia

Paul Sykes, Sr.Parts & Service Supervisor

Equipment DepartmentLynchburg


rchidsLetters and telephone calls were received complimenting the following foremen

and their crews working on the property of the utility or organization listed

below the employees’ names. This listing covers all “Orchids” that were

received in the Corporate Communications Dept. between March 20, 2005

and July 31, 2005. For their outstanding job performance or special

volunteer efforts, we say . . .

Thank you and congratulations!

OALABAMA

General Foreman Charles

Bearden, Foreman Greg Roberts,

and Trimmer/Climbers Joseph

Howton, Charlie Kimbrell and

Robert Orr, for assisting a

resident who had fallen off his roof,

Alabama Power Co.

Permissions Person Daniel

Hammock, Foremen Brian

Atcheson, Roger Kent and

Derrick Lockhart, and

Trimmer/Climbers Wesley

Easterling and Jamie Edward,

Central Alabama Electric Cooperative

General Foreman Lance

Mathews, Foremen E.J. Burton,

Patrick Green, Harold McKee,

Joe Mitchell, James Johnson and

Chester Skinner, and Trimmer/

Climbers Tim Atchison, Brad

Betts, Aaron Law, Michael

Rogers and Glenn Webster, for

their outstanding work on a special

project in Indiana,

NIPSCO

ARIZONA

Foreman Antonio Avalos and

Trimmer Jaime Campuzano,

Salt River Project

General Foreman Dave Brower,

Foreman Mark Delp and

Trimmer Jimmy Garcia,

Salt River Project

Foreman Ismael Garcia and

Trimmer/Climber Tony Brower,

Salt River Project

Foreman Dave McKown and

Trimmer Travis Stewart,

Arizona Public Service Co.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Foremen Rob Boersma and

Adam Hildebrand, and Crews,

BC Hydro

Foreman David Fleming, for

donating equipment and time to

the Sechelt and Gibson Scouts’

Christmas tree chipping project,

BC Hydro

General Foreman Steve Later,

Foreman Wes Combs and Crew

Member Maverick Daoust,

BC Hydro

Foreman Roben Rudichuk

and Crews,

Fortis Electric

General Foreman Ralph

Terpstra and Crews,

BC Hydro

CALIFORNIA

Foreman Jose Pina and

Apprentice Franklin Acosta,

Pacific Gas & Electric Co.

COLORADO

General Foreman Mike Davison,

Foreman Mike Darnall

and Crew,

Delta-Montrose Electric Association

General Foreman Adam Pena

and Crews, for their hard work

which helped the Cooperative to

receive the Tree Line USA Utility

award from the National Arbor

Day Foundation,

San Luis Valley REC, Inc.

DELAWARE

General Foreman Gary

Brittingham, Foreman Alvin

Bales and Crew,

Delaware Electric Cooperative

Foreman James Jester and

Journeyman Sean Woodhead,

Delaware Electric Cooperative

FLORIDA

General Foreman Tommy Bishop,

Foreman Chuck Marshall

and Crews,

Gulf Power Co.

General Foreman Richard

Hilliard and Crews,

Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc.

General Foreman Sylvester

Roberson, Permissions Person

Jesse Lawson and Crew,

Florida Power & Light

Vice President Pat White and

Crews, for donating palms to the

Academy of the New Church in

Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania for Palm

Sunday services,

Lee County Electric Cooperative

IDAHO

Foreman Charlie Matthews,

Trimmer Matthew Johnson and

Groundman Scott Syverson,

Kootenai Electric

ILLINOIS

Manager Larry Gauger and

Crews, for achieving over

three million man-hours without

a lost workday,

ComEd

General Foreman Greg Great,

Foremen Arturo Hernandez and

Mike O’Claire, and Journeymen

Adrian Guzman, Bernardo

Guzman, Ismael Guzman, Jose

Jimenez, Herberto Quilo and

Benigno Silva,

ComEd

Permissions Person Mike Nichol,

ComEd

INDIANA

General Foreman Frank Gosnell,

Sr., Foreman Ronald Zike,

Trimmer/Climber Robert

From a letter sent to Supervisor David Fulford of the Will WillisRegion in Colorado commending the work of General ForemanMike Davison, Foreman Mike Darnall and Crew on Delta-MontroseElectric Association property:

These lads were by far the best tree trimmers you’ve ever sent. Theywere not only quick and highly efficient in their work, but also willing to do the work just as we asked, cheerfully and with precisionand care. ... These two men did such a great job that we will not belikely to need them again for some years. If there are any awards forthe best tree service, these two deserve it!

MaryJoy and M. Joyce Martin

From a letter to Manager Larry Gauger in Illinois congratulatinghis region for achieving over three million man-hours without a lost workday on ComEd property:

... This is a significant accomplishment for you and your organization. Asplundh, on the ComEd property, has historicallyperformed well in the area of safety. This most recent accomplishmentfurther validates your commitment to maintaining a safe work force,and an overall safe operation. ... As you know, safety is paramountat Exelon, and your positive contribution is recognized.

John Costello, Sr., Vice President, Exelon Energy Delivery


Phillips and Groundman

Anthony Burton,

Southeastern Indiana REMC

General Foreman Steve

Swartzell, Permissions Person

Mark Morrow and Foreman

Tommie Lusk, for a presentation

they made to third grade students

and for donating trees and mulch at

Jefferson Elementary School in

South Bend,

NIPSCO

KANSAS

Railroad Division Spray

Operator Dub Erwin,

Kansas Army Ammo Plant

Foremen Terry Hamilton and

Robert Hildreth,

Westar Energy

Foreman Donald Harvey and

Apprentice Clinton Brookshire,

for coming to the aid of a resident

who collapsed in his backyard,

Westar Energy

Foreman Steve Jimmerson and

Apprentice Jose Escobar,

Aquila

LOUISIANA

Supervisor Kenny Cuevas,

General Foreman Norris Frazier,

Foremen Charles Bynog and

Paul Taylor, Climber John

Johnson and Groundman

Roland Autrey, for their help in

removing trees from the “Right to

Play” playground,

AEP/SWEPCO

Foreman Melvin Miller and

Journeyman Michael Miller,

Dixie Electric Membership Corp.

Work Planner Joe O’Brien,

Foreman Porfidio Rosales and

Trimmer Martine Rosales,

AEP/SWEPCO

MASSACHUSETTS

General Foreman Ken Miron,

Foremen Nil Lange and Rob

Watkins and Apprentices Kiel

Breault and John Castine,

National Grid

MINNESOTA

Foremen Jess Paulson and Jason

Young, and Trimmers Russell

Mongan and Jody Paulson,

Dakota Electric

Foremen Jess Paulson and Jason

Young, and Trimmer C.W. Dean,

Dakota Electric

Foreman Jarrod Schiltz and

Apprentice Adam Knowlton,

Xcel Energy

MONTANA

Foreman Dan Clark and

Trimmer Tom Landry,

Northwestern Energy

NEW HAMPSHIRE

General Foreman Steve Plante,

Foremen Jeff Fellows, Chaz

Kushnir, Rich Milburn

and Brock Mitchell, and

Trimmer Scott Gagne,

Public Service Co. of NH

NEW JERSEY

General Foreperson Trish

Coulter and Foremen Ariel

Gonzalez, Douglas Vineyard and

Bobby Whisting, for helping a

driver whose car had broken down

near their work site,

Conectiv/Atlantic Electric

NEW YORK

Manager Brian Fuge, Permissions

Person Darrin Petroro and Crews,

Long Island Power Authority

NORTH CAROLINA

General Foreman Chris Creed

and Crews,

Duke Energy

Foremen Brandon Davis,

Brian McManamon, Nick

Richardson, Kevin Ryan and

Jeff Shockey,

Progress Energy

Foreman Sandy Jarvis,

Trimmer/Climber Kevin Wood

and Journeyman Alex Ramirez,

EnergyUnited

General Foreman Jesse McClure

and Foreman Doug Sides,

for safely helping a driver to

change a tire,

Duke Energy

Permissions Person Tommy

Satterfield and Crew,

EnergyUnited

Permissions Person Tommy

Satterfield, Foreman Philip

Williams and Crew,

EnergyUnited

Foreman Pierre Thys and Crew,

Duke Energy

OHIO

Foreman Steve Call and Crew,

AEP

Journeyman Mickey Carman,

Ohio Department of Agriculture

General Foreman Jim Dunaway,

Foremen Fred Hammonds, Bob

Reed, Jeff Tackett and Daniel

Williams, and Trimmers Jeff

Hubbard and Ken Newsom, for

returning a stolen purse they found

near their job site,

AEP

General Foreman Greg Parkinson

and Foreman Ronald Painter, for

their help with a security light at

Hopewell Methodist Church,

AEP

General Foreman Greg Parkinson,

Foreman Ronald Painter,

Climber David Griffith and

Journeyman William Griffith,

AEP

(two letters received)

General Foreman Clarence

Pontius, Foreman William

Smith, Jr., and Crew,

FirstEnergy Corp.

General Foreman Ritchie Tuttle,

Foremen Dennis Elkins, Matt

Hall and Jeremy Leightey, and

Trimmer/Climber Josh Morris,

AEP

From a letter to Manager Doug Smith in North Carolina complimenting the work of Foremen Brandon Davis, BrianMcManamon, Nick Richardson, Kevin Ryan and Jeff Shockey onthe property of Progress Energy:

... I just wanted to say how impressed I am with the cooperation, attitude and general approach of all the members of the crew. The head of the group listened to my concerns about the trees withrespect and complete attention. ... In addition, they went beyond the “job description” in taking down some dying/dead trees on our property that were in the area of the lines, but now activelyblocking them. ... I just wanted to go on record with how impressedI was (as were our neighbors) with the general approach andactions of this group of workers.

Nell Kriesberg

From a letter from the Maysville Police Department commendingForemen William Carnell and Calvin Haynes, III and GroundmanJoseph Townsend of the Dan Thurston Region in Oklahoma:

I received a call about a traffic accident on Highway 74, north ofMaysville. [When I arrived at the accident,] I noticed that threemen were helping the injured parties and directing the safe flow of traffic around the accident. ... All three men stayed until theaccident investigation was complete and then they cleaned up theroadway. Their actions to ensure the safety of the injured partiesand the safety of everyone on the roadway reflects great credit onthemselves and the Asplundh Tree Expert Co. ... Thank you forprotecting the safety of those involved and those on the roadway.

Greg Herriman, Chief of Police


General Foreman John Wolfe,

Foreman Bob Brown and Crew,

Cuyahoga Falls Electric System

General Foreman John Wolfe,

Foreman Jeff Hughes,

Groundman Troy Arrington and

Apprentice Larry Groves,

City of Hudson

OKLAHOMA

General Foreman Jack

Benningfield, Foreman

Roger Benningfield and Crews,

AEP/PSO

Foremen William Carnell and

Calvin Haynes, III, and

Groundman Joseph Townsend,

for assisting injured drivers

and directing traffic after a

road accident,

Oklahoma Electric Cooperative

OREGON

Foreman Marvin Carter

and Crew,

Portland General Electric

General Foreman Eric

Cunningham, Foreman

Gerry Erickson and

Journeyman Ian Powell,


General Foreman Eric

Cunningham, Foreman Jason

Woosley, Trimmer Al Bean and

Journeyman Wayne Worden,


PENNSYLVANIA

Supervisor Lisa Altmiller in the

Customer & Field Liaison

Department at the Home Office,

for eight years of dedicated service,


General Foreman John Lacy,

Foreman Keith Dibler and

Journeymen Victor Ayala, Jack

Dibler, Steve Eddy and Jason

Readinger, for volunteering their

time to chip tree debris at Hawk

Mountain Sanctuary in Kempton

after a January ice storm,

Pennsylvania Power & Light

General Foreman Claudio Maestri,

PECO Energy

Foremen Doug Palmer, Shaun

Poydence and John Seidel,

Journeymen Dave Bailey, Jim

Douglas, and Bud Duncan, and

Apprentice Al Cramer,

Duquesne Light Company

Alfredo Munoz and Florencio

Santillan, and Crews,

TXU Electric Delivery

Foreman Mario Hernandez

and Crew,

Garland Power & Light

General Foreman Jerry

Kensinger and Crews, for their

work at the Mansion on Turtle

Creek in Dallas,


Supervisor Ezekiel Klomp,

General Foreman Glen

Garner and Crews,

Austin Energy

General Foreman Keith McAnear

and Foreman Antonio Resendiz,

TXU Energy

General Foreman Tony Morales,

TXU Energy

General Foreman Frank Perez,

Foreman Eric Diaz and

Journeyman Antonio Garza,

Texas-New Mexico Power Co.

General Foreman Javier

Trevino, Foreman Daniel Castillo

and Trimmer Omar Garcia,

AEP

VIRGINIA

Supervisor Robbie Adkins,

General Foreman Ronald King,

Foreman Mark Dodd and

Trimmer/Climbers Keith Goff

and Larry Morehead, for

donating mulch to the Timberlake

Christian Schools in Forest,

AEP

General Foreman Darwin

Beahm, Foremen William

Hosaflook, Jerry Oats,

Edwin Peters and John Sager,

and Crews,

Harrisonburg Electric Company

Foreperson Lori Cash and Crew,

Virginia DOT

Foreman Anthony Florow and

Trimmer/Climbers James

Stephens and Corey Willis,

AEP

From a letter to Supervisor Robbie Adkins in the Larry KirkRegion in Virginia thanking him and his crews for their donationto the Timberlake Christian Schools:

I want to extend our deepest gratitude to the Asplundh Tree ExpertCo. for all of the mulch your company has continued to donate toour campus preschool and kindergarten. ... The generosity of yourcompany has saved us hundreds of dollars for the safety and beautification of our playgrounds. ... Our firm belief is for ourschools to offer a service to the parents and businesses in our community. We appreciate it when we are on the receiving end ofthis belief as well.

Randl J. Spear, Ed.D., Superintendent

From a letter to the Mick Kavran Region in Washington thankingForeman Gary Gast, Journeyman Paea Ngauamo and GroundmanDavid Lane for a successful job for the Clark County PUD:

... Their attention to safety was apparent throughout the four daysthey were here. ... Customer satisfaction is obviously a very highpriority as well. ... They left the site clean and accommodated mywishes more than I could have expected. Their respect for the environment was also apparent. ... I had the opportunity to speak toquite a few number of neighbors, motorists, bicyclists, joggers andpeople who were just plain curious and many of them commentedto me on the professionalism of this crew. ... Many thanks, andcongratulations to your crew on a job well done!

Victor Dobyns

TENNESSEE

General Foreman Troy Ball,

Foremen David Duncan and

Daniel Loftin, Trimmer/

Climbers Thomas Beck and

Robert Haney, and Groundman

James Mullins,

Cleveland Utilities

General Foreman Bill Pomeroy,

for coming to the aid of a stranded

traveler in Bucks County,

PECO Energy

RHODE ISLAND

General Foreman R. Michael

Seward, for inviting John Cookson

and Michael Sikora from National

Grid to participate in his First Aid,

CPR and driver training program,

National Grid

SOUTH CAROLINA

General Foreman Leonard

Hughes, Foreman Daniel Marsh

and Groundman Adrian Swaney,

Duke Energy

Foreman Stoney Pendergrass, for

risking his life in order to save the

lives of others in a house fire near

his work site,

Cleveland Utilities

General Foreman Andrew Steel

and Crews,

Rockwood Electric Utilities

TEXAS

General Foremen Robert

Barrios, Reymundo Hernandez

and Jake Kitzmiller, and Crews,


General Foremen Charles Harris

and Jerry Kensinger, Foremen

Jose Enriquez, Javier Lara,


General Foreman Daniel Kidd

and Crews, for helping the

Greenvale School in Roanoke hang

signs for a fundraiser,

AEP

General Foreman Neil Moore

and Crews,

AEP

Foreman Robert Vorous

and Crew,

Dominion Virginia Power

WASHINGTON

Permissions Person Steve Bruffy,

Foreman Richard Lloyd,

Trimmer Eric Force and

Groundman Tomas Cruz,

Puget Sound Energy

General Foreman Reggie

Charlesworth, Foremen Steve

Chase, Alan Doney, Dennis

Erspamer, Gary Gast, Pat

Hartley and Sione Ngauamo,

Trimmer/Climber Brent

Larwick, Journeymen John

Eiseman, Don Erspamer,

Gerald Tabor and Paea Ngauamo,

Groundmen John Buffington

and David Lane, and Apprentice

Aram McTay,

Clark County PUD

Foreman Dennis Erspamer

and Crew,

Clark County PUD

Foreman Gary Gast, Journeyman

Paea Ngauamo and Groundman

David Lane,

Clark County PUD

Foreman Mark Johnson,

Climber Ed Tarantino and

Groundman Monte Peterson,

Snohomish County PUD

(two letters received)

General Foreman Roy Kaufman,

for graciously donating his time

and energy to chip branches for

the Wildlife Botanical Gardens

in Vancouver,

Avista Corp

General Foreman Richard Lloyd,

Trimmer Eric Force and

Groundman Tomas Cruz,

Snohomish County PUD

Foremen Mike Meloni and Crew,

Seattle City Light

Foreman Sione Ngauamo and

Journeymen Paea Ngauamo and

Gerald Tabor,

Clark County PUD

STORM WORK

General Foreman Chris Pratt

and Crews (TX), for coming to the

aid of the residents in the town of

Monroeville after Hurricane Ivan

last September,

Alabama Power Co.

General Foremen Robert Forell,

Jesus Guadalupe, Chuck Hess,

William Neiman and Anthony

Pinelli, and Crews (PA), for

putting in long days in high

temperatures and humidity

away from their families after

Hurricane Dennis,

Gulf Power Co. (FL)

General Foreman Richard

Holt, Foremen Alfred Richardson

and Tim Underwood, and

Journeymen Norman Gormley,

Domingo Ramirez and Robert

Richardson, for their professional

demeanor and outstanding

workmanship when clearing

debris which had fallen during the

three Hurricanes that hit Sanford

last year,


General Foreman James Rhodes,

Foremen Stephen Gipson, Sr.

and Kenneth Jordan, and

Trimmer Orrin Weiss, for

removing tree limbs from an

elderly couple’s house after

Hurricane Dennis in July,

Gulf Power Co. (FL)

Foreman Carl Collins and

Trimmer Jerry Dunlap (OH), for

their hard work during the icy

weather conditions that hit Indiana

last holiday season,

Licking Rural Electric Co-op. (IN)

Foreman Alexander Batres and

Crew, for working in freezing

conditions to trim limbs which fell

on the power lines after a storm,

Potomac Electric Power Co. (MD)

From a letter to the Home Office in Willow Grove, Pennsylvaniathanking General Foreman James Rhodes, Foremen Stephen Gipson, Sr. and Kenneth Jordan and Trimmer Orrin Weiss of theMike Smith Region in Florida:

After Hurricane Dennis, Asplundh employees came by our houseand helped clean-up the broken trees, branches, and other stuffthat threatened the wires on our city lot, as well as our house. Wealso had two trees which fell on our house in back. ... These menwere highly professional and helpful and were so nice to us, afterall we’ve been through. I am 84 and my husband is 85 and in poorhealth. We want to thank them for helping us when we really needed it.

Ray and Helen Mathis

From a letter to the Jeff Duncan Region in Indiana thanking hiscrews for their hard work after a holiday ice storm:

The Energy Cooperative Family of Licking Rural Electrificationwould like to express our gratitude for all of your hard work during the long, icy weather conditions that fell upon us during theChristmas and New Year holidays. To leave your families duringthis time to help a cooperative with an emergency situation isextremely commendable. We appreciate everything you did to helprestore power to our members.

David Potter, President/CEO

WISCONSIN

Foremen Tanner Asplund

and Jason Cawley, and

Apprentices Patrick Koerner

and Brad Resler,

WE Energies

Foreman Scott Blackford

and Journeyman Pete Berelc,

WE Energies

WEST VIRGINIA

Foreperson Michele Clay and

Trimmers Jeff Parsons and

Steve Turley,

AEP

Foremen David Corkhill,

Curtis Hanshaw and

Jason Pringle, and Crews,

AEP

Permissions Person Sammy Roy,

for assisting a driver who was

trapped inside her vehicle after she

lost control and drove her car over

an embankment and into a tree,

Allegheny Power

General Foreman Tim Guetzke,

Foreman Jay Hafemeister and

Journeyman Rahn Mihelich,

WE Energies

Foreman Rick Reed and

Journeyman Tom Bianchi,

WE Energies

Permissions Person Joanna

Rogers, Foremen Tanner

Asplund and Jeff Thieme, Jr.,

and Journeyman Dave Kieffer,

WE Energies

General Foreman Bob Swanson

and Journeyman Joe Ropiak,

WE Energies


Crews & News

30-Year Watches

L o n g e v i t y — O v e r 5 0 Ye a r s o f S e r v i c e !

� On June 9, Foreman Wayne Sterling (second from R) was recognizedat a regional general foremen’s meeting for 30 years of dedicated service.Asplundh Manager Kelly Runkle (L), Cinergy/PSI Coordinator PaulZurcher (second from L) and General Foreman Roger Zurcher (R) presented Wayne with a specially-engraved watch to mark his achievement.Wayne began his career with Asplundh in March 1975, working as agroundman on Cinergy property. His positive attitude and can-do spirithelped him reach foreman level. Wayne currently oversees a crew working on the Cinergy/PSI transmission system in southwest Indiana.

� Vice PresidentTom Leverentz (R)was proud to present GeneralForeman NorrisFrazier (secondfrom R) ofLouisiana with aspecially-engravedwatch to mark his30th anniversarywith Asplundh. Also on hand wereCarl Matthews (L)and Danny Salter (second from L) ofAmerican ElectricPower (AEP), whoextended their

gratitude to Norris for all of his hard work over the years. Starting hiscareer with Asplundh in November 1973 as a groundman, Norrisquickly built a reputation as a go-getter. In 1998, he was promoted togeneral foreman, overseeing crews on AEP property in and aroundShreveport, Louisiana, a role in which he continues to excel to this day.

� A surprise party was thrown in Tom Anderson’s (back L) honor forachieving 50 years of service to Asplundh and Public Service Electric &Gas Company of New Jersey (PSE&G) at the Logan Inn on May 14th.On hand for the event were (clockwise from L) Lucy Arriola, LorraineAnderson and husband Tom, Vice President Martin Arriola, retiredDirector of Field Personnel Mike Lynch and his wife, Mary. Also inattendance for Tom’s special night were (not shown) PSE&G Manager,Vegetation Management Rich Wolowicz, New Jersey Shade Tree Federation Executive Director Bill Porter, Bob Lee of Jersey CentralPower & Light, retired Chairman of the Board Carl Asplundh, Jr. andretired Vice President Harold Selvey, among others. Some of the highlightsof the evening included a presentation by Martin Arriola that shared manyanecdotes about the guest of honor, as well as an audio-visual showhighlighting Tom’s career with Asplundh and the “Top 10 Reasons toWork for Another 50 Years”. A great time was had by all!

� Loyalty and longevity are two words to describe Wally Anketell(center) and his 55-years with Asplundh. ACC Vice President FrankGiordano (L) and ATE Manager Brian Fuge (R) took Wally out to lunchin June, presenting him with a specially-engraved pocket watch andclock to commemorate his remarkable service milestone. Wally startedout in April 1950 as a trainee tree trimmer on Long Island Lighting Co.(LILCo) property in New York, where he remained his entire career.Eventually, Wally worked his way up to foreman, and both Frank andBrian got their start on his crew. He decided to retire in March 2000;however, retirement didn’t last long for Wally. Just two months later, he rejoined Asplundh, this time as a flagperson on KeySpan Energyproperty (formerly LILCo). After 55 years with Asplundh, Wally hasmore than earned a sincere thank you from all who have been associatedwith him throughout his long career.

� May 7 BasicClimbing School—

Operational TrainingSupervisor John

Terault, Jr., GeneralForepersons Ed Cote

and Sean MacPheehelped fellow

employees from theRalph Guadagno

Regions of Vermont,Massachusetts andNew Hampshire to

improve their climbing and aerialrescue skills. David

Town, Logan Stone, Nathan Lyonnais, Roger Sawyer, Ryan Marsh andChris Carrier all volunteered their time on what would have been a

Saturday off to perfect their skills.


� July Forepersons’ School—On July 6-7, the Carl Junghans Regionsof Connecticut and Massachusetts hosted a forepersons’ school for newand experienced forepersons, as well as up and coming employees whohave demonstrated leadership potential. The two-day school, led byOperational Training Supervisor John Terault, Jr., General ForepersonsSteve Bennett, Roger Brisson and Shawn Giroux, Permissions Person FranDemerski and Foreperson Pete Wicklund, focused on all the essentialinformation a foreperson should know in order to be successful. Theattendees of the school were: Todd Clark, Matt Dupuis, Raul Garcia, ChrisGouin, Jay Jolley, Edward Smith, Carrol Spaulding and Nicholas Webster.

� July ASTP—During the week of July 11-15, the Asplundh SupervisoryTraining Program was held at the Home Office in Willow Grove. Led byField Personnel Manager of Training and Development Ryan Swier, thegraduates were (back row, L to R): Tom McKinney, Virginia; Eric Cunningham, Oregon; Brian Tompkins, New York; Greg Lamb, SouthCarolina; and Geoff Lorah, Virginia. In the front row were (L to R):Donnie Shockley, North Carolina; Johnny Burns, Ohio; Dave Kingsbury, Illinois; Terry McFarlan, West Virginia; David Gonzalez,Arizona; and Bob Pappas, Ohio.

� May ASTP—On May 16-20, Ryan Swier, Field Personnel Managerof Training and Development, invited employees to the Home Office inWillow Grove, Pennsylvania to participate in the Asplundh SupervisoryTraining Program. The graduates included (back row, L to R): Ray Walk,Pennsylvania; Maro Valencia, California; Chip Farrington, Michigan;Tim Rounds, Florida; Charles Crosby, Georgia; Wes McKinney, Virginia;Ty Ledford, North Carolina; and David Proctor, Florida. In the front rowwere (L to R): Dwayne Neville, Oklahoma; Roberto Garcia, Illinois; ChrisRychter, Wisconsin; Ron Hatter, Kansas; Mike Clark, Texas; Brian Porter,South Carolina; Brian Fooks, Delaware; and Armando Valdez, California.

� April ASTP Graduates—Fourteen employees from 11 states and oneCanadian province were invited to the Home Office in Willow Grove,Pennsylvania to participate in the Asplundh Supervisory Training Program. Held on April 18-22, the sessions were led by Ryan Swier,Field Personnel Manager of Training and Development. The graduateswere (front row, L to R): Al Kirchner, California; Jeff Eing, Ohio; Brian Hinds, Massachusetts; Jeff Elliott, Delaware; Mitch Oldham,British Columbia, Canada; Jose M. Garcia, Texas; and Scott Thompson,Alabama. In the back row were (L to R): Saul Mancera, Illinois; JuanBarajas, Pennsylvania; Bladimir Cardenas, Florida; Cliff Rasberry, III,Alabama; Robert Wood, North Carolina; Scott Kemna, Virginia; andAlberto V. Torres, Texas.

� June ASTP—Field Personnel Manager Ryan Swier once again invitedemployees from across the country to the Home Office in Willow Grove toattend the Asplundh Supervisory Training Program. Held June 13-17, theattendees were (front row, L to R): Imber Hernandez, Texas; Elijah Gilliam,Jr., Ohio; Larry Spargur, Pennsylvania; Greg Hudson, North Carolina;Scott Leonard, Kansas; Terry Rosenburg, Illinois; Brian Graver, Florida;and Frank Gosnell, Sr., Indiana. In the back row were (L to R): DavidChapman, Kentucky; Bryan Buckner, Louisiana; Todd Dawson, Indiana;Keith Lewis, Louisiana; Jeremiah Sparacio (UTS), California; JonathanBurns, Florida; James Rowland, Georgia; and John Rolinksi, Michigan.

Training Times


� (L to R)Joshua, 4, Ben,19 months, and

Nathan, 5, are thehandsome children

of Foreman JeffGreene and hiswife, Julie. The

boys love thattheir dad gets to

drive a “bigorange truck” at

work, and theyalways keep an eyeout for Asplundh trucks when they’re out and about town. Jeff works in

the Wilmer McWhirter Region on Georgia Power property in Augusta.

� Congratulations to Kristen Dowdy, who graduated from DodgeCounty High School on May 20. Kristen, along with being a member of thehomecoming court andprom queen, also graduatedwith honors. She is nowattending Middle GeorgiaCollege, studying to becomean anesthesiologist assistant.Her proud father, FreddyDowdy, is a general foremanwho oversees crews forGeorgia Power and variousmunicipal and investor-ownedaccounts in the WilmerMcWhirter Region.

� Joshua, the cute littleguy with the big blue eyes,became the latest addition

to the Wilcox clan onDecember 1, 2004.

Weighing 9 lbs., 2oz. at birth (WOW!), he joins

Mom Laura, Dad Jeff andsix-year-old sister Nicole.Laura, an administrative

assistant in the Gene BlountRegion, helps keep the

Detroit, Michigan office running smoothly.

� Ken and Kristie Barnes welcomed Kenadee Alexis

with open arms on December 28, 2004. The

19-1/2", 6 lb., 3.9 oz.Kenadee has three older

sisters to play with. Ken isa foreman in the WilmerMcWhirter Region, and

oversees a crew in theCentral Region of Georgia

Power property.

Family Album

� Adorable Madison is the first child of Colleen andMichael Wlotko. Born January10, she weighed 7 lbs., 15 oz. and was 22" long. Colleen is aclaims examiner in the Risk Management Department of theHome Office, where she’s worked for the past five years.

� James and TerriWilliams are proud tointroduce their first child,Branden James. Brandenjust celebrated his firstbirthday on September 20.James is a general foreman in the Pat White Region in Florida,overseeing crews onGainesville RegionalUtilities property.

� Beautiful Pilimilose VaiataNgauamo was born on May 17

to delighted first-time parentsPaea and Hilda. The smiling

newborn was a healthy 9 lbs., 3 oz. at birth (WHOA!),

measuring 21.5" long. Paea is a trimmer on Clark County

PUD property in Vancouver, Washington in the Mick

Kavran Region.

� “Orange blood”is certainly coursing throughthe veins of JeffBlevins of ChinaGrove, North Carolina. Jeff’sfather and severalof his family members workedfor Asplundh overthe years, and he has many fondchildhood memories

of his family’s pride in their work and of the “big orange truck” he and his father used to clean and polish together on the weekends. Toshow everyone what a big part of his life Asplundh has been, Jeff had a customized license plate with “Asplundh” on it created for his truck.


Lift Schools

� San Jose,California—DoYOU know theway to SanJose? If not, you could havefollowed the“Dirt Buzzard”there on April 1.Greg Homillerlanded in theMike EnglishRegion tospread the word

on the importance of proper aerial lift safety and inspections. The crews,overseen by Supervisor Jerry Baker and General Foremen Oscar Avilesand Dave Bloch, work for Pacific Gas & Electric Co. throughout Northern California.

� Laurel, Mississippi—Greg got the chance to teach his Aerial LiftInspection course to more employees from the Mike Smith Region thefollowing day. On March 5, the “Dirt Buzzard” shared his knowledgewith General Foremen Buddy Chambers, Marty Harper, Dennis Middleton and Jimmy Spicer and crews in Laurel, Mississippi. Thesefolks can be found working on the properties of Columbus Light &Water, Entergy and Mississippi Power.

� Hammond, Louisiana—On Friday, March 4, Equipment Trainingand Inspection Supervisor Greg Homiller began his two-day tour of theMike Smith Region. Crews in Hammond, Louisiana got their chance tolearn proper lift inspection techniques and safety practices from one of thebest sources in the industry, the “Dirt Buzzard”. These crews work underSupervisor Andrew Anthony on the utility properties of Central LouisianaElectric Company, Dixie Electric Membership Corp. and Entergy.

� Crystal Lake, Illinois—Greg Homiller conducted a second AerialLift Inspection class in the Larry Gauger Region on June 29 in CrystalLake, Illinois. Supervisor Mark Sanders, General Foremen Greg Great,Brian Huffhines, Jim Hudgin, John Jones, Mark Lohse, Rafael Perez,Kurt Pilz, Terry Rosenburg, Ron Tardio and Jim Winder and crews wereeager to learn proper lift safety and inspection skills from the “Dirt Buzzard” himself.

� Lombard, Illinois—On June 28, the “Dirt Buzzard” flew to Lombard,Illinois to visit our Asplundh co-workers in the Larry Gauger Region.Held at the ComEd Glen-Bard office, Greg Homiller taught his AerialLift Inspection course to crews under Supervisors Jeff Ness, Art Perezand Joe Sterbenz. All work on the property of ComEd.

� Stockton, California—Equipment Training and Inspection Supervisor Greg Homiller stayed an additional day in the “GoldenState” to present his Aerial Lift Inspection course to as many MikeEnglish Region employees as possible. On April 2, Greg met withSupervisor Marc Salvatore and his crews at the Stockton yard to helpeveryone there improve their lift inspection and safety techniques.These crews work on the utility properties of Sacramento MunicipalUtility District and Pacific Gas & Electric Co.

Double-headers aren’t just for baseball anymore! EquipmentTraining and Inspection Supervisor Greg Homiller packed hisrecent regional visits with back-to-back training sessions. Enjoy!


Sportsmen’s Corner� Eleven-year-oldDustyn Thoney certainlyoutfished the competitionthis past winter. On Februrary 5, he and hisfather Daniel spent fourhours on a frozen lake inIron County, Michigan,competing in an all-agesice fishing derby. Dustyn’s12-1/8" perch took the topspot and his 11-7/8" catch tied for second.Daniel, who works in the Joe Schneider Regionon Wisconsin Public Service Corporation property, couldn’t havebeen prouder of his son’s accomplishment.

� Dave Powers couldn’t waitto show the readership of The

Asplundh TREE magazine theone that didn’t get away. Dave,

a handyperson in the HomeOffice Maintenance Departmentand an avid fisherman, caught this impressive 6 lb., 22" long

bass on May 22 at a pond inHuntington Valley, Pennsylvania.

Using a new rod and reel hereceived as a PRIME award,

and a plastic worm lure madefor him by IT Database

Administrator Paul Wiley,Dave was just about to give upon fishing for the day when the

big one decided to bite. Afterposing with “Bubba” for the

camera, Dave released the bass back into the pond, perhaps to becomesomeone else’s “big catch” story!

� Volunteer Spirit Lights UpBallfield—When several lightbulbs over the Ainsworth Ball

Association’s baseball field burntout, the group wasn’t sure how

they would reach the bulbs toreplace them. When word of the

problem reached the Kevin DoveRegion in Iowa, Foremen Kevin

Shultz, Brycen Woltering and Tim Woltering immediately

donated their time to help out.Using an aerial lift truck, the men

easily replaced the burnt outbulbs. The association later sent a letter thanking Manager Kevin

Dove and his workers for helpingtheir small community with such

a big task.

� Foreman Aids Local FireStation—Foreman MikeGoriesky of the Joe SchneiderRegion spent one of his daysoff last May helping spruce upthe exterior of the Iron CountyFire Department in Iron River,Michigan. With the help of an aerial lift truck, Mikerepainted the station’s flag pole.In addition to volunteering histime as a firefighter in IronCounty, Mike also makes timeto inspect the fire extinguishersin his region to keep them up tocode. Thanks, Mike, for helpingAsplundh employees put safetyfirst on and off the job!

� Florida Crew Cares Enoughto Help United Way—GeneralForeman Mike Venezia, Foreman Gary Miller, Jr. andGroundman Jason Quinn of thePat White Region donated theirtime to the Arnette House inOcala, Florida during the UnitedWay’s “Day of Caring” on February 2. The Arnette Houseserves as a temporary shelterfor troubled and neglected 10- to 17-year-olds in MarionCounty. Sumter Electric Cooperative, Inc. had alreadyvolunteered to help the shelterduring the “Day of Caring,”and asked Asplundh for helppruning several trees aroundthe shelter that were damagedby last year’s hurricanes.Thanks to Mike and his crew,the Arnette House continues tobe a safe and welcoming placefor those in need.

� Florida Crew“Egg”cels inSafety—MikeSmith Region

General ForemanJim Rhodes

and ForemenHiram Petty and

Mike Citarellaunselfishly gaveseveral hours of

their personaltime this past

spring to assistthe Saint Rose of

Lima CatholicChurch in Milton, Florida. The church had hoped to host an Easter

egg hunt on their festival grounds, but after several trees were damaged by Hurricane Ivan they thought they might have to cancel the event due to unsafe conditions. Jim and his crew gladly trimmedhanging limbs out of the trees and removed several storm-damagedtrees from the church grounds. Thanks to their efforts, the children

from the church enjoyed a fun and safe Easter egg hunt.

Community Service


Awards & Rewards

On the Job

� Xcel Energy RewardsWillis Region Foreman—Foreman Sherman Gossett

(center), who works onXcel Energy property in

Lubbock, Texas, waschosen by the utility as

the “Foreman of theYear” for 2004. Sherman

was selected for his outstanding achievementin productivity, training,equipment maintenance,

crew professionalism and positive attitude. Along with a certificate,gift card, time off with pay and a jacket with “Foreman of the Year” on

it, Sherman was also taken out to dinner and toasted for a job welldone by (L to R), Xcel Energy Director of Vegetation Management Jim

Downie, Asplundh Supervisor David Fulford, Vice President WillWillis, Trimmer Joel Poe, Vice President/Sponsor Keith Asplundh and

Xcel Energy Vegetation Management Coordinator David Wall.

� Special Project Handled With Safety in Mind—In January, HolyokeGas & Electric Vegetation Manager Jan Zwirko arranged to have a 115 kV line in this Massachusetts municipality de-energized and groundedso that Asplundh crews from the Carl Junghans Region could safely trim out the conductors. The project called for six Asplundh crews (sixscissor lifts and one manual crew) under the direction of Supervisor Dan Duncan and General Foreman Barry Croke.

� Crew of theMonth Has Plentyto Smile About—Foreman LynnDawn Wiseman(L) and TrimmerGeno Spriggs (R)of the Dave SachsRegion in Ohioearned theregion’s first“Crew of theMonth” award inMarch. Based oncriteria tabulated

from the Foreman’s Monthly Tracker, Lynn and Geno’s commitment to safety, production, customer service, equipment maintenance andaccurate paperwork put them above the competition. Along with a pat onthe back from their Supervisor Keith Confere, Lynn and Geno received t-shirts (shown above) that let everyone know they’re number one! � The Buzz is Over

Safety First ... No OneGets Hurt!—What would

have been a simple trimming job for Foreman

Josue Tinoco (R) andJourneyman Cruz Pineda

(L) of the Tom LeverentzRegion, turned into a

tricky ordeal when theyrealized that the TXU

Electric Delivery powerlines ran through a bee

keeper’s property. Regional Safety

Superintendent IgnacioVazquez sent in this

picture of the two workers geared up and

ready to start the job in their bee suits. There were about 10 hive boxesbelow the power lines, which were home to a mix of Native and African

bees. The noise and the movement of the foliage near the hives causedthe bees to become aggressive. If the workers did not have the protection

from the suits they would have surely gotten stung multiple times.

� Texas Crew Takes Top Honors—Foreman James Evans (L) andTrimmer Chris Lathey (R) of theWill Willis Region became the XcelEnergy “Crew of the Quarter” forthe first quarter in 2005. Xcel Energy bestowed this honor on thecrew for their overall excellence in job performance, attitude, production, quality of work, safetyand equipment maintenance. Jameshas been with Asplundh for fouryears, and Chris recently joined the company in 2004. This crewworks out of Lubbock, Texas underGeneral Foreman Butch Lathey.

� Georgia Crew Recognized for Excellence—Everyyear, Georgia Powerevaluates the contractorcrews working on their property and recognizesthose who have excelledin safety, productivity,quality of work, andperformance over thecourse of a 3-4 yearcycle. Wilmer McWhirterRegion Foreman KenBarnes (R) was chosenas the “Foreman of theYear” and TrimmerRonnie Bell (L) was

recognized for overall excellence. Georgia Power Forester StephenScarborough proudly presented plaques to Ken and Ronnie for theirhard work in the Central Region.


here are many ways that Asplundh

participates in the events of the vegetation

management and utility industries. Whether

it be the Trees and Utilities conference hosted

by the National Arbor Day Foundation and

the Utility Arborist Association, or the

conventions of the Edison Electric Institute

and National Rural Electric Cooperative

Association, Asplundh is always involved

with sponsorships and trade show displays.

One of the most important of these

events takes place each summer—the

annual conference and trade show of the

International Society of Arboriculture

(ISA). This is the meeting place for several

great tree-related organizations, including

the non-profit Tree Research and Education

Endowment Fund (TREE Fund).

For 11 years now, Asplundh has

sponsored a golf outing to raise money for

the TREE Fund. To encourage the most

attendance, it has always taken place just

before the ISA’s annual convention which

was held this year at the Gaylord Opryland

Resort and Convention Center in Nashville,

Tennessee. Over the years, more than

$200,000 has been generated for the TREE

Fund by this event and it’s become a fun

tradition for many of the golfers.

This year, to beat the heat, the outing

kicked off at 7:30 in the morning with 85

golfers in attendance, 18 hole sponsors,

breakfast and beverages sponsored by Altec

and an awards luncheon hosted by Terex. We

thank everyone who participated in making

the event an enjoyable and productive way

to support research and education.

Asplundh also sponsored the 14th annual

Tour des Trees bike ride, which concluded

its 450-mile fundraising trek in Nashville,

at the International Tree Climbing

Championship. The money that Asplundh

contributed to the Tour has been earmarked

for use in completing a TREE Fund video

that will encourage high school age students

to consider a career in arboriculture.

The ISA convention was also where the

Utility Arborist Association held an annual

membership meeting. It was at this gathering

that Asplundh Technical Services Manager

Geoff Kempter was honored with the

group’s Education Award. Congratulations!

� Eighty-five fun-loving golfers devoted a beautiful Sunday, August 7th morning to raising money fortree research and education. The winners of the Asplundh-sponsored event are pictured above, outside the clubhouse of the Springhouse Links in Nashville, Tennessee (L to R): Tom Duffy of Sherrill,Inc., Jerry Brown and Ed Dodak of Bandit Industries and David Fleischner, president of Trees,Inc. Many thanks to all the hole sponsors and Terex Utilities for providing the awards luncheon.

� Asplundh was a platinum level sponsor of the 2005 Tour des Trees and Writer/Editor KristinWild of Corporate Communications raised enough in pledges to ride the whole 450-mile tour fromJackson, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. She also assisted with various PR and education events.

� Vice President Gregg Asplundh (L) discusses Asplundh services with Dale

Crutchfield of Dominion Virginia Power during the ISA Trade Show in Nashville. Thisyear the Asplundh display featured a question

and answer slide show on a wide screen plasma TV that was then donated to the

Gala Auction so that it could raise much-needed money for the TREE Fund.

� Women’s International Tree Climbing ChampionshipCompetitor Rebecca Richardson, a foreperson in the KeithErickson Region in Minnesota, was Asplundh’s only representative at the Nashville event this year. She did thecompany proud with her sixth place finish out of 15—and it was her first time in international competition! After finishing her competition Rebecca commented, “It was areally big thing for me to meet other women competitorswho work in the industry. I learned a lot!” Growing up in St.Cloud, Minnesota, Rebecca has always liked climbing treesand is glad to be paid to do it! She has worked for Asplundhfor five years and became a foreperson in 2003. Her crewworks on the property of Xcel Energy.

T

Industry Involvement


2nd Prize - Work Related

1st Prize - Work Related

Winning ShotsFrom Shoot Out 2005

Just when we thought the entries couldn’t get any better than last

year’s Shoot Out, here comes a whole host of top notch shots from

Asplundh employees, family members and customers. Shoot Out

2005 had 55 talented contestants from all over North America who

submitted 245 excellent entries. Our judges had their work cut out for

them, trying to narrow it down to a total of only eight winning shots!

We in Corporate Communications thank all who entered, as well as

our three judges who were so careful in their duties—Photographer

Mark McCaron from Kerper Studio in Philadelphia and Corporate

Safety Engineer Victor Sirvydas and Vice President Steven Asplundh

from the Home Office in Willow Grove.

Congratulations to these Shoot Out 2005 winners:

� In the Work Related category, the first place winner out of 130

entries was District Engineering Technician Mike Sofka of American

Electric Power in West Virginia. Second prize went to General Foreman

Reggie Charlesworth of the Mick Kavran Region in Washington

and our third place winner was Line Clearance Coordinator Keith

Ellison of Snohomish County PUD in Washington. Honorable

Mention went to Compliance Officer Ken Sims of the Martin Arriola

Region in Louisiana.

� In the Nature category, the first place winner out of 115 entries

was Pat Marx, wife of Fleet General Manager Ed Marx of the Home

Office in Willow Grove. Second place honors went to Consenter

Wayne Clark of the John Moir Region in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,

and the third place prize winner was Susan Ethridge, sister of Foreman

Ken Mann of the Will Willis Region in Arizona. Honorable Mention in

this category went to General Foreman Shawn Giroux of the Carl

Junghans Region in Massachusetts.

Most of these talented photographers have been awarded CASH

(one size fits all, you know) as their prize. However, third place winner

Keith Ellison was not able to accept the cash prize due to the utility’s

business ethics policies. Keith graciously decided to have his prize

divided equally amongst the remaining five winners. That means our

first, second and third place contestants each earned $165, $115 and

$90, respectively. Honorable Mention winners received a $40 gift

certificate from Cabela’s. We send Keith our special thanks and

recognition of his achievement and generosity!

Once again, we encourage all of our readers to get those cameras

shooting now so you’ll have a nice set of entries for next year’s Shoot

Out. And don’t forget to check out Asplundh’s 2006 wall calendar

where more excellent Shoot Out 2005 entries are featured.

The rolling green hills of Ohio County, West Virginiaprovide a lush working environment for Foreman EdSlone, who spent three days clearing limbs from an AEPdistribution line damaged by high winds in July.

—Mike Sofka, Wheeling, West Virginia

Lightning struck this huge Douglas fir, splitting it and causing it to smolder and burn from within. The tree had to be carefully

removed due to its proximity to Clark Public Utilities transmission lines and the potential to spread the fire.

—Reggie Charlesworth, Aloha, Oregon

Honorable Mention - Work Related

3rd Prize - Work Related


The mirror-like surface of Bowman Lake reflects the stillness,peace and quiet beauty of a late afternoon hike in GlacierNational Park, Montana.

—Pat Marx, Churchville, Pennsylvania

The contrast between the dark gray skies of a summer storm and the brilliant green andyellow canola fields of Three Hills, Albertacaught Wayne’s eye as he was patrollingATCO Electric power lines in 2004.

—Wayne Clark, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

1st Prize - Nature

2nd Prize - Nature

A rainbow guides crews back to the staging areaat the Daytona International Speedway after ahard day’s work clearing trees downed by Hurricane Charley in August 2004.

—Ken Sims, Sulpher, Louisiana

Miles of blue sky and serene white clouds are allthat surround Foreman Dave Burress as he blocksdown a big Douglas fir in Lynnwood for Snohomish County PUD.

—Keith Ellison, Everett, Washington

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAID

SOUTHEASTERN, PAPERMIT NO. 222International Headquarters

708 Blair Mill Road

Willow Grove, PA 19090

Winning Shots From Shoot Out 2005 continued

3rd Prize - Nature Honorable Mention - Nature

Great timing and patience pay off in Susan’s photo of a baldeagle majestically perched in front of the American flag inHomer, Alaska. This visually-striking image unifies two of theUnited States’ most endearing symbols of freedom.

—Susan Ethridge, Mesa, Arizona

While vacationing near North Truro, Massachusetts, Shawn and hisfamily discovered this camera-friendly hermit crab inching its wayacross the sand, looking for a dry spot after low tide stranded it on asoggy sandbar in Cape Cod Bay.

—Shawn Giroux, East Longmeadow, Massachusetts

autumn 2005 the asplsplundh treeundh tree · crews and by sunday, july 10th when dennis came ashore...

Documents