SavATree wrapped up its annual sales conference a little bit differently this year, holding a team-building “wheelchair build.”

Keeping with the conference theme of “We Are All Connected,” or “Mitakuye Oyasin (in the language of Native Americans),” SavATree worked in conjunction with the Senior Citizen United Community Services out of Audubon, N.J., to hold the wheelchair build, with the finished wheelchairs going to 30 deserving seniors.

The SavATree arborists were guided by a professional team-building firm that had organized a series of iPad-driven activities to acquire “points” that would allow them to obtain wheelchair parts and tools. Once they had their materials, each team assembled two wheelchairs. Wheelchairs were then subject to a quality control check by the team-building firm to ensure that they were safe and ready for use.

“It is great to have our sales team together under one roof for a few days,” said Luann O’Brien, VP of marketing and sales.

The conference saw a record-breaking attendance this year, with arborists from each of the company’s 25 branches gathering for two days of training, idea sharing and presentations from industry experts.

“With over one dozen educational sessions, and our fabulous keynote speaker, everyone left ready to tackle the season,” O’Brien added. “And the opportunity to build and donate wheelchairs for the elderly was the perfect end point for a memorable event.”