Davey Tree

Client Background

Founded in 1880, Davey Tree Expert Company, and its subsidiaries, employs over 5,000 people and provides horticultural services to private companies; public utilities; and local, state and federal agencies; and to various industrial, commercial and residential customers, throughout the United States and Canada.

The Caler Team created a branding system that enabled Davey Tree to roll all of its six service entities consistently under the Davey Tree Expert Company umbrella.

It operates in two segments, Residential & Commercial Services and Utility Services. The Residential & Commercial Services segment provides services for the treatment, preservation, maintenance, cultivation, planting, and the removal of trees, shrubs and other plant life. Its services also include landscaping, tree surgery, tree feeding, and tree spraying, as well as the application of fertilizer, herbicides and insecticides. The Utility Services segment offers services, such as line clearing for public utilities, including the clearing of tree growth from power lines, clearance of rights-of-way and chemical brush control.

In addition, Davey Tree provides services related to natural resource management and consulting, urban and utility forestry research and development and environmental planning.

Caler&Company created an
array of trade ads utilizing
leaf illustrations as a visual
metaphor symbolizing
“tree.” Both macro and
microcosms were implied
visually and in the text.

Caler&Company produced formatting and
style standards that enabled all of Davey
Tree’s technical journals and white papers
to carry a consistent look through the use
of standardized templates. Design and
typographic standards were specified.

Caler&Company produced
a series of “educational”
consumer ads that helped
the public understand the
real value trees play in
erosion management,
oxygen production, wildlife
habitat and deep
connections to humanity’s
overall well-being.

The Challenge

Each company service had traditionally operated as independent profit centers and did little to leverage the power of a single, consistent corporate voice. Davey Tree sought to develop a unified look for Davey Tree’s six divisions to deliver their corporate message to its various public audiences.

The Caler Team produced presentation folders, service line literature and annual reports, all used to forward Davey Tree’s mission and strategic marketing communications plan.

The Outcome

Caler&Company provided leadership and direction to Davey Tree to standardize its communications approach by creating branding guidelines across six of the ESOP company service lines.

Caler&Company also created marketing tools, direct marketing programs, tradeshow design, public relations support, collateral development and trade and consumer advertising for several divisions and multiple markets. We had access to Davey Tree's archives and discovered historic photos that were edited and utilized on a variety of award-winning marketing materials.

Our work with Utility Services, led to referrals to Hiram Community Trust and Headwaters Land Trust. Through these associations and other community networks, Caler&Company became intimately familiar with challenges; including land easements, public trust, land owner relationships, community communications, mediation, arbitration and litigation.

Davey Tree was a major sponsor of Ameriflora. The Caler&Company Team had the opportunity to design and produce a host of public relations, communications and sponsorship tools to increase awareness of and inquiries to Davey Tree.

Caler&Company designed, developed and produced corporate communications, sales presentations, capabilities literature, annual reports, co-op opportunities with Ameriflora and The National Register of Big Trees and provided ongoing support in tandem with Davey Tree's strategic initiatives.

Our work in producing Davey Tree's sponsorship of National Register of Big Trees five consecutive-year Big Tree Calendars, resulted in Calendar Marketing Association's National Awards; a Gold Award in Custom Corporate Wall Division for Most Educational and a Bronze Award in Custom Corporate Wall Division for Most Educational.

Our work on Davey Tree's Annual Reports earned Financial World Magazine's Annual Report Awards. We received a second place Bronze Award in the Privately Held category behind Goldman Sachs.

Caler&Company wrote, designed and produced award-winning promotional calendars of the nation’s largest trees. Davey Tree sponsored the National; Big Trees program for five years and Caler&Company flawlessly produced each calendar with 365 days, 12 months and every holiday and date falling precisely where it was supposed to.

Davey Tree Expert Company underwrote much of Ameriflora and Caler&Company worked closely with Davey Tree on displays, direct marketing, press kits, presentation materials and advertising to promote Davey Tree's presence and participation as a major sponsor. We orchestrated the design and production of A Regional Guide to Ohio's Arboretums and Gardens. 25,000 Guides were distributed throughout the state including travelers’ bureaus and visitor centers.

“I appreciate the time and energy that you put into making concept into a reality. It is refreshing to work with an organization that is also dedicated to "Doing it right or not at all." You repeatedly rose to the occasion to make sure everything was "just right." I know that our President and CEO, Doug Cowan, was pleased with the annual report. Please pass on my appreciation to everyone at Caler & Company who participated in the project. I know it was a total team effort.”

Sandra L. Burns
Manager, Public Relations
The Davey Tree Expert Company