Contractor shares seven secrets to the success of his two businesses

When you start not one but two businesses in industries that require hard work and specialty equipment, you inevitably learn a lot about what to do and what not to do.

“There are so many lessons learned,” Grant Hamilton says. “Where do I start?”

He formed Hamilton Tree Service with his father, Dex, in the early 1990s. It now has nine employees and specializes in tree removals.

Grant and his wife, Heather, launched EcoMulch, a landscape supply business, in 2006 to provide a market for the tree service’s wood waste. The company, which Heather runs day to day, has four employees and sells mulch, soil products and compost to commercial and residential customers.

Both companies are located in Martinez, California, which is in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Grant Hamilton says that while the relationship between the two businesses makes sense, getting started was a lot harder than most people realize, and that includes his wife and him in the beginning. Hamilton shared some of the lessons he’s learned along the way.

1. Set goals and mold your business to meet them.
2. Take risks if they feel right. It’s part of growing a business.
3. Hire qualified employees you can trust. “If you want your business to survive, have zero tolerance,” Hamilton says. “I know it sounds harsh, but you’re in business to make profit, not to provide jobs, right?”
4. Spend more time with your family. Stepping away can be like therapy and also help you remember why you’re doing what you do.
5. “Don’t buy junk,” he says. “It will cost you more in the long run.” By that he means don’t go cheap on equipment just to save money on the purchase price.
6. Make educated purchasing decisions by doing extensive research.
7. Only buy equipment that has readily available parts and support.

Hamilton Tree Service and EcoMulch have turned to Vermeer for some of their key pieces of equipment.

The tree service has an SC60TX stump cutter, an SC252 stump cutter and a BC1500 brush chipper, all by Vermeer.

EcoMulch, which processes about 11,000 tons (9,979 T) of material annually, owns a Vermeer HG4000 horizontal grinder and a TR626 trommel screen.

Hamilton says that, in addition to the lessons mentioned above, running quality equipment, establishing a culture of safety, working hard and empowering employees has helped get the two companies to where they are.

“My dad taught me that if you are going to do something, then be the best,” he says.