Davey Tree Flipbooks

119 118 Growth Rings e SAP implementation was one of several major technological milestones in company history. e first came in 1962 when the company installed a room-sized IBM computer in the corporate office. at bulky processor lasted until the early 1980s, when the company transitioned from using punch cards to process payroll and client invoices to more modern means. at transition had been followed by the introduction of personal computers, internet, email, shared drives and the connection of some remote locations to the corporate network. In 2007, executive management combined all hardware functions with software and business process functions under an IT department. Tom Countryman was named Davey's chief information officer to manage the department. e company's safety leadership sustained a heavy loss in 2000 with the sudden death of Ron Cole, corporate risk manager. Davey's corporate safety department had undergone several key leadership transitions since the late 1970s. Bert Stamp became vice president of field services in 1977 and oversaw the safety operations, which were managed by Bob Holt as safety director in the late 1970s. Ed Johnson took over as vice president of field services in 1981 when Stamp retired. In 1983, Cole joined Davey as a supervisor in the corporate safety department. One year later, he was promoted to manager of the safety department, eventually being named corporate risk manager in 1988. Cole was responsible for managing Davey's corporate safety department for 16 years and was credited with transforming it from a department that monitored for safety compliance into a department that worked together with operations to ensure the safety of its employees. He did it by replacing the safety supervisors based out of the corporate office with regional safety trainers based locally. He established an in-house claims department to streamline the procedure of reintroducing employees to the field and processing claims. He also developed methods of analyzing the claims data to identify and target accident trends. As a result, during his tenure the number of accidents and accident frequency both declined. In 1999, Fred Johnson joined Davey as manager of operations support services. Johnson brought decades of experience to his role managing corporate support functions, which included safety, fleet, and purchasing. Five years prior to Johnson, Joseph Tommasi joined Davey as safety manager. Tommasi was named manager, safety and loss prevention in the support services group in 2000. Tommasi maintained a heavy involvement in several industry groups, including: the Tree Care Industry Association safety committee, the ANSI Z133 safety committee, the Edison Electric Institute safety committee, and the OSHA rulemaking task groups. He also belonged to the Utility Arborist Association and the Utility Line Clearance Coalition. Both he and Johnson would lead Davey's safety operations until Johnson's retirement in 2014. Tommasi would eventually be named vice president of corporate safety. Tackling Challenges and New Assignments Aside from the SAP implementation, the company faced other challenges early in the new century, including navigating the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the resulting involvement in the war in Iraq. "As the men and women in our armed forces face imminent danger and extreme conditions abroad, we at Davey want to express our unwavering pride in each of them," Warnke said in a brief statement to employees in 2003. "We pray for their safe and expedient return as they successfully complete their mission. We especially recognize a number of company employees who are directly affected by the conflict in Iraq, either personally or through a family member. Be assured that regardless of uncertainty or duration, we stand in support of you and your family." At the Pentagon, Davey was contracted to re-landscape the grounds after United Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building, killing 189 people, on Sept. 11. e damage required 400,000 square feet of the Pentagon and surrounding grounds to be demolished and rebuilt. Davey installed an irrigation system covering four acres and put down thousands of yards of sod. In recognition, the Pentagon gave the Davey Company an American flag that had flown above the complex during the restoration. In Pennsylvania, Davey employees would soon assist in the creation of the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stoystown. United Airlines Flight 93, one of the four Chapter 7 Davey has provided numerous services and dozens of volunteers to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stoystown, Pennsylvania, since its inception shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. e memorial is dedicated to the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93, which had been hijacked as part of the terrorist attacks. e flight crashed into an open field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, as passengers and crew attempted to regain control from the hijackers. Pictured, Davey employees and other volunteers take part in a tree planting at the site in April 2012. Karen Wise, of DRG, teaches volunteers how to prune young trees planted at the Flight 93 memorial site during a volunteer day in 2015. Wise and her team were instrumental in Davey's involvement in helping establish the landscape of the memorial park.

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