14 Arbor Age / April 2014 www.arborage.com
SPECIAL FEATURE
SPECIAL FEATURE
B y M i c h e l l e S u t t o n
municipal contract can carry big re-
wards. Perhaps the most obvious is
the high dollar value of the contract.
Also, when residential work is slow
in the winter months, municipal work con-
tinues apace — especially pruning, which
can be lucrative.
"More winter work means more se-
cure employment for our best employees
and helps us retain them," said Rick Han-
nah, manager of the Davey Tree branch in
Cincinnati. "While residential customers are
more driven by aesthetics, municipalities are
more driven by safety and liability — and
they're thinking about that all year long."
Municipal work is also great marketing
for your residential side. "When your trucks
are parked on neighborhood streets, it's free
advertising, and we fi nd that residential refer-
rals follow," said Dan McCarthy, local manager
at Bartlett Tree Experts in Columbus, Ohio.
"Residents rightly think, 'If the city trusts this
company, I can too.'" McCarthy cited another
advantage, that "the city always pays you; you
don't have to chase down your money."
Every great thing has its price. What's the
catch with the municipal market?
Doing the bidding
Perhaps the most diffi cult thing about
working for a municipality is the bidding
process, which varies from city to city in its
rigor but can be intimidating, particularly
for new contractors. Milwaukee Forestry
Services Manager David Sivyer said, "New
contractors have to contend with submittal
documents and comply with special provi-
sions they would never encounter in the
private sector."
For example, Sivyer explained that mu-
nicipalities may require documents such
as bid, payment, and performance bonds
equivalent to the value of the contract. These
bonds protect the city from contractor de-
fault or from claims fi led against the city for
contractor nonpayment of contractor em-
ployees or contractor vendors.
"Contract surety is a cost that contrac-
tors will need to factor into their bid price,"
Sivyer said. "Furthermore, the number and
value of bonds held by contractors may in-
fl uence their ability to obtain fi nancing for
Moving into
the Municipal
Market
Advice from City Foresters and
Commercial Arborists
Municipalities hire on safety, quality, and price. The lowest-cost qualifi ed bidder usually wins
the contract.
A
