Arbor Aesthetics Tree Service - Professional Tree Trimming & Tree Removal - Omaha, NE
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Best of Omaha 2023 voting is Open!

7/14/2022

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𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐦𝐚𝐡𝐚 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬...

For us, earning your Best of Omaha vote isn’t just about bragging rights or putting a logo on our trucks. It’s about our mission to 𝘾𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙏𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙨. By voting us Best of Omaha, you’re helping fellow Omahans find quality tree services performed by Certified Arborists who stand behind their work.

It’s hard to find contractors who care. We’re a family-owned, grassroots business. We take good care of our staff so they can support their families. We do things the right way - not the easy way. We give back to our community every year with our Gift of Beautiful Trees charity program. You can support our growth and mission by casting your vote.

Voting is now faster than ever and only requires voting in 5 categories. Click here to automatically fill in the Tree Service category:

​ http://www.BestofOmaha.com/59699
VOTE NOW
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Faces of Omaha 2022 Released

6/9/2022

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We are excited to announce that Omaha Magazine just released their 2022 FACES of Omaha edition and we were featured as the face of tree services of Omaha, Nebraska.

FACES of Omaha is an annual sponsored publication introducing the “faces” of local industry experts in a variety of professions. Arbor Aesthetics is proud to be featured in this year’s publication, alongside other top business leaders in Omaha.

Learn more about our story: https://www.omahamagazine.com/.../402111/faces-of-omaha-2022
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Gift of Beautiful Trees 2021 Complete!

2/19/2022

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We are THRILLED to announce the completion of our seven 2021 Gift of Beautiful Trees charity projects. That's right - that's with an 'S!' For the first time in the seven years we've been serving the Omaha community with this program, we partnered with five other local tree care companies to expand our reach considerably. With the six companies combined, we were able to donate $15,000 in FREE tree services to families in need! 

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This is HUGE. We are so grateful to the following tree services for their support and partnership:
  • Acme Lawn and Tree
  • American Arborist
  • Champion Tree, LLC
  • Cut & Grind Tree Care
  • Dillon Tree Service
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As always, the connections we make with the families were are nominated for these projects warms our hearts and remind us that we all have so much to be grateful for. Nearly every nomination we receive involves heartache, tragedy, misfortune, illness and so many other trying circumstances. Although we are just trimming and removing trees, we see time and again that they can become quite a burden when life already has its challenges. We are always humbled to be a part of lightening the load for these families.
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Before & After Photos

We hope to continue to expand this program over the years to come so that we can help even more families. Follow us on Facebook for updates and to apply if you're a local tree service interested in partnering with us! ​
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Best of Omaha 2022 - Omaha's Best Tree Service

10/29/2021

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💚THANK YOU💚 for voting us Best of Omaha for 2022! We are grateful for the continued support of our loyal clients and community. We have big plans to give back even MORE to the Omaha community as we continue to grow (stay tuned in November) and also to make Arbor Aesthetics THE destination tree care company for those who wish to grow in their arboricultural careers in a supportive environment.

🌳 Meaningful growth for people and trees. 🌳
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Faces of Omaha 2021

7/7/2021

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We believe we are the face of tree services in Omaha, Nebraska, which is why we're honored to again be featured in Omaha Magazine's "Faces of Omaha." We're always searching for ways to improve our customer experience, create a fantastic workplace for our hard working crew, and serve the Omaha community. To us, it's about so much more than trees.

Read the issue digitally here: 
https://issuu.com/omahapublications/docs/00_facesofomaha_2021/10

Following stay-at-home recommendations during the pandemic has been challenging for people, but it’s been good for their trees, said Arbor Aesthetics founders Jeff and Amy Grewe, because hanging around more means property owners are noticing that their landscaping needs maintenance.

“It’s people reinvesting in their landscape now that they have more time at home,” Amy said. 

“That and the fact that people aren’t spending money going out to eat, or going to a game, or going on vacation,” Jeff added. “They have more money on hand.”

The company, which celebrated its 15-year anniversary in 2020, is still in growth mode. It has gained residential and business customers, and its team of certified arborists also see a lot of repeat business from a loyal customer base. 

“The Arbor Aesthetics experience is a cohesive one from the first phone call into the office to when the last leaf is raked up in the yard,” Jeff said.“It’s a beautiful experience  because it’s so unexpectedly the way it’s supposed to be; we are professionals serving professionals.” 
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Gift of Beautiful Trees 2020 Complete!

5/13/2021

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2020 sure threw us for a loop, and we were hoping 2021 would cut us some slack. When it came to completing our 2020 Gift of Beautiful Trees projects after the holidays, the weather just wasn't cooperating. At some point, it got to be so late in the spring that we decided to wait to take "after" photos so we could at least get some leaves on the trees for the full effect. We're glad we did! So, we're a little late sharing this - but better late than never!

Story continues below...
We were again overwhelmed with nominations for our Gift of Beautiful Trees program for 2020, and no doubt, the pandemic contributed to hard times for so many families in our community. We were both heartbroken and touched to hear about how many were struggling last year, and just how many people were looking out for their friends, families and neighbors. Even perfect strangers submitted nominations for people they'd never met, but knew they could use a helping hand.

When Jeff and I review nominations, we use a loose scoring matrix to help us narrow down the projects based on the personal story that is submitted, how dire the need is in terms of safety, and whether or not our company is well-suited for the project with the resources and equipment we have. 

When we came across this struggling Cottonwood, we knew immediately that we HAD to do something. This tree was full of dead limbs over the street, sidewalk, driveway and house where the nominee and her daughter frequented. The result is beautiful and the tree is now an incredible historical feature and anchor point of the neighborhood - not an eyesore or hazard. The nominee was so grateful to not have to worry anymore.

Our second selected nomination was an anonymous submission, tipping us off to a family who had weathered extensive and very unexpected health challenges in 2020. The husband, Nick, showed up for his family in big ways and worked long, hard hours to provide for them during this time. When we saw just how many trees were in their backyard that needed attention, we were anxious to help. We visited a couple of months later to grab a photo after the trees had leafed-out and were so thrilled with the results of their beautiful, park-like backyard. 

As always, these projects are always about so much more than trimming and removing trees. We're showing up and serving our community (one of our company values!) and fulfilling our mission of Creating Connections through Trees. We're sharing our gifts however we can, and we are thankful to our community for supporting our business so that we can support our community in return.
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Creating Company Culture - TCIA Podcast Featuring Jeff & Amy Grewe

4/28/2021

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We’re honored to be featured in the latest TCIA Podcast talking about all things company culture, marriage and business partnerships, how COVID impacted our industry, and our experience in becoming a TCIA Accredited company! Check it out!
Listen to Podcast
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Arbor Anesthetics - Innovative Pain Management Solutions for Tree Pruning

4/1/2021

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We're revolutionizing the tree trimming industry! Introducing Arbor Anesthetics - the new technology that allows us to humanely trim your trees. Now you can rest assured - your tree will feel absolutely no pain during the limb removal process! Isn't it time we treated our trees with more respect?
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APRIL FOOLS! But all joking aside, there is a right and a wrong way to trim a tree. Every cut is a wound. Trimming a tree correctly leverages a tree's own recovery system, which walls off decay and prevents the spread of disease. 

Here are FIVE ways you can prevent harm to your trees:
  1. Flush Cuts - Improper Pruning Techniques
  2. Mulch - but not too much!
  3. Will cutting into a tree's roots harm the tree?
  4. DIY Tree Pruning
  5. Tree Topping Hurts

​Don't fool around with your trees! Hire a professional, Certified Arborist, like Arbor Aesthetics Tree Service!
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Flush Cuts - Improper Tree Trimming Techniques

3/14/2021

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Tree trimming is an essential component of tree care in an urban setting. Limbs need to be removed over streets and sidewalks, away from roofs and gutters, or even in the yard if the homeowner needs to be able to walk under the tree. Removing these limbs may seem straightforward, and one might be tempted to remove them in such a way that it appears the limb never existed, by way of cutting it completely flush with the trunk. This is what we call a "flush cut" and it is an improper pruning technique that can cause serious harm to your tree. 

Trees have a response to wounding, coined "Compartmentalization of Decay in Trees" or "CODIT." A tree "walls" off decay in four layers of bark tissue, preventing decay from moving vertically, radially and tangentially. When a wound occurs naturally, the tree gets to work using its own defense mechanism to keep decay-causing fungi from spreading. When a wound occurs during routine tree pruning (yes - it's a still a wound!), a trained arborist can take steps to ensure the tree is given its best shot at using its CODIT system.

​Maintaining the branch collar is critical in tree pruning and allows the tree to form a proper callus around the wound. The illustration to the right shows a clear swelling of tissue at the branch collar as the tree is preparing to shed a dead limb naturally. Trees know what they're doing! When we prune live limbs, we can use this as a model for where to make our cut - by not cutting into the branch collar. The branch bark ridge is not always obvious, and when it is not easy to identify the collar, we consider it best practice to come away from the trunk slightly. It would be better to leave more of a stub than it would be to cut into the branch collar. 

In general (and certainly not in all cases), a proper pruning cut will result in a circular wound or as close to a circle as possible. In the photos, you can see the elliptical shape of the cut where the flush cut was made parallel to the trunk, but not perpendicular to the branch, resulting in a vertical ellipse where we can see the branch collar was removed. 

If you are unsure where you make a proper pruning cut, it's best to consult a certified arborist. You can read more about DIY Pruning in a previous blog post.

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SOURCES
  • Compartmentalization of Decay in Trees, Bartlett Tree Experts
    https://www.bartlett.com/resources/compartmentalization-of-decay-in-trees.pdf
  • University of Iowa Extension & Outreach
    https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/faq/when-pruning-trees-it-desirable-make-flush-cuts#:~:text=Flush%20cuts%20are%20pruning%20cuts,collar%20and%20branch%20bark%20ridge.
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Arbor Aesthetics Tackles Accreditation with Virtual Audit - Tree Care Industry Association Magazine

3/3/2021

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We are honored to be featured in the March 2021 issue of the Tree Care Industry magazine. Every March, the association dedicates the issue to the incredible leading women of the industry. This year, nine articles (over 40 pages!) featured women, which is a big deal for a male-dominated industry. 
Read Article
As everyone in tree care faces the challenges of working through a pandemic, some businesses actually seem to be thriving, as is the case with Arbor Aesthetics Tree Service, a seven-year TCIA member company based in Omaha, Nebraska. Certified Arborists and co-owners Amy and Jeff Grewe have watched their business grow exponentially over the past year, prompting them to make the decision to pursue TCIA’s Residential/Commercial Accreditation during an already busy and challenging season.


The couple met in 2013, the first year Jeff’s young tree care company became a TCIA member. “I knew nothing about trees when I met Jeff,” Amy notes. “He said he was a climber – I didn’t know climbing trees was even a profession!

“My education is in graphic design, but I also had several years of bookkeeping experience,” she continues. “In 2014, I saw a bill from his accountant’s office, and I remember thinking, ‘Wow, that’s more than I make in a year!’ So we made the decision that I would quit my job and come on board full time in his office. I looked at his office processes, which were virtually non-existent, and I also started answering his phone during business hours for the first time ever, since he was always out working with his crew during the day.”


Amy and Jeff were married in 2015 – “We were business partners before we were married,” she says with a laugh – and Amy became a Nebraska certified arborist in 2016. “I found I really enjoyed talking to customers about trees, but I needed to know what I was talking about. Jeff and I went to classes and workshops together, and I’ve grown to love being part of the industry. Tree people are good people, intelligent and caring.”

As a woman co-leading a tree care company, Amy says she brings a unique perspective to the business. “I think I’ve been an organizational asset for sure,” she explains. “Also, I think women have a knack for anticipating people’s needs and managing people’s expectations, which plays into providing excellent customer service. I definitely brought a shift to a customer-centric approach to the business.”


Amy also talks about instituting the company’s “Gift of Beautiful Trees” program, which she and Jeff launched in 2015. Every year since then, the couple has chosen a deserving family to receive up to $3,000 in tree-trimming and/or removal services. “Proper tree care can be expensive for the average person,” Amy explains, “so we began asking for nominations of families or neighbors who might not have room in their budget for tree care. It’s really amazing to me that something as simple as trimming or removing a tree can provide so much hope and change the trajectory of someone’s life when they are living through a challenging season. It lets people know that their community is there for them in their time of need. They feel seen.”

An important aspect of Arbor Aesthetics becoming accredited was instituting a formal training program. Now every new hire is put with a crew leader they can go to if they have questions and who becomes their mentor.
This may be one of the reasons Omaha Magazine has named Arbor Aesthetics Tree Service as its “Best of Omaha” tree service for the sixth consecutive year.


When it came time to consider Accreditation, Amy relates that the process happened in fits and starts. “We first looked into Accreditation at the 2015 Winter Management Conference in Cabo,” Amy explains. “But then we got married right after Winter Management and had a baby the next year, and I just didn’t have the time I knew it would take to devote myself to doing it right. When we started growing and getting really busy, I knew we needed to have more processes in place or this whole thing was going to fly off the tracks.

“I’m not going to sugarcoat it – I was totally overwhelmed when I first looked at the process. But I put up a huge white board in the office and broke it out into tiny, tiny pieces, so that every day I could check something off the list and maintain momentum.


“A good friend of ours, Joseph Eves at Coastal Tree Care in San Diego, also is accredited, and he told me I had to find a way to enjoy the Accreditation process. Can you imagine?” Amy says with a laugh. “I’m very detail oriented, so the biggest hurdle for me was to realize that it was better to call it done than to strive for perfection.”


According to Amy, who says it was about six months of “pedal to the metal” to complete the process, implementing a safety program was the biggest challenge. “I really wanted it to be specific to our company, not just something adopted from someone else’s program. Not having field experience made it especially challenging to me. I would ask Jeff my safety questions, and he would help me figure out what I needed. As a result of Accreditation, we realized we had a dire need for a safety director, and Matt Horan got his CTSP credential as a result and was more than happy to step into that role.”


Arbor Aesthetics now has what Amy calls a “peer-to-peer safety program” with weekly safety tailgate meetings led by crew members. One artistic team member drew comics illustrating the topic of distracted drivers, and another put together a PowerPoint on the subject of aerial-lift safety. “We think the best way to learn is by teaching,” Amy notes.


Another important aspect of becoming accredited, according to Amy, was instituting a formal training program. “We found this particularly helpful. Now every new hire is put with a crew leader, so they know who to go to if they have questions. The crew leader becomes their mentor, and they are given expectations from the get-go.”

Jeff Grewe with one of the company vehicles. DOT compliance was one of the areas Arbor Aesthetics was able to improve on as part of the Accreditation process, according to Amy Grewe.
Her biggest surprise, notes Amy, was the section pertaining to CDL drivers. “I didn’t know anything about DOT random drug-testing requirements, and that part was sort of confusing to me. We also weren’t compliant with the DOT’s daily vehicle inspections – that part was new to me. Now everything is documented. I have no doubt that the documentation we have now could potentially save lives.”


Arbor Aesthetics was one of the first companies to go through a virtual audit process, which Amy says went quite smoothly. “We had about a two-hour Zoom meeting. I think I was probably over prepared, but that’s just my personality. I also needed to send photos of things like proper aerial-lift use, climbers having two tie-in points, proper PPE and safe roadside setup.”


When asked whether she thinks Accreditation is of value, Amy notes, “Anyone who is uncertain whether becoming accredited is a good investment should know that the return on your investment of time and energy will pay itself back in dividends. We should have implemented a lot of these things years ago. This is an opportunity to step back, zoom out and look at how all aspects of your business are working, or not working, together. It’s an opportunity to design your company again from the ground up and put it to paper.


“I see an attitude shift in our company in that we’re doing these things not just to check boxes,” she continues. “We see the big picture, and we value the processes that have been put in place to hold each other accountable, protect each other, communicate our vision across the organization and ultimately provide an unbeatable experience that our clients can feel and appreciate.”
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Jeff & Amy Grewe, owners
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Arbor Aesthetics Tree Service

Arbor Aesthetics Tree Service
6724 Irvington Rd, Omaha, NE 68122
402-408-5600
info@arboraesthetics.com
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