Davey Tree acquires Oregon-based Organicare

KENT, OH — The Davey Tree Expert Company recently acquired Organicare, a Portland, OR-based company that provides organic fertilizer, insect and disease control to clients in Portland and Vancouver, WA.

The company will now be called Davey-Organicare and be led by its founder, Paul Drake, who will be district manager. Most of the Organicare employees will stay with the new company too.

"Organicare has a focus on tree, lawn and plant healthcare that fits in perfectly with Davey Tree's service offerings," said Ken Celmer, senior vice president and general manager of residential/commercial services for Davey Tree.

"This is a great opportunity for us to spread the organic message that we use here by targetting different markets that are now accessible to us through Davey," said Drake.

In the past three years Davey Tree has acquired 17 companies as part of its long-term growth strategy.

In other company news, the April issue of National Geographic includes a story about the six-week move of a five-story-stall oak tree by Davey's Large Tree Moving division in Auburn, FL. The tree weighed as much as a Boeing 747.

The company also announced that 39 employees from throughout North America graduated from the month-long Davey Institute of Tree Sciences, held at the company's headquarters. Instructors from the Davey Institute, Davey's research and development branch, taught a variety of subjects, including insect and disease management, tree identification, tree physiology and plant health care. In addition to classroom instruction, the D.I.T.S. course included practical training in tree climbing techniques, chainsaw safety and pruning.