Davey Tree Flipbooks

25 May/June 2024 | THE DAVEY BULLETIN employee ownership is the thing that binds us all together at the end of the day. "It is the one unifying thing that we, as employee owners, can all talk about despite all the different operations, places we work, come from, and all the different clients we have. I think those who participate in it find a bond. It's the common thread that brings us together and at the same time, levels the playing field." Repenning said, from a culture standpoint, it's the fact that we set our own destiny and future. The decisions we make and actions we take all contribute towards the share price for everyone who's a part of it. "Some may call it a little added pressure, but I think it's a beneficial thing, because it really makes us focus on what's important and makes us make good long-term decisions," Repenning said. Repenning recognizes in times when difficult decisions need to be made, it's good to be reminded that we're all in this together and it takes all of us to make the company succeed. GRAY CREDITS SANDERSON WITH CAREER SUPPORT Gray joined Davey in 2003 as a groundperson, Jones-Oslow Electric Membership Corporation account, Eastern Utility. "I grew up farming in North Carolina and I was looking for a better career so I could support my family," Gray said. "My wife Crystal and I were just starting out, and at the time somebody told me to go speak with Luther Sanderson in Richlands. They said Luther worked for Davey and he does tree work." After speaking with Sanderson, who is currently a supervisor, Atlantic operations, Eastern Utility, about Davey, Gray was asked by Sanderson if he minded working. "I told him I'm not afraid of work, and I don't mind working," Gray said. "So, he gave me a chance." Over the years, Gray earned more opportunities to grow with Davey. In 2009, Gray became a foreman, then a general foreman in 2018, and was promoted to supervisor in 2019. "Luther has supported me more than anybody I can ever recall, and Davey has stood behind him with his decisions and has invested in me. He is a firm believer in Davey stock," Gray added. "I do my best to live up to the expectations of him and Davey. Being an employee owner and purchasing the stock is part of that commitment." Gray said you can't invest in something you don't believe in. "It's the way I see it. I mentor and speak with my employees about the importance of investing in the company and themselves by becoming employee owners," Gray said. "I can't have them do something or ask them to do something that I would not do myself. I treat my employees just like they're my family. I care about them. I look out for them as much as I can. They are our future." William Gray supervisor, Upper Atlantic operations, Eastern Utility services Gray started at Davey in 2003 as a groundperson, Jones-Oslow Electric Membership Corporation account, Eastern Utility services. A 2017 Davey Institute of Tree Sciences graduate, Gray said of the program, "I was inspired by the way Dr. R.J. Laverne broke the information down to an everyday level where everyone could understand it and got something from it." Luther Sanderson supervisor, Upper Atlantic operations, Eastern Utility services Sanderson is Davey's longest- tenured active employee with 59 years of service.

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