Zimmerman Tree Service Continues To Adhere To Best Industry Practices

                   Local Tree Care CompanyGains 3-Year Industry Re-Accreditation

Zimmerman Tree Service, a commercial and residential tree care company located in Lake Worth,Florida has been recently re-accredited in accordance with Tree Care Company Accreditation standards put forth by the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), America's oldest and most respected tree care trade association. Accredited tree care companies must re-apply every three years so that their practices can be reviewed and the continuation of best business practices can be verified.

TCIA Accreditation is the only program of its' kind in the tree care industry. It is a voluntary process evaluating businesses to ensure that professional practices and standards are met by all employees that work on your property. When you hire an accredited tree care company, you can rest assured that this organization has been checked for proper insurance, applicable licenses, reliable and ethical customer service practices, and meets strict operating standards. A key objective for Accreditation is to help companies provide the highest levels of service to customers.

To achieve business Accreditation, businesses undergo an extensive review of professional practices aimed at safeguarding consumers, including:

> Consumer satisfaction
> Best business practices
> Formal employee training
> Compliance with industry standards
> Adherence to safety and quality standards
> Insurance coverage

As a measure of protection to consumers, businesses undergo renewal check-ups annually. The annual renewal ensures that the company continues to employ trained professionals, is still properly insured and has a good safety and consumer satisfaction rating.

The 3-year Re-Accreditation achievement demonstrates that Zimmerman Tree Service has undergone an extensive review of practices as well as a site visit, and continues to adhere to all accreditation standards.

Bad Tree Pruning Is An Expensive Way To Save Money

By David Schwartz

In this era of massive budget shortfalls, every municipality from the largest to the smallest is looking to save money. The City of Cranston Rhode Island's solution was to have their Department of public Works trim the 28-year-old Gleditsia (honey locust). So much for good ideas.

There were approximately 40-45 Gleditsia, which were installed in 1982-1983 as part of a renovation of the Rolfe Square business district. I am very familiar with Rolfe Square as I lived in Cranston for many years. One day, as I was visiting my post office box, another patron of the post office, who I knew was an arborist, approached me to inquire if I had seen the trimming the Cranston DPW was doing to the trees on Rolfe Square. I said I had not noticed, but upon exiting the front door of the Post Office, I was rather amazed at what I saw. Many of the locust trees had been completely stripped out with up to 75 percent of the foliage removed. The cuts were a mix of slab cuts, stubs and ripped bark.

Later that day, I received a phone call from Cranston Councilman Emilio Navarro, who had been receiving calls from concerned residents about the appearance of their city's business district. He requested that I meet him on site. We met on the next day Friday, September 10, 2010. He wanted to know if the trimming that was done was proper or improper. I told him that in my opinion, these trees had been severely damaged. At that point, the Councilman approached the Department of Public Works to ask two questions: What was the purpose of the trim, and why was it being done in such a manner?

The administration responded in an email statement issued by Robin Schutt, the administration spokesperson: "To clarify, tree trimming is something that our Highway Department does routinely. The trees on Rolfe Street required trimming, as in many cases the branches were too low - and did not meet public safety standards, or were rubbing against buildings and roofs. Any damage from those is on the shoulders of the City. I realize, as does the Public Works department, that the long term life of a FEW of these trees might be compromised - but the reality is that these were not appropriate trees in the first place - and eventually will need replacing - trimmed or otherwise (and our decision was to save the trees for as long as possible)."

The e-mail also claims that the city saved $20,000 by doing the trimming in house. The City was pushing back pretty hard to justify their actions, and the fact that this was an election year hardened every one's positions. I am not a political person, and in my 40 years of practice, I have never met a tree that was either Republican or Democrat. My involvement was to act on behalf of the most innocent of the victims; the trees themselves.

Read the rest of the article here.
http://www.zimmermantreeservice.com/Articles/tabid/423/tree_service/145/Bad-Tree-Pruning-Is-An-Expensive-Way-To-Save-Money.aspx