At a Glance
Location
Lockport, IL
Founded
1985
Employees
More than 120
Specialties
Land clearing, mulch supply, and tree healthcare and maintenance
Number of Divisions
3
Why is tree care important?
Mike Fitzpatrick: Homer Tree has shown a strong passion for trees since the 1950s, when the company was started by Joseph Reposh, the father of owner Ron Reposh and the family patriarch. Aside from a tree’s beauty, they have real economic and ecological significance. A residential property’s value can increase by 20–30 percent with well-maintained trees. Trees providing shade for homes or office buildings generate summer cooling, which helps reduce energy costs. And the role of trees in creating oxygen for life on earth is well documented.
What are your current major projects?
Shane Green: Right now, Homer Tree Service, Inc. is clearing land for new roadways across the Midwest, [conducting] right-of-way brush mowing throughout the state of Illinois, and [performing] selective clearing for local forest preserve districts. Meanwhile, Homer Tree Care, Inc. is working alongside several local municipalities to combat the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive insect species, which has hit the Midwest especially hard over the last several years.
What other services do you typically provide?
Dan Reposh: As a certified producer of playground mulch, Homer Industries supplies [its] product for both residential and municipal playgrounds. We’re also a leading supplier of mulch for landscapers and gardening businesses. Meanwhile, Homer Tree Care trims and cares for trees owned by private homeowners, office parks, and shopping centers—as well as cities and towns. We also remove trees downed by summer wind storms, tornadoes, or similar weather events. Homer Tree Service is frequently called upon to remove trees from utility right-of-ways or as part of highway or street constructions. We also remove potentially damaging invasive trees from forest preserves.
Do your divisions ever work together?
MF: We often work together on land-clearing projects. For instance, property may be inaccessible to Homer Tree Service’s large land-clearing equipment. Consequently, the smaller residential-type machinery used by Homer Tree Care is utilized. Afterward, Homer Industries turns the trees that have been removed into marketable mulch.
What does Homer Tree Services offer over its competition?
SG: Quite simply, because we strive to be the best at what we do, we have a very high standard for our employees, which results in unparalleled service. Our equipment is top-of-the-line and covers the entire spectrum of tree service, from bucket trucks for trimming to specialty forestry equipment for land clearing to high-production chippers and grinders for mulching. One of our suppliers is Bandit Industries, which has one of the best industrial wood chippers in the business.
Our staff is highly knowledgeable and very customer-service-focused. Many of our employees have more than 25 years in the tree industry. With every job, our goal is to do the work quickly, efficiently, correctly, and safely, and we have an impeccable reputation for meeting these objectives.
What are your company’s greatest challenges?
SG: We strive to strike the right balance between growth and being able to service our customer base. Like every business, we are very aware of the opportunities that exist for expansion. For example, while much of our work takes place in the Midwest, we continue to do projects throughout the country no matter the size or terrain.
At the same time, we know that growth at the expense of meeting customer needs is counterproductive. For this reason, while we continue to look for more opportunities, Homer Tree Service will always seek to exceed client expectations for service and quality. ABQ
