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September/October 2026
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THE DAVEY BULLETIN
THROWING IT WAY BACK FOR
EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP MONTH
This issue celebrates Employee
Ownership Month in October with
some
"employee-ownership" history.
As most know, Davey became
employee-owned in 1979 when the
Davey family sold the company to a
group of 114 employees.
Before 1979, select employees had
the chance to own company stock
under past presidents Martin L. Davey,
Sr., and Martin L. "Brub" Davey, Jr.
One of those employees was John F.
"Jack" Allen, whose Davey career
started in 1927. Allen worked his way
up the company ranks and eventually
became a director, working closely with
Brub Davey in the 1950s when he had
the opportunity to buy company stock.
Allen died in 1960, but he passed
his Davey stock on to his family. His
daughter, Jane Kenamore, who still
retains her father's Davey shares,
recently visited Davey's SEED
Campus. Turn to page 26 for the story.
EARLIEST DAYS OF
EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP
One of the earliest efforts to integrate
employee-ownership into the company
came in 1927.
Martin L. Davey, Sr., declined an offer
in 1927 from the Wall Street fi rm
Hornblower and Weeks to take Davey
Tree public. "We have no desire or
reason to sell any portion of the
Davey Company, except to our own
employees," Davey said.
As company president, M.L. Davey, Sr.,
Matt
Fredmonsky
ROOT OF THE ISSUE
Our Mission
We exceed client
expectations.
Leadership
We take purposeful
action toward our
collective success.
Perseverance
We create solutions
to overcome
challenges.
Integrity
We are honest
and truthful in
all we do.
Safety
We protect and
care for each other.
Expertise
We use science
and knowledge
to master our craft.
Our Vision
We create and
deliver sustainable
solutions.
Stewardship
We make the world
around us better.
rewarded select few employees
by offering them positions on the
company board of directors, but fi rst
they had to buy stock in the business.
By 1928, the company offered Class
"B" non-voting stock to other
employees in the company. Offered
at a discount, the stock was available
to salesmen and foremen who were
considered key personnel. Unfortunately,
due to the Great Depression, the
company discontinued the stock
purchase plan in the 1930s.
Though that program may have ended,
Brub Davey continued the spirit of his
father's employee-ownership initiative
when he took over as president in
1946, and later employees like Allen
were given the opportunity to again
purchase stock.
'GOLD STANDARD'
RECOGNITION STORIES
This Bulletin issue tests out a fun, new
feature highlighting exemplary
stories showcasing what, in our opin-
ion, are examples of setting the gold
standard for Davey-quality work. Look
for a gold ribbon icon with a leaf in the
center to see these stories. What ties
them together? Creating an experience
that prompted someone on the receiv-
ing end to write about just how great a
job we did.
Remember, It's the everyday grind
stories that have made and keep Davey
a success today, and we want
to tell those stories, too. Email your
story ideas to bulletin@davey.com.
