How It Started

In 1977, Gene Thorpe loaded a pickup truck with his tools and a vision. He wasn't trying to build an empire. He was trying to fix a problem he saw every week. His neighbors needed someone who would climb their trees without cutting corners, someone who understood that your backyard wasn't just another job. Gene started on weekends while working full-time, learning as he went, making mistakes he wouldn't repeat, and building a reputation one satisfied customer at a time.

The work was harder than he expected. That first employee wasn't always available. Equipment broke. Weather delayed jobs. But something shifted when Gene realized people weren't hiring him for his fancy branding or lowest price. They hired him because neighbors talked. Because he showed up when he said he would. Because he knew the difference between cutting a tree and caring for one. By the early 1990s, that weekend side hustle had become the business. More trucks. More crew. More trees saved and removed with precision.

In 1994, Gene's son Todd stepped in. Todd didn't just learn the job—he learned why his father did it the way he did. By 2008, Todd had earned a partnership. And when Todd's son Mitchell finished high school, he came to work the same way his father had, climbing trees and learning the business from the ground up. Three generations of the same family, carrying forward what started with one truck and a handshake.

What Nearly Five Decades Taught Us

Being family-owned means you see repeat customers across three generations of their families too. You learn what matters. A job we did for a homeowner in 1985 shaped trees that their grandchildren climb today. That accountability changes how you work. You can't fake it when you're building a legacy, not just extracting revenue. We carry full insurance not because regulations demand it, but because we've watched one uncovered accident devastate neighbors. We made that choice early and have never wavered.

Precision pruning taught us patience. You can rush through a tree removal in a day. But pruning—preserving structure, removing disease, shaping for health—that requires reading each tree like it's speaking to you. Early on, we'd lose time because we were learning. Now we lose time because we respect the process. Clients notice the difference in their trees five years later, when the canopy is fuller and the shape is natural. That's worth the slower pace.

We joined the International Society of Arboriculture and the Tree Care Industry Association because staying current matters. Trees change. Diseases evolve. Equipment improves. Stump grinding isn't what it was in 1985. We participate in ongoing education not to impress clients with credentials, but because respecting the work means respecting the science. When you've been doing something for 49 years, staying curious is the only way to stay good.

Working Together

When you call us, you're calling a business that answers the phone because someone's job is to answer the phone. We show up when we say we will. The crew that arrives knows what they're doing—not because they memorized a manual, but because they've spent years learning trees. You'll notice we ask questions about your goals before we recommend work. You'll notice we don't oversell. You'll notice the cleanup happens before we leave.

We work with homeowners who want to protect a heritage oak. We work with city agencies managing parks and public spaces. We work with property managers handling commercial land. Whatever the scope, the commitment stays the same: sustainable solutions that enhance your landscape and respect the natural value you're protecting. If you're ready to partner with a team that's been rooted here for nearly 50 years, reach out. Let's talk about your trees.