Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Grandelis.
Hi Stephanie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I was a little girl, my family hand planted over 40,000 trees on our farm. Maintaining them for the next 10 years, later selling them for Christmas trees, landscape etc. The trees that stayed have now created a forest. A haven for so many animals.
In 2020, my husband and I met. He was a tree climber practicing all rope access. He brought the interest of arboriculture to me. I wanted to use my education in medicine and my ability to teach to learn about trees and teach others.
We opened our company in May of 2020, and the journey began.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It had been a path full of blood, sweat, and tears. Countless hours researching, discovering, and failures all drove the success of the company.
If I can give any advice to anyone thinking about owning their own company, I would recommend never giving up. When it gets hard, dig deeper.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Great Mountain Tree Service, LLC ?
We are an arborist firm that specializes in sharing knowledge of tree care through advocacy. Most people don’t understand the importance of keeping trees, especially mature trees, up. They want to cut down most trees because they are messy or old or wounded but trees provide more than shade management. They provide value to the property, they help with mental clarity. They are homes to many species from insects to birds. They are living entities that provide cleaner air.
Our company does remove trees too. These are hazardous but hard to reach. Meaning large machines are needed by most but may not be accessible.
However, our two man team uses ropes, physics, and skill to rope everything down. Sometimes piece by piece to avoid hitting structures or damaging the ground below. This includes trees with large spreads and crowns.
We also give our wood away to the community. We live in a rural area where many people heat with wood and winters would be harsh without a means to heat their homes.
We’ve also led earth day cleanup in our local community to help make a difference.
So far, one of the biggest milestones for my company was when I achieved an ISA certification to become a certified arborist. It has opened the door to many possibilities. It has set me apart from general tree services.
Our company is proud to have planted over 300 trees and would love to be a part of cleanup, planting, or just making our planet a better place to be overall.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson has been to respect trees, in their natural environment.
Even if a tree is being removed, they always get one last hug from me before they go.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.greatmountaintreeservice.com
- Instagram: greatmountain.814
- Facebook: greatmountaintreeservice
