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TCI EXPO is a great opportunity to peruse exhibitors’ booths and check out their latest equipment innovations or earn CEUs in educational seminars. It also is a great opportunity to demo equipment, get hands-on experience or learn a new, practical skill under the tutelage of top experts in their field. In this article, we’ll highlight three of the latter opportunities available on the show floor and in the Demo Dome, the former football stadium turned arborist playground, during TCI EXPO ’25, November 6-8, in St. Louis, Missouri.

Jordan Tielmann, front center, joined her team for a photo in the Demo Dome at TCI EXPO’23 in St. Louis. They will be back conducting live crane training in the Dome during TCI EXPO ’25 this November. TCIA file photo.

Crane training
Where else can you find live, hands-on training on a variety of grapple saws? According to Jordan Tielmann, CTSP and executive director at Noble Oak Safety and Training, Noble Oak’s setup in the Demo Dome will be similar to its last time in the Dome (TCI EXPO ’23). “You won’t be able to miss us!” Tielmann says.

“This year, we are going to be focusing on the various types of grapple saws, specifically those used on our BIK TC 126, Sennebogen and Magni (material handlers),” Tielmann says. “We’ll be discussing the function, design and purpose of this equipment, along with proper inspection and maintenance practices and how to effectively prepare for integrating it onto your job site.”

One advantage of the setup this year will be the chance to actually make cuts with the three varieties of equipment, so attendees can feel the difference between them, she says. “Our focus will be on the grapple-saw function of these machines and the many ways they can transform tree care operations,” Tielmann explains. “We’ll cover how design and mechanics influence performance, explore the physics of load shifts and discuss how grapple saws affect lifting plans and overall job-site safety. From design fundamentals to hands-on demonstrations and maintenance essentials, these sessions are designed to give operators, decision-makers and safety managers a complete understanding of how to integrate this equipment effectively.

“There is a lot of incorrect information out there when it comes to safety,” Tielmann says, “So we really want to have an open discussion with attendees about safety precautions.”

One of the sessions Tielmann says she is most excited to present will take place at 2:30 p.m. Thursday. The subject is “Physics on the Job: Grapple Saws and Load Shifts.”

“This session focuses on understanding dynamic loads and how they directly impact your lift plan. We’ll explore the physics behind load forces, weight distribution and shifting capacity during cutting and lifting operations,” Tielmann says. “Crews need to account for tree weight and center of gravity, recognizing factors such as longer leaders or uneven canopy spread that can alter balance. Grapple saws are powerful tools that can transform operations, but proper training is essential to ensure they are used safely and effectively.”
Outside of outstanding training opportunities like these, Tielmann explains why she is a fan of TCI EXPO and the TCIA organization in general. “It’s really a great time for us to network with students, along with being able to talk to vendors and partners of ours. We really enjoy being able to showcase what our trainers can do and really focus on the equipment side of the industry by having demos and allowing attendees to get their hands on the equipment.

Jared Abrojena and his team will work in partnership with TCIA to execute the EXPOClimb section of the show floor at TCI EXPO ’25 this November. Photo courtesy of Jared Abrogena.

“I went to TCIA’s 2023 Executive Arborist Workshop in Charleston, South Carolina, and Amy and Jeff Grewe (owners of Arbor Aesthetics Tree Service, an accredited, 12-year TCIA member company in Omaha, Nebraska) talked about working together as husband and wife,” says Tielmann. “They talked about following an EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) model. I came home and immediately told Hans (Tielmann, her husband) that we’re going to find an EOS implementer. That one conference completely changed our business. Hopefully we can bring some of that training to TCI EXPO and attendees can learn from us.”

Climbing training
Where’s the place to try all the latest in climbing gear? The answer, quite simply, is at TCI EXPOClimb, a section of the trade-show floor for everything related to climbing. And it’s here you’ll find the expert staff from Academy Trained, who will let you test it all out. Jared Abrojena, president/
co-founder of Academy Trained, will be leading the charge.
“We’ve got a pretty massive area, and we’ll have a full stage,” says Abrojena. “We work with all the different manufacturers in the industry, and we’ll have their gear available and share it, teach it, train with it and get attendees’ hands on it. Attendees will be able to actually make a solid opinion of their products front and center. Our goal, as a company, is to get people to make their own choices as to what works for them. Here, they can make the best-educated decision for themselves.”

In addition to all the gear on display and climbing demos in TCI EXPOClimb, there’s a new interactive section you won’t want to miss. “We’re going to have a new station, a limb-
walking station,” explains Abrojena. “We’re going to have a tree brought in, and we’ll prop it up at about a 30-degree angle from the ground with tie-in points in the ceiling. Individuals walk on the limbs, and we can help people position themselves and teach them how to limb walk more efficiently. We’ll also have the swinging station. It’s designed to get people to take swings on rope and harness and work on body control, rope management and hitch management.”

The instruction with Academy-Trained goes beyond the physical tools of the trade. Abrojena also advises companies on personnel management. Be sure to catch his chat, “Enhance Company Culture and Safety Through Onboarding,” at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday at the TCI EXPOGrow stage. “I’ll talk about building internal trainings with companies and how to create really good onboarding systems and assessment evaluations. Basically, how to hire the right team and how to get them started off on the right foot building company culture.”

As a second-generation arborist, Abrojena has been attending TCI EXPO since he was a kid. What keeps him coming back every year? “It’s the people. It’s our industry. It’s the exhibitors, vendors, manufacturers, the TCIA staff. Everybody is just one big family.”

And some advice for anyone coming to the show? Abrojena suggests attendees have a plan. “My personal view of attending these expos is to have some type of expectation or target when attending. Think about your goals of attending. Think about how you can build and grow or gain something from the show and implement it into your business. Networking is such a powerful tool, and I make sure that is my top priority.”

Speaking of the TCIA staff, Abrojena says he is happy to have a relationship with them and the organization. He states, “What TCIA has done for Academy-Trained and my crane company, American Knuckleboom Arborist, is to help them gain exposure, gain credibility, by putting us up there as one of the leaders of the industry. It’s a true partnership. The staff at TCIA is what makes the difference.”

Instructors and participants pose during a chain-saw class the Women’s Tree Climbing Workshop taught last winter. Photo courtesy of the WTCW.

Chain-saw skills
Looking to learn some new chain-saw-operation techniques, or to simply brush up on your existing skills? Look no further than the brand-new TCI EXPOSaw arena in the Demo Dome. The space will be filled with equipment from a variety of chain-saw manufacturers, and the entire area is being managed by the Women’s Tree Climbing Workshop (WTCW). According to its website, the WTCW “provides opportunities to build and develop skills to climb trees and increase proficiency in Arborskills.” And that’s exactly what attendees will experience at TCI EXPOSaw, according to Melissa LeVangie Ingersoll, co-founder of WTCW.

LeVangie Ingersoll says she is excited for this inaugural opportunity and making the training sessions their own. “Our advantage is that we have the ability to network with and support manufacturers directly, as well as reach the attendees with a strong focal point of the show. The TCI EXPOSaw arena is dedicated to chain-saw safety, innovations and work practices.

“We are honored and thrilled to be leading this new area and focal point,” says LeVangie Ingersoll. “It’s not often people see a women-led team running saws, never mind teaching about chain saws. It’s great to be recognized and begin to normalize all the people who make up our arboricultural teams. Our team is a talented group of business leaders, entrepreneurs and exceptional arborist practitioners. We are fortunate and proud of this great group of people.”

So who is the intended audience for this area of the show, and what can an attendee expect after visiting? “We are absolutely focused on techniques for any experience level,” says LeVangie Ingersoll. “We will be teaching skills, not necessarily ‘new’ (skills), but ones often not practiced. Additionally, we are bringing in some fun practice challenges for attendees, to still have the area be engaging while the educational sessions are not being presented.”

Conclusion
When asked what is most intriguing about TCI EXPO and what keeps their organization coming to it year after year, LeVangie Ingersoll says it’s simple. “The people. Our industry is widespread across the country and continents. It’s a great opportunity to network, share and visit with friends and colleagues whom you don’t see often enough.”

Tim Bartelt is a freelance writer based in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, and has more than 20 years of work experience in the outdoor-power-
equipment industry.