BY PAUL WOLFE II Most of us have pretty good memories. Like taking the driver’s-license test, first dates with our significant other, a sibling’s birth date, etc. I don’t remember any of those things as time is slowly eroding my mind. I do, however, vividly recall the first tree I climbed as a professional. Remember to get your free subscription to TCI Magazine by clicking here.

BY RYFE GREENWOOD I get it, your tree service needs production, and you need it now. Your employee retention is precarious, and the labor pool in your area is emptier than the Grand Canyon. Prematurely tapping a new crew leader seems like your only option. However, promoting to crew leader too early only sets up your business for failure. Remember to get your free subscription to TCI Magazine by clicking here.

by Jon Gerstenberger TCI Magazine celebrated 35 years of publication in 2025. For 427 issues, since June 1990 – through recessions, global pandemics and spikes in printing and postage costs – TCI Magazine has hit the industry’s mailboxes every single month. Remember to get your free subscription to TCI Magazine by clicking here.

BY TAMSIN VENN As a self-professed tree nerd, there is nothing Bret MacKay likes to do more than climb trees, preferably white oaks. Except for one thing – teaching his fellow arborists how to do it safely. Remember to get your free subscription to TCI Magazine by clicking here.

BY TIM BARTELT Deciding if and when to spend money on large capital-equipment expenditures is a strategic part of any business, and the tree care industry is not immune to that struggle. Buy outright or finance? Long-term rental or RPO (rental-purchase option)? These are questions being mulled on a daily basis, and interest rates, tariffs and business/economic outlook are all factors to consider. “Uncertainty” may be the keyword for the current economic situation, according to a group of fina...

BY JEFF INMAN, CTSP, TRAQ Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you’re trying to have a conversation with someone and they don’t agree with what you’re saying? You could be making the best case in the universe for your point of view, with facts, figures, graphs, statistics, life stories, testimonies, technological advancements, etc. Remember to get your free subscription to TCI Magazine by clicking here.

BY TIM BARTELT Editor’s note: Two readers contacted TCI Magazine last winter suggesting we do a story about Floyd Taylor. The first was Nathan J. Wright, CTSP, ISA Certified Arborist and manager distribution forestry with National Grid Western Division in Fredonia, N.Y. Remember to get your free subscription to TCI Magazine by clicking here.

BY ANTHONY TRESSELT Crane-assisted rigging is a complex layering of skills, equipment and knowledge. Like many involved tasks, it looks relatively simple when done well. However, the truth is that when poorly planned, cranes and trees can be a difficult combination. Remember to get your free subscription to TCI Magazine by clicking here.

BY NATHAN KROIS For years, professional arborists and forestry crews have relied on steady improvements in chain-saw design to keep pace with the demands of their work. Remember to get your free subscription to TCI Magazine by clicking here.

BY JOHN BALL, PH.D, BCMA, CTSP Electrical hazards to tree workers are, for the most part, within the realm of those who access tree canopies. True, we do have electrocutions and electric-shock injuries among ground workers, but they are the minority. Tree canopies and electric supply lines often are intertwined with, or at least near, climbers and aerial-device operators. Remember to get your free subscription to TCI Magazine by clicking here.

Compiled by Peter Gerstenberger We went through the upcoming revision of the ANSI Z133 Safety Standard, pulling out and listing here in sequential order all the relevant parts that affect lift operations near conductors. These apply to conventional truck-mounted lifts as well as “boom-supported elevated work platforms,” or compact lifts. Remember to get your free subscription to TCI Magazine by clicking here.

BY MICHAEL J. RAUPP, PH.D., AND PAULA M. SHREWSBURY, PH.D. In Part 1 of this article (TCI Magazine, October 2025), we introduced four foundational elements useful in diagnosing problems with trees and shrubs, represented by the acronym SPSD, and discussed the first “S,” which stands for “site,” and the “P,” which stands for “plant.” In part 2, we’ll discuss the second “S,” which stands for the “symptoms.” Knowledge of signs and damage symptoms is a powerful tool in making an accurate diagnosi...

BY TAMSIN VENN Rare is the employer who does everything he or she can to help an employee secure their next job. But that was the case with Daniel Miraval, BCMA, and Brianna White, ISA Certified Arborist, co-owners of Emerald Tree Care LLC, a 14-year TCIA member company in Roselle, Illinois, when they sent Anthony Santisi, who had been with them for three years, off to his new job at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Remember to get your free subscription to TCI Magazine by c...

BY PETER GERSTENBERGER The Tree Care Industry Association in August welcomed George Strout as its Strout will lead TCIA’s efforts to mobilize tree care professionals across the country in support of smart policy and industry advancement. With more than a decade of experience in grassroots organizing, legislative strategy and PAC (political action committee) engagement, Strout brings a deep understanding of how to activate stakeholders and influence decision-makers. Remember to get your...

REVIEWED BY STEVEN F. PREGLER These two books were written by Linda Chalker-Scott, former urban horticulture extension specialist and a professor in the Department of Horticulture at Washington State University Remember to get your free subscription to TCI Magazine by clicking here.

BY BAILEY GRAVES In July 2025, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced it reinstated and updated self-audit programs run by its agencies, including the reimplementation of the Wage and Hour Division’s Payroll Audit Independent Determination (PAID) Program and expansions to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)’s On-Site Consultation and Voluntary Protection Programs. The efforts to update some programs follow legislation introduced earlier this year intended to codify Volun...

BY AUSTIN BONNEMA As a TCIA Board member and a long-time industry participant, I’ve seen plenty of challenges come and go, but few have been as persistent and unpredictable as tariffs. For those of us involved in equipment manufacturing or purchasing, the ongoing shifts in global trade policy are more than headlines – they’re real issues that affect our businesses and bottom lines Remember to get your free subscription to TCI Magazine by clicking here.

BY BRIAN FAIN, P&C, L&H Day in and day out, I have conversations with many of my clients expressing their frustrations on how to hire and retain reliable, qualified employees. I am sure you will agree that this is one of the more, if not the most, difficult aspects of your business. Remember to get your free subscription to TCI Magazine by clicking here.

BY KATE ZABRISKIE Ever had that moment when a project seemed crystal clear during a meeting, only to find out weeks later that everyone had completely different interpretations? It’s like playing a grown-up version of the game “telephone,” where what starts as “We need this done by the end of the week” ends up as “We’ll get to it when we can.” Remember to get your free subscription to TCI Magazine by clicking here.

BY BETHANY KEMPPAINEN, CTSP Arboriculture often requires physically and mentally demanding effort, constant attention to risk, complex logistics and care for challenging clientele. Remember to get your free subscription to TCI Magazine by clicking here.