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THE DAVEY BULLETIN
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September/October 2025
As trainings ran throughout the country to support learning
across service lines, over a dozen employees visited the
new Davey SEED (Science, Employee Education and
Development) Campus in Kent, Ohio, for hands-on utility line
clearance training.
Further east, Plant Health Care (PHC) crew members
revisited the fundamentals of PHC safety, equipment and
materials such as fertilizers and pesticides, holistic
management and planning logistics at Towson University
in Maryland.
TRAININGS SUPPORT FIELD CONFIDENCE AND SUCCESS
"I learned a lot," said Carl Myers, sales arborist, Loganville
office, Residential/Commercial services. "A main focus was
the diagnosis processes and the tools Davey equips us with
to diagnose and treat the issues we face."
Attendees at the Davey Institute of Horticultural Sciences
program underwent weeklong instruction and were trained
on how to develop safer and more independent, efficient and
effective plant health care operations, among other topics.
As a new sales arborist, Myers said he has been put to the
test with heat stressors, insects and fungal issues. With
encouragement from his technical advisor, he attended the
PHC training in July – and he is very glad he did.
"I don't think anything can affect Davey's mission more than
universal information and training that reaches out to every
level of employment across the company," he said. "It's the
same tools, same training, same equipment, same verbiage
-- one Davey!"
In the first-ever major training session held on a completed
facility at the SEED Campus, Eastern Utility crew members
learned how to successfully and safely remove debris from
power lines after a natural disaster hits at the hands-on Lines
Under Tension training in late June.
Sixteen employees worked at the SEED Campus' non-ener-
gized right-of-way during the two-day session.
"The training is as real to actual work situations as you can
get," said Anthony Guerrera, senior supervisor, Upper Atlan-
tic region, FirstEnergy account. "I've worked three overnight
shifts that looked like this training. You can see pictures and
read about different situations, but physically bringing the
logs and setting up the site, it makes it all real."
The training curriculum was created by Brian Parris, senior
regional safety specialist, and Jeremy Lewis, health and
safety training compliance manager. Lewis said they look
forward to making continuous improvements to the space
and the training content moving forward.
Like Myers, Guerrera said the training sessions he attended
will enhance the confidence he has on the job.
"This adds so much to what my crew can do," Guerrera said.
"More knowledge means safer work will be done."
LEADERSHIP
A PHC training attendee practices sprayer selection and
spraying during the weeklong session.
