Davey Tree Flipbooks

12 THE DAVEY BULLETIN | September/October 2024 LEADERSHIP Ever since taking an economics class in high school, Larry Evans, executive vice president and general manager, Davey Tree Surgery Company, took a special interest in learning how to invest for the future. He got the chance to do just that when he came to work for Davey in 1980 in Watsonville, California. "To invest in the company I work for and to see the share price go up has always been exciting," Evans said. "It's important to me to talk about the benefi ts of the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) to other employees because I am excited about passing that information on to them. It gives them the chance to understand that there's a future with this company and that they can control their own destiny." Evans went on to say that 40 years ago, Davey was a smaller company compared to what it is today, but it's still very family oriented. "It has that feel to it, and I think that gives our company a competitive edge. When it comes to being able to buy stock and become an employee-owner, it's a big deal," he added. In addition to Evans' initial interest in being a stockholder, it was really Larry Abernathy, retiree and former vice president and general manager, Surgery Company, and his predecessor the late Howard Bowles, retiree and former senior vice president and general manager, Surgery Company, who taught Evans about what it meant to be an employee-owner and how to do it. "I was fed a lot of good information from them," Evans said. "They were both local to me and bought into being a shareholder early on in 1979, so they really inspired me." Being an employee-owner has allowed Evans to not only invest in his future, but also his family. Through ESPP earnings, he has been able to put his son and two daughters through school. "As an employee-owner, I've always felt that our employees take more pride in what they're doing, and that resonates with how they treat their equipment, clients, and how they go to work every morning knowing they are employee-owners," Evans said. "I always say to treat everything like you would your own, because at the end of the day, you're a partial owner." Larry Evans, executive vice president and general manager Davey Tree Surgery Company Evans started his career at Davey in 1980 as a groundperson and moved through the ranks of climber, foreman, district foreman and area supervisor in his fi rst 10 years. In 2021, after rising through the ranks and serving in various roles, he was named executive vice president and general manager. Evans is an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certifi ed Arborist Utility Specialist ® and past member of the Davey President's Council. He was also a recipient of Davey's Outstanding Manager Award in 2004. OWNERSHIP MEANS INVESTING IN THE FUTURE Are you interested in becoming an employee-owner, or would like to know more about Davey's employee-ownership programs? Scan the QR code and follow the link to visit Davey's updated Employee-Ownership Frequently Asked Questions on DaveyConnect, available in both English and Spanish. EMPLOYEE-OWNERSHIP FAQ AVAILABLE ON DAVEYCONNECT

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