Hard Work and Reliability Help Build Tree Service From the Ground Up

What started as a part-time lawn service job in high school for Jake Chmielowski has grown to a $6-million-a-year full-service tree care and landscaping business: Jake’s Tree Service. Now with four tree crews and three landscaping crews, and plans to add a fifth tree crew next year, Jake credits his success to earning and maintaining a reputation for reliability — and his fleet of Bobcat® machines plays a big part in that, particularly on the tree-care side of his business. 

The company specializes in larger, more difficult tree removals but enthusiastically takes on commercial and residential tree-service jobs of all sizes. “We do it all when it comes to tree work, the whole nine,” Jake says. Headquartered in Holmes, Pennsylvania, Jake’s Tree Service serves three counties in southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware. 

Jake reports that demand for tree removals, trimming, pruning and general maintenance is high these days, and recent weather events have also made his crews very busy with emergency cleanup. Jake’s Tree Service advertises and benefits from many referrals, but it is repeat customers and a reputation for reliability that Jake credits the most. “We give quality service at a fair price,” he says. “We’re not the cheapest and not the most expensive, but we found the equal middle and built a name.” 

To reliably offer such a full breadth of services, Jake has an equipment fleet that includes log trucks, cranes, spider lifts and high-reach buckets. Bobcat loaders and attachments, such as industrial grapples, stand ready to move debris to grinding areas onsite, or to the curb so trucks can haul it away.

Bobcat machines handle tough job after tough job

When reputation is everything to the viability of a business, reliability is critical. And if the equipment isn’t reliable, neither is the business. That is why Jake counts on every one of his five Bobcat® machines almost every day. “We wouldn’t be able to do half the work that we do without the capability of the Bobcat units,” Jake explains. 

Jake says he can depend on his Bobcat machines. His downtime is minimal — just recommended services and a couple of minor fixes over the years. “Tree work is a tough profession. The machines do heavy work every day. They take some hits. We drive them up and down crazy terrain and through tight spots. And they keep up just fine. We have no plans to ever venture out of the Bobcat family.” 

In addition to relying on the durability of his Bobcat machines, Jake knows he can trust his Bobcat dealer to understand his business and help him find what’s best for his needs. “Any time we need a machine, we just call our salesman, Jim Sullivan, over at Best Line Equipment. I don’t even think about going elsewhere.” 

Jake says he and Jim work together to find the best machines for the work his crews do — and to complement the rest of his fleet. Take for example his latest investment: the L28 small articulated loader. 

Jake’s Tree Service’s fleet of Bobcat machines 

• Bobcat S570 Skid-Steer Loader 

• Bobcat T595 Compact Track Loader 

• Bobcat A300 All-Wheel Steer Loader 

• Bobcat MT85 Mini Track Loader 

• Bobcat L28 Small Articulated Loader

Bobcat L28 small articulated loader rounds out fleet

Small articulated loaders can take on big challenges in small spaces, which makes the Bobcat L28 small articulated loader a great addition to Jake’s line of Bobcat machines. With its tight-turning articulation joint, the L28 is easy to maneuver, and that’s crucial in some of Jake’s tree-removal jobs. 

“It definitely helps in tight spots. You can maneuver around tighter areas that you can’t get a full-sized machine into,” he says. 

Jake says he uses his Bobcat machines predominantly on the tree service side of his business, but this compact loader can take on many kinds of landscaping projects as well. It has impressive lifting capability, and the compact size makes it perfect for working inside fenced-in landscapes, pens, nurseries and more. “It’s also a great unit for driving over turf without causing damage,” says Jake. 

Though he had originally planned to get a larger machine to round out his fleet, Jake talked through his needs with Jim at Best Line Equipment and decided on the L28 small articulated loader. 

He says it fits nicely into the mix and, like his other Bobcat machines, it is helping his business deliver on its reputation for reliability. “The L28 small articulated loader is a preferred unit for us. It gets the job done and we are happy with it.” 

Jake’s business is on the move, but his loyalty will stay put. “Bobcat is definitely the way to go for the tree care industry,” he says. “As far as Best Line Equipment is concerned, I think they are a solid team over there, doing a solid job of representing Bobcat.”