When John Shreaves first started working in the tree care industry, he had no intention of starting his own company. Little did he know, his “weekend warrior” approach to side projects would transform into a full-time business and change his career forever.
Tree Trimming Full Time
John worked for a company in Onancock, Virginia, for eight years, trimming trees around power lines. He eventually took a job with Rock Creek Construction, where he put his skills to use and installed power lines. Working four 10-hour days and having three-day weekends, John saw an opportunity to use his long weekends productively and started doing tree removal on his days off.
At first, John was motivated to make extra cash on the weekends. He tossed around the idea of starting his own business and eventually confided in his boss about the opportunity to do tree removal full time. His boss encouraged him to go for it, and if it didn’t work out in the end, he assured him that he could always come back to construction.
Bobcat Equipment Helps Tackle Tough Jobs
John took a chance and launched JJC Tree Services LLC full time in 2018. Like many small business owners, he started by tackling every task by hand. He was eventually able to get a 2001 Bobcat® T200 compact track loader with a bucket and grapple attachment.
"Having this equipment and the attachments makes everything more efficient,” John says. “With my track loader, I can get things done faster.”
Having this equipment helped John complete projects faster, which helped him build his business. He was taking on so much business that he was able to hire a few employees to help accomplish more projects. With a loader, John has been able to do various projects that he never would have before because of its versatility and efficiency.
Importance of a Good Dealer Partnership
John worked with Bobcat of Accomac to purchase his equipment and continues to confidently choose the dealership for service and parts.
“Just how I like making my customers happy, my dealer does the same for me,” John says. “They always work me in quickly if I have any issues, and they have rental equipment available, so I don’t experience any downtime.”
John has added a Bobcat T770 compact track loader and a variety of attachments and has plans to expand his fleet even further.
“Bobcat has been around for quite a while,” he says. “The attachments are better quality than cheaper options, and cheaper is not always better. Bobcat attachments hold up better. I’ll never go back to doing things by hand, that’s for sure.”
