A decade ago, Jesse Montoya was going door to door to drum up tree care work. Today, the company he bootstrapped at one of the most economically insecure times in the last 50 years has 48 employees and the Los Angeleno has plans to take his company well beyond the borders of his native state…with the help of Vermeer equipment and expertise.
Montoya started Your Way Tree Service, Inc. in 2008 after previously working for larger companies in an area with a diversity of trees to manage for mostly residential and a growing number of commercial customers. Today, the company takes on tree care work ranging from small one-off jobs to commercial-level tree management jobs at celebrity estates and golf courses throughout the Los Angeles, California, area. In the 10 years since its inception, Montoya said the business has grown at a pace well beyond what he originally expected.
“I never thought we’d get as big as we are. We just started with two guys and myself, never thinking it would be as big as it is now. We started right when the recession was starting, and we figured we could get into the business as the big companies were declining because of the downturn. We thought that we, as ‘new guys,’ could come along and really evolve,” Montoya said. “Our focus is mostly residential tree removals, care and pruning. Most of our trees are native oaks, sycamores and palm trees, but we have different specimens from all over the world. We will handle pine trees four feet (1.2 m) in diameter and eucalyptus trees 150 feet (45.7 m) tall and 12 feet (3.7 m) in diameter. We are sometimes bringing down some big trees, and for a job like that, if you don’t have the right tools, it can be miserable.”
Equipment means new opportunities
Tree recycling has long been a big part of Montoya’s work, but his original strategy proved to be costly and time-consuming and limited his company’s capacity. Though he was able to enter the market for recycled tree material and wood chips to landscapers, developers, golf courses and other larger customers — as he does today — he lacked the equipment and machinery to do the full job himself.
“Before I had my Vermeer machines, we would take trees to a landfill, they’d grind them and I would end up with the same product we can produce now. They were doing what we are doing now, but I was paying close to $30,000 per month for dumping fees,” Montoya said. “I explained that to my Vermeer dealer and they helped me make the right decisions to get the equipment I needed.”
Montoya secured the necessary land, then worked with RDO Equipment Co., in Rancho Dominguez, California, to purchase a TG5000 tub grinder to process the trees he had previously paid to have processed. Not only did the machine open up new market segments for Montoya’s company, but also brought a new level of efficiency to his operations.
“We knew that with the TG5000, we could remove a tree, bring it back to our facility and handle it ourselves. It saves us a lot of fuel and time on the jobsite,” he said. “Overall, a tree that we would take down and handle onsite that would have taken us two days before, now takes us half a day. Bringing on the TG5000 was a little breathtaking. My crew and I were speechless. We save our equipment and time.”
The priority of safety
The right tools and equipment, like his Vermeer tub grinder and growing fleet of Vermeer brush chippers and stump grinders — which Montoya said he “never thought I would have” — are important for more than just jobsite productivity and efficiency. Safety is a huge priority for Your Way Tree Service, and his growing fleet of Vermeer equipment, fulfilling a major priority for Montoya since day one.
“Safety is so important in general. Just because of the line of work we’re in, having the right tools and safety procedures in place can make a big difference,” he said. “Safety is number one for us. It’s important to have the right people with the right safety measures in place operating the right equipment. That’s the way I want to run this business.”
Planning for future growth
Though he works in the Los Angeles area today, Montoya’s aspirations stretch well beyond the southern California valley. He hopes to expand into other parts of California and beyond. “I think Your Way Tree Service will end up hopefully franchising and opening multiple yards in southern California and around the U.S. That’s my goal,” he said. “I hope to open different divisions, recycling and doing tree work around the country.”
But he won’t do that alone. Montoya credits not just his Vermeer equipment, but the expertise and service capabilities from his Vermeer dealer and Vermeer Corporation in helping him surpass his goals.
“Vermeer is out here helping us make sure safety is first, helping make sure these machines are doing what they’re supposed to be doing and helping us remain productive. I think Vermeer has my back and I don’t think I’d go anywhere to shop around. Vermeer has exceeded my expectations with not only their equipment but the people to create the relationships that are so important to purchasing and maintaining this equipment,” Montoya said. “We choose Vermeer because our employees love the equipment. They trust it, are familiar with it, and it’s very intuitive to use. The machines are productive and have everything you want in a machine.”
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