Davey Tree Flipbooks

11 July/August 2025 | THE DAVEY BULLETIN "All of us are always thinking about the people," Sheppard said. "We're always prepared and look at the big picture, thinking, 'Hey, we are able to help so many people out with what we do.'" In the final days of storm cleanup, Sheppard said students from a local Michigan school left employees "Thank You" cards. As they worked in town, residents came up to crews and thanked them for all they did, and local businesses handed out care packages. "The people there were amazing," Sheppard said. "Everybody was working together. It really showed how strong the community is." U.S. AND CANADA TEAMS TACKLE TOUGH ICE STORM In late March, freezing rain covered over 310 miles of land along the Michigan-Ontario border – a span twice the length and width of Long Island. In separate efforts, crews from Davey Canada and U.S. operations worked on both sides of the border to restore thousands of outages, remove tons of debris and aid in other emergency response needs. DOZENS OF ONTARIO CREWS CLEAR MAJOR DAMAGE As John Ransom and his team in Ontario worked to clear the severe tree destruction, they saw large trees lying on homes, cars and powerlines. Businesses had been closed for days, and hundreds of thousands were without power. Ransom, operations manager, Residential services, Davey Tree Expert Co. of Canada, Ltd., said as soon as the ice came, the company had boots on the ground. During peak time of this relief cleanup, Davey Canada dispatched over 62 crews, and a specialized equipment operator also came in from the Buffalo office. Davey Canada's clients included the cities of Barrie, Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes, the town of Severn and the Muskoka Lakes township and district in Ontario. "It wasn't just one person – everyone pulled together to make everything happen," Ransom said. "We do a great job in how we work together, and our management coordinates things very well – we all do whatever it takes to keep people safe." As a token of appreciation, a client who is an artist in Muskoka, Ontario, gave crews a watercolor painting, and nearly four months later, Ransom said a few employees are still working on individual assignments. MICHIGAN EMPLOYEES FOCUS ON COMMUNITY DURING STORM AID Bryan Sheppard, general foreman, Eastern Utility, Central division, and his crews experienced similar destruction on the Michigan side of the U.S. and Canada border, as trees sat scattered across the cities they served. Roads had been mostly cleared when they began storm cleanup, but areas had little power and restaurants and shops remained shut down. Twenty-three crews worked together in Michigan. Sheppard and his teams served their client, Presque Isle Electric & Gas. As a token of appreciation for their hard work, a client who is an artist gave Davey Canada employees a watercolor painting. Ice covers powerlines and trees as a storm ripped through parts of Ontario in late March and early April.

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