Davey Tree Flipbooks

July/August 2014 | 11 I t's about the big picture." Preston Wankier began working for Davey as an intern. Less than three years later, he received a promotion to branch manager, experiencing the very potential he had foreseen upon deciding to stay with Davey full-time. "There's a wealth of experience at Davey and a variety of opportunities to pursue," he says. One of those opportunities influenced Wankier's decision to begin his career with Davey: the option to purchase company stock. "Being able to buy stock and be an employee owner adds value to the work you do and your personal life," he explains. "There is a sense of ownership in the work you do; we've been able to grow this company because we rely on other employee owners." Special: Employee Ownership 101 Even as an intern, Wankier saw the "limitless" potential at Davey. "We have challenges every day, every week, every year. But there are opportunities to grow," he says. And then, Wankier realized the incentives to becoming an employee owner: "You look at the Davey stock performance in the past 30+ years and again, the decision speaks for itself." As Wankier continues his path of personal successes within Davey as a confident employee owner, he looks forward to the ways in which that "smart decision" will benefit him for years to come. New job, better opportunities. "Employees who take advantage of the opportunity to purchase stock are often those A Long-Term Investment Employees must consider several factors before investing their earnings into the company. Preston Wankier, branch manager at Davey's Montgomery County CLS territory A NEW PLAN. In May, Davey shareholders approved the 2014 Omnibus Stock Plan, which authorizes the company to continue the employee stock purchase plan—a program that allows all eligible employees to purchase stock at a discount through payroll deductions. Eligible employees with at least one year of service may participate by contributing $5 to $200 per weekly paycheck or $10 to $400 per biweekly paycheck for the purchase of Davey common stock. (From Jan. 1 through June 30, participants purchased stock at $22.44 per share—85 percent of the market value, $26.40.) Stock is purchased twice each year—on June 30 and Dec. 30—when participating employees receive stock certificates and account statements. Dividend payments occur quarterly. Participating employees may change their contributions to payroll deductions twice a year, on Jan. 1 and July 1. Now, more than 1,000 employees are enrolled in the Employee Stock Purchase Plan. who share our long-term growth mindset," says John Wright, CLS Mid-Atlantic regional manager. Yet, purchasing stock early within an employee's Davey career requires some forward thinking. New employees are attracted to the opportunity, but because the company's share price can increase or decrease over time, there is no guarantee their investments will prosper. As Davey CFO and Secretary Joe Paul says, "The decision to purchase company stock is a long-term investment. It depends on the performance of the company." Regardless whether employees choose to invest in Davey, employee ownership does influence everyday decision making and lead to growth. As Wright says, "As an owner, I'm invested in the future." ''

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