one door closes....long read

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
And another opens. Well most of you know I went to Minnesota. I'm still here. I love it up here. I worked in urban/forestry/arboriculture for one of the largest tree care companies in the world. I got hired on to do liquid services through the growing season for pests and diseases and then switch to tree crew in winter. That's what I was told. Shortly after being hired we had a change in management for the better of the whole.

Fast forward to Friday and I remind the manager about time off I had arranged for my family to visit. He then told me I would be laid off until spring as of that afternoon.

We started $250,000 in the hole due to a terrible error last year by a guy. My liquid services work got caught up. After I was hired in the spring, they hired two more guys for tree crew.


He asked me to come back next year. Told me I was 110% on for next year. Asked me if I'd help train in a seasonal guy for the lawn care part. Not enough tree work to move me over, yet he's working two guys hired after me. He said he never knew what I was told when I was hired nor the promises made. I had been doing shop maintenance the last few weeks. Told me he couldn't afford to keep me on through the winter but would call me if they had more work come in before spring liquid services started.


Fine. Business, I get it. I made enough $$$ to get me through but not what I wanted to do.

I did take it personal because I was always the first there, some times last to leave barring a late tree crew coming back. Cleaned and maintained around the shop without being asked. Took care of my equipment and repaired as needed. With the exception of one other guy, the rest are slobs. They don't clean up. They don't keep things neat. They laze around when at the shop unless bossnis there and kiss :donk:donk:donk. One guy lost his CDLs and regular license due to a DUI. Two others don't have their CDLs. One guy, has gotten a promotion. This guy kisses :donk:donk:donk and talks it up in front of the boss and then just points fingers when something goes wrong. He's messed up a house, fence and lawn due to dropping leaders that should have been rigged down. Yet he smooches butt. I left for the season on good terms, just disappointed that I busted my tail all year and simple seniority kept on two guys that WANTED to be laid off. One may get it, haven't talked to him. These guys don't even want to work for this company, and I'd liked to have made a career in it.

Just kind of frustrated that I got the seasonal lay off that I was hired and told would not happen, and two other guys hired after me may get to stay. Manager says more guys are being laid off but I haven't talked to them yet. Business yes, but just frustrated I didn't get switched like original management had told me when hired. Especially if one guys that gets promoted is a felon, plus has had DUIs and jail time. Another guy currently has a DUI, and another has had 6 duis, two ask to be laid off, two hired after me. Good guys but work ethic is slack at best. Only two of us go hard at it 100%, 100% of the time.


NOW....the door opening. Another internationally known tree care company has an office just up the road from us 150yds. They dump chips at the first companies chip yard. They've been trying to get me to come up there and talk to their manager. Well Friday I stopped in just to see, after leaving work. Manager wasn't there. He was out of town getting ready for the deer opener, and didn't get back until today. Got a call telling me to call him. I had spoke to their assistant manager Friday and filled an application out. Called him and he liked what he heard from the assistant as well as the guys I see when they dump their chips. He emailed me an offer with more money as well as work through the winter. Told me I could start a week from today. Benefits are pretty much the same. They're letting me climb as soon as I'm ready to go up. That's what I wanted to do where I was but I got pigeon holed in the liquid services because I had an education. I'll do both at the new company. Getting to do what I love and they offered more money. Can't beat that.


While im still technically employeed with company A, company B is working me full time all year, all the OT I want when liquid services begin in spring, and climbing (pruning/trimming/removals) when i want and more money, bye bye company A.
 
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FITZH2O

Old Mossy Horns
Good to hear your work ethic has payed off. Congrats on the new employer.

It always aggravated me how many people up north will take a seasonal layoff just so they can collect unemployment and screw off all winter.
 

Edgehunter

Twelve Pointer
Sounds good! Glad your plan came together! Now, have you talked with the boss about his honey holes? Lol
 

wildcat3

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Good deal man. All too often these days things don't work out to the better after a layoff. You getting to do any hunting while you're up there? I know it can be kind of hard to get a foot in the door with places to hunt when being new in town.
 

Larry R

Old Mossy Horns
It is true that many times doors are disappointingly closed only to have better doors open. Congratulations on the new job. BTW stay warm up there. Friday here: HIGH 29 LOW 18. You didn't have to send that down here. LOL.
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
Don't get me wrong. I still have a job in the spring, and I made plenty of $$...but I don't want to sit at home all winter and in want to get moved to being a climbing arborist, whh not move?
 
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stilker

Old Mossy Horns
Glad to see someone appreciates hard work....couple of weeks when stuff falls apart at the first place,they'll be begging you to come back.
 

mekanizm

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Arborist style tree climbing, or any tree climbing for that matter, is serious exercise. All I ever knew were skinny and I can see why. They were beat up too.

After years of finding myself in precariously high situations for one reason or another I decided to learn the double rope technique with a Blake's hitch. What a blast! The first time I climbed I remember looking at my knots and equipment while I was on the ground. After, about 20 feet I was looking at them really close making sure I hadn't tied a suislide knot. I got up some distance and I settle into a limb for a few minutes. A bird who wouldn't have gotten within 50 feet of me on the ground flew in and landed right beside me. When it was time to go back on the rope.....30 feet in the air.....it was a real head rush. You have to trust your equipment. After that it was doing some basic stuff with a chainsaw and a razor sharp hand saw. It's hard work. I assume you are familiar with Arborist site?

http://www.arboristsite.com/community/forums/commercial-tree-care-and-climbing.2/
 
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GregC

Six Pointer
I worked for an old man who once told me - "work hard your boss may not notice but someone will" Sounds like you lived that - congrats on your new job. Company A will probably fold and you can help B grow....
 

aya28ga

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Always amazes me when a company will let a hard-working talented individual go, just because of something like "seniority." Glad your landing on your feet with a new job so quickly.
 

poppop

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Justin, you always seemed one step ahead in your thinking, glad it worked out for you. Good luck with you new job. I would keep mum about still employed by company A and just ride it out. It seems like you don't really owe company A to much as of now. Rick
 

w4sar

Six Pointer
Congratulations! I had a similar situation in a research lab where I could see the axe was going to fall, but I fortunately still had good relations with another boss previous to that job. Was taken back to the previous job, and farmed out in a collaboration with another lab, which has led to promotion, pay raises and a lot of respect.
 

Dan Apple

Old Mossy Horns
God is good. Everything always works out. Company A was a stepping stone to get to company B... you'd probably have never made the change on your own... and one thing I've learned the hard way is that without change, there is no improvement...
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
God is good. Everything always works out. Company A was a stepping stone to get to company B... you'd probably have never made the change on your own... and one thing I've learned the hard way is that without change, there is no improvement...

Indeed. Ive always been afraid of change on the job front. Ive been wanting to talk to company B since august but never did. I wanted to see if theyd hold to their promise and moveme to trees in dormant season.



For the record, A wont fold. Both of these companies are international. At the end of the day its just business, but part of what led me to company A was the promise of climbing in the fall and winter and the smoke and mirrors of butt kissing advancements of some that dont truely deserve it. The manager is rarely there, so on the days he is, the guys act busy before leaving in the AM and before going home in the evenings, all the other days guess who keot things straight?


Yeah a little sour grapes because i have busted my tail, kept my nose clean, and maintained an extremely high level of client satisfaction according to surveys left with clients and lack of complaints.

Good things are coming and excited to go somewhere where the foreman was asking me to apply there and word of mouth through the guys i knew got me in there.
 
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CityLimitsHunting

Guest
Dont be sour , you have your recognition. life is funny like that. you would not be where you are now without having done what you have done. Company A was just a necessary evil
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
Dont be sour , you have your recognition. life is funny like that. you would not be where you are now without having done what you have done. Company A was just a necessary evil


Yeah that thought out weighs the sour. Just got word two more guys got laid off today.
 

CityLimitsHunting

Guest
I just quit my job a couple weeks ago. put in 6 hard months of biting my tongue, letting the bs roll down the backside and doing my job better than anyone else could. after all that my gm wanted to pick a fight with me, literally. not worth a piece of paper at that point and im not sorry about it one bit. I start my new job monday, getting back into welding and I couldn't be more excited and happy I made the decision i did . things do happen for funny reasons , make a habit of looking back and understanding the things that have brought you where you are. you may be more satisfied and thankful than you think. retrospect is quite amusing.
 
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