Davey Tree Flipbooks

8 THE DAVEY BULLETIN | January/February 2024 MISSION Bob Deering, developer, Fine/Deering Development Group, has been a Davey client for 35 years. Initially a client of retiree Jack Swayze, Deering started out as a homebuilder in Houston, Texas. Deering has been developing two master plan communities, Trolley Run Station and Sage Creek, on 3,000 acres in Aiken and the neighboring Graniteville, South Carolina. "Bob reached out, asking for help with the pruning of willow and oak trees," said Jeff Crites, vice president of operations, Davey Business Development Team (Davey BDT). "The properties are being built as we go. We service the properties and take care of the unique space they've created." Frank Monteleone, operations manager, Davey BDT, assessed the properties during an initial visit. "After explaining the value Davey is able to bring by providing one point of contact for all maintenance needs, the Fine/Deering group immediately recognized what sets us apart from our competitors," Monteleone said. The two communities combine development of residential properties with the preservation and creation of natural areas for recreation. Trolley Run Station and Sage Creek are connected by 500 acres of conservancy land between them. Trolley Run Central Park is a 75-acre park with ponds and walking trails. The park is home to an orchard with 120 pear CLIENT VISION MADE REALITY FOR 2 NEW COMMUNITIES The Trolley Run Station neighborhood in Aiken, South Carolina. Construction of Central Park is under way in the background. Garrett Reagan, landscape crew leader, Aiken territory, mows the lawn in Trolley Run, while landscape technicians Joaquin Ramirez and Jerry (Geddings) Beard edge in the background. trees and a wildflower pollinator garden, which was planted by Commercial Landscape Service's Aiken territory, led by Jason Encinias, project manager. "The Aiken territory provides the general maintenance services for the communities, including lawn mowing, edging, string trimming and shrub pruning," Encinias said. "We do the turf management, which includes weeding and fertilizing as well as minor tree pruning, and maintain the irrigation systems." Residential/Commercial services' Ray Betz, district manager, Charlotte office, said eight employees from the Charlotte office prune the hundreds of willow and live oak trees that line the streets in both communities, as well as managing tree removals as needed. "Bob is a visionary. He is developing spaces with nature in mind for the residents of the communities to enjoy," Crites said. Additional Davey employees from multiple operations collaborated on this project, including: • Roy Van Houten, director of energy, Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc., a Davey company, consulted on regulatory compliance and how to go above and beyond compliance from an environmental standpoint on the project's large construction sites. • The Davey Institute's Manny Nassar, technical advisor, used property soil samples from Encinias to create a lawncare program. Mike Binkley, manager of technical innovation, corporate mapping, provided an i-Tree ® planting analysis to estimate the ecological benefits the trees will provide in the future. • Aiken Electric account, Eastern Utility services' employees Michael Knott, general foreman, and Johnifer Funches, equipment operator, performed brush clearing. Scan the QR code to watch a video about the project.

• Cover