The Wright Perspective: Spring/Summer 2020

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SPRING 2020 The Wright Perspective is a biannual update for the employees and friends of the Wright Service Corp. family of companies.

TERRA SPECTRUM TECHNOLOGIES

WRIGHT OUTDOOR SOLUTIONS

WRIGHT TREE SERVICE

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PAGE 29

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SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS SPECTRUM RESOURCE GROUP CNUC PAGE 55 PAGE 39 PAGE 59

DON’T MISS SPROUTS & SHOUTS FROM ALL OF THE COMPANIES’ EMPLOYEES ON THE BACK COVER!

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2019 YEAR IN REVIEW

By Scott D. Packard, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer In the past year, Wright Service Corp. (WSC) ranked as the 24th largest ESOP company in North America and 24th in Top Workplaces in Iowa.

We commenced our five-year strategic plan that will leverage our competencies into new products and services, enhance operational excellence and effectively align talent, structure and processes.

We’ll break ground on our new North American headquarters this spring, a building that will showcase our commitment to sustainability – it will be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified and put most of us under one roof.

We cemented our strategy in the Canadian market with the acquisition of ArborCare in Calgary and launch of Wright Tree Service (WTS) of Canada.

And here in the states, we launched Verdure Elements, our interior plant design and maintenance service in Omaha.

MISSION · To support and guide each of the Wright Service Corp. companies to achieve its individual mission. · To enable the growth and success of our family of companies as a whole and ensure attractive value appreciation to our employee owners. · To provide team members with an environment that enables them to achieve their personal and professional goals. · To make a positive difference in the communities we serve.

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I’d say after 87 years we may have hit our stride and we’re not taking our foot off the gas. In 2017, we grew the worth of our company by more than 35%.

In 2018, it jumped to 68%. Well, 2019 surpassed the previous record, returning 82% to our employee owners.

We continued our streak of record revenue growth to 17 years. While experiencing tremendous growth over the last few years, none of this would have happened without the continued support and dedication of our employees.

For those of you who have been along for the ride and witnessed the changes – from leadership to an expanded footprint across North America – you are at the heart of all the decisions we make. All 5,300 plus of you, you’re the thread that keeps it together. And for those of you who have been with us for years to our newest employees and partners, thank you for making it happen.

As I have said before, put your people first, take smart risks and don’t be afraid of failure because it’s only an opportunity to try again – only smarter. Because without you, none of this exists.

And in whatever you do, put our highest value, safety, first.

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WR I G HT SE RVI C E CO RP.

ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET 2020 marked the largest banquet in the history of the company. 60 awardees representing five to 40 years of experience were with us on March 6 in West Des Moines, Iowa. In total, we had more than 310 awardees making up close to 2,200 years of experience.

SAFETY AWARDS Division 25 and Division 55 were awarded WTS’s most prestigious safety awards for 2019.

Division 25, covering Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia areas, received the most improved incident rate award.

Division 55 in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina received the lowest incident rate award with an incident rate of zero!

Congratulations on your dedication and commitment to safety!

Safety Manager Wes Tregilgas, Division Manager Ken Venzke, Director of Risk Management Rocky Palmer, and Chairman and CEO Scott Packard

Rocky Palmer, Wes Tregilgas, Division Supervisor Paul Mitchell, Scott Packard, and Division Manager Nick Fox

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SAFETY AWARDS DIVIS ION 25

DIVIS ION 55

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JOHN WRIGHT MEMORIAL CONTEST AWARDS The John Wright Memorial Contest honors the memory of both John L. and John R. Wright. It is designed to further the understanding of the importance of trees among the children and grandchildren of WSC employees and retirees. Entries are judged on presentation, originality and the overall message conveyed.

This year, we had five judges, four who are International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborists. A special thank you to WTS Senior Safety Lead Phillip Kelley, Wright Outdoor Solutions (WOS) Sales Account Manager Jason Brauckman, CNUC Manager of Research and Development Philip Chen, Terra Spectrum Technology (TST) Technology Consultant Nathan Jones and Sustainable Environmental Consultants (SEC) Agricultural Engineer Daniel Berges.

Hailey Clark, daughter of CNUC Division 10 (Idaho) Lead Consulting Utility Forester (CUF) Jacob Clark, was awarded second place.

Ellie Clark, daughter of SEC Chief Science Officer Doug McCorkle from Iowa, was awarded third place.

Ian McCorkle

Ian McCorkle, son of Doug McCorkle, was awarded first place and $500.00 in the Division 2 (Grades 6-8) essay contest.

“Trees improve mental health, reduce temperature in urban areas, and play a huge role in counteracting the effects of the city’s pollution.”

Kaylee Dillow, daughter of WTS Division 10 (Kansas) GF Joshua Dillow, was awarded second place. Kinsley Even, daughter of WTS Division 10 (Iowa) Project Manager Lance Even, was awarded third place.

Congratulations and thank you to all who participated in the contest. Both John L. and John R. Wright would be proud! Nick and Olivia Lutz, and Scott Packard

Chase Emert, son of WTS Division 20 (Missouri) General Foreman (GF) Brian Emert, was awarded first place and $500.00 in the Division 1 (Grades 3-5) drawing contest.

Olivia Lutz, daughter of CNUC Division 15 (Nevada) Lead CUF Nick Lutz, was awarded first place and $500.00 in the Division 3 (Grades 9-12) essay contest.

“Trees manipulate climate and the watersheds of their ecosystems by creating shaded cover of the ground and mitigating the amount of runoff and topsoil erosion.”

Chase Emert

Emma Wildeboer, daughter of WTS Division 70 (South Dakota) GF Josh Wildeboer, was awarded second place.

Abigail Lutz, daughter of Nick Lutz, was awarded third place.

 Chase Emert’s winning drawing

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SERVICE AWARDS 5 Y EAR AWAR D S Corporate Office

Spectrum Resource Group

Nicole Barth Chris Engh Nick Foster Julie Leigh Alyson Murphy Mark Pritchard Christine Walton

Sharon Bourassa Michael Kozak Vanessa Lane Dean Marshall Eric Nijboer Nathan O'Reilley David Rogers Rolf Schuetze Jesse Silcott Scott Strano Jeremy Thompson Jorian Todd Simon Turcotte Adam Waller Crystal Wilson

CNUC

Frank Anderson Jesse Armstrong John Bennett Philip Chen Jacob Clark Jessica Critchett James Crook Courtney Frazier John Ghanime Jerad Hanson Joel Johnson Patrick Larsen Brian Luis Mike Mathewson Mario Mora

Terra Spectrum Technologies Dave Reed

Wright Tree Service

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Atanacio Adame James Adrianson

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Oscar Aguilera Bersain Alvarado Perez Gil Alvarez Julio Arias Dyllon Baker Pedro Barrios Pinto Nile Bear Jose Bocanegra Stephen Browning Michael Buschette Armando Camacho Gregory Cannon Nathan Cannon Jose Carrizal Salvador Castro Alberico Castro Tornez Juan Chamu Diaz Jesus Chaparro Matthew Cline Arvin Coleman Michael Collins James Cooper Stephen Cox Joshua Crutcher Cody Danison Bradley Davis Edward Davis Michael Delawder David Diaz Florencio Diaz Adan Joseph Duke Brandon Earnest Ryan Ebbert Yassine Elboujarfaoui Kevin Eldridge Jose Escobar Fernandez Juan Espinosa Maya Kristopher Furness Roberto Galicia Ruben Galvez Magdaleno Alvaro Garcia Elsa Garcia De Alba Samuel Gatley Christopher Gillera Richard Gipson Marvin Giron Clavel Jesus Gonzalez Miranda Wilman Gonzalez Quintanilla Martin Graciano Chad Gross Michael Guerrero Abel Guerrero Lopez Zachary Hakenson Justin Henson Emanuel Hernandez Lopez Roberto Hinojosa

Kevin Holder Robert Huff Richard Huntley Zachary Huntley Jose Jasso Perez John Koski Cody Laird Donald Lewis Lee Ligocki Rodolfo Lopez Robert Malone Inocente Martinez Arturo Martinez Chavez Jeremy Mason Jonathon McCord Robert McCoy Jeremy McNurlin Porfirio Medina Betancourt Amilcar Melendez Nuila Manuel Meraz Enriquez Cody Metz Martin Mijaves Alec Miller Guy Miller Jacob Miller Sergio Miraflor John Mollison Juan Monteagudo Jose Morales Angel Moreno Russell Morris Shawn Motley Rodrigo Moya Mendoza Ever Munoz Quintanilla Walter Munoz Quintanilla Joseph Murphy Christopher Myers Michael Noar Chad Obrien Felix Olivera Hermenegildo Palacios Marcus Parker Clicerio Perez Ortigoza Coree Phares Nicholas Polhamus Marko Ponjavic Adam Pritts Jose Quintanilla Juan Quintanilla Joseph Reinholdt Kolton Reuter Jose Reyes Angel Reyes Perez Michael Rhodes Antonio Rios Reyes Sam Rizzo

Wayne Roach Timothy Roberts Adolfo Rodriguez Francisco Rodriguez Rolando Rodriguez Benito Rodriguez de Leon Alejandro Rodriguez Hernandez Mariana Rodriguez Spiritto Kyler Rose Horacio Rubio Matthew Ryman Jesus Saldana-Ruiz Marcelino Sanchez Cutino Ismael Saucedo Garcia Jesse Schreiner Jay Schweisthal Lamond Secret Zachary Sirignano Joseph Smith Elder Solis Aguilar Carl Speaker Adam Spence Micah Stateman Carney Steele Douglas Stone Jason Sumpter Adrian Torres Alcauter Salvador Torres Alcauter Ryan Tovar Cirilo Velez Jacob Volkmann Derek Walker Chad Wallace Dominique Whitley Mark Wiertzema Edward Woody David Young Gerardo Zuniga John Zwart

Wright Tree Service of Canada Richard Nortcliffe Douglas Stroud Shawn Swinimer

Wright Tree Service of the West Douglas Dickson Romeo McCovey Shane Nixon Michael Obie Lawrence Ratliff

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1 0 Y EAR AWAR DS Corporate Office Vickie Mangold Kristie Ortiz Rocky Palmer

CNUC

Joshua Beaver John Benton Stephen Rakich

Spectrum Resource Group Jessica Allison Hirsch Yvon Dubrule Richard Green Michael Holley Hugo McLeod Breanne Truman Tamara Williams Carly Zenzen

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Wright Tree Service Alexis Acevedo Pacheco Jose Alvarez Joshawa Arnold LeRoy Bridges Roger Burcham David Carpenter John Cheeseman Shellie Church Jose Conrado Fernandez Daniel Crabtree Brandon Dillon John Evans Julio Garcia Garcia Ronnie Gibson Jose Hernandez Tyler Joehlin John Labrie Ramiro Lopez Bernardino Lopez Roa Rivers Marshall Osiris Martinez David McCorkle

David McKnight Raul Medina Jason Meinders Walter Oceguera Joshua O’Connor Austin Ogle Nathan Olson Mark Pitt Hugo Pulido Gregorio Ramos De Jesus Matthew Rayfield Westley Rembold Kyle Richardson Miguel Rios Oscar Rodriguez Eduardo Saldana Julio Sanchez Martin Sandoval Christopher Selover Luis Silva Aguilar Daniel Smith Douglas Thacker Gavin Thompson Martin Tobias Nino Joel Toledo Carlos Torres Bobby Tubbs Santos Valdez Jorge Velez Oscar Ventura Shawn Woody Jose Zambrano Valdovinos

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Wright Tree Service of Canada Chris Gamache Stacy Krahn Christopher Paterson

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SERVICE AWARDS 1 5 Y EA R AWA R DS Spectrum Resource Group Duane Maki Kyle Robillard

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Wright Tree Service Ever Acosta John Blanton Christopher Clark Rick Clendenny Ricky Cravens Jeffrey Emme Mark Fournier Ryan Fredrickson Keith Gallegos Rigoberto Guzman Vaughn Hoffman Ronnie Horn Michael Ijams Donald Kane Scott Oermann John Pribble Jarod Rues Christopher Saling Todd Shultz Jesse Wonsey Nicholas Wood

TH A N K YOU! Thank you to Ginger Meadows, Amy Bittle and Amy Lenning at WOS for creating the wonderful centerpieces for the banquet!

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2 0 Y E AR AWARDS Corporate Office Wendy Eckhart

Wright Outdoor Solutions John Griffiths Amy Lenning

Wright Tree Service Jason Kamalakis Brandon Magee Benedicto Moran

John Griffiths

Jason Kamalakis

Amy Lenning

Brandon Magee

Wright Tree Service of Canada Codie Anderson

Wendy Eckhart

2 5 Y E A R AWARDS Corporate Office Bill Glover Terry McGonegle

CNUC

Peter Burkett

Wright Outdoor Solutions

Peter Burkett

Daniel Schmiedel

Wright Tree Service

Terry McGonegle

Marcus Doppler Paul Mitchell

Daniel Schmiedel Paul Mitchell

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SERVICE AWARDS 3 5 Y E AR AWARDS

4 0 YEA R AWA R D

Wright Tree Service

Wright Tree Service

Mitchell Frye Robert Hanson

 Mitchell Frye

SAVE THE DAT E! The 2021 annual awards banquet will be held on Friday, March 12 at the Ron Pearson Center! Invitations will be sent to invitees early 2021.

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Douglas Vondal

 Douglas Vondal

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OWNERSHIP CORNER Last winter, employees in the WSC family of companies were encouraged to participate in our third annual ESOP Poster Competition.

The ESOP Poster Competition is a visual way to showcase what employee ownership means at our company and the Employee Ownership Committee believes our employees are the ones to share truly what that is.

FIRST STATEMENTS Corporate Office

· Shelley Beck · Ryan Blankenship · Christina Brown · Lindsey Burton · Shannon Bussone-Rue · Teigen Carel · Betsy Hildreth · Abby Hinrichs · Lori Johnston · Dana McGowan

First Place

Now for the exciting part! · First Place: Supporting our dreams.

Securing our future. Entry submitted

by Jackie Mitchell, WSC Training and Development Specialist II (Iowa) · Runner Up: Never underestimate the power of a planted seed. Entry submitted by Kimberly Foster, WTS Division 45 Administrative Assistant (Indiana)

ESOP MEETING During this year’s virtual annual ESOP meeting, 11 corporate office and 10 WOS employees were recognized for receiving their very first ESOP statements. Five corporate office employees became fully vested. Congratulations to all!

ESOP POSTER COMPETITION

We first want to thank everyone for participating – whether you submitted an entry or you voted for your favorite poster design, we appreciate your time.

We had great participation and hope to continue increasing the participation in future years.

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WOS

· Russell Davis · Deb Hammer · Andrew Manning · David McGillivray · Kelly Moffitt · Melissa

· Mariana Murillo · Addie Pieters · Pavan Raghavendra · Ann Trimble · Mark Wachendorf · Jon Wedemeyer · Jamie Wieben · Christine Wilson

Oppenheim · Kim Rieber · Jesus Rivera · Jeff Russo · Joe Sanders

FULLY VESTED Corporate Office · Brock Cain · Alison West · Sarah Kern

Runner Up

· Matt Lair · Chris Piper

If you have any questions about the ESOP or would like more information, please email ESOP@wrightservicecorp.com.

· Second Runner Up: We are rising to the top. Entry submitted by Nathan Jones, TST Technology Consultant (Colorado)

COMING SOON!

The winning submission was made into a large poster and shipped to The ESOP Association where it will be judged alongside posters submitted by other ESOP companies.

Second Runner Up

New ESOP training takes a deeper dive into our ESOP statements – explaining its basic components and how they impact your account balance.

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AND THE WINNER IS…

Congratulations to the following Wright Service Corp. corporate office employees who were recently appointed and promoted!

Each year, employees are invited to guess the new value of WSC shares in the “Guess the Value” contest. The person whose guess is closest wins a cash prize of six times the new per-share price! Out of the nearly 200 employees who participated, the 2019 winner was WTS Division 60 (Texas) GF Rafael Garcia. Rafael’s guess was $21.25 below the new share price of $276.69, an 81.97% increase from 2018. Way to go, Rafael!

NEW

· Mona Anderson, Accounts Payable Clerk · Teresa Brewer, Help Desk Analyst I · Matthew Carpenter, Project Manager · Rose Christenson, Training and Development Manager · Kaari Devens, Digital & Social Marketing Specialist · Jordon Dierks, Learning Management System (LMS) Administrator · Adiba Flattery, Risk Claims Specialist · Lucy Harrison, Compliance Coordinator · Colin Johnson, Telephony Administrator I · Tammy Kyle, Receptionist · Paula Martin, Staff Accountant · Kyle McCann, Associate General Counsel · Jake Norlin, Training and Development Specialist · Jasmin Sarceno-Cortez, Human Resources (HR) Recruiter · Aaron Sedam, Payroll Tax Analyst · Dylan Shroll-Tews, Help Desk Analyst I · Jake Spindler, Senior Accountant · Megan Taylor, Graphic Designer

ON THE MOVE

· April Archuleta-Sams, Accounts Receivable Clerk · Marcus Devens, Jr. Network Administrator · Taylor Erickson, Information Security Assurance Analyst · Kayla Fairlie, Subsidiary Accountant · Jon Hicks, Vice President & Chief Financial Officer · Loren Klein, Chief Information Officer · Sarah Leonardi, Help Desk Lead · Ashley Mefferd, Business Analyst I · Tristan Nicholson, Jr. Systems Administrator · Rocky Palmer, Director of Risk Management · Chris Piper, Payroll Tax Supervisor · Maryna Rath, Senior Marketing & Communications Specialist

We encourage everyone to cast their guess again next year! Look for information in the fall issue of The Wright Perspective.

EMPLOYEE OWNER OF THE YEAR The WSC Employee Owner of the Year Award recognizes an employee within the WSC family of companies who is an outstanding citizen, exhibits company values, the characteristics of an employee owner and makes contributions in the best interest of the company.

Nominations for 2020 will be accepted until September 15.

Visit wrightservicecorp.com/ employee-owner-of-the-year for more information.

The first-ever Employee Owner of the Year, Alison West, WTS payroll and billing manager, was recognized at the Annual Awards Banquet where she received a custom award and $500 check presented

by Scott Packard.

CERTIFIED First Aid, CPR & AED

· Mandy Lozier, Senior Compliance Administrator · Abby Hinrichs, HR Coordinator · Mariana Murillo, HR Generalist · Jon Hicks, VP & CFO · Brandon Wicker · Shannon Bussone-Rue, Communications Administrative Assistant · Amanda Huisman, Senior Marketing & Communications Specialist · Jordon Dierks, LMS Administrator · Jake Norlin, Training and Development Specialist · Dana McGowan, HR Generalist · Paige Henderson, Fleet Administrative Assistant · Dani Welsch, Paralegal

Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional · Mallory Griffith, HR Generalist · Dana McGowan, HR Generalist

RETIRED

· Alan Mace, Fleet Coordinator · Terry McGonegle, Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

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SHARE PRICE REVEAL In December, the WSC Employee Ownership Committee held a share price reveal party at the corporate office. Before the big reveal, two employees were chosen at random to have a chance to play a game.

The share value’s five digits were hidden behind a 5x4 board of squares labeled 1-20 shown on a screen. The employee who won the coin toss had to select a number and was asked a question corresponding with that number. If answered correctly, that square disappeared to reveal a portion of the share price. The contestant would continue to answer questions until they answered wrong or they could’ve guessed the value. If answered incorrectly, the next contestant would repeat the process until the value was correctly identified. It was a fun way to reveal a share price that shocked many in the room, including those who guessed the value.

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AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE March management meeting guest speaker Dr. Gustavo Grodnitzky (Dr. Gustavo) is a speaker, author, consultant and psychologist whose diverse background brings a unique and multidimensional perspective to his global clients. After obtaining his Ph.D. in clinical and school psychology, he completed post-docs in both cognitive therapy and forensic psychology. Dr. Gustavo has extensive experience in interpersonal communications, strategic planning, change management and development of organizational culture.

As a professional speaker and consultant, he has delivered more than 2,000 presentations on a variety of topics, including corporate culture, emotional intelligence, building trust in organizations and integrating multigenerational workforces.

Dr. Gustavo has given WSC permission to republish a blog of his that was originally published on March 10, 2020.

A TALE OF TWO CULTURES, PART I: BOEING

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t has recently been suggested to me that I speak about organizations after they have succeeded or failed based on their culture, rather than during some cultural transformation that is occurring. This is true for two reasons: 1. Cultural examples of success or failure tend to be clearer after the fact.

2. If culture is a vehicle to success or failure (and it is!), it is difficult – if not impossible – to predict the ultimate outcome of a cultural transition. Leadership, where culture starts, almost always has an opportunity to rescue the culture or the organization, almost until the very end.

In response to that suggestion above, I offer you this tale of two cultures: two companies that are radically transforming their cultures, how transformation has affected them so far and where they might end up depending on the leaders who are responsible for cultivating their culture. In Part 1, we discuss Boeing.

A Proud Culture of Engineering Boeing was started in 1916 by William E. Boeing.

For more than 80 years, it demonstrated an ability to innovate, grow (through both sales and acquisition) and gain the trust of its clients and customers through a fastidious and rigorous engineering culture.

It was a company that was run by engineers who had the ultimate “go/no-go” decision-making power when it came to taking products to market.

Until around 1997, Boeing basically operated as an engineering society. Even its engineering union operated collaboratively rather than adversarially with executives. After all, many of those same

executives had come up through Boeing. They held patents, had designed wings, spoke the language of engineering and always maintained safety as a fundamental principle and practice.

Financial performance was seen as a result of this engineering culture.

I offer you this tale of two cultures: two companies that are radically transforming their cultures, how transformation has affected them so far and where they might end up depending on the leaders who are responsible for cultivating their culture.

The Big Shift in Boeing’s Culture In August 1997, Boeing merged with McDonnell Douglas after that company had failed due to its lack of innovation. Its last successful aircraft was the DC-9, created years before. Airlines simply stopped purchasing their products.

In what would later become known as a “reverse takeover,” Phil Condit became CEO and Harry Stonecipher from McDonnell Douglass became president. Under Stonecipher, MD stock had quadrupled even as analysts were concerned not enough was being invested in innovation for the future of the company.

Stonecipher went on a cost-cutting spree reminiscent of “Chainsaw Al” Dunlap of Sunbeam.

The cuts came at the cost of the company’s future competitiveness. McDonnell Douglas ended with a continued on page 14

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You can trash your culture in 24 hours. You can also kill it slowly, suffocating what was once a great company. If profit is like breathing to a company (and I suggest it is), some profit must be reinvested in the culture to ensure the company survives and thrives in the future. similar fate under Stonecipher, yet he became the president of Boeing. With Condit and Stonecipher leading Boeing, the culture began to shift almost immediately.

Divorcing Leadership from Operations First, to the shock of many analysts and engineers, they initiated a program to buy back Boeing stock for more than $10 billion instead of investing the huge cash reserve to build new airplanes. This was seen as very self-serving, as their compensation was tied to stock price.

Then, in 2001, Condit and Stonecipher moved Boeing HQ from Seattle to Chicago. Prior to the move, Stonecipher was known for disparaging the engineers as “arrogant” and using Harry Trumanisms (“I don’t give ’em hell; I just tell the truth and they think it’s hell”) when engineers accused him of being the problem.

At the time of the move, Condit said he wanted to separate the decisions made in HQ from the day-to-day operations of manufacturing. He did so by moving HQ more than 1,700 miles from its manufacturing plant in Seattle, in essence divorcing leadership from operations.

As he did with McDonnell Douglas, Stonecipher wanted to impose a “passion for affordability,” which became a much-despised phrase by the engineers who had previously been so focused on precision and safety. After the move, Stonecipher was quoted as saying: “When people say I changed the culture of Boeing, that was the intent, so that it’s run like a business rather than a great engineering firm.”

The 737 Disaster and Beyond These were the events that changed Boeing’s culture and that led to the disaster of the 737 Max. The 737 Max is the fourth iteration of the 737 aircraft that has been flying since 1967. After two Boeing 737 MAX aircraft crashed in October 2018 and March 2019, causing 346 deaths, aviation authorities around the world grounded the aircraft series until further notice.

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Last month, Boeing reported that it didn’t receive any new orders for commercial jets in January, compared with 45 orders a year ago. And it only delivered 13 commercial planes in the month, down from 46 a year earlier. Meanwhile, Boeing’s principal rival, Airbus, is already offering its next generation of commercial airplanes.

The seeds of the 737 Max fiasco and massive decline at Boeing were planted almost 20 years ago, when the leadership at Boeing put profit before culture. Culture comes first. Culture precedes profit.

You can trash your culture in 24 hours. You can also kill it slowly, suffocating what was once a great company. If profit is like breathing to a company (and I suggest it is), some profit must be reinvested in the culture to ensure the company survives and thrives in the future. Boeing is just one example of a company that has gone through a culture shift clearly detrimental to its health and future. I would suggest that Boeing will only survive if leaders make a radical recommitment to the culture that made it successful for its first 80 years.

Safety and Training Find Common Ground

By Codie Anderson, Safety Manager of WTSCA It has been almost a year since ArborCare joined the Wright Tree Service (WTS) family in May of 2019. In that time, we have seen how remarkably similar tree work (and tree workers) in the United States and Canada can be. Stories shared from both sides of the border share a common theme: the trees get bigger and the drop zones get smaller every time they are told! Despite the similarities, there are a few key differences too. Utility tree work in Canada is highly regulated in many areas. Some provinces have their own certification programs for trimmers, and some adopt a regional certification. What is almost universal is the extensive training and certification required before a worker is deemed competent to lead work in proximity to energized conductors.

Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba require certification as a UTT (Utility Tree Trimmer) or UTW (Utility Tree Worker) in order to run a line-clearance crew. The difference between a UTT and a UTW is that a UTT can work at heights (climbing or running an aerial), while a UTW is restricted to work completed from the ground – slashing (felling) or running a mow crew. The interesting part is they both must complete the same two-week course. All candidates require a minimum of 1,200 hours on the

job before they can attend the program. Graduates must then complete a total of 2,400 hours of work under a UTT or UTW in order to be eligible for certification. The UTT requires at least half of those hours to be work at heights, while the UTW’s hours can all be accumulated on the ground. Three days of training are required every five years to renew.

In British Columbia, there is a mandatory apprenticeship for trimmers. Apprentice candidates must complete a six-week training program before they are permitted to trim or remove trees under the direction of a Certified Utility Arborist (CUA).

They have to accumulate 2,378 hours of on the job training under a CUA and complete another two-week training program before they can be declared certified and eligible to run a crew.

This certification never expires.

Regardless of where in the country you work, ongoing proof of competency is a growing concern. Even the renewal process in Alberta doesn’t take the place of job observations, performance reviews, and regular on-the-job training. Earning your UTT or CUA certificate doesn’t necessarily mean you know everything, any more than earning a driver’s license guarantees everyone is always a good driver. Good work habits, a willingness to learn, and a strong safety culture like we enjoy at WTS are common denominators of great trimmers and great companies no matter which side of the border you are on.

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From the Treetop

Company and Personal Growth

By Greg Williams, Regional Manager

OUR VISION fWright Tree Service will continue to be recognized by utilities as providers of the highest levels of quality, service, responsiveness, reliability and value.

OUR MISSION fTo enable gas and electric utilities to provide reliable service to their customers by ensuring that transmission and distribution lines are clear of vegetation. fTo provide attractive value appreciation to our employee owners. fTo provide team members with an environment that enables them to achieve their personal and professional goals. fTo make a positive difference in the communities we serve.

OUR VALUES fSAFETY

It is everyone’s responsibility – we each own it. fINTEGRITY

We abide by the highest ethical standards. fEXCELLENCE

We continually strive to exceed our customer’s expectations — and our own expectations. fTEAMWORK

It is how we operate and hold each other accountable.

As I begin my 25th year as part of the team at WTS, I have been thinking about the changes I’ve seen in our company and the industry over the last quarter century. I began my career as a groundman on a manual crew in Kansas with no realization of what the future would hold for myself or WTS at the time. I was very fortunate to be surrounded by great teachers at an early stage of my career who quickly became more than just coworkers, they became friends and soon grew into an extension of my own family. In 2005, the company began to grow rapidly creating new and exciting opportunities for myself and anyone willing to step up and take on the challenges that existed with the expansion into new areas and new labor markets. As a company, we have continued to set new records with growth year after year for the past 15 years and largely maintained the same family values we held paramount as a small company.

I have thought many times over the years about why some companies continue to grow, while others falter and fade away. I believe success is a result of flexibility.

Companies and employees who adapt to changes in their industry tend to grow while rigid companies and employees that refuse to adapt will crack under the strain. As a company grows, it must change and those changes are only possible when employees take on new challenges, expand their capabilities, cultivate new behaviors and entertain new ideas. In short, a company only grows when the people inside it grow first.

With Wright Service Corp. (WSC) University, General Foreman (GF) School, Project Manager/Supervisor School and continued improvement of our Safety, Education and Training (SET) team, I believe we are laying the foundation for continued growth and success for our company for generations to come. It is an exciting time as I watch our future leaders continue to develop and see them rise up to meet the challenges we face on a daily basis, armed with the information and tools they need to meet those challenges head on.

People have asked me on many occasions, “What has been the most rewarding part of your career?” The greatest reward I have gotten from this journey is watching the personal growth of the people around me, seeing them achieve things they never thought were possible and seeing that translate into company growth and success. If we do not challenge ourselves and those around us, we will never truly know what we can do as individuals and a team.

fINNOVATION

We anticipate our clients’ needs and we deliver creative services & solutions. fFAMILY

It is our foundation; it is who we are.

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New, On the Move & Certified

Congratulations to the foremen and above who were recently appointed, promoted and certified!

NEW Central Division Foremen f Jordan Bertholf f Grant Bunce f Anthony Clark f Ernest Faller f Jermaine Golfin f Trent Hamer f Orlando Hernandez f John Hodgden f Jaime Jimenez f Joshua Johnson f James Knodel f Guerrero Moreno Jr. f Dustin Nelson North Division GFs f Paul Parziale f Robert Slover Foremen f Andrew Coontz f David Evans f James Norvell f Todd Smith f Tyler Stelbrink f Jerome Zimmer III Division 25 Foremen f Yoernis Aldana f James Bachtel f Ronnie Bentley f Charles Butler f Dale Campbell f Andrew Denavich f Orlando Galarza f Michael Giannini f Steven Greenman Jr. f Michael Grubb f Christopher Keaser f David Mathers f Nicholas McPherson f Wesley Metz f Duane Mognet f Zachary Oblisk f Dominic Santin f Darrian Tiggett Pacific Division GFs f Edward Pell f Christopher Willes Work Planners f Clifford King f John Parker f Frederick Underhill Foremen f Buck Adair f Kyle Aumiller f Zackary Baldwin f Kevin Becker

ON THE MOVE f Shawn Behunin f John Burns f Jaeger Hernandez f Daniel Higgins f Tony Linn f Tyson Malae f Johnny Mankins f Daniel Manzo f Walter Miles f Shawn Moore f Derek Neil f Dustin Neil f Stewart Parnell f Lane Pell f James Penney f Robert Peterson f William Roberts f John Rochefort f Russell Stone f Logan Trammell f Mathew Warden f Phil Western f Travis Willes f Matthew Williams Southeast Division Foremen f Carlos Aguilar f David Alameda f Edison Caraballo Surita f Bill Gilbert f Jonathan Gill f William Hernandez f Timothy Masters f Miqueas Morales f Ricardo Ortega f Juan Penaflor Jr. f Douglas Pewitt f Franklin Rellias f Gabriel Reyes f Ricardo Robles f Pablo Saez f Roman Sizemore f Channing Spaulding f Juan Vallejo f Tanner Wheeldon Division 45 GFs f Manuel Ramos Foreman f Brett Baldridge Jr. f Justin Dewey f Gervis Dubon f Anthony Dykema f Daniel Gragido f Daniel Greene f Esteban Marroquin f Juan Perez f Ruben Serrano f Travis Smith f John Snow

Southwest Division Foremen f Emiliano Aceval f Eddie Dominguez f Marcus Grant f Jose Rojas Division 55 GFs f Ezequel Herrera f Alberto Reyes f Liam Sanchez f Devon Santiago Work Planners f Joseph Becker f Ryon Birtsch f Jay Ivey f Matthew Miller f Gary Thacker Jr. Foremen f Oldrin Aguirre f Jorge Alfonso f Edgar Aviles f Slavik Castro f Theresa Cerf f Joel Constante f Adalberto Diaz f Randall Gilstrap f Dionnys Guilarte f Henry Guilarte f Zephaniah Heath f Yoeldys Hernandez f Kendall Kincaid Jr. f Daniel Legra f Marlon Marcos f Donald Martin f Christopher Morgan f Timothy Morgan f Carlos Morilla f Arturo Ortiz f Israel Pagan f Feliorkis Pardo f Joey Pitts f Delbert Pressley Jr. f Teomar Quinones f Ronald Rakes f Felix Ramire f Pedro Ramirez f Adrian Reyes f Miguel Rodriguez f Jerry Stringfellow III f Eicnar Valdes Lone Star Division Foremen f Jose Marquina f Kevin Williams

Division 65 GFs f Yoan Espino Work Planners f Charles Ackerman III f Krystyn Alberto f Samantha Hayes f Amber Levis Foremen f Aureliano Benitez f Jorge Blanco f Dario Davila f Asdrubal Dieguez f Omar Duran f Gustavo Garay f Ramiro Garay f Luis Garcia f Juan Granados f Omar Mendez f Erilberto Ramos f Anderson Ramos f Ruben Rodriguez f Yusniel Rodriguez f Riley Rubio f Eli Tadeo f Daniel Tapia f Hugo Trejo

Central Division Regional Manager f Greg Williams Foremen f Joe Alaniz

Division 80 GF f Jesse Atwell Work Planner f Jennifer Frasl

Pacific Division GFs f Derek Bedford f Avery Pollock f Skyler Ramble f Lyle Rauh f Josh Sparks

Safety, Education & Training Safety Supervisor f Reggie Copes f Kristian Schultz f Mark Smith Corporate Office Contract Administrator f Michelle Pfantz Payroll & Billing Specialists f Lea Bauman f Denise Bierma f Joel Daniel f Whitney Dostal f Lisa Fedeler f Elizabeth Hargrave f Darla Helt f Christy Klobnak f Tonya Salvucci f Samantha Steiner f Tony Stickel f Nathan Watson

North Division Project Manager f Nate Johnson GFs f Mike Booth f Keith Craney f Derek Walker Division 25 Project Manager f Jeremy Parish GFs f Jacob Braude f Chadwick Carver f Christopher Mason f Stefano Rueben Mountain States Division GF f Dale Sukverbagek

Southeast Division Project Manager f Jeffery Wallace GFs f Damon Allan f Christopher Blount f Matt Cline f Pablo Rios f Felix Romero Jr. f Wesley Smith f Wesley Williams Division 45 Project Manager f Salvador Torres GFs f Nate Carlisle f Josh Dobbs f Joel Quiroz f Eulises Rodriguez f Nathaniel Stattler Southwest Division Project Manager f Jack Hill GF f Dewey Fare Division 55 Division Supervisor f Paul Mitchell GFs f Nicholas Begner f Anderson Nieves Campis Lone Star Division GF f Juan Cerna

Division 65 Project Manager f Scott Marsh GFs f Amelio Archie f Nathan Dillon f Socas Espino f Dylan Marsh f Ron Smith f Cory Van Kuren Minnkota Division GFs f Rafael Cerrato f Tony Ohr f Josh Wildeboer Division 80 GFs f Jesse Atwell f Joel Rendon f Matthew Woodyard Safety, Education & Training Safety Supervisor f Juan Arellano-Miranda f Nate Dillon f Chris Lorenz Corporate Office Payroll & Billing Supervisors f Brandy Blakeney f Chelsea Medearis

RETIRED

f Jim Engelke f Mike Harris f Dan Hawker f Scott Schweistahl

CERTIFIED New International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified ArboristÂŽ Central Division GF f Samuel Tuschhoff North Division GFs f Keith Craney f Brian Emert f Yancy Goggin f Toby Lindstrom Foreman f Ashley Pippin

Division 25 Work Planner f Eric Moyer Mountain States Division Foreman f Charles Nadeau Division 65 Work Planner f Aaron Nugent Foreman f Cody Servaes Minnkota Division GF f Derek Williams

Division 80 Foreman f Jennifer Frasl Trimmer f Joshua Mann New ISA Certified Utility Specialist™ Pacific Division GF f Joshua O'Connor f Shawn Woody

SPRING 2020 THE WRIGHT PERSPECTIVE | OUR FAMILY TREE 17

Safety Education & Training Project Manager/ Supervisor School In January, the first WTS Project Manager/Supervisor School took place at the corporate office in West Des Moines, Iowa. The new training focuses on continual training for employees above the GF level, helping those that receive promotions succeed in their positions.

Seven WTS employees attended the first Project Manager School.

Congratulations to all participants!

GF School GF School is a weeklong program where WTS employees participate in a variety of trainings and hands on exercises to build a solid foundation to be more effective in their position.

The goal of GF School is to educate and train our GFs to build a strong and productive workforce.

In November 2019, 23 WTS employees and two Wright Outdoor Solutions (WOS) employees gathered at the corporate office in West Des Moines, Iowa, for GF School.

GF school attendees receiving aerial lift training outside the corporate office.

Congratulations to all participants!

GF school attendees working as a team to balance a chainsaw between two chairs. 

(Left to right) Back row: Project Manager Chuck Ritter, Division Supervisor Cory Edwards, GF Corey Wilson and Project Manager Brad Shearer. Front row: Project Managers David Tabor, Tim Hanson and Ron Carman.

(Left to right) Fourth row: Sherrill Sales Phillip Hoffmann, Senior Safety Lead Warren Williams, GFs Eloy Zapata, Joe Wewer, Matt Pregon, Patrick Gambino, Chad Hirtzinger and Alex Cerrato. Third row: GFs Tyler Byington, Shawn Perry, Dave Edwards, Nathan Quist and Matt Lenhard, WOS Arbor & PHC Operations Manager Chad Sutherland, and GFs Nick Rohrbaugh and Guy Miller. Second row: GF Pete Ortiz, WOS Arbor GF Joshua Appletoft, and GFs Kyle Richardson, Mario Hernandez Romero, Jeff Rhodes, Nate Dillion, Matt Cary, Safety Supervisors Brandon Magee and Emmanel Hernandez, and GF Jose Jasso. First row: GF Pedro Hernandez, Senior Safety Lead Phillip Kelley, GFs Brian Emert and Joel Guitz.

18 THE WRIGHT PERSPECTIVE | OUR FAMILY TREE SPRING 2020

TRAINING TOOLS SPOTLIGHT:

Growth in Safety & Training

By Wes Tregilgas, Safety Manager The SET field team has grown in many ways over the past year. We are working to create a more active and cohesive SET team, so every crew in every division has access to the same level of safety training. We have added new team members from within and outside the company, while increasing each SET employee’s training skills.

With 19 team members, 2020 will be a key year for the SET team to increase their skills and certification development. The SET team leadership will provide a lot of in-house training and development for team members, while also getting trainings from third party organizations.

Some states may have additional requirements for licenses or credentials, which the local Safety Supervisor would need to have as well.

Each SET team member is required to have the following third-party credentials: • • • • • • • • • • •

ISA Certified Arborist ISA Utility Specialist CTSP Certified Tree Care Safety Professional TRAQ Tree Risk Assessment Qualification Certified Trainer flagger/ traffic control First Aid & CPR Trainer Dale Carnegie Course OSHA 30 Certified Pesticide Applicators credential CDL Driver License Fluent in Spanish

may only see one or two of our team members at a time, but all of our outfits will look similar, and we will perform the same activities and trainings.

The SET team is a great place to develop and grow in capability and contribution at a rapid rate. We work hard so we can effectively teach WTS employees to work safely. We are proud of the culture we have created within the team and the progress we see toward reaching our team’s performance goals every day.

Over the years, several SET team members have found new positions on the operations side of WTS. By having these former members working in a leadership capacity with the company, they’ve been able to utilize the skills they learn and pass on the skills and information to those around them.

CURRENT LIST OF SET TEAM MEMBERS: Safety Manager f Wes Tregilgas

Senior Safety Leads

f Phillip Kelley f Warren Williams

SET Technical Trainer

f Kristian Schultz

Safety Supervisors

f Juan ArellanoMiranda f Chad Berlin f Brian Christensen f Reggie Copes f Nate Dillon f Emanuel Hernandez-Lopez f Ranferi LopezGarcia f Chris Lorenz f Brandon Magee f Jon McCormack f Tony Perez f Ira Signalness f Mark Smith f Erik Sveum f Don Watson

If you would like to learn additional skills, have a desire to train others and are passionate about seeing others succeed in this Industry, please email me at wtregilgas@wrighttree.com.

Photos taken in December 2019 during a SET team training event in New Orleans, Louisiana. The tree is a Southern Live Oak [Quercus virginiana] located in Audubon Park named the Tree of Life. 

Because a large percentage of WTS employees are native Spanish-speakers, we believe it is important for the SET team, as trainers, to become fluent in order to better communicate.

If a team member is not fluent in Spanish, they must remain enrolled into a Spanish language fluency program.

In order to create a more cohesive team, we have also modified the clothing for the SET team. You

SPRING 2020 THE WRIGHT PERSPECTIVE | OUR FAMILY TREE 19

Challenge Coins Through the Challenge Coin program, WTS’s CEO, president, vice presidents of operations, and safety and risk managers recognize employees with special coins when they go above and beyond in exhibiting our company’s values. Those deserving of the recognition since last September include:

The 2019 Holiday Safety Challenge took place between December 1 – 21, 2019.

During the challenge, 802 employees from 14 divisions submitted 1,814 hazard submissions. Great job, Wright Tree Service!

CEO COINS f Retiree, Mike Harris, Minnkota Division f Retiree, Dan Hawker, Minnkota Division f Retiree, Terry McGonegle, Corporate Office f Retiree, Alan Mace, Corporate Office f Payroll & Billing Manager, Alison West, Corporate Office

The challenge theme, Securing Your Safety, highlighted the importance of being aware of your surroundings and mitigating potential hazards before an incident could take place. The field hazard submissions were split into three categories: Tie-in, Tie-off & Rigging/Lowering Points, Life Support & Securement Equipment Inspection, and DOT Pre-trip Inspection.

With our new challenge platform, Award Force, participants could upload up to 3 photos with each submission, edit submissions and resubmit before each deadline, and view examples of good and bad entries.

SAFETY COIN f Trimmer, Justin Jackson, Lone Star Division

HAZARD SUBMISSIONS TIE-IN, TIE-OFF & RIGGING/ LOWERING POINTS

1st Place: Division 65: James Adrianson, Matthew David, Rodricus McDuffey, Megan Walter and Jordan Williams 2nd Place: Division 25: John Miller 3rd Place: North Division: Rob Lawlyes

Safety Video

PARTICIPATION Awarded to the division with the highest percentage of employee participation during the challenge.

In September, we filmed our next safety video with local crew members in Detroit and Lansing, Michigan. This safety video will walk through various rescue situations.

Thank you to everyone involved in filming!

Winner: Division 25: 87.68% participation

LIFE SUPPORT & SECUREMENT EQUIPMENT INSPECTION

1st Place: Division 25: Travis Mongold 2nd Place: Division 25: Zach Barnhart and Dustin Richards 3rd Place: Division 25: Chris Gaston

DOT PRE-TRIP INSPECTION

1st Place: North Division: Jacob Propes 2nd Place: Central Division: Christopher Henderson 3rd Place: North Division: Samuel Gatley and Trever Taylor

We look forward to the future of our safety culture at WTS and will continue to look at feedback from our employees to increase safety awareness and culture.

SUBMIT A SAFETY SUGGESTION! At Wright Tree Service, safety is our number one value.

If you have a safety suggestion, compliment, concern or general comment, we invite you to submit it to our safety suggestion box. Find it online at www. wrighttree.com, or use your smartphone to open the QR code on the left. The code will direct you to the safety suggestion box, allowing you to submit your suggestion easily from your mobile device.

20 THE WRIGHT PERSPECTIVE | OUR FAMILY TREE SPRING 2020

News from the Branches CENTRAL DIVISION

“The young gentlemen who came to my door and worked on my property were very nice and polite."

“I am impressed with the work the crews did in my area. I appreciate the thorough job they did.”

ITC Midwest customer complimenting Foreman Devin Dixon and Trimmer Todd Vander

Evergy lineman complimenting Foremen Joshua Johnson and Paul Reynolds, Trimmers Cody Church and Matthew Sessions, and Groundman Dakota Beers

“The crew approached me when I was in my yard to explain what they were going to do to the trees. They were very polite, respectful, and respectfully dressed even though they were working outside.”

Evergy customer complimenting Foreman Brian Louderback and Groundman Randy Spillman

“I want to let you know what a pleasant experience it was for us to have your crew working on our property. Everyone on the crew was helpful, informative and professional.

No one wants to have their trees clipped; it is necessary for having electricity. The gentlemen working in my yard did a fantastic job. They let me know exactly what they were going to do and let me know exactly what to expect.

Thank you for a job well done.”

Evergy customer complimenting several crew members

“Our large maple tree was dying. The crew that came to trim is the best! They went above and beyond what I expected and were very professional.”

Evergy customer complimenting several crew members

“Your crew was courteous and did a good job trimming a large mulberry tree in my backyard away from power lines today.”

Evergy customer complimenting several crew members

CENTRAL DIVISION

“Sometimes I take for granted that the WTS crews we have on our property are always doing a good job. The problem, which is really not a problem, is that WTS does a fantastic job each and every day we have them on our property! I honestly could not be any happier with the internal customer service as well as the external customer service. I think you guys work hard to set the standard and, from what I see on a daily basis, you are the standard in our industry and the majority of the time you are above it! Thank you for being a part of what we do!”

Kansas City Board of Public Utilities employee complimenting GFs Roger Farley and Corey Wilson

“Tommy Pearson was a true professional with excellent customer service. He quickly returned my call, was at my residence within 20 minutes and had a crew out to address the problem within a two-hour window. Incredible!

Nice work, Tommy and WTS!” KCP&L customer complimenting GF Tommy Pearson

“I was very pleased with the crew that worked on my property. They did an extraordinary job, and were polite, professional and very hard workers. This was the best tree service I had ever had, and they made sure he was happy with the work.”

Girl Scout Cookies In Weeping Water, Nebraska, President & COO Will Nutter’s niece’s daughter stopped a crew with GF Tom Anderson, Foreman Paul Delgado and Trimmer Mike Frostrom to give them some Girl Scout cookies.

CENTRAL DIVISION

Promotion Greg Williams was promoted to Regional Manager of WTS’s Central Division in January. Greg has worked for WTS for 25 years, starting in 1995 as a groundman and working his way up to Foreman, GF and Division Supervisor before moving into his most recent position as Division Manager.

Congratulations, Greg!

MidAmerican Energy customer complimenting Foremen Ignacio Navarrete and Jeremy Sharpe, and Trimmer Jaycob Barreiro

CENTRAL DIVISION

Flory Backhoe, Inc. Acquisition of Assets In March, WTS expanded services in the Midwest after acquiring the assets of Flory Backhoe, Inc., a Kansas-based excavation company founded in 1999. Additional services in the Midwest include right-of-way (ROW) preparation and restoration, utility installation in housing developments, agricultural conservation, and residential excavation.

We welcome our newest team members to the Wright Tree family, Operations Manager Blaine Flory (left) and Project Manager Mark Flory (right). 

SPRING 2020 THE WRIGHT PERSPECTIVE | OUR FAMILY TREE 21

“WTS employees have been working in my neighborhood for the past several days. They worked in my backyard to cut down tree / branches that posed a potential risk to the power lines. I am very impressed with the crew. They are professional, extremely capable and super nice people! I couldn't be happier with them! They listened to my concerns about a large wind chime set I have hanging from one of the lower branches of an elm tree in my backyard and assured me they could definitely work around it. I'm not surprised that MidAmerican has chosen to work with such a straightforward, capable, and responsible contractor as WTS.” MidAmerican Energy customer complimenting several crew members

“Chris did a great job on my property today and I wanted to make sure he was recognized.

He was also extremely nice!”

Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) customer complimenting Work Planner Chris Druce

“I was very pleased with the work that WTS did in my area. They were very polite and did a really great job.”

OPPD customer complimenting several crew members

“WTS trucks have been passing in front of my home. I would like to praise your drivers on their driving behavior. There are many vehicles, private and commercial, that use the country road in front of my hours on a daily basis. Your vehicles pass going either below or close to the speed limit. This is truly a rare occurrence as most drivers drive over the speed limit. I appreciate it!”

Shelby Energy customer complimenting several crew members

NORTH DIVISION “WTS employees Darin and Bob were at my house to cut down a tree. They did a great job of getting it down and cleaning up the debris.

Great job, WTS!” Ameren customer complimenting Foreman Darin Gray and Trimmer Robert Davis

“The crew working in my neighborhood has been great! I really appreciate their courteous professionalism. Please extend a big thank you to them and let them know that they are appreciated! They treated my yard like it was their own. Any business would be lucky to have these hardworking professionals.”

Ameren customer complimenting several crew members

“I’d like to express my gratitude to the crew.

The WTS crew handled a hazardous situation methodically and professionally to the point where the linemen were impressed as well.

Wright also stuck around so the linemen could get the line back up and yet still finished in a timely manner while opening up the work area.

Well done!”

Ameren employee complimenting Foremen Jason McClelland and Thatcher Rodmaker, and Trimmers Jeremy Curry and Karson Westcott

“Andrew and Scott were here recently on behalf of Ameren. They did a great job of removing branches that were threatening our power lines. They were fast, friendly, thorough and careful. Thanks for hiring and sending out good people.”

Ameren customer complimenting Foreman Andrew Siemsen and Trimmer Scott Reel

“Thank you to the crews working in my neighborhood. As the funeral procession for a loved one passed them, they all stopped, removed their hats and stood and waited for the entire line of vehicles to pass. It was heartwarming to know that there are still people who show respect for others in their time of sorrow and loss in the world we live in today. Please know that not only the family noticed but all that attended commented positively on their actions.”

Ameren customer complimenting several crew members

“WTS listened to me and understood my concern about a treacherous tree hanging over my power line, which they cut down. They were a wonderful crew of hardworking young men! Thank you so much.”

Ameren customer complimenting several crew memberss

DIVISION 25 “The crew working in my area has been so productive and polite. Upon our request, they returned to cut logs into lengths we could use to process for our wood stove. They took pride in their work and we appreciate that.”

American Electric Power (AEP) customer complimenting several crew members

“We were traveling to a cemetery for the burial of a special friend as we came upon one of your trucks working. When they realized it was a hearse passing, they stopped working and took off their hard hats. It was very moving to see.

Thank you.”

Hagerstown, Maryland, resident complimenting several crew members

“I had just laid my eight-month-old daughter down for a nap when I noticed the tree crew outside near my house. I ran outside and told your crew, and they took it upon themselves to forgo the chainsaws and use their hand saws.

They then came back later and cleaned up the debris to avoid making noise while she took her nap. I would like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. It meant the world to me and I hope you all have a very happy day.

Thank you.”

Louisville, Ohio, resident complimenting several crew members

“Josh was very nice and helpful. Thank you!”

PPL Electric customer complimenting Trimmer Josh Mann

MOUNTAIN STATES DIVISION “The WTS crews did an awesome job!”

Black Hills Energy customer complimenting GF Nathan Quist, Foreman Scott Page and Trimmer John Williamson

“Kudos to the great work that was done in my area. Each experience we have with WTS is a pleasant one and work is always outstanding.

Thank you!”

Black Hills Energy customer complimenting several crew members

“The crew trimming around the power lines on my property did a great job. They were friendly, polite, explained what they were going to do and cleaned up. Before they even started trimming, they put a piece of plywood over the playhouse in my yard so they did not damage it. Thank you for doing such a good job.”

Xcel Energy customer complimenting Work Planner Juan Sanchez, Foremen Jose Herrera and Bernardo Robles, Trimmers Jose Alvarega and Benito Gonzalez, and Groundman Emmanuel Garcia

“Bradley showed that there are still good people out there. I lost my wallet in November while hunting. Bradley found my wallet while working and went out of his way to contact me to return it. I cannot thank him enough for the good deed.”

“The crew did a phenomenal job. They gave the us a day’s notice as requested, explained what they were doing and why, and cleaned everything up. They were very personable and polite. Thank you for the good job.”

Fort Ashby, West Virginia resident complimenting Work Planner Bradley Davis

Xcel Energy customer complimenting Work Planner Gerardo Gonzalez-Castaneda and Trimmer Jorge Lopez

22 THE WRIGHT PERSPECTIVE | OUR FAMILY TREE SPRING 2020

PACIFIC DIVISION “Thank you to the crew working around my property. I realized after they left that they blew the leaves from the front of our house all the way into a pile on the side of the road.

They certainly didn’t need to go out of their way to do that extra work. Thank you!”

Eugene Water & Electric Board customer complimenting several crew members

PACIFIC DIVISION

Christmas Parade GF Kyle Richardson and his family participated in the 2019 Yelm Christmas Parade in Yelm, Washington.

GF Kyle Richardson with his wife, Katy, and daughters Kayden, Bethany and Hadley.

“Your crew did a great job. They were very professional and did a great job with cleaning up.”

PacifiCorp customer complimenting several crew members

“The crew in my area is the best. They’re doing a great job making sure the power lines are clear. They’re also very professional.”

Portland General Electric customer complimenting several crew members

SOUTHEAST DIVISION “Hector and Ryan had excellent customer service. They cleared the area around the power lines in an excellent manner and left my property clean. WTS has two outstanding employees. Thank you for their service.”

Clarksville Department of Electricity customer complimenting Foreman Hector Martinez and Groundman Ryan Mosley

“The crew was friendly and did good work.”

Louisville Gas & Electric customer complimenting several crew members

DIVISION 45 “The crew members were really friendly! They were efficient and even took time to stack the wood I wanted to keep.”

AEP customer complimenting Foreman Troy Arnold and Trimmer Joshua Johnson

“The crew that came to my property did a great job. They cleaned up, went above and beyond, and were overall fantastic.”

AEP customer complimenting several crew members

SOUTHEAST DIVISION

Safe Contract Employee of the Month Trimmer Ronnie Hamilton was recognized as Appalachian Power Company (APCo)’s Safe Contract Employee of the Month in May 2019.

Congratulations, Ronnie – you earned it!

DIVISION 45

Good Samaritan GF Nate Stattler was on his way to a job site when he noticed a small Honda SUV had gone off the road, ripping out a guy wire and pulling the service drop insulator out of a pole barn in the process. This caused the fuse to blow at the pole and power to be interrupted at the house across the street. He immediately stopped his truck by the front yard and got out to help the young lady that had the accident. He checked the surroundings to make sure no wires were down that could cause harm to the young lady or himself.

When he approached the car, the 17-year-old girl was trapped inside. Not knowing what was wrong, he asked her if she could get out. She informed him that the door would not open. He was able to pull the door open. He immediately asked if she was ok and had her turn the car off because he didn’t know if anything was leaking from the vehicle. Thankfully, she was not injured and was able to get out of the car. She told him she had hit her head on the windshield and her mom was on her way. The neighbor was already on the phone with emergency personnel.

Once he knew the girl was okay, he called a forester to inform him of the outage and then called DDC to report the hardware damage. When the girl’s mom showed up, Nate told her what he knew, and stayed until the emergency personal showed up just in case they needed help.

Great job being a Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper, Nate!

SPRING 2020 THE WRIGHT PERSPECTIVE | OUR FAMILY TREE 23

“Your crew came out to cut a tree that was too close to the power line. The entire time, Darrell didn’t stop working. We watched him put all of the cones up, walk up and down the property line trimming what was needed beneath the power line and pick up numerous branches.

He even picked up our trash can that had tipped over after being emptied at the end of our driveway. That wasn’t asked of him and he had no clue we were even watching him. As a mom of a toddler and having a long driveway on top of it being a very cold windy day, I really appreciated that! I can almost guarantee that wasn’t in his job description. As for the rest of the crew and the job itself, the tree looks great and the yard was spectacular and nearly spotless after they left!”

AEP customer complimenting Foreman Darrell Pearson and several crew members

“I am very impressed with the work your company has been doing in our neighborhood.

They have all been so polite and helpful, and clean up has been thorough.”

AEP customer complimenting several crew members

“I wanted to give my compliments to your crew. I was concerned when I saw how many branches were being trimmed and I asked them to stop their work. Juan immediately had his crew stop and offered to contact GF Salvador and request him to come to the site, to which I agreed.

While we were waiting for Salvador to arrive, Juan asked me if I would be willing to talk through my concerns. I was able to tell him that I was concerned about the health of trees with so many of the limbs being taken off. My brother, an arborist, has told me that trees with many wounds often don’t survive. Juan explained the work order to me and showed how carefully the work planner, Jim Voss,

considers which trees to trim, how much and when. He also told me that oak trees fair better if they are cut in the cold weather. I was grateful that he explained this to me!

Juan showed a very calm and professional demeanor. He listened and acknowledged my concerns and he called in a superior to handle the situation because he had an honest interest in resolving the problem amicably. I greatly admire this response, and many people could learn such graces from this man!

When Salvador arrived on-site, we talked through all of my concerns. Salvador was just as calm and professional as his colleague, Juan. We discussed the options, of which he was willing and able to request that the before mentioned trees be cut down, so as not to cause us, or the client, DTE any future issues.

One day later, they came back to complete the agreed upon work. Both Juan and Salvador came back personally to make sure that everything was satisfactory. I am honored and humbled to have met such decent, hardworking men! You are extremely fortunate to have them working for your company.”

DTE Energy customer complimenting Work Planner Jim Voss, GFs Yoan Socas Espino and Salvador Torres

“The crews in my area did an awesome job!”

Indianapolis Power & Light (IPL) resident complimenting several crew members

“The young men who were out to trim the trees in my neighborhood were so professional and considerate. They were careful to pick up all the small limbs that dropped into the yard and were very polite when I asked them not to lean on the fence in doing so. I just wanted to commend them on their level of service!”

IPL customer complimenting several crew members

DIVISION 55

New Employee Training WTS held a new employee training class in South Carolina with GF Doug Oliver instructing and Foreman Eric Hofmeister demonstrating. The class went in-depth on safety principles while on the ROW and described the five steps of tree felling. The demonstrations included knots, notches and proper site set up.

Thank you for teaching safety, Doug and Eric!

24 THE WRIGHT PERSPECTIVE | OUR FAMILY TREE SPRING 2020

“I would like to thank WTS for such a professional job removing my ash tree. Sean and his crew went above and beyond to make sure I was happy with how they cleaned up the area around the tree. Thank you for caring."

Duke Energy customer complimenting Foreman Sean Kovatch and several crew members

SOUTHWEST DIVISION “A tree in my yard was marked to be trimmed due to a concern of limbs possibly damaging the electrical wire running to the main utility pole. Before it was trimmed, I discovered an animal had chased a cat up the pole. It sat on the very top of that pole crying and scared and I had no idea on how to get the cat off the pole safely. I called the utility and asked if the tree trimmers could possibly come that morning to trim the tree and also see if the cat would come down from the pole. In just a short time the WTS truck arrived at my house. Mitch and Kody devised a quick plan if the cat decided to jump or fell off the pole. They started to raise the bucket lift, and the noise scared the cat enough to climb down the pole unhurt. Mitch and Kody said they had never experienced this type of situation before but were ready and willing to do what was needed to help me. I’d like to thank them for their extra effort and willingness to help out in an unusual situation.”

City Utilities of Springfield customer complimenting Foreman Mitchell Lee Brown and Groundman Kody Zyan Stanley

“Great work! A tree branch had fallen onto my main power line after a storm. This crew took great care in being safe and clearing the line.

They were very respectful and courteous.”

Oklahoma Gas & Electric customer complimenting several crew members

“Your crew did such a nice job. They were very polite, nice and took their time even with the cold day. We are very pleased with the work we did.”

Liberty Utilities, Empire District customer complimenting GF Randall DeJager, Foreman Jeffrey Burwell and Trimmer Dalton Hill

“The experience I had with your crews over three weeks was entirely positive. My job was to coordinate the crews, inspect their work and communicate and resolve any issues with the GF. Your crews were all hard working, thorough and professional. They worked very well with our customers. They adapted very quickly to a rather unusual project and the quality of their work was excellent. I would like to especially compliment Joel.

He was personable and professional and communicated with me on a daily basis as needed. At all times I felt confident that the project was in great hands. These guys work together great as a team. They will be welcome back here next time we need additional crews. Please pass along my thanks to Joel and his guys for a job very well done.”

City Utilities of Springfield employee complimenting GF Joel Rendon and several crew members

LONE STAR DIVISION “The WTS crews did a fantastic job! They were on time, worked hard all day and cleaned up every branch and twig they removed from our easement. We were especially impressed that the crew thought enough to move our statue of the Virgin Mary out of harm’s way. Thank you.”

Oncor customer complimenting Foreman Benito Huerta and several crew members

“Thank you to the crew for taking care of the trees around our building. They did a great job and were very easy to work with.

They did just what we asked and left the area looking good!”

Oncor customer complimenting Trimmer Brandon Ross Self and several crew members

“Your tree crew did a very good job on my trees and were thoughtful and respectful while here today. They did a very good cleanup job.”

Oncor customer complimenting several crew members

“The crew came out to trim and top a tree that was on my property and branches were hanging over the power line. They were all very respectful and very nice and took extra care not to damage my yard or any of the plants. Thank you so much for the service you provide.”

Oncor customer complimenting several crew members

“WTS came out and trimmed a tree in my area and they did a great job.”

Oncor customer complimenting several crew members

“I wanted to say that y’all did an outstanding job and I was wowed that you chopped the ones on the other side of my fence. I am truly satisfied with what a great job you did.

Awesome job. Ten stars for you!”

Oncor customer complimenting Foremen Jose R. Álvarez and Jose Dimas Romero, Trimmers Joaquín Menjivar, Ángel Moreno, José Ramírez and Mario Rivera, and Trainee Jose Rodriguez

DIVISION 65 “WTS crews are doing a really great job in my area, especially Warren.”

Consumers Energy employee complimenting Trimmer Warren Wright Jr.

“The WTS crew in my area was respectful and professional. Eric is a quality employee!

You could not have anyone better to represent your company or take care of his crew. Thank you to the crew for their safety procedures, skill and teamwork, and their respect for nature and personal property. It was amazing to see how they worked together so precisely and carefully around the garden to take down a tree in the power lines. Just one man and his crew with the right attitudes and skills can make everything better. Thank you and compliments to your company and crew!”

DIVISION 65

Michigan Tree Climbing Competition Multiple WTS employees participated in the Michigan Tree Climbing Competition in September 2019, including GF Lisa Bagalay, Foremen Jacob Forella and Dillon Rose, and Trimmer Brandon Logiudice. Lisa and Dillon placed in the competition.

Project Manager Ron Carman’s son, Bryant, also participated in the kids climb and was quoted in Record-Eagle, a local news site.

“I think (I was) 40- or 50- or 12 foot high,” Bryant said.

GF Lisa Bagalay and Foreman Dillon Rose.

Secured in a harness, helmeted and under the watchful eye of professional tree climbers, 6-year old Carmen made it about 15 ft up an oak tree.

“I keeped going up on top and when I landed on the branch standing, it feels like I was a tree worker – so much like I was a tree worker.” Carman said excitedly.

DTE customer complimenting GF Eric Bagalay and several crew members

Project Manager Ron Carman's son, Bryant.

“By chance, I was able to meet Dave and his crew performing utility tree trimming in our area. I asked Dave about some ruts left in my yard that I wouldn’t be able to mow over.

He was polite, professional, and handled it absolutely well. I want t to acknowledge David and his crew for doing a hard and necessary with professionalism.”

DTE customer complimenting Work Planner Dave Strickland and several crew members

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DIVISION 65

MiCareer Fair

On November 8, 2019, WTS exhibited equipment and a virtual reality tree-trimming exercise at the MiCareer Quest Southeast event in Detroit, Michigan. More than 11,000 students from six counties in Michigan attended the interactive event to learn more about different occupations.

(Left to right) WSC Information Security Assurance Analyst Taylor Erickson, Foremen Mike Coates, Alex Keller and Kevin Spearman and Work Planner Ashley Thiel. 

“A WTS crew was working near our house.

They were great about communicating what they were doing, when they needed to be on our property and cleaning up. They were very professional and friendly!”

Hillsdale Board of Public Utilities customer complimenting several crew members

“You recently sent a team to my area to do some trimming on behalf of our power company. I was worried about the safety of my car, but the guys did an amazing job navigating their bucket truck carefully around our cramped parking lot and making sure that no cars were in harm’s way while they were trimming. They were also very patient with a nervous car-owner hovering around, and they let me get my car out of the way! They also did a nice job with clean up – no debris / branches left behind, so when they left you couldn't even tell that tree-trimmers had been there (except for the trimmed trees, of course!) Thank you for doing such a great and careful job!”

DTE Energy customer complimenting GF Sean Parker and several crew members

MINNKOTA DIVISION “WTS crews were in my area to trim trees around two high power electrical lines. The guys were awesome. Your crew members were fantastic! Very safety conscious. Did an excellent job!”

Connexus Energy customer complimenting Foreman Justin Bittner and Trimmer Kyler Sempel

“I want to thank the crew that trimmed my trees. They did a wonderful job and I appreciated the cleanup.”

Connexus Energy customer complimenting Foreman Justin Bittner and Trimmer Andrew Bainville

“I’d like to express my gratitude to a couple of your men. When they were here doing storm damage restoration, they went above and beyond. We had trees that were blocking our tornado and fire siren, and they helped us out by trimming those. They didn’t have to do that, but they did it to help us out and keep us safe. We appreciate it very much.”

Mayor of Carthage, South Dakota, complimenting Foreman Joshua Bult and Trimmer Cole Steen

26 THE WRIGHT PERSPECTIVE | OUR FAMILY TREE SPRING 2020

“Ryan and Kinsey helped out on some limbs intruding on the power line. They were very polite and efficient. It was fun to watch them work!”

Xcel Energy customer complimenting Foreman Ryan Fredrickson and Trimmer Kinsey Fink

“I want to recognize the fine work your crew performed while removing tree branches on my lot. We have had too many power outages and are most happy to see this work done. The crew was very professional, polite and openly communicated the work they wanted to do.

They are a credit to this tree service.”

Xcel Energy customer complimenting Foreman Dylan Buschette and Trimmer Peder Brevig

“I loved the crew. The had fast and safe execution and worked hard to clean up. They were even nice enough to leave the big logs for me as requested. I wish you did residential jobs – I would recommend anytime.”

Xcel Energy customer complimenting several crew members

CORPORATE OFFICE “I just wanted to take the time to express my appreciation for Ann. Having her on our team has made a huge difference, and I truly appreciate her cooperative spirit and the attention to detail. She’s always a pleasure to work with and has a broad knowledge of the contracts she covers for our division. As a leader you’re always trying to surround yourself with great talent, and I can say you have definitely achieved that with Ann.” Division supervisor Afton Stanko complimenting Payroll & Billing Specialist Ann Trimble

WRIGHT TREE SERVICE OF THE WEST

News from the Branches

NEW, ON THE MOVE & CERTIFIED

Compliments sent to Wright Tree Service of the West.

NEW

WTS OF THE WEST “David and John came to trim trees on my property. They both did an excellent job. I was very pleased with their work.”

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) customer complimenting Foreman David Gonzales and Trimmer John Faulkner

“A WTS of the West crew was removing hazardous trees. They were the most polite, professional and accommodating utility tree crew that has been here since the Carr fire.

They showed great respect for my property and were quick and efficient. Wish all crews would take note of their performance.

Thanks, guys!”

PG&E customer complimenting Foreman Brandon Smith and Trimmer Nathaniel Peterson

“WTS of the West was cutting and trimming trees on my property today.

They finished and left, but immediately came back to tell me that my water pump was spraying everywhere. They turned the water off and reconnected my pipe to the pump. Thank you so much! I really appreciate the help.”

PG&E customer complimenting several crew members

GFs f Martin Acevedo f John Cummings Jr. f Yordanis Herrera f Justin Moench f Martin Rivera f Alberto Vergara

Foremen

f Erick Asin f Fernando Ayala f Joel Batista f Osmely Breffe f Alex Chavez f Giorkis Correa f Jaime Garcia f John Dero f Rafael Diaz f Armando Espinoza f Patrick Evans f David Gonzales f Yusnaldi Gonzalez f Fernando Granados f Yunierkis Hernandez f Maykell Herrera f Ranel Laureano f Carlos Martinez f Emilio Medina

f Yadier Mora f Yunier Perez f Waymon Radford f Yasdiel Reina f Leodan Rodriguez f Edwin Rodriguez f Rafael Roque f Eldis Roque f Yudisney Ruiz f Lazaro Soto f Mark Telemchuk f Yohanis Valdes f Rene Viamonte f Osmani Zayas

ON THE MOVE

Division Supervisor f Carlos Cisneros

Project Manager

f Ben Rakestraw

GFs

f Luis Cisneros f Yordanis Collazo f Alberto Herrera f Justin Moench f Ricardo Rivera

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WRIGHT TREE SERVICE OF CANADA

NEW, ON THE MOVE & CERTIFIED NEW Accountant f Taehee Kim, CPA Division Supervisor f Steve Kerr GFs f Simon Stowell Utility Tree Trimmers f Ureil Giraldo f Ryan Hohnstein f Keegan Lane f Ashton Martin f Jessie Wintonyk Utility Tree Workers f Caleb Donahue f Frank Laboucan Arborist f Luke Oliver

CERTIFIED New International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist® f Nathan Blackie f Chad Winger

Special Thanks

WTSCA would like to extend a special thank you to Project Manager Bryon Honea for joining the team for some safety training, reporting, tracking, structure, team building, and mentoring in early March to help WTSCA with its Fortis Alberta start up.

Bryon also wanted to thank GF Dustin Brandon. He said, “Dustin has some great manager skills. I can see why you hired him.

He is handling the utility very well and is building the relationship there. He is very professional with the utility and the men.

He has a ton of values that will set this project up to win.”

News from the Branches Compliments sent to ArborCare, a division of Wright Tree Service of Canada.

ARBORCARE “A crew came out today and trimmed and shaped our crab apple tree. Honestly, they did the best job that anybody has ever done on that tree. They were super a friendly, courteous, efficient and hardworking group. I truly can’t say enough good things about them and the work they did. Kudos also to Sebastian in the office made sure the job was done to our satisfaction and again super courteous and efficient. We’ve been ArborCare customers for years and this completely pleasant experience reinforces our commitment to them.”

Customer complimenting GF Chris Paterson, Inside Sales Team Lead Sebastian Maas and several crew members

“We are very pleased, as always, with the work provided by ArborCare. We have used ArborCare for many years and they are polite when you speak to them on the phone, honest and reliable. They will tell you how long it will take to come to do the pruning and call you before they arrive. Thank you for another great job.”

“We are very impressed with your crews’ professionalism, safety and clean up. We will definitely recommend you.”

Customer complimenting Crew Leads Nathan Blackie and Steven Baugerud, and several crew members

“City of Regina wants to thank the team at ArborCare for the great work this winter. 1,500 trees were pruned safely and to the residents and cites expectations. Brad was fantastic to work with and a true professional. Looking forward to the team coming back in the fall.”

City of Regina complimenting acting GF Brad Ward and several crew members

“The crew was very quick and efficient and did an overall great job."

Customer complimenting Crew Lead Josh Moule and several crew members

Customer complimenting Crew Lead Wayne Fleury and several crew members

Thank you, Bryon from everyone in Canada.

In Memory Nicholas Brown passed away on February 17, 2020.

28 THE WRIGHT PERSPECTIVE | OUR FAMILY TREE SPRING 2020

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Commercial Holiday Lights in Waukee SERVICE: Exterior Holiday Lights and Interior Holiday Décor LOCATION: Waukee, Iowa ACCOUNT MANAGER: Amy Lenning INSTALLATION TEAM: Amy Bittle, Ryan Burlingame, Jason Brauckman, Seth Balvanz, Heather Lappe, Deb Hammer, Joe Sanders and Amy Lenning Wright Outdoor Solutions (WOS) provided exterior holiday lights and interior holiday décor to a commercial client in Waukee, Iowa, for the second season in a row. Account Manager Amy Lenning was the lead on the project.

Interior: The client wanted a 20-foot-tall decorated tower tree in an area of their building that had floor to ceiling windows so the tree could be enjoyed by employees but also visible to passersby along the road. Because of its height and it being an indoor installation, the primary concern for the team every year is ensuring the tree is installed safely. This year, a crew of eight members completed the installation over the course of 52 hours, with some work completed offsite prepping the décor and loading materials into the installation vehicles.

What makes the interior of the project unique is the use of colors outside of the typical Christmas tree, including copper, sparkly light green, silver and white, with warm white lights. Amy finds the fun comes from tweaking the design every year to keep it interesting and new for the client and employees in the building.

She also enjoys hearing all the compliments and see people stop and take pictures of the tree as they pass by.

Exterior: In addition to the interior tree, WOS provided white exterior lighting that lined the two main parts of the rooftop. The crew completed the exterior work in eight hours.

FUN FACTS The tree had 8,450 LED lights and 15,748 greenery tips.

SPRING 2020 THE WRIGHT PERSPECTIVE | DIGGING IN 29

Perennial Perspective

VISION

Wright Outdoor Solutions will be recognized as the most reputable, reliable, knowledgeable and environmentally sensitive company in the markets we serve.

OUTDOOR LIGHTING: ADDING SAFETY, SECURITY, BEAUTY AND VALUE

MISSION

By Jim Altwegg, Landscape Operations Manager

To provide comprehensive solutions for our clients’ outdoor and indoor spaces.

To provide attractive value appreciation to our employee owners.

To provide team members with an environment that enables them to achieve their personal and professional goals.

To make outdoor and indoor spaces more beautiful and sustainable.

Now that spring has arrived, landscape improvement projects are at the top of many homeowners’ agendas. While landscaping is a great way to enhance the beauty of a home or business and add curb appeal, what really packs a punch for the exterior of a home or building is exterior lighting. Landscape lighting can be one of the most beneficial improvements, yet it is often overlooked and underappreciated. When we consider the positive impacts that landscape lighting can bring to outdoor spaces, the value of its benefits become evident: S AF E T Y

Safety is always the first benefit to consider.

This is achieved by illuminating surfaces and obstacles for the purpose of safely navigating walks, driveways, steps and entrances.

Providing lighting at entry points and along walkways allows everyone to move around safely in the dark. Lighting is also used to highlight potential hazards such as pools, stairways, edges and other dangers.

VALUES

SAFETY It is everyone’s responsibility – we each own it.

INTEGRITY We abide by the highest ethical standards.

QUALITY We build it into everything we do.

RESPECT We earn it from our customers and from each other.

Before After

TEAMWORK It is how we operate and we hold each other accountable.

INNOVATION We anticipate our clients’ needs and we deliver creative services & solutions.

FAMILY It is our foundation; it is who we are.

30 THE WRIGHT PERSPECTIVE | DIGGING IN SPRING 2020

SECURI T Y

Security and landscape lighting is one of the most effective ways to deter criminal activity around a home, business or property. In order to be most effective, a lighting plan should include illuminating the most vulnerable parts of the home, business and property such as the entrances, garages and storage sheds. Although lighting for security is an important benefit, it needs to be carefully balanced within the home or business’ outdoor lighting scheme so as not to overwhelm or minimize the other benefits of outdoor lighting.

AE S T H E T IC S

A carefully considered and executed exterior lighting system will dramatically enhance the natural beauty of a property. Properly placed lights can be used to accentuate unique architectural features of a structure and highlight special landscape elements that add curb appeal after dark. Subtle lighting of outdoor spaces such as decks and pool areas creates a warm and inviting nighttime atmosphere.

HOME VALUE

A well-designed outdoor lighting system can enhance a home or business’ physical appearance as well as it’s perceived value. A carefully designed lighting system will make the entire property appear larger, welcoming and well maintained creating much desired curb appeal. One of the most impactful benefits of outdoor lighting is its ability to increase the usability of outdoor living spaces after dark.

There are many considerations when planning an outdoor lighting system for a home or business. Lighting can be one of the most important aspects of the landscape and outdoor living spaces. A carefully designed lighting system can ensure that homeowners and business owners maximize the benefits, add value to their home, and enhance the quality of their lifestyle.

NEW, ON THE MOVE & CERTIFIED

NEW Nicholas Ortiz, Interior Plant Maintenance Team Member Kaleb Sanders, Arbor Team Member Heath Beckman, Arbor Team Member Brandt Jelken, Arbor Team Member Ismael Corona, Arbor Team Member Cera Olson, Interior Plant Maintenance Team Member Courtney Remetch, Exterior Maintenance Team Member Colin Sinn, Plant Health Care Team Member ON THE MOVE Dean Anderson, promoted to Midwest Area Operations Manager, Interior Maintenance CERTIFIED Jim Altwegg, Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) Certified Concrete Paver Installer Andrew Manning, Commercial Driver’s License (CDL); Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10 Certificate, ICPI Certified Concrete Paver Installer

REWARDING SUCCESS: EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT AWARD

Congratulations to Arbor Team Member and Snow Supervisor Joseph Sanders for winning the Employee Spotlight award for quarter four as part of our Rewarding Success program! He was nominated by his peers for this award for his positive attitude, willingness to help when and where he can and for always sporting a smile with every task. Thank you, Joseph for going above and beyond! We encourage all employees to keep this program in mind and nominate a deserving employee when it’s time each quarter. 

EXPANDING SERVICES TO CEDAR RAPIDS

This February, WOS expanded tree care services to serve a new market – the Cedar Rapids area! The inaugural project kicking off our expansion is ash tree removals for the City of Cedar Rapids, in response to the threat of emerald ash borer infestations affecting the large population of ash trees in the city. Currently, we have three employees performing removals, with the help of a 90-foot knuckle boom, three trucks, a chip truck, a chipper and a log loader truck. We’re excited about this expansion of our tree care services!

SPRING 2020 THE WRIGHT PERSPECTIVE | DIGGING IN 31

END OF SEASON PARTY

We celebrated our end of the 2019 season with great food, raffles and an intense round of Jeopardy that rounded to end the afternoon.

It was a great way to get together as a team, close the 2019 season and kick off all the great things to come in 2020!

Seen & Heard G E N E R AL

C OM PL E T E T RE E C ARE

Thanks for your prompt response. Your customer service has been great!

I have to say, you folks have provided the best customer service I have ever received from a contractor. Thank you! But even more than that, I want to commend Josh and Owen, the two gentlemen you sent to us. They were amazing. From the moment they arrived, they were courteous, friendly, informative and focused on the job they were there to do. Their focus on safety to themselves and our property was amazing and the zeal and energy they put into completing their tasks was awe-inspiring.

Both Josh and Owen went far beyond the call of duty, they are true inspiration and great advertising for your company.

>> Client Aaron complimenting Account Manager Dennis Wilson

HOL I DAY L IG H TS & DÉC OR Thank you so much! Your customer service is second to none. I greatly appreciate it! I’m so happy I was able to get scheduled before Thanksgiving. >> Client Steffaney complimenting Account Manager Jason Brauckman and Scheduling Coordinator Kelly Moffitt

Thank you for your kind attention and a great job. Everyone in the neighborhood loves the lights, as do I. Thanks again. >> Client Nancy complimenting Account Manager Jason Brauckman, Exterior Holiday Team Lead Andrew Manning, Exterior Holiday Team Member Patricia Allen, Exterior Holiday Team Lead Shane Donegan, Exterior Holiday Team Member Meghan Bissen

Our lights are installed and they look great!

Emma and her crew did fabulous job! >> Client Lori complimenting Exterior Holiday Team Members Emma Griffiths, Brandon Patava and Russell Davis

Just thought I’d tell you the guys did a great job yesterday and the lights look great. >> Client Aaron complimenting Exterior Holiday Team Lead Eugene Waage and Exterior Holiday Team Member Antoine Louis

FESTIVE SWEATER PARTY

Our team celebrated the holidays and got in the spirit of the season with a festive sweater party and potluck!

I wish to let you know how pleased we are with the work of members of your team. Dave took his time and was very conscientious about the work. They look great! We are also very pleased with the work Alyssa, Andrew and Jeff did. They listened to what we wanted and the trees also look great.

I am hoping we can have them do our trees next year as well. >> Client Bruce complimenting Exterior Holiday Team Member Tom Reed, Exterior Holiday Team Member David McGillivray, Exterior Holiday Team Member Alyssa James, Exterior Holiday Team Member Andrew Manning, and Exterior Holiday Team Member Jeffrey Russo

We couldn’t have been more impressed or pleased with the two gentlemen that came to do our light installation. They did such a wonderful job and I’m so glad we went with Wright Outdoor Solutions. Looking forward to next year’s installation. I really just felt the need to say something because it was such a great experience. >> Client Alyssa complimenting Exterior Holiday Lights Team Lead Eugene Waage and Exterior Holiday Lights Team Member Antoine Louis

32 THE WRIGHT PERSPECTIVE | DIGGING IN SPRING 2020

>> Client Steve complimenting Account Manager Jason Brauckman, Scheduling Coordinator Jeremiah Johnson, General Arbor Foreman Joshua Appletoft and Arbor Team Member Owen Nutter

We want to let you know what a great job they did. They worked with us on which branches needed to be taken care of. Wanted to give them an ‘attaboy’. They cleaned everything up nicely. Put a star after their names! >> Clients Steve and Linda complimenting Arbor General Foreman Joshua Appletoft and Arbor Team Member Timon Bell

Thank you very much for a nice job! >> Client Sharon complimenting Arbor Team Foreman Josh Baker and Arbor Team Member Owen Nutter

Josh and Owen did a FANTASTIC job with our tree trimming this morning. They were awesome and we are so very pleased with their work. Once again, we cannot say enough about the truly great work that we have come to depend on with Wright Outdoor Solutions. You are our first choice always when we need something done for our yard and today is no exception. Josh and Owen were so pleasant and expedient and diligent in their work. We trusted their judgement with the precise trimming and the outcome is perfect. We told them that on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being excellent they get a 50! Of course they were very pleased to hear that! Just wanted you to know too. Thanks again so very much. We are sure we will be calling again with any further tree trimming needed - and we have lots of trees! >> Clients Jill and Rich complimenting Arbor Team Foreman Josh Baker, Arbor Team Member Owen Nutter and Account Manager Dennis Wilson

Kyle and Sean did a wonderful job with my tree pruning. They were understanding and accommodating, and did a much better job with the cleanup than I was expecting. >> Client Lynn complimenting Arbor Team Foreman Kyle Lindahl and Arbor Team Member Sean McPhee

Your guys did a GREAT job on our ash tree.

Could not be more pleased.

Client Kent complimenting Arbor Team Lead Mike Cook and Arbor Team Member Josh Keithley

We wanted to thank you for your great service.

There were no branches left in our lawn or deck. Thanks again. We will be calling you in the future for all our tree needs. >> Client Don complimenting Account Manager Ryan Burlingame, Arbor Team Foreman Mike Cook, and Arbor Team Member Kaleb Sanders

We appreciate Wright Outdoor Solutions so very much – it has been a great gardening season thanks to you all and all the work your company has done for us! We are very satisfied with your work – our compliments to the workers who trimmed out trees! >> Clients Jill and Rich complimenting Arbor Team Foreman Josh Baker, Arbor Team Member Owen Nutter and Arbor Team Member Joe Sanders

Thanks! Ryan & Kyle did a great job! >> Client Don complimenting Account Manager Ryan Burlingame and Arbor Team Foreman Kyle Lindahl

Both teams of workers did excellent work!

Keep it up! >> Client Lester complimenting Arbor Team Foreman Russell Davis, Arbor Team Member Kaleb Sanders, Arbor Team Member Joe Sanders, Arbor Team Member Dominic Merritt and Arbor Team Member Heath Beckman

I want to recognize the crew for their professionalism and diligence with clean up and pruning. I found them to be incredibly courteous and thoughtful. I could not have been more pleased with the service I received. >> Client Lolane complimenting Arbor Team Foreman Kyle Lindahl and Arbor Team Member Brian Lenning

Thank you for your services and professionalism. >> Client Lauren complimenting Account Manager John Griffiths, Scheduling Coordinator Jeremiah Johnson, Arbor Team Foreman Kyle Lindahl, and Arbor Team Member Brian Lenning

Kyle and Brian did a great job. Everything was perfect and I am very happy with the work that was completed. >> Client Antoinette complimenting Arbor Team Foreman Brian Lenning and Arbor Team Member Brian Lenning

We had numerous questions while Mike was trimming the trees and he answered all of our questions. He even made some suggestions regarding the trimming of several trees that we hadn’t thought about. We were thankful for his input and when Mike and Jacob completed the job, we were very happy with the result. They were professional, patient and knowledgeable. We felt it was important for you to know how happy we were with both of them. >> Clients Stephen and Cheryl complimenting Arbor Team Foreman Mike Cook and former Arbor Team Member Jacob Lundeen

The crew was very nice and hardworking and he couldn’t express enough how impressed he was with them all. >> Client Larrie complimenting Arbor General Foreman Josh Appletoft, Arbor Team Member Ismael Corona, and Arbor Team Member Dave McGillivray

I’m very pleased with the job. The workers were very nice. >> Client Deloris complimenting Arbor Team Foreman Kyle Lindahl and Arbor Team Member Brian Lenning

SE A SONAL M AIN T E NA NC E The pots are looking amazing! We are so happy with them. Thank you and your team for a job well done! >> Client Jill complimenting Account Manager Ginger Meadows and Exterior Maintenance Team Member Deb Hammer

I am very pleased with the leaf clean up and leaf vacuum removal. The crew worked well together and did a great job. >> Client Chris complimenting Exterior Maintenance Team Lead Angela McGillivray, Exterior Maintenance Team Member Rachel Beach, Exterior Maintenance Team Member JR Rivera, Lawn Team Lead Jose Hall, Lawn Team Member Brett Hensley, and Exterior Maintenance Team Member David McGillivray

Thank you to you Kelly, Melissa, Dennis and to our whole AWESOME leaf removal crew who DEFINITELY came through for us today!

We are especially THANKFUL to all who helped us get all our leaves removed today – even finishing up for us in the rain! Please thank everyone who helped us and share our deep appreciation to each. After being gone for a few hours this afternoon, it was so wonderful to drive home and into the driveway just before dark to see the amazing job that had been complete. Once again, Wright really came through with high quality work! Our yard looks terrific! Even stray leaves were picked up that had blown in after my own raking effort in our front yard from yesterday.

We are so very pleased. A very special thanks to you Kelly for scheduling us today and for all your patience with me and your helpful connections to others there at Wright with your advocacy for us to readily get our job done today and your magic in order to pull off the project completion before anticipated rain, ice, winds and snow moving in. We have been anticipating winter weather taking root now at any time and we have been so very concerned about it all especially with a heavy leaf bed on our turf and possibly not having the leaves removed before winter. The whole team came through for us — wow. Our season with Wright Outdoor Solutions has been terrific — thanks again and again. We look forward to seeing you all again in the spring with our projects ahead for the garden. We HIGHLY recommend Wright Outdoor Solutions always and to everyone. >> Clients Jill and Rich complimenting Account Manager Dennis Wilson, Scheduling Coordinator Kelly Moffitt, Scheduling Coordinator Melissa Oppenheim, Exterior Maintenance Supervisor Jesseca Robertson, Exterior Maintenance Team Member Sara Rimmer, Exterior Maintenance Team Lead Kristin O’Meara, Exterior Maintenance Team Member Jeffery Russo, Exterior Maintenance Team Lead Angela McGillivray, Exterior Maintenance Team Member Rachel Beach, Exterior Maintenance Team Member JR Rivera, Snow Supervisor/Arbor Team Member Joseph Sanders

CAMP DODGE CAREER FAIR

On behalf of WOS, Master Arborist John Griffiths attended the Iowa National Guard Career Fair in November at Camp Dodge in Johnston. WOS is honored to participate in the career fair, and is committed to support veterans and active-duty soldiers and airmen to find careers that align with their skill sets.

SPRING 2020 THE WRIGHT PERSPECTIVE | DIGGING IN 33

TAKING TREE CARE TO NEW HEIGHTS With an extended arm of 92 feet, our team is taking tree care to new heights, literally. The Altec C505 has joined the arsenal of technological tools at our fingertips for safe and efficient removals.

Equipped with an Effer knuckle boom crane and 360 degree continuously rotating grapple saw, the Altec is ideal for hazardous and complex removals, including fallen trees, difficult to reach locations and dead trees. By way of radio remote controls, our crew operators remain safely on the ground from beginning to end.

“Just like with the use of a bucket truck or when climbing a tree, there is still much thought and calculation that goes into complex projects, however we can now do it with more speed and safety.”

“Using the Altec has opened new doors in the world of tree care. Pruning and removal has always been primarily a physically demanding field. With the integration of technology like the Altec, the challenge remains, but the plan shifts slightly. Just like with the use of a bucket truck or when climbing a tree, there is still much thought and calculation that goes into complex projects, however, we can now do it with more speed and safety,” notes arbor team foreman Brian Lewis.

Brian adds, “Each project is unique and requires a different game plan for completion. Working toward efficient and safe removals while staying below the canopy has offered a new and exciting challenge. With safety as a top value for us, it’s great to have this as part of our crew.”

34 THE WRIGHT PERSPECTIVE | DIGGING IN SPRING 2020

Once on the ground, the removed limbs can be fed directly into the chipper feed table by way of the grapple saw. This not only saves time, but also reduces turf damage from log piles and saves on the physical demands of crew members.

Interested in learning more about hazardous trees? Check out our guide on hazardous trees and what to look for.

FESTIVAL OF TREES AND LIGHTS

For the ninth year in a row, Wright Outdoor Solutions was a sponsor of the Blank Children’s Hospital Festival of Trees and Lights event held at Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in downtown Des Moines. The five-day public event is the primary fundraising event for the hospital that raises money in support of the Child Life and Advocacy and Outreach programs.

As a sponsor, WOS created a vignette that sported an Old Hollywood Glamour theme, and we provided employees as volunteers to deliver the trees after the event. Account Manager Ginger Meadows spearheaded the vignette’s design and installation. 

OUTDOOR OASIS AT THE HOME + GARDEN SHOW

The WOS landscape design team worked with Better Builders for a second year in a row to create an outdoor living oasis at the 2020 Des Moines Home + Garden Show held at the Iowa Events Center in downtown Des Moines, designed to inspire event-goers to create a space of their own. The outdoor living space was custom built, full of texture and dimension, and featuring wall and paver elements along with the elements in “Classic Blue” (the 2020 Pantone Color of the Year). 

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Residential Holiday Lights in Prairie Trail SERVICE: Exterior Holiday Lights LOCATION: Ankeny, Iowa ACCOUNT MANAGER: Dennis Wilson INSTALLATION TEAM: Emma Griffiths, Kate Vukovich, Brett Hensley, Alyssa James, Chad Sutherland and Andrew Manning Project Scope: In 2017, a homeowner and his wife who live in Prairie Trail, a sub-division in the City of Ankeny, Iowa, came to WOS for guidance and ideas on what would make their Christmas dreams come true with holiday lights on the exterior of their home.

The couple’s home naturally stands out in the neighborhood and is noticeable from many angles – it was built on a corner lot and on an elevated plane, so there was a great opportunity to make a statement.

Challenge: With the unique style of the home and the opportunity to make a statement, Account Manager Dennis Wilson met with the clients to hear their wishes. Most importantly, the clients wanted to make an investment and purchase the lights to be used year after year, so they expressed the selection needed to be timeless and something they would be satisfied with for a long time.

Initially, the client came to WOS with the request of multi-colored lights to be used on the home. After reviewing the style of the home and taking into account their desire to make a long-term decision with the selection of the lights, Dennis came back to the clients with a proposal for alternative options that he felt would better make their home stand out and their holiday dreams come to life.

Solution: Dennis proposed a variety of warm white lights on nearly the entire perimeter of the home, lit wreaths in most of the windows, their large porch wrapped

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“It looked like a gingerbread house out of a storybook.

It’s really satisfying to take a vision and work with our talented team to bring it to life for a client.” with garland, the front door adorned with a large wreath and garland surrounding the door frame, all with lights. The clients fell in love with his vision and proposal and felt that the design would be something they would enjoy year after year.

Dennis worked closely with the eightperson crew who worked 36 hours on the installation. He was onsite throughout the installation to ensure that the vision for the home and the style of the design was achieved. The clients were so happy with the final product and very complimentary of the team’s work on their home.

“It was fun for me to be able to give them a look that would make them happy every Christmas for years to come and to see the smiles on their face once it was done,” said Dennis. “It looked like a gingerbread house out of a storybook. It’s really satisfying to take a vision and work with our talented team to bring it to life for a client. This was one of the first holiday lighting jobs I had ever done, and I had a blast doing it!”

Why Should I Care About EAB?

By John Griffiths, Master Arborist

A TREE IS WORTH $193,250.

That might sound like a bold statement, but according to a professor at the University of Calcutta, a tree living for 50 years will: • Generate $31,250 worth of oxygen • Provide $62,000 worth of air pollution control • Control soil erosion and increase soil fertility to the tune of $31,250 • Recycle $37,500 worth of water • Provide a home for animals worth $31,250

I DE N T I F Y YOUR T RE E

First things first, determine if you have an ash tree on your property. Ash trees have these characteristics:

And that does not include the value of fruits, timber or beauty.

Wright Outdoor Solutions has International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborists who can provide these treatments and give clients accurate and educated recommendations.

The point is, a tree is worth a lot of money. With emerald ash borer (EAB) infecting trees across the state of Iowa and the country at large, there are a lot of valuable investments at risk.

The preventive treatment is affordable, effective for up to two full growing seasons, and performed from April through October (depending on weather).

I visit with clients often, and many of them have ash trees on their property.

A common dilemma they have is the decision to treat their ash tree, remove their ash tree, or do nothing.

Unfortunately, doing nothing really isn’t an option. Eventually they will have to take action. Many people think that the EAB reaching the Des Moines area is a death sentence; that all of their ash trees are doomed. That is not true. However, it is important to take action.

Keep reading to find an ash tree identification guide and learn about options to make the most educated decision about ash trees.

process involves a trunk injection with TREE-äge (active ingredient: Emamectin Benzoate). Treatment can actually be a less expensive option than removal and replacement.

RE MOVAL & RE PL AC E MEN T

C H E M IC AL T RE AT M E N T

As I mentioned above, doing nothing is not an option. Without treatment, EAB will cause damage to your ash tree that necessitates removal. You can get a jump start on replacing the value your tree provides by removing it now and planting a replacement. The removal and replacement cost varies, and depends on many factors including the tree size and location.

Does your tree provide valuable shade, curb appeal or sentimental value? You can choose to protect it. Treatment for EAB is a systematic insecticide to control the pest population. Our

Skeptical about the damage this little guy can cause? Visit www.emeraldashborer. info to see an interactive map that catalogs its destruction.

If you’ve determined you have an ash tree on your property, you have the option to chemically treat the tree or remove and replace the tree.

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Q&A: GET TO KNOW VERDURE ELEMENTS

Verdure Elements is a new edition to the family of companies, so two members of their leadership team, Dean Anderson and Tom Knight, weighed in on the company in a Q&A style to help shine light on their business.

What is on the horizon for Verdure Elements?

We have maintained our status of being the number one plant company in the Omaha metro area and that remains our focus.

Our commitment to customer service is what sets us apart from our competition, and our team continues to put the customer first in all that we do.

What makes Omaha and Lincoln great markets to work in?

Both Omaha and Lincoln are cities that are still growing and that gives us great opportunity to expand as a company. There is a ton of potential that we continue to tap into.

What’s on the horizon for your industry?

We’d like to get to the point where no matter what commercial building you enter, there are live plants inside. There are so many benefits to having plants indoors, and businesses and homeowners alike are finally starting to recognize those benefits and act on them, so our goal is to make sure they’re everywhere.

Verdure Elements joined the Wright Service Corp. family of companies last year through the partnership with Wright Outdoor Solutions. What excites you most about being part of this company?

The idea of joining a bigger team was exciting to us, and we are thrilled to be part of the company, especially one that is employee owned and treats its employees well. The support we receive is outstanding, and there is always someone from the team to help us.

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Leadership Spotlight Verdure Elements, a division of Wright Outdoor Solutions, is proud to be part of the Wright family since 2019. To get to know Verdure Elements better, we’re spotlighting two employees who have been an integral part of the company and have the privilege of leading the team in Omaha.

Dean Anderson, Operations Manager Dean Anderson is a father of three, stepfather of six and grandfather of one.

He has been with the company for more than 10 years, starting initially during the holiday season as a crew member.

As the operations manager, Dean has had the unique experience to work on all sides of the business, from interior plantscaping, exterior seasonal color and interior holiday décor. He enjoys working for Verdure Elements because it challenges him with the wide variety of services they provide clients and the unpredictability of what will come up on a week to week basis. When he’s not working, you can find him doing house projects or spending time with his kids.

Tom Knight, Area Manager As the area manager of Verdure Elements, Tom Knight has been with the company for 10 years, working on daily operations including human resources, payroll, invoicing, accounts payable, accounts receivable, sales and customer service. He has more than 35 years in the customer service industry, so his passion for keeping clients happy and satisfied is engrained in everything he does. Tom enjoys being part of a bigger team and feels that Verdure Elements is full of team members who are willing to help others to make the company successful. Tom has been married for 27 years, has two sons, and when he’s not working, he’s golfing, fishing, watching college football or basketball, and spending time with his family.

CNUC Growth Creates New Opportunities with a New Division

By Derek Vannice, President and COO CNUC recently added an additional division splitting western operations into two divisions. One division will encompass all of California (Division 10) and the second division will cover the Pacific Northwest and the mountain states (Division 15). Ben Keck will be the Regional Manager for Division 10 and Patrick Larsen, recently promoted, will serve as Regional Manager for Division 15.

The reason for the split is the rapid growth and expansion of the company. We have expanded the number of Consulting Utility Foresters (CUFs) with each of our clients in California as well as increased the number of clients and CUFs in the rest of the western region.

This growth stems from our focus on exceeding client expectations. We could not do this without high quality employees and a strong management team. We believe in spending time in the field with our employees, providing training and professional development, as well as building relationships and visiting clients to ensure we are meeting and exceeding expectations.

By adding a division, we can provide additional management in the field, closer to both our employees and clients, accomplishing both objectives. With the new division also comes an increased number of supervision and management positions, providing growth opportunities for our employees.

We believe in spending time in the field with our employees, providing training and professional development, as well as building relationships and visiting clients to ensure we are meeting and exceeding expectations.

All our promotions came from within our company – a fact of which we are very proud. Now that we have our expanded management team in place in the two divisions, we look forward to continued growth and even more professional opportunities for our employees.

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Along the Lines

TRANSMISSION FROM THE TOP VISION CNUC is the premiere company in providing innovative, economically sensible and environmentally sustainable vegetation management services.

Our Culture: Promoting from Within

By Philip Chen, Manager of Research and Development

MISSION >> To assist our clients in achieving compliant, effective, efficient, and defensible utility vegetation management programs. >> To provide attractive value appreciation to our employee owners. >> To provide team members with an environment that enables them to achieve their personal and professional goals. >> To make a positive contribution in the communities we serve. >> To provide appropriate strategic support to our parent and sister companies. >> To drive the industry in the areas of technology and knowledge.

VALUES Safety – It is everyone’s responsibility – we each own it.

Integrity – We abide by the highest ethical standards.

Knowledge – We maintain a peerless understanding of our industry.

Excellence– We continually strive to exceed our customer’s expectations – and our own expectations.

Innovation – We anticipate our clients’ needs and we deliver creative services and solutions.

Family – It is our foundation; it is who we are.

Teamwork – It is how we operate and we hold each other accountable.

At CNUC, we firmly believe in developing our employees and have always publicized that culture of promoting from within.

During the recent overhaul of the CNUC website, the marketing team and I updated the management team bios.

While looking them over, that culture became extremely evident. Almost every bio reflected this practice: Josh Beaver: LCUF > Regional Supervisor > Regional Manager > Vice President Matt Searels: LCUF > Regional Supervisor > Regional Manager Ben Keck: CUF > SCUF > Regional Supervisor > Regional Manager Patrick Larsen: CUF > LCUF > Project Manager > Regional Supervisor > Regional Manager And myself: 2 CUF positions > Regional Supervisor > Technical Applications Specialist > Consultant > Manager of R&D This same trend holds as you look throughout our management team. All our managers, supervisors, and regional coordinators were promoted up through the ranks. Likely it will be the case for you or those you work with on your contracts.

This promotion culture is one of the things that drew me to CNUC. We focus on our people and providing the best training and support we can. In the end, this means our employees are the best candidates available.

It provides opportunities for all of you, provides the company with the best possible candidates, and keeps it in the family.

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However, time after time, I speak with my fellow managers who are not getting applicants for our internally posted positions. No one is stepping up to fill vacancies as they open in our management team. I find it disheartening. To me, this signals we have failed all of you. I believe one of two things is happening.

Either our employees don’t feel prepared to step into these positions, or we have done a poor job of communicating to our teams why they might want to apply, despite any hesitations. Worse, maybe both are true.

Both seem unacceptable to me. So, here I am attempting to right these wrongs. Let’s start with feeling ready to step into one of these roles. I felt this way myself in my career at CNUC – twice.

The first time I was working as a transmission CUF and had only been working at CNUC for about three months.

A position came open for a technical applications specialist (TAS) position in Division 30, our research & development (R&D) division. Before working for CNUC, I worked in research and was eager to continue in that vein. I didn’t feel as if my CNUC resume would allow me to have a high chance of getting the position.

However, my LCUF Dave encouraged me to apply. He knew me and my background.

He noted that if I applied, I would at least show my interest in management and get some interview experience. If I was lucky, I would end up the most qualified candidate despite my reservations. (continued on page 42)

Along the Lines

New, On the Move & Certified

Congratulations to the following CNUC employees who were recently appointed, promoted and certified!

NEW

DIVISION 10 CUFs >> James Adkins >> William Arana >> Bryan Atkins >> Jared Beaver >> Daniel Becerra Rodriguez >> Jaspinder Bhullar >> Bianca Birt-Moody >> Sydney Carlson >> Annamaria Cervantes >> Alexander Chacon >> Jessica Church >> Cole Clark >> Gerard Coughlin >> Christian De La Torre >> Robert Demay >> Joshua Faughn >> Davis Ferguson >> Danny Fields >> Larissa Forney >> William Garner >> Nathan Gibson >> Parker Graham >> Robert Harbicht >> Daisy Hernandez >> Julie Hernandez >> Joey Iuvale >> Tricia Kash >> Kurt Kraut >> Jorge Lopez Miravete >> Sage Luna >> Jorge Marcial Martinez >> Brooke McAuliffe >> Rogelio Monzon >> Jordan Mort >> Toni Peduzi >> Elizabeth Perkins >> Zachary Philips >> Pedro Ponce >> Mike Richard >> Brittany Rodriguez >> Justin Santana >> Emily Seba

>> Francisco SisomphouGonzales >> Nichole Snorteland >> Jalaysia Stubbs >> Cara Tamcke >> Gemma Trujillo-Vasquez >> Joshua Vega >> Kimberly Vera >> Daniel Woodcock >> Jennifer Young Lead Consulting Utility Foresters (LCUFs) >> Jesse Armstrong >> James Ash

DIVISION 15 CUFs >> Brian Conty >> Cameron Forcht >> Thomas Houck >> Ryder Magnaghi >> Brandon Schulz >> April Sprague >> Brody Taylor

DIVISION 20 CUFs >> Brian Anderson >> Mason Bishop >> Alan Britt >> Kyle Clark >> John Cottrill >> Andrew Coyne >> Michael Desarro >> Jerome Eason >> Harrison Flowe >> John Fruin >> Colby Gault >> Benjamin Hardy >> William Hunt >> Brennon Ibert >> Matthew Jones >> Jacob Lambert >> Jason Lingo >> Eric Lochary >> Davis McCall

>> Tyler Meroney >> Hunter Miller >> Jennifer Miller >> Charles Mishow >> Allen Morrill >> Garrett Mullins >> Steele Napoleon >> Alan Poindexter >> Jorges Rivera >> Jordan Roberts >> William Shackelford >> Jeffrey Shea >> Donald Steele >> Caleb Strickland >> Nathan Thompson >> Jennifer Thompson >> Jacob Thompson >> Cortnie Tingler >> Christopher Winters >> Gregory Zeman LCUFs >> Joseph McFeeters

ON THE MOVE DIVISION 10

CUF >> Kerry Washinko LCUFs >> Paula Cunningham >> Aaron Dal Pogetto >> Tristram Hurley >> Helen Kelley >> JD Nunley >> Dylan Roberts >> Devon Sharp >> Frank Swenson Project Managers >> Jim Bell >> Matt Kane Senior Data Management Specialists >> Tiffany Johnson >> Becca Yungert Regional Coordinator >> Sarah Lilley

DIVISION 15

DIVISION 15

Regional Manager >> Patrick Larsen

CUFs >> Karen Jenkins >> Derrick McBride

DIVISION 20 Regional Supervisor >> Nick Ringer

CERTIFICATIONS ISA Certified Arborist DIVISION 10

CUF >> Nate Enright >> Mark Soliva >> Kent Susick LCUF >> John Schroder Contract Coordinator >> Jose Bautista

DIVISION 20 CUF >> Matthew Livingston

TRAQ DIVISION 10 CUF >> Jonathan Brody

DIVISION 15 CUFs >> Tim Kopp >> Steven Gregory

DIVISION 20 LCUF >> Travis Brugler

ISA Utility Specialist DIVISION 10 CUFs >> Gregory Piechowicz >> Christine Vosher >> Kerry Washinko LCUFs >> Donald Bird >> Allison Della Bella >> Tristram Hurley >> Matthew Kane >> Dean Leonard Project Managers >> James Ash >> Eric Austin >> Patrick Birkimer Regional Coordinator >> Sarah Lilley

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Our Culture

(continued from page 40)

I didn’t get the position. The interview process, however, allowed me to get to know both the director and manager of division 30 and I got to express my interest. It did lead to opportunities, just not any I had anticipated. They started reaching out to me when projects came up – this allowed us to work together, and they got to know me better. I ended up working on three projects. All of this gave me more exposure to division 30 and helped build my resume along the way.

The second time I felt unqualified for a new position was in late 2016. A bunch of things moved at the top of CNUC leadership that caused a chain reaction of promotions above me, leading to an open regional supervisor position. I was interested in the job, but as I noted earlier, I had, from an early start, had my eyes set on R&D. Additionally, I hadn’t been in a LCUF role, and I knew at least one LCUF who would be applying. Once again, it took someone encouraging me. Just before the deadline closed, Matt Searels called me to ask why he hadn’t seen my application. In my conversation with him, I explained how I wanted a position in division 30 and was thinking about holding out for a position to open and about how I wasn’t sure on paper I was ready to take on a supervisor role. Matt was a manager at this time, and he asked me a question I hadn’t considered. He asked, “Don’t you think being a regional supervisor in division 20 would better prepare you for that future division 30 position?” At that moment, I felt silly for not applying. I got the regional supervisor position and transferred to division 30 less than a year later.

I understand there may be other hesitations for applying for these positions. I had those as well. Often our jobs require long hours, a high travel percentage, relocation and stress. This brings me to my next point; we have not done an adequate job as a management team in helping each of you to understand why we love our jobs despite all of that – the reasons you should apply regardless of reservations you might have around management positions.

I’ll start with what to me seems the most obvious. We just had our mid-year management meeting. In that room sat 17 of us. Unlike larger organizations, regional coordinators up through the president are all voicing opinions and determining company strategy together. Each of us is responsible for making the decisions that impact all 400 employees at CNUC. That is a big responsibility, and it provides a lot of meaning to what we do each day.

Our entire management team, down to coordinators, are making high-level decisions for our organization. In short, being on the management team gives you a seat at the decision-making table.

The job shifts from being about trees to being about relationships. With our diverse territories, clients and employees, each day is a new challenge.

In February CNUC launched a new website with a new URL – wearecnuc.com. We are excited and proud to have a website that really communicates our culture and represents who we are. Go check it out! 

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It doesn’t have the daily routine like in the field. My days include visiting clients and CUFs, conducting onboardings and training, helping address issues, building personal relationships with direct reports, conducting safety and field audits and yes, some administrative tasks. It is an ever-changing job.

Not all of us have a Dave or Matt to push us to take opportunities. Let me be that encouragement for each of you.

If you have ambitions for a leadership role within CNUC, please let our management team know by throwing your name in the hat. Holding a management position at CNUC is rewarding. It comes with financial incentives (differences in pay, benefits, development opportunities, etc.), stays exciting – not to mention you get to have a seat at the decision-making table. Above all, it’s fun! I took on my first management role as a regional supervisor to build my resume. Now I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

I’d encourage you to consider doing the same.

Along the Lines

Employee Incentive Program

In February 2020, CNUC kicked off a Photo Club. The goal of the club is to provide a fun way for fellow employees to interact, and to understand our daily activities through photography. These photos could be used as learning tools and to note the similarities and differences we encounter in our nationwide company.

The first category was This is My Office.

The Rewarding Success Program recognizes employees who exhibit the values of CNUC in an exemplary manner. Twenty-four CNUC employees have been recognized through this program since October 2019. Congratulations to all recipients!

Lexi Smith Division 10 CUF 

DIVISION 10 CUFs >> Wesley Cruzen – going the extra mile while training new employees. He is patient and gets new CUFs quickly up to speed >> Marina Diaz – always going above and beyond >> Sergio Jacinto – exceptional work in customer service, resulting in praise and future work referrals >> Kurt Kraut – exceptional customer service >> Jack Marage – assisting to put out a small fire >> Alexander Newfield – going the extra mile in customer service to make sure the customer’s needs were met >> Brittany Rodriguez – going above and beyond >> Nichole Snorteland – going above and beyond >> Lucas Thomsen – going above and beyond in customer service, ensuring the needs of the customer were fully met from start to finish >> Martin Villasenor – going above and beyond doing an outstanding job as a temporary lead >> Rebecca Yungert – consistently exceptional work and taking of additional responsibilities without being asked LCUFs >> Norma Gomez – going above and beyond >> Matthew Kane – achieving your ISA Utility Specialist Certification >> Dayana Mota – going above and beyond >> Lorenzo Villanueva – going above and beyond Contract Coordinators >> Jose Bautista – for becoming a learning management system sensei >> Michael Johnson – for consistently going above and beyond >> Jennifer Kim – recognizing an opportunity for and creating a new hire checklist

SCE Zone 5 Team

DIVISION 15 CUF >> Courtney Frazier – volunteering for numerous presentations

DIVISION 20 CUFs >> David Besel – demonstrated dedication, leadership, flexibility and sacrifice to accomplish the changing goals and deadlines for a new project >> Thomas Curlis – Thomas monitors the check-in group text regularly, noticed one day someone didn’t check-in and reached out to the person >> Heather Griffith – created improvement in field software data feeds, greatly helping her team >> Nicholas Hale – emergency restoration efforts for a tornado in Alabama >> Kelly Saylor – going above and beyond >> Carl Williford – excellence while in a temporary work assignment Dennis Cueva Division 10 CUF

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Safety Education & Training

FAC-003.4 Revisited

By Randall H. Miller, Director of Research and Development In the summer of 1996, western North America experienced duel power outages, and in August of 2003, eastern North America had its turn. These catastrophic outages occurred during region-wide heatwaves, generating unusually high electrical demand across broad areas of the country as well as instability in transmission grids.

The outages were disasters. Commerce ceased, grocery stores lost produce and frozen goods, industry ground to a halt, traffic snarled as lights no longer functioned, hospitals and first responders were undermined, and domestic life was left dysfunctional. People lost their lives.

Now, over 16 and 23 years later, these blackouts that motivated development of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) Transmission Vegetation Management Standard (FAC003) are fading into memory.

At the time, many transmission lines across entire regions were operating at or near their rating. The combination of heavy electricity loads and high ambient temperatures caused some transmission lines to be knocked out of service when they sagged into trees. Their electrical loads were instantaneously transferred to other lines already operating at capacity, which put them out of service.

Their current shifted to other strained lines causing them to shut down in turn.

Soon control centers across regions were overwhelmed by unmanageable runaway outages in a phenomenon known as cascading, leaving millions in the dark.

A confluence of factors contributed to the catastrophic outages. First is the nature of the electrical grid. Electricity is the only commodity that is produced, transported, delivered and consumed in the same instant. Our electric system is an engineering marvel, containing coordinating control centers that work to overcome daunting logistical challenges.

In specific regions of North America, many transmission lines are intertied so the electricity that passes throughout one utility’s system is shared with other utilities. The resulting interconnect provides efficiencies – electrical demand is rarely simultaneously high across broad geographic regions. Power delivery can be directed instantaneously to areas of greatest demand, optimizing generating capacity and avoiding the need to unnecessarily build expensive powerplants that are only used during periods of localized peak demand.

Transmission lines that are part of each interconnect are those designated as part of the interconnection reliability operating limit (IROL) or the western interconnect as designated by the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC). While the interconnectivity maximizes efficiency with existing resources, it potentially leaves the grid exposed to the type of cascading outages that occurred in 1996 and 2003 (Miller and Kempter 2008).

A second contributing factor to those outages was that the utility industry inadequately protected the bulk transmission system from vegetation during that period. Many rights-of-way were overgrown and outages on bulk transmission lines were not uncommon.

It was only a matter of time before

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catastrophic outages occurred, which they inevitably did.

FAC-003-4 Development The aftermath of the 2003 eastern blackout was a desperate time in utility vegetation management (UVM). Three catastrophic outages initiated by trees in seven years exposed gaping deficiencies in UVM that had to be remedied quickly.

Steve Cieslewicz and Bob Novembri, then of CN Utility Consulting, were commissioned by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to investigate the 2003 incident (Cieslewicz and Novembri 2004). Cieslewicz and Novembri determined that the utilities’ vegetation management programs whose lines triggered the northeastern blackout were consistent with standard practice of the era. That standard practice was clearly inadequate.

Out of that and other investigations, came FAC-003. The first Transmission System Vegetation Management Standard’s Drafting Team convened in 2004 and the initial version (FAC-003-1) became mandatory in July 2007. The standard was revised, and FAC-003-2 became enforceable in July 2014. It has since undergone two revisions. One revision’s only change was to extend enforcement to generation owners who operated applicable transmission segments, and the current revision FAC-003-4, adjusted calculated mandatory clearance limits to comport with flash distances determined by research conducted by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The mandatory clearance limit is referred to as the minimum vegetation clearance

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distance (MVCD), which is the maximum flash-over distance between trees and power lines of various voltages as determined by EPRI. They are presented in FAC-003-4.

FAC-003 classifies sustained outages in four categories, with subclassification A for outages that occur on an IROL or Major WECC Transfer Path and B for lines 200kV and above that are not.

12 FIGURE 1. FAC-003 CATEGORY 1 SUSTAINED OUTAGES 2007-2018 10 168 146 124 102 80 6

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

4 2 0

• Category 1A – Sustained outages produced by vegetation growing into Requirement 1 lines or Requirement 1 lines sagging into vegetation.

• Category 1B – Sustained outages produced by vegetation growing into Requirement 2 lines or Requirement 2 lines sagging into vegetation.

• Category 2A – Sustained outages due to fall-ins from vegetation originating from inside the right-of-way on Requirement 1 lines.

• Category 2B – Sustained outages resulting from fall-ins from vegetation originating from inside the right-ofway on Requirement 2 lines • Category 3 – Sustained outages produced by vegetation falling into applicable lines from vegetation originating from outside the right-of-way.

• Category 4A – Sustained outages due to lines and trees originating from inside the right-of-way blowing together.

• Category 4B – Sustained outages due to lines and trees originating from outside the right-of-way blowing together.

The North American blackouts of 1996 and 2003 occurred during the summer months due to Category 1 outages. They coincided with periods of unusually high demand from region-wide heat waves and lines sagging into the transmission lines, which served as catalysts for cascading.

FIGURE 2. FAC-003 CATEGORY 3 SUSTAINED OUTAGES 2007-2018

35 30 25 35 20 30 15 25 10 20 5 15 0 10

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Category 1 outages are considered 5 more serious than other types that are 0 dependent on heavy loads. Further, not 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Category 1 outages are evidence of an inadequate vegetation management program and probably indicate that there are violations of more than just Requirement 1 and Requirement 2. As a result, they carry greater violation severity due to their potential to cause a transmission grid failure.

How Successful has FAC-003 Been?

The FAC-003 series of transmission vegetation management standards have been successful insofar as no vegetationcaused cascading outage has occurred since they were adopted. However, outages and fines have been levied.

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

From 2007 when FAC-003 was first enforced, through 2018, there have been 42 Category 1 sustained outages (Figure 2013 2014 2015 2018 1). In 2007 there2016 were2017 16 outages, 11 in 2018, and three or fewer each year since.

No outages were recorded in 2013, 2014 and 2016. In the past decade, the average of Category 1 outages in North America is only 1.5 per year.

By contrast, there have been an average of over 18 Category 3 outages a year since 2007 (Figure 2) (Novembri undated, NERC 2019). Category 3 outages peaked in 2018 when 31 were reported. 27 of these were associated with weatherrelated events and one was human error (NERC 2019). Many off-right-of-way outages appear to be largely out of the (continued on page 46)

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Along the Lines

FAC-003.4 Revisited control of vegetation managers; not only in 2018, but historically.

Safety Steward Initiative Our culture of safety puts accountability at the forefront; our behaviors have a direct influence on creating the safest possible working environment. By maintaining an open dialogue about safety challenges and solutions, we can empower ourselves and our team members to make the right decision when the time comes. Maintaining a safety stewardship attitude toward safety standards is an integral part of our safety culture and requires a steadfast commitment to the safety of one another.

The safety steward initiative includes the safety recognition program – starting in 2020, each employee that makes it through the year incident free will be recognized for their focus on safety.

Our safety slogan: Remember, safety doesn’t happen by accident.

Given that there are over 190,000 miles of applicable transmission lines reticulating the continental United States along with many millions of trees that could possibly interfere with the facilities, an average of 18 Category 3 and 1.5 Category 1 outages a year over the past decade is a solid industry record. Even three Category 1 outages a year for 2017 and 2018 is a significant accomplishment, particularly when compared to the 16 that were documented in 2007.

The improvement in Category 1 outages came as a result of a considerable amount of work. Transmission and generation owners have aggressively removed trees from the right-of-way since 2007, often over considerable public resistance (Miller 2011). In some respects, the utility industry can be justifiably proud of achieving near perfection in managing Category 1 outages in recent years. On the other hand, it reflects negatively on the industry to have waited until it caused multiple blackouts and subjected to enforcement action to keep trees from growing into critical lines. In that context, NERC and FERC are reasonable to continue to strictly enforce FAC-003-4, since even one Category 1 outage a year potentially puts an intertie at risk. We as an industry should strive to ensure that the accomplishment of zero such outages from 2011, 2013 and 2014 are the norm and not the exception.

Sixteen years have passed since the August 14, 2003 catastrophic that disabled eastern North America.

FAC-003 was developed as a result and it has been successful in preventing cascading outages since its inception.

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(continued from page 46) Category 1 outages pose the greatest risk of initiating a cascading event. Since the adoption of the first version of FAC-003, Category 1 outages have been reduced from 16 a year to an average of only 1.5 a year. Utility vegetation managers can be proud of that accomplishment, yet NERC and FERC have no choice but to continue to enforce FAC-003 with the goal of flawless compliance.

References Cieslewicz S. and R. Novembri. 2004. Utility Vegetation Management Final Report. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Washington, DC. Miller R.H. 2011 Don’t Blame the Feds. Transmission and Distribution World. January 2011. pp. 72.

Miller, R.H. and G. Kempter. 2018. Utility Arboriculture: The Utility Specialist Certification Study Guide. International Society of Arboriculture. Champaign, IL. NERC. 2017. Vegetation-Related Transmission Outage Report: 2018 Annual Report. May 2019. North American Reliability Corporation. Atlanta, GA. https://www.nerc. com/pa/comp/CE/ReportsDL/Vegetation-Related%20 Transmission%20Outages%20-%20Annual%20Report%20 2016.pdf NERC. 2019. Vegetation-Related Transmission Outage Report: 2018 Annual Report. May 2019. North American Reliability Corporation. Atlanta, GA. https://www.nerc. com/pa/comp/CE/ReportsDL/Vegetation-Related%20 Transmission%20Outages%20-%20Annual%20Report%20 2018.pdf (Accessed 11/22/2019) NERC. 2019a. Glossary of Terms Used in NERC Reliability Standards. Updated August 12, 2019. North American Reliability Corporation. Princeton, NJ. https://www.nerc. com/files/glossary_of_terms.pdf (accessed November 26, 2019).

NERC. 2019b. Enforcement Actions 2019. North American Reliability Corporation. Atlanta, GA. https://www.nerc. com/pa/comp/CE/Pages/Actions_2019/EnforcementActions-2019.aspx (accessed 11/26/2019).

Novembri, R. Undated. FAC-003 Transmission Vegetation Management. Power Point FAC-003_TVM_20151013. http://novembriconsulting.com/images/FAC-003_TVM_ updated_20151013a.pdf (accessed 11/26/2019).

Along the Lines

Around the Grid DIVISION 10 Congratulations to Sarah Lilley on her promotion to regional coordinator for Division 10. Sarah joined the CNUC team in 2016 and has been a crucial member of the Southern California Edison (SCE) team.

Congrats, Sarah!

D10 Regional Manager Ben Keck completed the UVMA certification. The course begins with learning many aspects of the UVM industry and building a strong foundation before diving into an indepth curriculum that prepares students to create, implement and manage their own UVM program. Congrats, Ben! On February 21, Rich Goldenson, LCUF on the PG&E contract held a benchmarking training to measure growth rates and clearances.

DIVISION 10

DIVISION 10

Mr. Newfield was understanding and got back to me right away. Mr. Thomsen walked the power lines with me describing what trees should be taken out and we came to an understanding of what would be beneficial for me and the power company. I want you to know that individuals such as Mr. Thomson make it easier on landowners.

The careers of four women on the SCE contract were highlighted in honor of International Women’s day.

Thanks to all the women that contribute to the success of CNUC!

Customer Compliment

CNUC celebrates International Women’s Day

>> A PG&E customer complimenting CUFs Alex Newfield and Lucas Thomsen contract for recent work done on their property. The customer appreciated the time both Alex and Lucas took to hear their concerns, and the timeliness in which they communicated with the homeowner. Good Job, Alex and Lucas!

CUFs Jordan Mort and Michelle Castellon Regional Coordinator Sarah Lilley and Database Management Specialist Marina Diaz in the SCE field office

DIVISION 10

Career Fairs Cal Poly Pomona Student Arboriculture Summit In December, Jose Bautista, contract coordinator on the Division 10 SCE contract, and Sarah Lilley, regional coordinator for Division 10 represented CNUC as they attended the 2019 Southern California Summit in Arboriculture Opportunities. 

Cal Poly Ag Career Fair Division 10 Regional Coordinator Sarah Lilley and SCE Contract Coordinator Jose Bautista represented CNUC at the Cal Poly Ag Career Fair in February.

Santa Rosa Junior College Career Fair In early March, Lead CUF Helen Kelley and her family volunteered to plant a pine tree for Arbor Day in Wilmington, CA. 

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) Contract Coordinators Aaron Goodpasture, Jennifer Kim and Mike Johnson represented CNUC at the Santa Rosa Junior College Career Fair in early March. 

Sonoma State University Career Fair PG&E Contract Coordinators Aaron Goodpasture and Jennifer Kim attended the Sonoma State University Career Fair in early March. 

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Along the Lines

DIVISION 15 Due to growth, part of CNUC’s Western division (division 10) became its own division.

Division 15 spans the Mountain states and Pacific Northwest. Division 15 is overseen

by Regional Manager Patrick Larsen and Regional supervisor Bryan Daane. Division 10 is now all of California.

Congratulations to Patrick Larsen on his promotion to regional manager of division 15. Since joining CNUC in 2015, Patrick has worked in several positions for division 10 and played a key role in its success. Congrats, Patrick!

A tree crew General Foreman that works with CNUC on the Avista contract asked to pass along his gratitude and kudos to LCUFs Zeb Rosenthal, Bryce Johnson and CUF Emma Tate. Over the winter, Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho got a tremendous amount of snow, resulting in numerous storm calls and long, wet hours. The GF wanted to thank Bryce, Emma and Zeb for all their assistance and fantastic teamwork to close out the storm tickets as safely and efficiently as possible! Great job Bryce, Emma and Zeb! Thank you for your hard work and excellent communication and teamwork!

DIVISION 20 Congratulations to Nick Ringer on his promotion to regional supervisor of the Southern region of division 20. Nick started his career at CNUC in 2015 and has been a huge help in seizing new opportunities for the division. Congrats, Nick!

Cool Women, Hot Jobs invites women from the community to meet with the students in small groups to talk about their job, their career path and answer one on one questions from the girls. Jenny was able to meet with groups of sixth and ninth graders.

They were curious and enthusiastic. She feels this was a great experience to be able to volunteer and introduce the UVM industry to the students.

CNUC CUF Jennifer Miller and ARCT CUF Jennifer Forrester The Duke contract team gathered for an aerial saw orientation and training in January.

Left to right: CUFs Ben Hardy, Jacob Lambert, Justin McLemore, Hunter Miller, Tyler Meroney, Jennifer Miller, Steele Napoleon, Regional Supervisor Mike Mathewson, CUFs Jorge Rivera, Casey Corbett, Davis McCall, Jerome Eason, Jordon Roberts, Scott Poindexter, Harrison Flowe, Caleb Strickland. From left to right squatting: LCUF Daniel Morris and CUF Allen Morrill

On Wednesday, Jan. 26, ACRT CUF Jenny Forrester and CNUC CUF Jennifer Miller on the Duke contract participated in the annual career event Cool Women, Hot Jobs at the all-girls public charter school Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington (GLOW).

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The marsh master is a fully amphibious track vehicle with the capability of carrying personnel and equipment through stump filled swamps, floating marsh, peat bogs and deepwater crossings. It can go through terrains that limit or stop other track type or wheel type vehicles which is why it’s a preferred vehicle to work on the Duke contract in Eastern North Carolina. Marsh Masters have an internal pontoon designed with a unique rubber or steel belt track system which makes for a very stable and high floating machine.

Sara Lee, division 20 CUF on the Indiana Light & Power (IPL) contract was giving notifications and came to a house where a resident was in in-home hospice. Sara expressed her condolences and told the homeowner she would mark the property so the trees crews would not complete work until later so as not to disturb the family. Later, Sara returned to the property with a sympathy card and flowers.

Thank you, Sara, for your compassion and going above and beyond!

Along the Lines

DIVISION 30

COMPANY

This Benchmarking Survey is a collaboration between CNUC Director of R&D Randall H. Miller and Dr. Richard Hauer at University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point and will be published academically.

The Benchmarking Survey gathers information from vegetation management programs from across North America. The findings are used to determine trends and best practices in the industry.

This spring at the Wright Service Corp. Annual Awards Banquet, CNUC recognized six employees for their years of service, including Division 20 Regional Supervisor Michael Mathewson, Manager of R&D Philip Chen, and Division 15 Regional Manager Patrick Larsen, for five years of service; Vice President Josh Beaver and LCUF Steve Rakich for 10 years of service, and Safety Professional Pete Burkett for 25 years of service. Overall, there were 19 employees receiving milestone service awards this year.

Congratulations!

In February, Manager of R&D Philip Chen presented at the 63rd Annual Iowa State University Shade Tree Short Course.

Last fall, members of the division 10 PG&E team attended a UAA conference in Auburn, California. Division 30 Supervisor of R&D Bill Spencer presented on post-fire hazard tree assessments. Left to right: LCUF Tristram Hurley, Project Manager Eric Austin, LCUFs Tim Sheehy and David Newfield. LCUF Brian Campbell (Kneeling), CUF Michael Johnson, Regional Supervisor Dustin Lauf, CUF Michael Kopp, Regional Manager Ben Keck, LCUF Emilio Pinedo (Kneeling), Supervisor of R&D Bill Spencer, Regional Supervisor Todd Walker, LCUF Aaron Dal Poggetto.

Here’s a shot of the CNUC group who attended the banquet. Left to right.

Back row: Regional Supervisor Mike Mathewson, Director of R&D Randall H. Miller, Supervisor of R&D Bill Spencer, Regional Supervisor Dustin Lauf, Regional Supervisor Jason Allen, Regional Supervisor Bryan Daane Center row: Communications Assistant Shannon Bussone-Rue, Regional Manager Ben Keck, Manager of R&D Philip Chen, LCUF Nick Lutz, Regional Supervisor Todd Walker Front row: Vice President Josh Beaver, Safety Professional Pete Burkett, Regional Manager Patrick Larsen, LCUF Steve Rakich, President and COO Derek Vannice, and Regional Manager Matt Searels.

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Along the Lines

FIELD FACTS

Onboarding and Training

By William Spencer, Supervisor of Research & Development

Whether you’re a 10-year veteran or it’s your first day on the job, the approach to an effective training session is the same.

You never forget your all the necessary information well in first day at a new job. advance of the first session and that Often remembered because it marks the they understand training objectives and start of a new chapter in life, but also what will be expected of them. When because – let’s face it – the first day at possible, provide a way for attendees to a new job is stressful. There’s always a get updates, additional information or little anxiety on both sides at the start of answers to their questions beforehand. a new job, as both the employer and the newly hired employee are eager to make • Have an agenda and stick to it – a good first impression. With any luck, Continuing with the theme of being nerves relax after a warm welcome, office organized – make sure to have an tour, introductions and maybe a good agenda! An agenda ensures all relevant icebreaker. A good indicator of a successful points are covered in good order and orientation is when the new hire and adequate time. Providing an agenda employer are reassured that they made a is a courtesy to attendees – it will give good decision. them a chance to better contribute to the discussion. Remember to allow for During onboarding, new hires learn how enough time to cover each item, but also to perform the essential duties of their stick to the schedule – move on from position. This training should not only topics that linger past their allotted time. teach an employee the skills needed for They can be revisited later. their job but help outline the purpose of their role and the part it plays in the • Communicate culture and values – organization. Whether you’re a 10-year Both onboarding and training are the veteran or it’s your first day on the job, the perfect time for team building, sharing approach to an effective training session stories and showing what sets the is the same. Here are some facts from the company philosophy apart from other field regarding getting the most out of organizations. You want a culture with employee onboarding and training: values that are aligned with the overall vision, where everyone feels free to • A meeting starts before the express themselves and feels accepted attendees arrive – When hosting an as an individual. The culture and values onboarding, training or any meeting, of an organization can sometimes take being organized and prepared is a time to disseminate, so it’s crucial to must. You’ve got to have a plan for take advantage of every opportunity the big day and give yourself plenty of to share them during onboarding and time to set up. Be sure attendees have training sessions.

Submit a field fact! If you would like to submit a field fact, please email info@cnutility.com.

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• Training is teaching – Remember to set specific expectations but also offer encouragement along the way.

Training should be something that everyone looks forward to. It’s not a bad idea to put together a small welcome gift or otherwise add a few simple considerations to an onboarding or training to show the team that they are appreciated. Strive to set everyone up to succeed and be sure to celebrate that success when it happens.

• Avoid information overload – Rome wasn’t built in a single day. Training and especially onboarding may take days or weeks to complete. While it’s certainly important to cover an adequate amount of material, be realistic about the time in which it takes to do so. Rushing through a training or onboarding too quickly will only create the need to reteach the information again in the very near future. More importantly, if you do fall short on time, there’s always another day in which the training can be tackled – with a set of rested minds and a fresh perspective on the material.

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SPECTRUM STANDARD New Features Improve FieldNote App User Experience (UX)

By Travis Yordi, Director We are continuously updating our software with our clients’ needs in mind. Check out these four new features inspired by client requests.

2 1

Automatically Copy Shapes from Item on Map

• Prior: Users would tap out each corner of the object they were drawing, which could be a bit tedious.

• Solution: If a GIS layer is present (which contains data and a shape that the user wants) all the user needs to do is drop a new item on the map and the shape drawn and data is imported for them automatically.

• Benefit: This one feature has saved many hours of data entry in the field and increased productivity.

Turn Icons On/Off

• Prior: In FieldNote, each item that you map has an icon and a color associated with it to represent things like the status of an item or what type of work is needed at a specific location. However, if a lot of items are mapped it can get cluttered and icons can end up getting in the way.

• Solution: Our most recent client asked if there was a way to turn off icons. We built out an option screen to allow the user to not only remove an icon, but change its size and transparency too. If you haven’t yet tried this new feature out for yourself, you can find it in Settings > Forms.

• Benefit: By allowing an option to turn on/off the icons and change size and transparency, it simplifies the screen and readability. (continued on page 54)

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VISION

Terra Spectrum Technologies is a leader in providing innovative, high quality software specializing in geospatial data collection and workflow management.

MISSION

DEVELOPER DOWNLOAD

Meet our newest team member!

// P rovide simple, streamlined and scalable software that exceed our clients’ expectations // H ave comprehensive knowledge of the clients and industries that we serve // H ave a positive influence on the communities we serve // D eliver attractive value appreciation to our employee owners // G ive team members the training and opportunities needed to enhance their professional development and technical knowledge // P rovide knowledge and technical support to clients with only in-house staff

VALUES

Security: We protect our customers’ data as if it were our own.

Innovation: We anticipate our clients’ needs and we deliver creative services and solutions.

Knowledge: We understand and adopt the latest technology trends.

Excellence: We continually strive to exceed our customer’s expectations – and our own expectations.

Integrity: We abide by the highest ethical standards.

Teamwork: It is how we operate and we hold each other accountable.

Family: It is our foundation; it is who we are.

By Josh Plowman, Front End Web Developer

What are your job responsibilities at Terra Spectrum Technologies (TST)?

I work on improving the look and feel of the web application, focusing on creating a great user experience. I work closely with Director Travis Yordi and Product Manager Ting Zhang on the FieldNote website. I build off what they have made and try to polish it.

What do you like about working at TST? I like the team – everyone’s fun and I like that I can make an impact. Since we have a core group of developers, there is a lot of responsibility on my end to do it right. I was able to make an impact from day one.

What’s the process for creating features for the FieldNote website?

Our process from development to production is pretty fast. Generally, when I build out a new feature, it will be put into production later that week.

I can work on creating something from scratch one week and then it’s being used by customers on the FieldNote website the next.

Which features have you been working on?

Recently, I added feedback to a button on the website, making this feature more intuitive. For example, now every time

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Inspirational Quote: “A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.”

– Bruce Lee

someone on the FieldNote website adds a new user, a notice will appear that says if it was successful or not. I’m trying to add features that will help create a better user experience overall.

What’s some of your past experience?

I’ve done a lot of consulting work on front-end designs for everything from start-ups to enterprise. At TST, I’m working in coding languages that I know well and have worked with in the past.

Being able to apply that knowledge in a different way has been enjoyable for me.

What’s one of your hobbies?

I produce sounds and DJ in my free time.

I started producing about a year ago.

I was interested in the way the digital audio stations worked. They’re very complicated applications and the fact that everything works is amazing. When I got into producing it segued into DJing because I was making it, so I thought I might as well play it.

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Hazard Tree Mitigation – Versatile Software for a Dynamic Problem

By Nathan Jones, Technology Consultant The old phrase “You don’t know what you don’t know” is enough to make anyone not comfortable with the unknown break out into a cold sweat. It references the fact that while you can control most of the known quantities in any system, there are always unknown variables that are not subject to a framework of law and order. This same logic applies to the utility vegetation management sector – even the most regimented and controlled electric system has a few proverbial wrenches in the works that can introduce an element of chaos. One of the most frequently seen agents of the unknown is the hazard tree – an arboreal specter whose long shadow is cast over entire systems. Easily overlooked, hazard trees are capable of severely impacting reliability yet require different tactics than traditional cycle maintenance to successfully mitigate.

While all programs grapple in one way or another with hazard trees, systems that experience large scale tree health problems are at especially high risk.

The past several years has seen a vast mountain pine beetle (MPB) outbreak in the western United States. With populations of spruce budworm and Douglas-fir beetle on the rise and the scourge that is emerald ash borer slowly making its way across the country (among a host of other insects and diseases), hazard tree mitigation programs are only becoming more critical and expensive as time moves forward. Outbreak or not, a wise vegetation manager will take

a proactive approach to the problem instead of waiting for it to inevitably come pounding on the castle gates.

hazard trees and removing hazard trees.

FieldNote makes both of these quicker and easier.

One of TST’s primary goals when designing FieldNote was to have a system that vegetation managers could use that was versatile enough to handle any situation. It turns out that FieldNote is especially suited to handle the rigors

One of the many impacts of a changing global climate, declining forest health is an issue that is unfortunately here to stay. Utilities are adapting to the new reality that vast sections of their systems are being impacted by climate-driven

One of TST’s primary goals when designing FieldNote was to have a system vegetation managers could use that was versatile enough to handle any situation. It turns out that FieldNote is especially suited to handle the rigors of a hazard tree program, with several of our clients using the system to take proactive and aggressive measures to mitigate potential threats.

of a hazard tree program, with several of our clients using the system to take proactive and aggressive measures to mitigate potential threats. Hazard tree programs are ad-hoc by nature, requiring immediate action while at the same time operating outside of typical budgetary and geographical norms. FieldNote excels at quickly assigning work to farflung crews and segregating resource allocation into separate budgetary categories. At the same time a wealth of data can be collected allowing managers to identify trends that will let them make more intelligent decisions in the future.

While each client handles their hazard tree programs a bit differently, two basic tenets remain the same – finding

vegetation problems. While large swaths of trees can quickly die and become immediate fall-in threats to the integrity of the power supply, another danger looms even larger than reliability – wildfire. As utilities in California have recently discovered, trees falling into conductors can cause large scale remote wildfires that are difficult to contain, extremely costly and can cost human lives. Taking a measured, proactive approach while managing hazard trees will not only reduce costs in the long run and boost reliability but will also help to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire.

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BITS & BYTES

Welcome new clients: East Central Energy TreeStory

New Features (continued from page 51)

3

New Basemaps Available

• Prior: FieldNote always allowed our users to select between a baseman of streets or satellite imagery, but now we’ve added even more options.

• Solution: There are now multiple street maps available, including light and dark themes. The topo maps are also a great option for our clients doing work in rugged country.

4

• Benefit: Clients can inspect the terrain before they arrive and, combined with the satellite imagery, identify any potentially hazardous or inaccessible areas.

Multi-select Field

• Prior: Clients weren’t able to select multiple fields in one window.

• Solution: This type of field is a great option for things like species detected in a plot of a survey or for the types of work or equipment needed at a location.

You can add it to new or existing forms and the feature is available to use in the latest version of the FieldNote app.

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• Benefit: This feature makes it easier for the user to select multiple items in one window.

Sustainable Environmental Consultants Wins Danone ‘Innovation Award’ SEC was awarded the ‘Innovation Award’ by Danone North America at their sixth annual Dairy Forum in February in San Diego, California. The Dairy Forum recognizes the exceptional work of select partners who focus on farming resilience in today’s world and for future generations. Seven awards were given out, all focusing on four key areas: quality, social, economic and nature.

President John Harsh and Director of Sustainability and Strategic Partnerships Jennifer Jensen accepted the award on SEC’s behalf at the Dairy Forum award ceremony.

“Innovation is a core value of ours, so it is an honor to receive the Innovation Award from Danone,” said Harsch.

“Our goal is to anticipate our clients’ needs and deliver creative services and solutions to meet those needs. Our team’s expertise, work ethic and passion for what we do helps drive our commitment to innovation.”

help supply chain partners achieve their sustainability goals, and ultimately, manage risk to their brands.

EcoPractices provides supply chain partners with comprehensive and customized assessments and reports, professional recommendations, continuous improvement planning, and sustainability project management.

Danone, the country’s leader in the production of dairy and plant-based food and beverages, hosts the annual Dairy Forum to bring together more than 100 farmer partners from their network of dairy farmer partners and vendors from across the U.S. who have experience in a range of agricultural systems.

“We are committed to helping our farmer partners strengthen their financial and environmental stability and resiliency, so that we can help to keep farmers farming in the U.S. for many more generations to come,” said Mariano Lozano, CEO of Danone North America, in a press release on Perishable News’s website. “At this meeting, we are pleased to recognize seven farmer partners, and their families, for their outstanding performance over the last year. Congratulations to all our winners!”

Danone North America, a client of SEC’s, utilizes SEC’s sustainability risk management services powered by EcoPractices, which provides measurable solutions to

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VISION Sustainable Environmental Consultants is a leader in providing innovative solutions to better the planet.

Welcome to the Team, Nick and Katie!

NICK MEIRICK

MISSION Recognize the responsibility of organizations and individuals to be leaders in protecting our environment.

We desire to provide transformative sustainability solutions that minimize risk for our customers, our communities, and our planet.

VALUES SAFETY It is everyone’s responsibility – we each own it.

INTEGRITY We abide by the highest ethical standards.

TRANSPARENCY We take pride in our independent authentication process of reliable traceability.

SUSTAINABILITY We value action over definition when it comes to sustainability because it’s our passion.

RESPECT We exhibit it toward our team, our customers and the environment.

COLLABORATION We recognize we will move the needle on sustainability only through partnership and cooperation by many.

INNOVATION We anticipate our clients’ needs and we deliver creative services & solutions.

FAMILY It is our foundation; it is who we are.

Growing up on a row crop and pork production operation in Northeast Iowa, Nick Meirick has a passion for helping businesses have greater efficiency, more transparency and reduced risk that allow more opportunities for farmers and a better world for consumers. He enjoys working with people who want to improve the agricultural industry and want to work toward a more sustainable future.

Joining Sustainable Environmental Consultants (SEC) in January 2020 as an agronomy support specialist, Nick brings a unique skill set to the team with various ag experiences. He has the ability to work with a multitude of records and data from producers and translate that into the specific data needed to drive outcomes.

In his role with the sustainability risk management division, he works on a variety of projects. He has been actively involved in the EcoPractices economic model helping drive a return on investment for evaluating not only the environmental impact but the economic impact for operations looking at sustainable practices that support more regenerative practices.

Nick believes in an ever-changing market; farmers need to make informed decisions.

Working with SEC, we can illustrate the importance of environmental and economic sustainability with transparency for our industry.

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Nick has a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). During his time at UNI he studied how globalism impacts international economics while abroad in Rio De Janeiro. He also served on the president’s council for the economics club, traveling to UNI’s sister school in Shanghai, to serve as a student ambassador, another engagement opportunity for international economics.

In his spare time, he enjoys spending biking outdoors and cooking. He also has a passion for travel.

KATIE CATRON Always fascinated by the interconnectedness of agricultural production and the environment, Katie Catron joined her local FFA in high school to learn more about the world of agriculture.

She took it a step further by participating in the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute, sparking her interest in sustainable agriculture systems. During the three day intensive study, Katie gained perspective about global agriculture, the different practices around the world and how they could all work together for the betterment of the environment.

From the Global Resource Institute, Katie pursued studies in Agronomy and Global Resource Systems at Iowa State University, where she received bachelors’ degrees in

2ND ANNUAL OUTDOOR CONNECTIONS EXPO both areas. During her time at Iowa State, Katie worked with DM Crop Research Group and the Iowa Soybean Association, working closely with farmers on field trials, testing and management practices.

Taking things outside of the Midwest, Katie also completed an internship with the EARTH program at Iowa State, which took her to St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands to work closely with small-scale school gardens, designing and constructing a drip irrigation system.

Katie joined SEC in 2019 as an Agronomist & Soil Scientist. In her role, she works with raw producer data, assists with Sustainable Continuous Improvement Plans™ (SCIP) and supports the EcoProducer database.

Additionally, she supports specialty projects in dairy, pork, row and specialty crops. Creating custom reports to share this data back with clients is also a specialty of Katie’s.

In January, SEC Operations Manager Shannon Lux and Sales and Support member Zack Lux exhibited at the 2nd Annual Outdoor Connections Expo in Lawrence, Kansas. Hosted

by Pine Landscape Center in Lawrence, the expo brought together industry professionals ranging from landscapers, designers and builders to developers and contractors.

Shannon and Zack showcased SEC’s erosion control services.

SEC BECOMES A NATIONAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE TECHNICAL SERVICE PROVIDER In March, SEC became a National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Technical Service Provider (TSP) for the states of Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa.

“By being a TSP in Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, SEC is able to offer services to ag producers in these states on behalf of the NRCS. As the title “TSP” implies, we are able to provide technical services for planning, designing and implementing conservation practices for NRCS. This could range from developing a nutrient management plan or waste facility closure plan to designing a composting facility or bioreactor. In any case, as a certified “technical arm” of NRCS, we are assuring the work gets done according to their standards and specifications. This not only lightens the workload for NRCS but provides the producer with a great option for getting their work done with the confidence it will be to the satisfaction of NRCS. It’s really a great service that benefits everyone involved.

SEC is happy to be a TSP.” —Curtis Janssen, Professional Engineer

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Jennifer Jensen Featured as ISU’s ‘Young Alum’ Jennifer Jensen, SEC’s director of sustainability and strategic partnerships, was featured as the Young Alum of the Month in February by Iowa State University (ISU) College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Jennifer, who graduated from ISU in 2016 with a degree in biology, environmental science and agronomy, was selected to be featured because of her career path in both agronomy and environmental sciences and the unique work that SEC is doing as a company. The monthly Young Alum spotlight helps showcase the many diverse career paths someone in this field can take and provides insight to current students on where their career could take them after graduation.

Read the full Q&A featured in the Young Alum spotlight: Name: Jennifer Jensen

Job Title & Company: Manager of Sustainable Practices & Environmental Analytics (title changed to director of sustainability and strategic partnerships after this article was published) Major Job/Position Responsibilities: I oversee SEC’s sustainability risk management platform, EcoPractices®. In my role, I manage and coordinate client projects and everyday operations with my team including collecting, storing, analyzing data, verifying and quantifying to generate environmental impact values.

We bring players together from different ends of the agriculture food value chain to advance sustainability and regenerative agriculture.

Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa Major(s) and Graduation Date: Biology, Environmental Science & Agronomy, May 2016 Favorite ISU class: AGRON/ENSCI 360 Environmental Soil Science (really anything with Dr. Burras) Company: Sustainable Environmental Consultants

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What do you like most about your job/position? I consider myself lucky to have found a non-traditional role in the agriculture space focusing on advancement of best management practices along with the needed verification and quantification of the impact generated, allowing others to participate in the journey.

I enjoy showing producers and growers the scientific benefit of certain conservation practices and then helping

them find resources to make those practices possible. I enjoy bridging the gap, illustrating to SEC’s supply chain customers so they feel empowered with the knowledge and understanding they get from the EcoPractices platform to make decisions and implement business changes for the greater good.

What advice would you give to current students pursuing a career in Agriculture and Life Sciences? Choose your adventure at Iowa State, build a unique path. Follow your passions and ask questions. I was undecided on major my first year and really wasn’t sure where I was going or what I wanted to do after graduation. I was able to mix my passions into degrees that provide different perspectives to problems we face in row crop, dairy, pork, poultry, and specialty crops all over the U.S. & global. We are a new generation of problem solvers, find something to work hard on fixing and make a difference.

“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”

—Theodore Roosevelt

Operational Fuel Management: A Growing Business Division in Western Canada

By Eric Nijboer, RPBio, P.Biol., Division Manager – Operational Fuel Management, Industrial Vegetation & Invasive Species Management There’s a definite sense of satisfaction you feel when you look behind you and see a finished product. A product you created with your own hands and the combined effort of those on your team. A product that will ultimately contribute to community wildfire protection.

Operational fuel management, fire mitigation, wildfire hazard abatement, FireSmart, or whatever you want to call it, is the process by which a pre-identified stand of timber is modified to reduce the risk of wildfire to an adjacent interest. Whether the interest is infrastructure, people’s livelihood or the community and those people that live in it, the objective is to reduce the: • • •

fuel load within a target stand to diminish the continuity of a wildfire intensity of a fire potential for a ground fire to ladder and become a crown fire

On paper, the process is simple.

1. Remove ladder fuels by pruning low hanging branches on conifer species.

2. Clean-up the forest floor by removing surface fuels.

3. Reduce the density of trees with either mechanized equipment or by hand to meet inter-tree distance specifications as per the treatment prescription.

4. The waste wood, including the prunings, is piled and burned or chipped, often by hand.

5. Merchantable trees are skidded to the roadside and hauled away to the mill.

Operational fuel management has provided another opportunity for Spectrum Resource Group field staff to work year-round. Projects often start as early as September, and continue through May, allowing staff who work on summer projects an opportunity to continue to work through the winter months. (continued on page 63)

Safety First. An operational fuel management crew in Mackenzie, British Columbia, starts their day with a thorough safety tailgate round table, led by site supervisor Jennifer Davy, before heading into the bush. Close quarters. An operational fuel management crew works in a North Vancouver suburb to mitigate the risk of wildfire to adjacent residences. 

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EXECUTIVE EXCERPT

VISION

Spectrum Resource Group aims to be the leading integrated vegetation management provider in Canada.

FROM THE ROOTS UP

Forestry Consulting – Where It Has Been and Its Future

By Mike Kozak, RPF PAg, Division Manager – Industrial Spraying & Timber Development

MISSION

To deliver the highest level of professional, safe and environmentally conscious integrated vegetation management solutions to the industry, public and our communities.

To invest in employee development to provide new and innovative services adding mutual value to our clients and vendors.

VALUES

SAFETY It is everyone’s responsibility – we each own it.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY We support activities that benefit our employees and add value to their communities.

I started my forestry career in 1991, like many of my peers, as a compass-person for the cruising department of a well-known local timber consultant while in college. My summers were filled with wall tents, helicopters, bugs and bears while learning the operational skills that form the foundation of being a well-rounded forester. We were often dropped off with our gear in extremely remote areas and were not checked on again for 10 days or more. This was a right of passage for almost any aspiring professional in the consulting world and was the common path to take in your career. Very few, if anybody, jumped into an administrative role directly after school.

In 1994, there became a strong movement within the forest industry by the sawmills to hire summer students and run crews of their own in addition to utilizing timber consultants. Some senior workers from the consulting firms moved over to the mills in managerial positions and helped build up a knowledge base for these companies. This signaled the end of being a consultant and ushered in a 15- to 20-year era of timber contracting. This was a time of following very prescriptive orders and regulations versus providing specialized expertise and opinion.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY We strive to protect and improve all ecosystems.

INNOVATION We anticipate our clients’ needs and we deliver creative services and solutions.

INSPIRATION We provide a safe, healthy, caring and productive work environment to energize, engage and inspire our employees.

FAMILY It is our foundation; it is who we are.

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As the mountain pine beetle came onto the scene, harvest quotas increased sharply throughout Northern British Columbia and there was often more work than people to do it. The vast areas of relatively flat ground where the pine trees grew was perfect for timber contracting, not a lot of professional rationale was required. Because of the huge amount of work available and subsequent shortage of foresters, it became common for mills and the government to either directly place recent graduates into administrative positions or fast-track the process. The days of a forest planner being someone with 20 years of experience had come to an end. Many interesting things have happened in the forest industry in the last five to 10 years that will have a profound effect on forest consulting into the next decade: • The vast tracts of operably easy pine ground are gone • Many industry and competitor’s crews have become accustomed to “from town” work and hotel or logging camp accommodations • There has been a significant draw of senior foresters to other sectors as well as retirement • First Nations claims, settlements and initiatives are at the forefront of the forest sector • There continues to be an influx of forestry graduates with limited operation-oriented field experience into planning and administrative roles in industry and government When Spectrum’s Timber Development Department was created eight years ago, it was obvious we had to set ourselves apart from our competition to be successful. We are accomplishing this by tackling the challenges listed

NEW, ON THE MOVE & CERTIFIED

above head on. We volunteered for the most remote and challenging areas; we were the first local consultant to enter as pioneers into winch-assist harvesting layout on steep ground. We resurrected the concept of wall-tent camping to service these remote areas as well as became one of the few companies to put chainsaws safely into our workers’ hands so we could get where others could not.

Congratulations to the following Spectrum Resource Group employees (crew leaders or above, and support staff) who were recently appointed, promoted and certified!

NEW Beatirz Jumawan, Accounting Clerk Kristine Madelo, Human Resources Generalist

Our staff has a range of certifications including: • • • • •

3 Professional Foresters 2 Registered Forest Technicians 3 Foresters-in-Training 2 Allied Science Foresters-in-Training 1 Training Forest Technologist

They are each gaining the solid foundation of operational skills that is vital to build their careers upon. Spectrum also has created many solid First Nations partnerships; we entered into this arena in a big way over the last two seasons in our line clearing work and have used this momentum to forge several new agreements in our department that will prove to be instrumental in securing us work this summer. In the last year, we have also launched into professional forestry providing a suite of services that starts with planning areas of interest and concludes with getting replanted areas submitted back to the government.

ON THE MOVE Jesse Bazergui, Invasive Species Management Regional Coordinator Janeen Liu, Senior Accounting Clerk Jorian Todd, Project Manager RETIRED Duane Maki, Strategic Advisor Crawford Young, Reforestation Consultant

Spectrum is ready for the future. We are reliable contractors who get to challenging areas and do a good job, and trusted consultants who provide the professional services and expertise our clients need.

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SAFETY EDUCATION & TRAINING TRAINING TOOLS SPOTLIGHT

Fatigue, Frustration, Rushing and Complacency

By Simon Hall, Safety Manager “Not again!” That’s how many of us react to incidents that occur around us or in our area of operations. Often times, there are similar or consistent root causes that set up the chain of events.

When it comes to the human element in incidents, we can often identify one or more of the following conditions:

FATIGUE

UNIVERSITY VISITS In January, staff visited the University of the Fraser Valley and University of Victoria to provide details about the company and promote our seasonal and year-round positions to students.

The number of hours on duty, time of day, or number of consecutive days working can influence reaction times and decision making. Fatigue is a form of impairment; we tend to engage in riskier behaviors or downplay the consequence when we are fatigued. Factors outside of work play a huge part in how fatigued we are in the workplace. Stress from family situations, late nights during sport seasons or poor sleep from when kids are young can affect us the next day.

FRUSTRATION

Sometimes things just don’t go the way we want them to. Equipment gets bogged down, we get news we didn’t want or a project deadline not being met. This frustration can lead to corner cutting or being so focused on the objective that we don’t break the task down into its components and set ourselves up for an incident.

RUSHING

“Time and tide wait for no one” to paraphrase Chaucer. Deadlines come at us and there is pressure to perform and produce within a time frame. Most of the time we can meet those deadlines, but when it looks like we won’t we are inclined to rush, skip steps and overlook controls. Rushing can give us tunnel vision and prevents us from taking regular precautions.

COMPLACENCY

When we have been in a situation or completed tasks successfully multiple times, we tend to be less cautious about risk. Some people consider this a false sense of security, but really, it’s a failure to recognize the small differences in a situation or environment that could compound into a larger hazard.

At this point in time, many of us are fatigued from the news cycle surrounding COVID-19. We may have disturbed sleep, stress from disrupted routine and uncertainty. It is likely that you are frustrated at cancelled plans, empty shelves and the lack of a timeline for when things will be back on track.

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When we have been in a situation or completed tasks successfully multiple times, we tend to be less cautious about risk. Some people consider this a false sense of security, but really, it’s a failure to recognize the small differences in a situation or environment that could compound into a larger hazard.

We may rush through tasks so we can concentrate on what worries us most, or not pay attention to the speed we are driving.

It is likely that we will be complacent about everyday risks as the pandemic crisis throws a shadow over our days.

Now is the opportunity to recognize how exposed we are to fatigue, frustration, rushing and complacency. Most of us do not have much control over how the COVID-19 pandemic will unfold but we do have control over the everyday risks we are exposed to. Let’s focus on doing the basics really well, and coaching others to do the same. Let’s recognize that those four elements, that are so often at the root of incidents and accidents, are there and must be challenged before we make critical decisions. While time and tide wait for no one, it will also turn against the current situation.

Operation Fuel Management (continued from page 63) Last winter, Spectrum worked on projects around a number of communities throughout Alberta and British Columbia, including 100 Mile House, 150 Mile House, Hinton, Kamloops, Mackenzie, Quesnel and North Vancouver.

As climate change continues to affect the moisture levels in our forests, and forest pests continue to proliferate, extreme wildfire seasons, like the ones we experienced in 2017 and 2018, will likely continue to ensue, necessitating a need to protect our communities.

Spectrum is arguably the provincial leader in operational fuel management in Alberta and British Columbia and expects these programs to grow over the foreseeable future, providing ample opportunities for staff to grow as the company expands its operational footprint.

The work is physically demanding, the conditions cold and wet, but the outcome is a product that is tangible. It is something that you can see and feel and pride yourself on. It’s extremely satisfying to see that your efforts contribute to the protection of our communities and the people who live there.

Finished product. Completed FireSmart fuel breaks that encircle the community of Hinton, Alberta. These projects were completed by Spectrum in the winter of 2019/2020. 

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5930 Grand Avenue West Des Moines, IA 50266

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! If you have news to share, please send your name, title, news and digital photo by email to: news@wrightservicecorp.com, or by mail to: Wright Service Corp. Newsletter, 5930 Grand Avenue, West Des Moines, IA, 50266.

This publication is printed using sustainable paper.

Sprouts & Shouts BABIES!

Lamija

Wright Service Corp. (WSC) Senior Accountant Adela Jasarevic and husband Zihad welcomed Lamija on March 16. Lamija was 8 pounds, 6 ounces and 21.5 inches long.

Kaiden Arthur Lucy Marie

Wright Tree Service (WTS) Payroll and Billing Specialist Valerie Warning welcomed Kaiden Arthur to the world on February 12.

Kaiden was 6 pounds, 8 ounces and 19.75 inches long.

Congratulations to WTS Payroll and Billing Specialist Sarah Hale and husband Derak who welcomed Lucy Marie into the world on December 14. Lucy was 6 pounds, 6 ounces.

RECRUITING THEM YOUNG 18-month old Annabella Urrego, daughter of WTS Regional Administrative Assistant Mariana Rodriguez and goddaughter of Wright Canada Holdings Ltd. Vice President of Canadian Operations Jesus Vetencourt, championed WTS by sporting a logoed hard hat.

We may have just found our youngest crew member yet!

Annabella Urrego 

Anna Belle

WTS General Foreman Nate Demby, wife Kristin, and daughters Malayah, Livia Zayleigh and Enid welcomed the newest addition to the family, Anna Belle, on February 7. Anna was 7 pounds, 7 ounces and 19 inches long.

WEDDING BELLS WTS Payroll and Billing Specialist Whitney Dostal and Tyler McAnally got engaged on February 22. The couple will be getting married on October 3 in Newton, Iowa.

Congratulations, Whitney and Tyler!

Congratulations to WTS Payroll and Billing Supervisor Brandy Blakeney and Payroll and Billing Specialist Reece Kriener who recently got engaged. The couple has been together for almost five years, met at a previous job and now work together again. They are getting married on September 12 in Ankeny, Iowa.

Brandy and Reece Tyler and Whitney