City Trees

Asplundh's Origins If you've ever wondered about the family and company name, it means "grove of aspen trees" in Swedish and couldn't have been more appropri- ate for the tree service business founded by three Asplundh brothers on August 28,1928 in Glenside, Pennsylvania. Known for its distinctive fleet of orange trucks, Asplundh focused on providing tree pruning and removal services to electric and telephone utili- ties. Among its earliest customers were Philadelphia Electric Company (now PECO), Pennsylvania Power & Light Company (now PPL Electric Utilities), Public Service Company of New Jersey (now PSE&G), Jersey Central Power & Light Company (a FirstEnergy com- pany), and American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T). The family-owned company, now managed by its third generation, has developed a number of indus- try-accepted innovations over the years. In response to the need for greater safety and better productiv- ity, Asplundh used its "Better Way" philosophy in 1949 to develop the first commercial brush chippers and in 1958, the first fully-insulated aerial lifts to get workers into the trees more efficiently and safely. Asplundh also initiated a joint research project to scientifically demonstrate the safe use of herbicides for vegetation control on rights-of-way. This proj- ect, initiated in 1953, remains active and continues to validate the proper use of herbicides as part of an integrated vegetation management program. Asplundh's tree pruning and line construc- tion resources are often a welcome sight in the wake of severe weather such as hurricanes and ice storms. Nearly every region in the U.S. and Canada has seen the caravans of work trucks and crews, drawn from all around the country, working alongside utility crews to help restore power. Asplundh's experience in clearing trees and brush around live power lines has been recog- nized by electric utility companies as a valued service since the late 1930s when a series of devastating storms ravaged the East Coast of the United States. Asplundh Today Asplundh's operations have expanded geograph- ically to provide routine and emergency vege- tation management, utility infrastructure, and commercial landscaping/snow removal services to over 4,000 clients across the U.S. and Canada, as well as overseas in Australia and New Zealand. With a workforce of more than 35,000 service professionals and a fleet of thousands of pieces of specialized equipment and vehicles, Asplundh's diversified operations have grown to serve a variety of markets and industries. However, the business remains true to the company's name; pruning and removing trees to help maintain reliable power con- tinue to be the core of Asplundh's operations. An "orange army" of 300+ headquarters employees formed up on the front lawn of Asplundh's Willow Grove, PA office for a commemorative 90th anniversary photo. www.urban-forestry.com 27

• Cover