Along with developing and growing the business, we’ve also nurtured new talent. Every year since 2006 we have taken on apprentices, and are committed to supporting the next generation of professional arborists. Apprentices learn diverse activities such as chainsaw work, aerial tree work, pruning, dismantling, and using appropriate machinery such as brushwood chippers. More on Arboricultural Apprenticeship Courses at Merrist Wood College here. If you are interested in a career in tree surgery, check out our opportunities here.
About Dave Ford Tree Care
“Dave Ford Tree Care has always grown gradually like a tree, putting on new annual rings each year, steady and safe.” Dave Ford, Founder & Managing Director (2021)
In 1998 Dave Ford achieved his National Diploma in Arboriculture from the leading land-based college, Merrist Wood College and continued his arboriculture training across Australia, America and Europe.
In 2002 he set up as local tree surgeon Dave Ford Tree Care in Dorking with just one team member and an ambition to provide a high-quality service by people that care for trees with pride and professionalism to a range of local clients. As the business grew, so did the investment in the latest specialist equipment including a top-of-the-range MEWP (cherry picker) in 2014 and we now have up to five fully-qualified teams of arborists and tree surgeons working on domestic and commercial projects every day.
Key hires have helped to develop and grow the business year by year:
2006 – Sam Dixon, Estimator
2007 – Tracey Conlon-Ford, Accounts Manager
2016 – Chris Edwards, Office Manager
2021 – James Bradford, Arborist Manager
2021 – Juliette Summerfield, Accounts Manager
Dave Ford Tree Care – Sustainable Growth
Having specialised in domestic gardens, in 2006 we also started working with corporate clients, property management, construction, Parish Councils and private schools and now look after a number of academies in the area.
In 2011 we took the huge step of becoming Approved Contractors by the Arboricultural Association, recognised as the highest accreditation for professional UK arborists and have passed every annual reassessment since.
In addition, we are Alcumus Safecontractor approved, CHAS Accredited, Constructionline Certified and Trustmark approved.
By 2020 the business moved to much larger premises just outside Dorking, with an expanded office area and more space for the teams to operate in. There’s also now ample space for the vehicles that make the weekly journey to collect our woodchip to recycle into biomass fuel. No part of a tree is ever wasted!
We now cover all parts of Surrey, West Sussex, South London and sometimes further afield for certain clients, and are continuing to learn and grow and add new rings each year.
