The Davey Tree Expert Company donated a bucket truck
to Kent State University for tree maintenance services
on campus. Pictured from left to right in this photo taken
at the site of the presentation are Roy Christian,
director of University Facilities Management at Kent State;
Heather White, manager of University Facilities
Management at Kent State; Nick Sucic, vice president
and controller of Davey Tree and Kent State alumnus;
Craig Holcomb, vice president of operations support
services at Davey Tree; and Boyd Moore, Davey Tree's
Kent shop supervisor.

The Davey Tree Expert Company has donated a bucket truck to Kent State University for tree maintenance services on campus. The bucket truck was given to the university on Tuesday, July 22, at Willow Street by the Lefton Esplanade. Prior to the presentation, Davey Tree trained Kent State staff on how to operate the truck, and will provide additional training for Kent State’s maintenance mechanics.

The truck allows Kent State’s grounds crew to prune and remove trees on campus more easily.

“It’s an amazing donation and incredibly generous,” says Heather White, manager of Kent State’s University Facilities Management. “I often refer to Davey as our partners, and this brings the relationship even closer. The donation of the truck alleviates the pressure on our one existing bucket truck. Multiple shops within facilities management need the bucket truck to help perform their job. With this donation the waiting time is decreased.”

The truck, an original 1998 model year, Ford F800 truck, is painted in Kent State blue and gold colors with Kent State decals on the doors.

A team from Kent State University's Grounds Crew pose
with the bucket truck donated by the Davey Tree Expert
Company to Kent State's University Facilities Management.

“The aerial bucket on it is a Lift-All Model LAOC-51, which is a 51’ height bucket. The bed is an 11’ steel forestry body that we commonly use on many of our trucks,” says Jeff Stevens, fleet operations manager at Davey Tree.

Stevens says that Nick Sucic, vice president and controller of Davey Tree and Kent State alumnus, approached the company’s equipment group with the idea to donate the truck to Kent State.

“We are pleased to be able to make the donation,” Sucic says. “And, as an employee-owned company, the donation comes from all of the Davey Tree employee-shareholders. Most impressive are the contributions made by our Davey Tree folks at the Kent shop that rebuilt and refurbished the aerial bucket truck—it’s now better than brand new!”

“Kent State University and Davey have a great working relationship, often collaborating on projects to benefit the campus while providing exceptional training for our grounds crew,” says Tom Euclide, Kent State’s associate vice president for facilities planning and operations. “The donation of a truck to help the university maintain our buildings and grounds continues this positive relationship and provides the university with a desperately needed resource.”

For more information about Kent State’s University Facilities Management, visit www.kent.edu/ufm.

For more information about Davey Tree, visit www.davey.com.