NEARLY 50 YEARS OF EXPERT EQUIPMENT CARE AT KENT SHOP
As the machine age dawned, Davey's
equipment fleet grew exponentially.
Power chainsaws, chippers, aerial lift
trucks and other specialized equipment
all started to revolutionize the tree
care industry in the 1950s.
By the 1960s, Davey spent millions
each year to expand and maintain its
equipment fleet.
By 1967 it became clear the
company needed a dedicated facility
to outfit and maintain its fleet, and
construction started on a $200,000
structure in Kent. The Kent Shop
served as an equipment warehouse
and maintenance center for
the company with such features as
bays specially adapted for servicing
cranes, a paint booth and a
parts department.
In 1972, the company added space to
the Kent Shop that was much taller
than the original building. The addition
provided room for servicing aerial
equipment. Then in 1981 the company
built a 15,000-square-foot addition,
at a cost of $440,000, that added to
Davey's capacity for rebuilding aerial
buckets, trucks and chippers.
Among those at the summer ground-
breaking in 1981 was then-president
Jack Joy, who commented on the
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expansion. "This investment in our
physical buildings will continue to
keep Davey equipment in top-notch
condition," Joy said.
In the 1980s, the Kent Shop served
primarily as a rebuild facility where
employees installed remanufactured
engines, repaired body damage and
replaced other worn-out equipment
on trucks. The shop continued to serve
as a rebuild facility for aerial units.
In 2017, the Kent Shop will mark a
golden anniversary – 50 years since
construction started in 1967.
Turn to page 15 to read about the most
recent additions to the Kent Shop.
The Kent Shop starts to take shape in December 1967.
An
aerial
image
showing
the
Kent
Shop
in
the
1960s.
ARCHIVES
FROM
THE
The
Kent
Shop
shortly
after
construction
finished
in
1968.
