TEAM WORK: “We believe in ‘White Glove’ service,” says Tim Bruchez, ISA Arborist, CTSA, founder of Princeton Tree Care. “That means we show up with a smile, think ahead to make things easy, and leave our clients’ properties better than we found them. At the end of the day, we want them to feel like, ‘Wow — they really cared’.” Shown are members of the Princeton Tree Care team.
By Jean Stratton
“I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree…
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.”
—Joyce Kilmer
Tim Bruchez’s journey to found and head Princeton Tree Care has been filled with intriguing twists and turns.
In some ways, it was serendipity, being in a certain place at a certain moment in time. Along came Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and the moment — unplanned — arrived.
”I didn’t start out planning to have a tree service company,” Bruchez recalls. “I had a successful career in marketing, but even though it involved traveling, I was beginning to think I’d rather not sit at a desk all day.”
Living in Princeton, Bruchez saw all of Sandy’s downed trees and widespread damage, which lasted for weeks and months.
An Impulse
“At the time of Thanksgiving and Black Friday, more than a month after the storm, I happened to see an ad for a chain saw from Home Depot,” he explains.
On an impulse — he didn’t really know how to operate a chain saw — he decided to buy it.
“My son and I went over to Home Depot, got the saw, and on the way home, we noticed a pine tree down on Nassau Street. We checked with the owner, and he agreed to let us cut it up for him.”
And thus, a new business was born!
He and his son continued to find many other downed trees, and this came his daytime job, while he still handled his marketing work at night.
“I found that I really liked the work and being outside,” he says. Then with the help of a friend, he designed a logo and website, and in 2013, Princeton Tree Care was incorporated.
Optimistic and Motivated
“We called it Princeton Tree Care, Princeton’s Premier Tree Service,” he says, with a smile. Of course, he was aware of other tree care companies in the area, but he was very optimistic and motivated. Gradually, he gathered a staff, starting with a “climber” and grounds worker, and by the end of 2013, he had 15 employees. Today, there are 50.
“I had a vision of what I wanted,” he explains, “and of course, I knew I had a lot to learn. I began to educate myself about trees and their care.”
Over the years, he continued his study and research, and became certified as an ISA arborist (a tree doctor), TRAQ (Tree Risk Assessment Qualified), a CTSP (Certified Tree Safety Professional), and a QCL (Qualified Crew Leader, trained to lead a tree care team safely and effectively). These qualifications require continued education to maintain their accreditation.
As he became increasingly involved in his work, it brought back memories of boyhood days when he was growing up in Jackson, and spending time outdoors with his father.
“As a boy, I can remember mowing the lawn with my dad, standing in front of him, ‘helping’ to push the lawn mower. I can remember jumping into the leaf piles and getting buried in fall foliage.
“Climbing trees has always been something that I have found great joy in. Years back, my son, my brother, and some fellow arborists and I took a trip to California to climb a coastal redwood tree. We were joined by ecologists and guides, and they provided us with insights and further appreciation of the majesty of these trees.
150 Feet Up
“One of the most amazing memories I have of that climb — we were well over 150 feet up in the canopy of the redwood — and there was an oak tree growing on a massive redwood limb about 20 feet out from the trunk of the redwood!”
As the company continued to grow, Bruchez emphasized the core values that he had envisioned from the beginning. These include respect, an empowered team, optimistic attitude, learning, and progression.
As he explains, “Respect for yourself, for the team, the clients, and the trees. An empowered team that feels they are an important part of the business has an optimistic attitude.”
Regarding learning and progression, he points out, “Learn with a purpose to allow for growth in actionable items that help in performance as a team member — progression.
“We also focus on building a winning team — a five-step system that starts with trust. When we have trust, we can engage in healthy conflict, which is a vital part of not only work relationships, but all relationships. Through engaging in healthy conflict, we gain commitment to a common cause or goal. With common goals, we are able to hold each other accountable to our commitments. When we do that, we get the best results.”
And, he adds, “We always focus on making each day a little better than the day before.”
Wide Range
Princeton Tree Care provides a wide range of services for trees and shrubs, and work includes residential, commercial, institutional, municipal, property management, and nonprofit projects.
It covers the Princeton area and beyond, including all of New Jersey, and also Bucks County and eastern Pennsylvania.
“We are getting more and more property management business, which includes taking care of all trees, shrubs, etc. on the entire property,” Bruchez reports. “In addition, we do projects of all sizes, from small to large, with a majority focusing on residential service.”
Princeton Tree Care is a full service tree company. Services include health and risk assessments from ISA-certified arborists, plant health care services (organic fertilization, tree injections for disease and pest management, deep root soil treatments, plant growth regulators, etc.), and also tree removal and stump grinding, pruning, bracing, and cabling.
In addition, there is a sister company, Princeton Turf Care, that performs landscape and planting services.
Natural Approach
Soil management is vital to supporting tree health, explains Bruchez. “We can think of trees like herd animals. They do best when they’re surrounded by other trees. They share information and support each other through their roots.
“Trees in the forest benefit from decomposing foliage, and the soil in the forest is loamy and full of nutrients. Soil in the yards around our homes is usually stripped of the same nutritional benefit. Grass pulls moisture and nutrients out of the soil, and the trees are not getting the benefit of decomposing leaves.
“Our natural approach to improving free health is through improving the soil condition for the trees in our yards. We accomplish this through soil treatments that improve soil quality, and when soil quality improves, so does the vigor and health of our plants and trees.”
Now is the time when trees get ready to “go to sleep,” he adds. “Fall is an important time to inspect the trees and prepare them for winter. Winter is when trees store energy and nutrition, so you want to give them nutritional support.
“A certified arborist can spot concerns or problems in the tree structure and provide a plan to proactively take care of those concerns. Winter weather can expose structural weakness in trees, and it is best to have those weaknesses identified and addressed before they are tested.”
“Also,” he continues, “fertilization and soil management programs can assist both young and mature trees as they prepare for winter hibernation. And, contrary to popular belief, winter is the best time to have your trees pruned. Dormant pruning reduces the risk of disease and pest infestation because many pathogens and are inactive in colder weather.”
Day One
His business has changed greatly over the years, reports Bruchez, and it has grown dramatically from those early day in 2013. As he says, “We went from loading all of the tree debris in a landscape trailer 12 years ago to having eight crews that go out daily with equipment that makes the job safer and more efficient.
“From day one, I was focused on my ability to grow the business in a way that provides career opportunities for the employees. This is a physically demanding job, and in the early days, the employees on a tree crew carried all of the debris by hand. That is taxing on the body.
“Back then, we didn’t have the equipment we have today. The equipment we have invested in over the years greatly reduces the physical demands of the workers, extending their time as tree workers. Princeton Tree Care has also grown and evolved in a way that allows crew members to advance in the business into less labor intensive positions, with opportunities in leadership, sales, and safety training.”
“In addition,” he continues, “we have devoted a lot of time and resources into studying the absolute best practices around disease management, which is becoming so vital in the preservation of our trees. Many new diseases and pests that kill our native trees have been introduced in recent years, and knowing how to identify and treat the problems we are facing in our urban landscape has been an ongoing mission of our team. We are absolutely a science-backed tree care service.”
Cost of tree work can be very varied, he explains, and many factors are taken into account.
“The tree’s location, obstructions around the tree, such as a home, pool, other trees, or service lines, etc. are all considerations. Since tree work can be costly, and is sometimes an unplanned expense, we do work with our clients through offering financing options, often with zero interest.”
Princeton Tree Care’s dedication to the health of trees extends to volunteer work as well. As Bruchez points out, each Arbor Day the team donates their time caring for the trees at Greenway Meadows.
Ash Tree Champion
“This involves pruning out dead branches over the picnic area, park, and walking paths, removing dead and hazardous trees, pruning trees for improved health, planting new trees, and various plant health care services throughout the park. The service our team provides each Arbor Day also provides team members with training opportunities to learn new skills outside of the normal flow of production.”
Another volunteer project involves caring for the National White Ash Tree Champion located in Madison. It is the largest and oldest (400 years) in the state, he explains.
All those years ago, when he decided to buy that chain saw, Bruchez knew it was the right decision. The succeeding years have proved that to be true.
“One of my greatest joys is the relationships with the clients that have been forged over the years. Many clients have become friends, and the opportunities we have as joint stewards of their trees has brought me and the team much joy.”
For further information, call (609) 256-6722. Visit the website at princetontreecare.com.