Andy Felix • VISTA Award ( continued from p . 1 )
allowed me to meet many industry leaders and appreciate the success they achieved with minimal time spent sitting behind a desk . I saw , first-hand , the opportunities available in arboriculture . I applied to schools that offered degrees in Arboriculture or Ornamental Horticulture . With the help of Professor Gordon King and Dick Garber , Head Coach of UMass Lacrosse , I was accepted to UMass Amherst .
How about Tree Tech ? How did that get started ? Just prior to graduation , I was interviewing with the larger companies in the industry , looking for upward mobility . I was hired by Carl Cathcart , MCA to work in the Newton office of Bartlett Tree . I worked there for three years as a climber , crew leader and sales representative . Then , in 1986 , I was given an opportunity to go out on my own . A local Foxboro contractor offered to co-sign a small loan from our local bank . With that , I purchased a brand new 4 cyl , gas , Morbark “ Eager Beaver ” from Willie at Hartney Spray in Norwood . I am sure many members remember Willie , Leo Dube , Frank Lyons , and Tom Duffy . All great guys , willing to do whatever they could to keep you up and running . If you were going there to pick up parts , chemicals or other equipment , you had to figure adding an extra half hour to talk with those guys . They wanted to hear what was happening out in the field and loved to offer advice . They had the gift of gab .
Before we had a chip truck ready to work , we built particle board sides for my silver Chevy pickup and painted them green . That color combination was unique , and it is how Tree Tech ’ s color scheme started . Needing to start earning money , we began by chipping into the back of my pickup while waiting for my 1974 F600 chip body to be completed . We unloaded the truck with pitch forks when the truck was full . That got old fast and not the best task to share with your only employee at a new company . A few weeks later the chip truck , which was previously a box truck for a local band at the time “ Windwood Hollow ,” arrived . We took the box off the truck and that became our “ shop ” for the next few years in the backyard of a very generous Foxboro excavating contractor .
The company started out with you and one other guy . Now you employ more than 90 people . Tell us more about Tree Tech . In 1986 , the Foxboro area did not have nearly the wealth that it does today . I realized locating the company there would present obstacles . However , there was also very little competition and plenty of opportunity to educate prospects on the value of tree care and help dispel the “ tree cutter ” image held by many people . The location was working all right and the rent was great , but there was not enough business to sustain a growing company . We needed to expand geographically and get closer to the wealthier towns where arboriculture is more appreciated .
In 1986 , homeowners and businesses would not call a company out of their area for any services . With in-laws living in Wellesley , my thought was to put an answering machine in their home . I called the phone company to make arrangements and was told they had just unveiled a feature called “ remote call forwarding .” Prospects could dial our new Wellesley phone number and it
( continued on p . 4 )
A Shout-out to Mentors !
Here ’ s what VISTA recipient Andy Felix had to say when asked about his mentors :
Who were / are your mentors ? richard Davis , the Foxboro contractor who co-signed my first loan , encouraged me to go out on my own , and showed me the importance of giving back to the community .
My father , Bob Felix , who , by the position he held , probably knew more about running a tree care company than anyone . This was a two-way street , however , as he was given plenty of material to write about watching me struggle through the numerous businessbuilding issues we all face to some degree . Some worse than others .
The infamous Professor Gordon King , who I was fortunate to have as my Advisor and Professor . He retired the same year I graduated .
mark tobin , mca for his knowledge and his totally relevant business-related “ sayings ,” many of which have stayed with me to this day . His industry leadership , as both a volunteer and president of a great tree company , was something to aspire to .
George ackerson , mca for teaching me more of the technical side of tree care and how to prune “ The Lowden Tree Way .”
matt Foti , mca for being one of the most interesting dudes I know . From tree work to travel , to boats and barefoot waterskiing , he ’ s always having a good time .
DecemBer 2020 MAA NEWS 3