Amy Burkett of Burkett Arbor Care.

1. BUSINESS STRATEGY

What’s one decision you’ve made in the past year that meaningfully improved your business – and why did it work?

Over the past year, one of our biggest decisions was to intentionally diversify our workload mix while continuing to strengthen relationships in each channel we serve. We even added new lines of business to our existing channels.

2. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

What’s working for you right now in hiring and retention?

We have spent a lot of time refining onboarding, improving communication between leadership and crews and creating more opportunities for training and advancement.

We take pride in prioritizing safety and science, commit to a minimum of six internal training days a year and focus on topics that cover both.  In the past year, our company has gone from three ISA Certified Arborists to seven and aims to have a Certified Arborist on each crew.

We’ve also found that younger employees want purpose and growth just as much as pay. When people feel invested in, equipped properly and part of something bigger, retention improves naturally. Recruiting has become less about simply filling positions and more about finding people who align with our standards, values, and long-term vision.

3. SAFETY AND TRAINING

What’s one change you’ve made that actually improved safety behavior on your crew – and what made it stick?

A trusted industry peer once shared that they were proud of the increase in their “near-miss” reporting. That took me by surprise until I realized the point: Employees felt safe sharing that information.

We make sure safety isn’t viewed as compliance, but as part of everyday crew culture. Encouraging crews to speak up about hazards and near misses without fear of blame is important for building awareness across the entire team.

Safety can’t show up only during meetings or after an incident. It has to be reinforced daily by leadership and crew members alike. When employees see that safety is genuinely prioritized – not rushed for production – it changes behavior over time.

4. LOOKING AHEAD

What’s changing in the industry that more companies should be preparing to address?

Companies should be preparing for the continued professionalization of the tree care industry. Customers, municipalities and regulatory agencies are expecting higher standards related to safety, training, documentation and overall professionalism.

At the same time, rising insurance costs, equipment expenses and workforce changes are putting pressure on companies that aren’t operating efficiently. Businesses that invest in leadership, training, technology and a strong culture will be in a much better position moving forward. We also believe there will be more opportunities in wildfire mitigation, tree-risk assessment and long-term urban-forest management.

Amy Burkett is the president of Burkett Arbor Care in Boerne, Texas, and vice chair of TCIA’s board of directors.