Davey Tree Flipbooks

Stable Progression A t Davey, employee ownership continues to support the company's steady growth. Based on data the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO) has collected, Davey is now the 15th largest employee-owned company in the U.S. The NCEO's 2015 Employee Ownership 100 list includes the nation's largest companies that are at least 50 percent owned by an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) or other broad-based employee ownership plan. Davey, which employs over 8,000 people, has been employee-owned since 1979 when employees successfully bought the company from the family of its founder, John Davey. "Our employees have always strived to go above and beyond for the Davey Company, and that's why we have not only survived but thrived over the years," says Karl Warnke, chairman, president and CEO. "For 36 years, Davey has enjoyed the kind of stable progression that an employee-owned company provides." The 2015 list shows Davey's growth, as the company ranked No. 17 on the 2014 list of largest 100 percent employee-owned firms when it employed more than 7,800. The companies on the list employ approxi- mately 668,000 people worldwide. An estimated 14.9 million people currently participate in more than 9,000 ESOPs with plan assets over $1.1 trillion in the U.S., according to the NCEO. Details on this research can be found at the NCEO's website at www.nceo.org. 2015 15 th largest employee-owned company 2014 17 th largest employee-owned company September/October 2015 | 23 G oing back to school has become a little easier. The Davey Foundation is offering a new scholarship to employees pursuing higher education through Kent State University (KSU)'s online environmental management associate's degree program. Davey collaborated with KSU to develop the program in 2009. The degree requires the completion of 27 credits of Davey training and 34 university credits. The Davey segment is accredited by the Ohio State Apprenticeship Council and requires students to complete a mix of existing training programs the company offers. Students earn the university credits by completing a mix of online general studies and horticulture-based courses. As many as Environmental Management Scholarships Available half of the 34 university credits may be com- pleted at an accredited community college or university elsewhere and transferred to KSU. For those who apply to receive scholarship funding and are accepted, the Foundation will pay 80 percent of the tuition cost each time an employee registers for classes. Employees who continue working for Davey two years upon graduation qualify to receive the additional 20 percent of tuition reimbursement from the Foundation. "We would love to see more employees take advantage of this educational opportu- nity," says Margie Conner, assistant secretary and counsel. Employees may take up to two classes or six hours at a time to apply for the scholarship. Individuals who apply must also be employed full-time for at least one year prior to applying. Otherwise, employees from all Davey companies and regions are eligible to apply. Scholarship recipients must retain at least a 2.5 GPA to continue qualifying to receive the scholarship. Call R.J. Laverne at 800-447-1667, ext. 8289, with questions and/or to apply.

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