our commitment

to northeast ohio

HOME GROWN

Home Grown is the standard by which we govern ourselves daily in everything we do. It reflects our commitment to:

  • the tree care industry
  • our team members
  • our clients
  • our community
  • the environment

HOME GROWN is our promise to the values we hold dear.

home grown

TREE CARE INDUSTRY - Standards & Safety

The tree care industry is required to follow a set of mandated standards set forth by ANSI (American National Standard Institute) and OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Association). Constant standard and safety training is a part of our regular work week.

Home Grown means that we comply at minimum with these standards; it also means that we aim to be an example in our industry as a whole, raising the bar for tree work while raising awareness of health and safety issues in the tree care industry.

Independent Tree is always challenging itself to go above these required standards; one way has been through opting in to be accredited through the TCIA (Tree Care Industry Association). Through this accreditation process, we opt in to regular audits and scrutiny of our business, professional and safety practices. You can learn more here …

Our Team Members - Lifelong Careers, Not Just Jobs

Home Grown means that the people who work for Independent Tree are compensated fairly, equally and on time. You can rest assured that all Independent Tree staff are paid as employees and covered by our liability and workers compensation insurance, and are offered a company-provided health care plan and 401K. This protects them, the consumer and the business.

Our Clients - Commitment to Education & Advancement

Home Grown means that we stay up to date on the latest standards and scientific advances in the tree care industry so we can provide you, our clients, with the best possible tree care services.

Through in-house training, outside educational opportunities and certifications, we are constantly adding to our arsenal of knowledge and bringing the latest advancements in our industry to the work we do.

Independent Tree staff is comprised of ISA Certified Arborists, Tree Risk Assessment Qualified professionals, TCIA Tree Care Safety Professionals, Certified Applicators and Horticulturists.

We are also the only independently owned and operated TCIA Accredited tree service in NE Ohio.

Independent Tree participating in local events in Northeast Ohio and the surrounding areas.

Our Community - Locally Supported, Support Locally

What would “Home Grown” be without our commitment to our local community? Independent Tree aims to support local businesses and people. Our NE Ohio neighborhoods support us and it is our goal to keep that support where it originates as much as possible. From our tech support, to our maintenance, office supplies, banking and branding, Independent Tree aims to do business with neighborhood businesses. Being a small, local company ourselves, we have a personal connection and understanding of the challenges and benefits that come from being independently owned and operated.

Whenever it is not possible to do business locally, we always aim to employ ethical and fair-trade companies to do business with.

Here's an article featuring Independent Tree's co-owner Lisa Kraus in the March 2022 edition of the TCI Magazine, highlighting the work we do on the Centennial Oak in South Newbury.

Lisa in front of the Centennial Oak in Newbury, Ohio and an Independent Tree climber helping to remove yarn from an art exhibit in Northeast Ohio.

The Environment - Home Grown Benefits the Planet

Independent Tree products maximize the use of raw materials from sustainably managed sources, buying locally as much as possible. We use production technologies that seek to reduce energy consumption and, where possible, use renewable energy technologies that minimize greenhouse gas emissions. We minimize our environmental impacts by using organic or low pesticide use production methods wherever possible.

We give priority to buying products made from raw materials that originate from sustainably managed sources and have the least overall impact on the environment.

Independent Tree uses recycled or easily biodegradable materials from our chainsaw oil to the products in our office to the extent possible.