If you’ve ever watched an arborist at work, you’ll know there’s an art to the job – which is exactly what the Tree Fellas crew offers. This family-run business has been providing expert tree care across Tāmaki Makaurau for almost 45 years. We chatted to general manager Ryan Kneebone to learn more.
How did the business get started and what was the motivation behind it?
Steve Thompson and Greg Kneebone, my father, were neighbours in St Heliers and one day decided to start a lawnmowing business. Then a client asked them to remove a tree, and the rest is history!
How has the business evolved over the past 45 years?
It wasn’t until the 80s that material started coming out of the UK that changed the thinking about the way we manage trees in urban environments. Then in the 90s, New Zealand polytechs started providing qualifications and there was a more modern approach to the learning, the gear, and the machinery being available.
Can you explain what arboriculture encompasses on both practical and non-practical levels?
We tend to look at trees as assets to a property. Maintaining an asset is crucial to maximising its value but sometimes you just need to start over. Most tree removal situations are where the tree has outgrown its position, the tree is not seen as an asset anymore, or the tree has just become a problem.
What are some of the services you offer?
They range from planting trees to trimming and pruning them through to large, dangerous and complex tree removals. We also provide stump grinding services. Most importantly, we provide practical sound advice for free!
What can clients expect when they work with your crew?
From the first enquiry we try to achieve a quick turnaround, explaining when we’ll turn up to quote and how that process works. If the quote is accepted, we do the same in terms of scheduling the accepted quote. The crew will then arrive as arranged, and if the client wants to be present, they will have a pre-start meeting with them and talk about what they are expecting and anticipating the trees to look like.
How do you ensure your crew’s safety on the job?
Our crew is trained from the get-go by Dale, our full-time health and safety and training manager, and are also sent for off-site qualification training where practicable, and our competency register means everyone is constantly assessed to make sure they’re working safe. Plus, we use third party contractors to assess our business every two years to report where we can improve. We recently received a gold standard rating from SiteWise NZ.
Is upskilling something you encourage?
We invest heavily in our crew being health and safety compliant, and also to enable them to obtain broader skill sets.
What is the most rewarding part of the job?
The crew would likely say, “A cold beer at the end of a multi-day job!” My own experience was the satisfaction of solving problems. These days it’s more just the interaction with clients and their satisfaction with our work.
Looking for quality tree care in Auckland? Visit treefellas.co.nz for a free quote today.
