We recently had the opportunity to visit with Craig Baillie, the national sales manager for Environmental Equipment with Vermeer Sales and Service in Queensland, regarding tree care industry trends in Australia.
The Australian tree care industry is a well-established market composed of everything from arborists working solo to companies with large workforces and large fleets.
One of the more interesting trends in Australia is the entry of business people into the tree care industry. These are people who in some cases know very little about tree care, but they do know how to run a business and see tree care as a lucrative opportunity.
“I’ve had a few customers running a fleet, and they couldn’t climb a tree. They wouldn’t be able to back up a truck,” Baillie says. “But they know that they can hire the people who can do that work. And they run the business — they run a successful business.”
He’s also seeing many tree care companies diversifying — for example, expanding into soft and hard landscaping. These companies already have a relationship with their customers, and for some companies it just makes sense to provide a full range of outdoor services and become a one-stop shop for their customers.
Increasing industry regulations are one of the big concerns among tree care professionals in Australia. Because Australia has a significant mining industry, some of the mining regulations can spill over into the private sector. Some of these regulations require additional permitting that can add costs and time to tree care projects. One example is what are called protection acts, which restrict the type and number of trees that can be removed from an area.
Another challenge is the shrinking lot sizes in new housing developments, thus making it difficult for tree care professionals to access large trees. Overall, however, a strong housing market is giving a boost to the tree care industry in Australia.
One trend seen throughout many parts of the world is the struggle to find qualified labor.
“I don’t think the industry has done a good job educating young adults about the career opportunities in the tree care industry,” says Baillie. “The tree care industry can provide a very good career for a young adult who is willing to learn from the ground up. We are competing with other industries to attract the same audience, and we need to do a better job delivering our message.”
Arboriculture is a great career choice. However, the tree care industry is not normally on the radar for many young adults in high school or in the early years of college. But Baillie believes this is an opportune time to capture their attention and expose them to the career opportunities.
To help alleviate the lack of qualified labor, more tree care professionals are using compact utility loaders — or as Baillie calls them, “skiddies”— to lessen their staffing needs. These units can help reduce worker fatigue and improve jobsite efficiency.
Baillie has worked in the tree care industry for Vermeer for 23 years. What he enjoys most is getting to know the customers and to help them grow their business.
“It’s more of a partnership than just us trying to sell something and them trying to get something for nothing,” he says. “We’re trying to work together, to help them grow their business and feed their family.”