Davey Tree Flipbooks

169 168 Growth Rings Some of the proposed facilities included a training center with associated offices totaling more than 25,000 square feet, an indoor climbing center of 10,700 square feet, and multiple spans of non-energized right-of-way for utility services training. Proposed research facilities included more than 7,000 square feet of laboratories and greenhouses, a container nursery and multiple research plots and fields. "is is an exciting opportunity for the company and a significant investment in our operating teams," the 2019 Davey Annual Report states. "is complex will provide enhanced training, climbing, research, classrooms, etc. for employee development companywide. Davey will have a state-of-the-art complex when this is complete, and we are very excited about the opportunity to enhance and showcase our capabilities to internal and external groups." Covey said the SEED Campus will play a significant role in achieving goals identified in Vision 2030, including reaching $2 billion in total annual revenue companywide. "We know the demand for environmental services is going to be there. We know we have the company, cultural and financial resources to meet that demand. e challenge is whether we can recruit, onboard, engage, retain, and train our workforce for years to come. "e next several years are going to be heavily dependent not so much on if the work is there, because the work is there," Covey said. "e success of Vision 2030 will be dependent on if we can fill the thousands of positions that we're going to need to fill in order to achieve our growth and revenue targets. Workforce challenges are going to continue to be an issue for our industry in the foreseeable future." Corporate Vision, Global Concerns Increasing societal awareness of the need to preserve green spaces is one assurance that demand will continue to grow for Davey's services, Covey said. On a global scale, a number of climate change-related initiatives took root spanning both Vision 20/20 and Vision 2030 that stressed the need for proper forest manage- ment and preservation as it pertains to stabilizing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to mitigate dangerous interference with the climate system. In 2013, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change estab- lished the REDD+ framework to "guide activities in the forest sector that reduces emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, as well as the sustainable management of forests and the conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries." In 2015, nearly 200 countries signed on to the U.N. Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which stipulates that all participating governments "should take action to conserve and enhance, as appropriate, sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases … including forests." In 2017, the U.N. Strategic Plan for Forests was created, setting ambitious goals – among them a target to increase forest area by 3 percent worldwide, an area over twice the size of France, by 2030. In response, the Davey Institute released a series of climate change fact sheets in 2022 that summarized the effects of climate change projected to impact the green industry over the next 30 to 70 years. e climate change fact sheets identified seven regions across the U.S. and explained how tree populations would be impacted by the effects of climate change – including higher average temperatures, reduced precipita- tion and greater severity of storm events. Dr. Daniel Herms, vice president for research and development, spearheaded the research, which addresses how tree care for the next 25-30 years must adapt to the changing climate. "Trees play a critical role in managing ecosystems," Herms said. "ey cool and reduce heat, especially in urban areas, keeping cities habitable. Trees also sequester carbon, save energy and reduce stormwater runoff." Davey also released an interactive future plant hardiness zone map to show how a region's climate is shifting and the impact that has on planting in addition to several other climate-change resources designed to help Davey employees, green industry professionals and the general public understand and manage the impact of a changing climate on landscapes. "e more society's appreciation for trees and outdoor spaces continues to grow, so too will the demand for our services, whether environmental or tree care," Covey said. "All those aspects of the markets we're in are positive with regard to the demand for our services. We know the demand for Davey work is going to be there." A Proud Legacy and a Promising Future For over 140 years, tens of thousands of Davey employees have cared for millions of trees across North America. It is thoughtful work rooted in the passionate ideals of the company's founder, John Davey. Davey believed an educated and well-trained workforce should value the important role every root and leaf play in the health and well-being of every single tree and forest, which themselves play critical roles in supporting a healthy and prosperous environment for all living things. It is for these reasons Davey pioneered education and training programs in the green industry, authored his book e Tree Doctor encouraging the preservation of trees, and created a legacy company today comprised of over 10,000 employees who strive to carry on such ideals each and every day. For nearly 60 years, from 1961 to 2020, employees have sustained the Davey legacy both environmentally and financially. When Martin L. Davey, Jr., stepped down as the last descendant of John Davey to serve as president, the company had Davey's corporate safety department led a lines under tension training session for Utility services employees on the SEED Campus in 2020. Davey Resource Group performend an inventory of trees along streets and in parks for the city of Los Angeles. e project started in 2019 and identified more than a half a million trees. Chapter 11

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