Back in the late 1990s, I was a young man with a fresh degree in psychology looking for a career. I took a job dragging brush for a small tree care company, and my boss started teaching me to climb trees. In 1997, he took me to my first Midwestern Tree Climbing Championship (TCC), in St. Louis. I had no idea what the event was about, but I read through the rule book and gave it a go. I finished in the middle of the pack, but I came home super pumped about climbing and competing, and about being a part of something much larger than the small team I worked with daily.

The next year, I went back to the Midwestern TCC ready. I had studied the rules and grown my skill set. That year, I came away with my first win, and represented the Midwestern Chapter of ISA at the International TCC in England. While I enjoyed every minute of the ITCC, I finished in the lower half of the competitors that year. It was then I realized that, even with my competitive nature, the point of the competition was not necessarily to win. I built friendships and found mentors on that trip who I am still very close to today.

To be honest, prior to this TCC, I was still looking for other jobs. I had interviewed with the local police department, among other things. Once I found this sense of community, learning and professionalism, I realized this was going to be my career. It solidified my need not only to be a good climber, but to be part of an elite group of influencers in our industry who have completely changed the way we safely climb trees over the past 20 years.

I was fortunate to be able to compete at the Midwestern TCC for 20 years straight, and was certainly privileged to win seven times and compete at the international level after each win. I have now been an arborist for 28 years.

Benefits for all

Since I “retired” from competition, I have discovered the joy of being on the other side of the clipboard. Participating as a judge, technician and organizer is just as fulfilling as competing, and earns a spot at the table in this tight-knit community. Every TCC requires an enormous amount of dedication from volunteers to make the event work.

Our company’s team attends at least a couple of TCCs every year, with nearly all of our employees participating as competitors or volunteers. The TCC community has become one of the most critical elements of our company culture. We even own a company bus to enable us to travel as a team and enjoy the company of our co-workers there and back again.

I am often asked how our small company can afford the time and travel expenses for everyone in the company to participate in this TCC community. The benefits might be perceived as unmeasurable or intangible, but the advantages we receive are real. The investment makes all of our employees feel a high level of engagement, which is one of the most important ways to retain employees.

In my small company, we have six arborists who have been with me for more than 10 years! We also have found that the quality of work goes up and injuries go down, which means we enjoy preferred rates from our insurance company.

Team spirit

There is always great anticipation as we plan for our next TCC trip, whether it be the Midwestern Chapter or a very wide variety of other competitions that are not sanctioned by the ISA. After every TCC we attend, the whole team comes back on fire, beaming with pride. Pride for their newly found knowledge, for their awards and prizes and in their improving abilities that enable them to have a positive influence on others in the industry. They share their expertise and excitement with friends on social-media forums and at industry events. It is very common for my crew to climb recreationally together on the weekends, which is great for team building and our sense of community.

The TCC circuit is also a great way to build a pipeline for new employees. While it is not an acceptable practice to poach employees from other companies, we have built friendly relationships with other great climbers who at some point lost their jobs or needed to move to our area to be close to family or a spouse’s job. It was a no-brainer that they would want to come and work with a group of friends they had already established.

Getting engaged

So how do you get started in engaging your people with one of the most positive and accepting groups of professionals in our industry? My advice is to find the TCCs that are close to you and participate as a volunteer or even as a spectator. Sign your climbers up to compete. Network with the people you meet there, and find common ground.

Pay very close attention to the way the competitors cheer each other on and share the newest techniques and equipment. Watch how the volunteers proudly assist the climbers in having the best day possible, and how they provide coaching and training to all the climbers and each other.

Most important, take all the amazing energy and information home with you and share it with others. The entire point of the TCCs is to create a hands-on network of people who are determined to raise the level of professionalism and safety in their own company, in their market and in the industry as a whole.

Noel Boyer, Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA) and Certified Treecare Safety Professional (CTSP), is owner of All About Trees LLC, a 12-year TCIA member company based in Springfield, Missouri. He also is incoming senior director of TCIA’s Board of Directors and a member of TCI Magazine’s Editorial Advisory Committee.