Last week we  had our quinquennial full reassessment, for the coveted Arboricultural Association Approved Contractor Scheme. It pleases us to say that we sailed straight through, with full approval. This comes as no surprise to us, as we have recently been through a very demanding ISO process. We have some very particular clients, which by meeting their requirements drives us to efficiency perfection. But of course none of this would be possible without the incredible, hardworking, conscientious, highly skilled team we have here. The process is all encompassing and explores all aspects of the functioning business, office systems, our depot, but most importantly our work. We have to...

Tree managers and surveyors have always had to be generally speaking re-active, as when looking at trees we are taught and conditioned to check a tree by looking for defects or symptoms. More often than not the only objective points to a tree survey are structural i.e. cracks, cavities and storm damage. We have lots of reference material available to us regarding the significance of certain pathogens on certain trees, and the outcome "the prescribed work", is still largely based on structural stability or in a broader sense, safety. Normally to see how trees are performing from a physiological point of view, we rely on good observation to see wilting, dieback, or early leaf fall, and...

We have just become the latest Arboricultural Association Approved Contractor (AAAC). Needless to say we are all very proud and pleased to have got through the rigorous audit. The AAAC scheme is unique in that it not only takes into account the usual Health & Safety benchmarking you would find with CHAS or the customer satisfaction benchmarking  you would find with Trust Mark, but it covers in depth, the carrying out of tree work to a very high standard. The assessment also checks that a range of recently completed works have been carried out to British Standards and that we are following industry best practice. The whole process really drills down into how we carry out our...

We are now in our tenth year of trading and to celebrate this milestone we are giving away trees, this way we get to put back rather than take away and leave a growing legacy in the process. To keep it fairly simply we have a limited choice of Silver Birch, Alder Mountain Ash also known as Rowan. We have chosen these types as they are "pioneers" and grow on most soil types and in most conditions they are small bare root saplings during this planting season but we will have cell grown plants available for planting year round. We supply it you plant it, with your kids, your grandkids, watch it grow, and improve your environment. Grow some air and suck up some carbon, its never a bad...

The worst of the winter weather is upon us and the trees are taking a pounding.  Tree owners need to be proactive with their tree management, when was the last time you had your trees looked at by a professional? If its been a while you should at least have a closer look, if they are large or in a high risk area e.g. next to a road or neighbours conservatory then you really should consider getting them inspected. What to look for Before going underneath the crown check nothing has broken off and liable to fall on you. Look for cracks running along the length of branches these are called "hazard beams" and can be the last warning before they fail. Look for really tight forks or...

We have been tirelessly working towards improving the way we operate, all of what we do is effected by how we do it. Any efficiency is a positive step towards quality and ultimately customer service, every function is analysed and monitored. Each function linked together becomes a process and the process is what makes us measured, consistent and constantly improving. Quality of service is a paramount necessity for a service business like ours, so what better way of demonstrating it than meeting the International Standard. A standard that is a base line measure for all sectors and types of business. It demonstrates not only quality output but the constant checking and reviewing to enable...