Production report: Your Way Tree Service
Company overview
Your Way Tree Service Inc. 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 area. Started in 2008 by Jesse Montoya, the company now employs more than 50 tree care professionals and a fleet of Vermeer machinery that includes brush chippers, stump cutters, a tub grinder and a trommel screen.
While Your Way Tree Service has been operating brush chippers and stump cutters for years, bringing wood waste recycling in-house has been a real game changer. According to Montoya, his company used to enlist the support of local landfills to grind all the organic material his crews collected, and as his company grew, so did his disposal and grinding expenses. To help reduce his operating costs and turn them into a revenue stream, Montoya turned to his local Vermeer dealer for guidance.
Challenge
When dump fees began costing Montoya around $30,000 per month, he knew it was time to make a change. Your Way Tree Service was also paying someone else to grind collected organic waste before they resold it as mulch and organic composting material. This process limited potential profit margins.
Solution
Montoya consulted with his local Vermeer recycling and forestry specialist at RDO Equipment to develop his new business segment. Offering organic wood recycling required Your Way Tree Service to expand its facilities and equipment fleet so crews could grind incoming material and size it for retail.
Equipment additions
- Vermeer TG5000 tub grinder to process incoming wood waste.
- Vermeer TR5300 trommel screen to sort processed material by size to help meet the needs of Your Way Tree Service’s customers.
New customer opportunities
By adding the TG5000 tub grinder and TR5300 trommel screen to their fleet, Your Way Tree Service has been able to turn material that was once waste into a premium retail product. The RDO Vermeer team worked with Montoya’s team to research landscaping professionals’ needs and dial in the company’s equipment to produce a premium mulch product.
Now, the material collected by Your Way Tree Service’s residential and commercial tree care service crews runs through the tub grinder and trommel screen to create consistently-sized, clean mulch.
The ability to produce a premium mulch product has opened a new customer base for the company, too. Your Way Tree Service retails what used to be waste to area landscapers, landscape material retailers, developers and golf courses where the material is used for plant bedding and landscape design projects.
Operational savings and revenue
- Montoya estimates savings of $30,000 in dump fees each month.
- With multiple crews traveling up to two hours twice a day to the landfill, Montoya estimates a time and labor savings of six to eight hours per day.
- Montoya credits his setup to opening the door to new customers for an estimated 25% growth in revenue.
Converting costs into opportunities is helping Your Way Tree Service expand and diversify. If you’re looking for ways to help your business operate more efficiently and grow, contact your local Vermeer recycling and forestry specialist, or visit vermeer.com.
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