Dusty Montiel

General manager, One Two Tree, Miami Fla.

1. Tell me about One Two Tree.

We started back in 1987 as a tree (care) company. We were doing all types of tree work, tree removal, stump grinding, debris hauling. Then, in 2001, Marc and Paul Terwilliger, the owners, opened a lawn spray division. That took off, and now it’s the largest division we have in the company. In 2013, we said we’re ready to add on another service. We entered interior pest control and mosquito control. We’re running three full tree service routes, 15 lawn care routes and three pest control routes.

2. How did you get into the business?

I’ve been around the lawn spray/pest control world without even knowing. My father-in-law did it for 28 years. I’ve been with my wife Alejandra for 20 years (married 18); I was 16 when we met. She was in the military, and I was a dependent. We went to Germany and built our lives outside the States. When I got back, I said OK, it’s time to start roots here. My brother-in-law was in the business, and he told me, “You should come to One Two Tree.” At the time, I was in the tire business. Marc saw something in me and said you look like a customer service person. I started as a spray tech and gradually started doing other parts — sales, quality control, customer service. In 2013, I was promoted to branch manager, which was pretty cool, because when I started, I didn’t even know what a blade of grass was! Now, I’m certified in lawn and pest control, and I’m general manager and run three offices for One Two Tree.

3. What do you and your family like to do for fun?

We like to — and COVID put a wrench into this — my wife and my son Kevin, he just turned 17 … our little family, our favorite thing to do is travel. We like seeing different cities, different cultures. The pandemic has been a major damper on our lifestyle. In July, we went ahead and traveled, and we jumped off the cliff and went to Cancún. We stayed a week down there; it was weird. The resort was only 30 percent full. There was a missing personality to the resort. But, at the same time, I felt a little bit normal.

4. What are your favorite tools to get the job done?

We just got two Steel Green spreader-sprayers, with the 30-gallon tanks on each side. We have one job site; it’s a big community. It’s been a four-week project. We put a Steel Green machine there, and we’ve cut down an entire week of work on that site. I’m talking about less pulling of hose, less time on the property. It freed up a week where we can do something else. That’s where it opened our eyes. It helps out buying the equipment that fits the need for large landscapes. I have a technician who said to me, “You can send me anywhere in the world with this machine, and I’ll work for you!” If they believe, then I believe. They’re the end users.

5. What’s something people might not know about Miami?

It’s a fast city. It’s work, work, work. One thing you can do in Miami is have a staycation. We’ll take a night in downtown Miami, a night in Miami Beach. When you’re out there just enjoying the town, and it’s not the hustle and bustle? It’s a beautiful city. I get why people from around the country come here. Hanging by the beach, by the pool with a mojito or a margarita … the scenery, the palms, the turquoise water, the downtown life … you feel like a rock star.