Davey Tree Flipbooks

When Davey divisions work together to accomplish great service on time, the client—and Davey—wins. F or more than 70 years, the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) at Johns Hopkins University has contributed to solving critical national security issues and advancing the nation's research and space science knowledge and capabilities. It operates under Department of Defense regulations for restricted entry among its 20-plus major buildings, in addition to a local satellite campus. As a University Affiliated Research Center, the APL has served as one of the nation's major assets since it was established during World War II for technology development. Nearly 400 acres between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., comprise the APL today, where its staff is involved with more than 600 programs for government sponsors, such as the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security, among others. Such a prestigious facility requires crews to have careful attention to detail and adherence to property guidelines and regulations. But when a client's needs heighten within a short period of time, a bit of collaborative brain- storming goes a long way. STRATEGIC COLLABORATION. This summer, Johns Hopkins expressed interest in renovating the landscape surrounding the laboratory. More than 170 pine trees had over- grown, yet the campus still required a natural "screen" from surrounding properties. Washington, D.C., District Manager Mark Barbato originally received an email from a Johns Hopkins representative requesting tree removal and replacement services for the university's APL site. The required turnaround, however, proved to be a challenge. It was evident Davey would have to come together as a collaborative team to get the job done. Barbato, as well as Eastern Shore District Manager Craig Ritter and Montgomery County and Baltimore CLS Branch Manager John Wright, first met to assess the project. "Having the ability to pull crews from the different offices allowed us to accomplish this project in the allotted time frame, which made the client extremely happy," Ritter says. The client, aware of Davey's presence among different service lines in the area, ultimately chose Davey's team for the job. "I've heard them comment on their positive impression of our ability to use multiple equipment and manpower resources to get the job done quickly and on time," Wright says. FOUR BECOME ONE. To not only remove approximately 200 trees, but also replace them with 290 new specimens in a timely manner, Davey's local R/C and CLS teams decided to tackle separate aspects of the project. In total, four Davey service locations collaborated on the project. Together, the two R/C teams completed 50-foot tree removals and stump grindings. Foreman Bobby Simms led Davey's Eastern Shore R/C team, including Landscape Foreman Jeff Wheatley, Trimmer Darren Johnson and Groundman Charles Blondell. Foreman Miguel Garcia-Herrera led the Washington, D.C., R/C team, including foremen Salvador Aguirre and Nelson Martinez and trimmers Luis "David" Herrera Alvardo, Abel Mejia, Jose Navarrete and Milton Navarrete. Wright's two CLS teams, led by Landscape Crew Manager Claro Rodriquez, not only seeded, mulched and restored the lawn, but they also replaced the property's original trees with 'Brandywine' maples, Norway spruce, 'Green Giant' arborvitae and Nellie Stevens holly. Davey hopes to expand its landscape mainte- nance involvement at the APL after concluding the initial tree removals and replacements. THINK BIG. Fortunately, the APL site was located in a spot convenient for the local Davey crews of all four offices to access, which ultimately led to success. Barbato points out Davey utilized all teams' input to ultimately land the project in the first place. "Because we share an office with John's team, we're always good about getting together," he says. "We find ways to benefit both us and the client." Wright agrees the effort was an "incredible" project. "This was and is a great example of how the Davey family works together to win a nice project," he says. "We enjoyed working together and thinking of ideas about doing work faster onsite." Right: Norway Spruce trees provide a new natural "screen" from properties surrounding the Johns Hopkins APL campus. Below left: Young Norway spruce trees replace pine trees that were overgrown. Below right: The 'Green Giant' arborvitae trees (pictured), will provide a natural "screen" from surrounding properties. January/February 2014 | 5

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