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www.arborage.com Arbor Age / April 2014 17 So what does this mean for contractors who are entering the municipal waters for the fi rst time, besides the knowledge that the cities seek the lowest-price qualifi ed bidder? The city forester has the most discretion with small jobs. Provided you are qualifi ed to do the work, that's one way in the door: make a favorable impression starting with a small assignment. But how to get that fi rst one? Knock, knock Let's assume you have relevant tree care experience in the private sector, adequate liability insurance, and the appropriate pesticide certifi cations. Most city foresters are going to look for ISA Certifi ed Arborists to do their planting, removals, and pruning (they tend to be less insistent for stump grinding). McCarthy also suggests that at least one member of your crew be a TCIA Certifi ed Treecare Safety Professional (CTSP). "The municipalities are very safety-focused, and this is a way to demonstrate that com- mitment," he said. The ISA and TCIA designations are sometimes written into the bid as requirements. Shelley Vescio is city forester for Thunder Bay, Ontario, where many former loggers are starting their own tree care businesses. She wrote ISA certifi cation into her municipal tree bylaw. After she vets newcomers for proper certifi cations, Vescio asks newcomers to do a safety demo for her. Vescio has a great piece of advice: Get involved in community forestry events in the city where you hope to work. "A young arborist volunteered for some EAB events we had on Saturdays," she said. "This gave me a chance to get to know him — his skills and knowledge, but also his personality and how well he com- municates." Vescio said communication skills are really key because sometimes the contract ar- borist has to soothe an agitated homeowner who does not understand the city forester's decisions. "I fi nd that the arborist, as an independent third party, can reassure and soothe and give the homeowner information that I tried to give but they couldn't hear." The arborist has to demonstrate to the city forester that he or she is diplomatic and has a high tolerance for these kinds of interactions. Vescio said something echoed by city foresters everywhere: Be prepared to respond quickly to municipal work requests. "I don't expect arborists to neglect their private work," she said, "but it can't be, 'We'll be in there three weeks,' either. Because of safety concerns, we have to be the priority for the arborist." Be careful not to overreach with your fi rst bids, both in terms of expertise and time. Cothrel has been burned with new bidders, especially in the arena of street tree planting. "We know about how many trees an effi cient crew can plant in one day," he said. "When a new bidder comes in at half the average unit price, their wildly exaggerated expecta- tions are a red fl ag. We've had contractors quit after a day or two when they realize they are in way over their heads, leaving us to scramble for help getting our perishable trees into the ground." For this reason, Cothrel prefers to give newcomers small jobs to test them out. He also looks for companies that he knows through professional activities such as regional ISA events. "If a company leader seems to be educated and sincere, I'm happy to give them a try," he said. He suggests that contractors new to municipal work start out bidding on stump grinding to prove their reliability before graduating to more skilled work such as pruning. Lastly, McCarthy suggests arranging a meeting with the city forester to introduce yourself to him or her. Bring recommendations from residential clients and proof of your good standing with the Better Business Bureau and review services such as Angie's List. Michelle Sutton (michellejudysutton.com) is a horticulturist, writer, and editor. The number one choice of tree care professionals now comes in a liquid. We've combined the most widely used fertilizer in the industry with the most abundant compound on earth. The result? Three Doggett fertilizers that now come in 100% soluble liquids. Arbor 20-0-6 E A complete package with micronutrients and a 50% slow release formulation Fall Arbor 6-12-12 E Stimulates roots without pushing top growth that might not harden before a freeze Palm & Southern Ornamental 8-0-12 E A full complement of a minor element package, including manganese and magnesium With no mechanical agitation necessary, tree care professionals can feed more responsibly and easily than ever with this expanded line from Doggett. It's that simple. the doggett corporation NPK MEETS H2O 800-448-1862 | doggettcorp.com