Davey Tree Flipbooks

12 THE DAVEY BULLETIN | July/August 2024 LEADERSHIP When Mark Svozil, vice president and general manager, Commercial Landscape Services (CLS) joined Davey at age 20 as a landscape foreman, the employee-ownership concept was new to him. "At the time, I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. The longer I worked at Davey, the more I enjoyed working," Svozil said. "I enjoyed being outdoors and the ability to change landscapes – in some cases, transforming bare soil to an incredible landscape scene." Svozil shared he became an employee-owner early on in his Davey career. "It was no longer simply about the money. Working at Davey became about the opportunity," Svozil said. "I realized the potential for a lifelong career here. Employee-ownership has given me a great sense of pride by seeing how much Davey has really given back to me." When speaking to employees about employee-ownership over the years, Svozil asks what they want the next chapter to look like, and "Do you want it to be within your control or out of your control?" He went on to say, if you have invested in Davey and are committed to employee-ownership, it puts you in a position to have more control of your future. Svozil's recommendation for employees with children is to purchase Davey stock and put it in their children's names. "The ability to share this investment with your children helps them understand why you work so hard. It's my legacy. I'm leaving a piece of something I worked my whole career for to all three of my kids, Dominic, Jacob, and Natalie." Being part of an organization that is employee-owned is a privilege, Svozil said. "You feel a responsibility to make good and smart choices," he said. "I truly think it drives passion and motivation within the organization. Employee-ownership gives you that sense of empowerment. You also want to see your colleagues win, and when it's your turn, they want to see you win. To me, employee-ownership means 'we,' not 'I'." Mark Svozil, vice president and general manager, Commercial Landscape Services, is pictured speaking to the Davey Institute of Tree Sciences class of 2024. Svozil started with Davey in 1992 as a landscape foreman in the West Cleveland Residential/Commercial office, serving in a variety of roles over the years leading up to his promotion to operations manager, Midwest region, CLS in 2006. In 2013 Svozil was promoted to vice president, Midwest region, and in 2016 was promoted to senior vice president, CLS, followed by a promotion in 2019 to his current role as vice president and general manager, CLS. He is a member of Davey's Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee, an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist ® , and a National Association of Landscape Professionals Landscape Industry Certified Manager. Svozil is a 1995 graduate of the Davey Institute of Tree Sciences (D.I.T.S.), a past member of the Davey President's Council, a recipient of a Davey Outstanding Manager Award as well as the Best of Davey Leadership Award. OWNERSHIP IS OUR LEGACY AT DAVEY

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