27
September/October 2024
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THE DAVEY BULLETIN
RETIREE'S APPRECIATION OF NATURE PERSISTS POST-CAREER
John Bretsch has always been fascinated with insects since
he was young, and spent his childhood collecting butterfl ies,
moths, and more. His interest in the subject jumpstarted
his career after he graduated from Colorado State University
with a bachelor's degree in entomology.
Bretsch's career began at Wilhelm Tree & Lawn Care in 1979
when a friend invited him to see what the company entailed.
He started as a sprayer before moving to the plant health
care department where he eventually became the manager.
Deciding he wanted a change, Bretsch moved into sales
and became a sales manager, and he remained in that
department even after Davey acquired the company in 1995.
He later became assistant district manager of the Denver
offi ce in 1999, and then was appointed to district manager
of the newly created East Denver offi ce in 2006, the role
he stayed in until retirement.
"I've had some really great clients," Bretsch said. "One of
the things I've always said was to take care of your current
clients before going after another. I ended up building quite
a rapport with a lot of people."
Bretsch said he enjoyed his time at Davey a lot, and
especially liked working with the employees.
"When Davey fi rst purchased Wilhelm, Jed Day, executive
vice president, U.S. Residential Operations, along with
the now retired Richard Foote, came out to visit. They really
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knew their stuff. I'd say those two were my biggest
mentors," he said.
After retirement, Bretsch and his wife have done a bit of
traveling, having spent two weeks in the Northeast United
States, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, and New Jersey. They also visited his hometown
of Rochester, New York.
However, even after all his travels, Bretsch labeled their
property that sits 10,500 feet up in the mountains near
Fairplay, Colorado as his favorite place. Sometimes, they
stay in their Fifth Wheel RV, and other times, they spend
their time in a tent.
Fishing is one of Bretsch's favorite hobbies, which is
something he does year-round. A favorite fi shing spot is
the Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir, where temperatures
often drop to 26 degrees below zero in the wintertime.
He enjoys tending to his vegetable garden and collecting
butterfl ies and moths for his grandchildren, Theo, Ren, and
Ro, just as he did during his own childhood.
ADVICE FROM JOHN BRETSCH:
1. Buy stock!
2. Voice your opinion sooner than later.
3. Enjoy your retirement for as long as you can.
RETIREE CORNER
Left: John Bretsch is pictured holding a 31-inch
lake trout at Twin Lakes, Colorado.
Right: John's cats Emmy (left) and Bob.
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RETIREES!
