Congratulations to Boward Tree Surgery (Oxford) Ltd for achieving the significant milestone of 40 years as an ARB Approved Contractor, the longest-serving company on the Scheme and the first to reach this anniversary. The Association has sent the team a certificate to mark the occasion, and we asked them to write about the company and its four decades as an ArbAC.
Like most medium-sized tree firms, the work we do at Boward Tree Surgery is incredibly varied.
We have built a solid reputation over the years and enjoy established working relationships with many clients, both domestic and commercial. Being based just outside Oxford, we work closely with the Universities as well as the City Council, schools and construction companies etc.
Here at Boward Tree Surgery we pride ourselves on our heritage and longstanding history in the industry. We have a base of experience in our upper management gained through combined decades in arboriculture. Michael Boys, company founder and director, set the company up in 1978 and we have been an ARB Approved Contractor since 1983. Having started out as a pioneering climber in the late ’60s when the industry was in its infancy, Mike has now (reluctantly!) stepped back from the tools and concentrates on consultancy.
Sam McCree became a director in 2014 and now runs the company, having first worked for Bowards on Saturdays when he was still at school. He then worked from the ground up, becoming lead climber before taking over the reins as managing director.
‘When I got involved the foundations of a good company were there, largely due to Mike’s unparalleled work ethic over many years. A few aspects needed tweaking and modernising, and we are continually making changes in a constantly evolving industry. Mike is a bit of a local legend in “the tree world” and most of those that have worked with him have a story or two about his exploits in tree surgery. I will leave it at that!
‘Things are very different now, even since I started less than 20 years ago. Tree surgery is still a relatively young industry and there has been massive progression and development of best practice and methodology, not to mention the obvious health and safety aspects of what is an inherently dangerous profession. There is now an emphasis on mechanisation and risk assessment which may not have always been so prominent.
‘Being an ARB Approved Contractor has many benefits to us, including the option to tender for contracts that are available exclusively to approved contractors. The Association is a constant source of information and resource to improve the company across all facets.
‘Whilst we are always striving to make our work environment a safer place, I think it is important not to forget why most of us got into the industry in the first place, and why we suffer through the rain, the cold, the sawdust, the blunt chains, the late finishes and the broken-down vehicles! We spend such a large proportion of our lives at work, it seems obvious to look for something that you enjoy and this job can offer so much. There are a million ways to earn money that are easier than tree surgery, but, like most “arbs” will agree, it is a hell of a job.’
The Boward Tree Surgery team.
This article was taken from Issue 200 Spring 2023 of the ARB Magazine, which is available to view free to members by simply logging in to the website and viewing your profile area.