Davey Tree Flipbooks

16 THE DAVEY BULLETIN | March/April 2024 The Bulletin sat down with Jed Day, executive vice president, U.S. Residential Operations, and Eric Phillips, assistant district manager, Akron office, Residential/Commercial (R/C) services, to find out what their employee ownership journeys have been during their Davey careers. More than 40 years ago, fresh out of college with a degree in forestry, Jed Day heard through a friend that Davey was hiring. At the same time, Day planned on taking a Jack Kerouac-style adventure in his van from Houston, Texas out to the West Coast to see the redwood trees. "I applied for a job at Davey and wasn't impressed during the interview, and politely declined the offer," Day said. "The individual who interviewed me called and said the area vice president, Merle Talbot, was going to be in town and would like to meet me for breakfast. I thought, what could that hurt?" Talbot arrived in a Cadillac and had flown his own plane to a small airport in Tomball, Texas, for the meeting. "He had my attention," Day said. "I never took that trip in my van to see the redwoods, but years later, I saw them on a visit to California with Davey." Talbot explained that Davey was an employee-owned company. Day didn't know what those words meant at the DAVEY CELEBRATES 45 YEARS OF EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP time but has gained a deep appreciation for the meaning of those words over the years. "It's the people," Day said. "I traveled to Kent, Ohio, in 1983, to pick up a piece of equipment, back when the corporate office was at 117 S. Water St. I went on a tour and was smitten by how friendly and congenial everybody was. It wasn't home, but it felt like home. That kind of sealed the deal for me." Day said what he tries to bring to his role when in boardroom meetings with the leadership of this company, is to remind them that this is an awesome place, and that the real magic happens with those other 11,500 employees who are out there in the field. "That is Davey," added Day. Day explained that through the employee-owned shares of Davey stock he purchased over the years, he was able to cash out some shares when his children were in college. "My kids got their education debt-free. That is something that Davey made possible for me to provide to them. I was able to pay it forward," Day said. "Investing in Davey stock doesn't have to hurt financially, but it does need to be steady and sustained. I'm hopeful our teammates understand the opportunity is available to them, and how important it is for them to take advantage of it." LEADERSHIP Jed Day, a 1983 D.I.T.S. graduate, speaks to the 2024 class about R/C operations. The Bulletin will share your employee-ownership stories throughout 2024. Jed Day executive vice president, U.S. Residential Operations Day started in 1982 as a supervisor trainee, Utility services. He served in a variety of positions within Utility services and transitioned to the Residential/Commercial service line in 1990 as a sales trainee. He has served as an assistant district manager, district manager, operations manager, and vice president. In 2014, he was promoted to vice president and general manager of Residential operations, and in 2022 he was promoted to his current role. Scan the QR code to watch a video featuring Jed Day answering the question, "Why is employee ownership important to Davey's culture?"

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