ANNUAL REPORT
FY 21-22 September 2021 thru August 2022
The Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) is a trade association of 2,000 tree care firms and affiliated companies that was established in 1938 as the National Arborist Association.
As you will see in our 2022 Annual Report, the association is in a strong position and is working actively on many fronts. The following pages detail how the association – under the strong guidance of David White, senior leadership and all of the dedicated staff – has continued to adapt to a unique operating environment and manage in a way that is not only prudent but will also allow us to experience continued growth into the future. This is a major accomplishment given the stresses and strains that we have all experienced since the pandemic disrupted our business model nearly three years ago.
We continue to invest in the association and all levels of programming to ensure we are providing best in class services to our 2000+ member companies and partners. No doubt the past year has been challenging – We are all adjusting to what the new normal looks like and our current environment is no exception. We are in the midst of an extremely tight labor market, historic inflation and a supply chain that has not yet fully
recovered. However, TCIA continues to create an environment that is sustainable and scalable to meet future challenges of our membership and the industry as a whole.
I would like to extend my thanks to our Board for their leadership this year. Each of the individuals gives their time willingly on a volunteer basis and are strong proponents of our core values – Be Committed; Be Team Players, Be Open-Minded, Be Stewards of the Industry and Be Strategic. Together as a group we have the important role of monitoring the strategic plan and ensuring financial stability – and on both fronts, I am pleased to say, we are in a strong position as we move into the new year.
It has been a privilege to serve as chair of the TCIA Board of Directors. TCIA is an incredible organization with a long and distinguished history and I am proud to have been able to contribute my time and energy in leading such a wonderful group this year. I have appreciated the opportunity to interact with so many people who are dedicated to the mission of our association – advancing tree care businesses. I would also like to take a moment and thank you, our members, who have continued to show your support and belief in what TCIA brings not just to the tree industry but to our lives as well. I hope you enjoy reading about all of the good work TCIA has completed on your behalf for 2022!
David Fleischner
TCIA Board Chair, 2022-2023
This Annual Report chronicles the accomplishments and journey of TCIA during the fiscal year, September 2021
– August 2022.
Our core focus is to advance tree care businesses.
What we’re good at:
Providing connections, resources, and training to the tree care business community.
3-year goals (8/31/2024):
2,000 Active Members (1,200 Engaged)
395 Corporate Members (237 Engaged)
95% Member Retention Rate
Update and launch Accreditation 2.0
10-year goal (2030):
To be the essential resource for 6,000 successful tree care businesses.
TCIA STAFF CORE VALUES
Be of Service
Be Team Players
Be Driven
Be Adaptable
Be Principled
TCIA BOARD CORE VALUES
Be Committed
Be Team Players
Be Strategic
Be Open-Minded
Be Stewards of the Industry
This Annual Report chronicles the accomplishments and journey of TCIA during the fiscal year, September 2021
– August 2022.
Our core focus is to advance tree care businesses.
What we’re good at:
Providing connections, resources, and training to the tree care business community.
3-year goals (8/31/2024):
2,000 Active Members (1,200 Engaged)
395 Corporate Members (237 Engaged)
95% Member Retention Rate
Update and launch Accreditation 2.0
10-year goal (2030):
To be the essential resource for 6,000 successful tree care businesses.
TCIA STAFF CORE VALUES
Be of Service
Be Team Players
Be Driven
Be Adaptable
Be Principled
TCIA BOARD CORE VALUES
Be Committed
Be Team Players
Be Strategic
Be Open-Minded
Be Stewards of the Industry
MEMBER ENGAGEMENT
TREE CARE COMPANY MEMBERSHIP
BASIC STATS
234 first-time new member tree care companies.
913 tree care companies renewed their memberships.
488 tree care companies rejoined TCIA.
1,694 tree care member companies.
Strong work by the four Managers of Member Engagement resulted in an
member retention rate
MAKING CONNECTIONS
2,019 mobile app users.
TCIA Podcast: 3,600 downloads.
23,639 new users to OutsideCareers.org.
163,823 new users to TCIA.org.
Followers on social media
IG 26,600
FB 23,500
Twitter 7,861
YouTube 2,074
LinkedIn 10,007
Less than 5% of incoming calls to TCIA go to voicemail during open hours.
BASIC STATS
As of August 2022, TCIA had 350 corporate members (manufacturers, distributors and service providers for the tree care industry).
This is a 10% increase from the previous year!
BASIC STATS
As of August 2022, TCIA had 350 corporate members (manufacturers, distributors, and service providers for the tree care industry).
This is a 10% increase from the previous year!
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
TCIA enhanced the TCI EXPO onsite brochure by selling ads for the first time. Exhibitors could highlight their booth and attendees got a taste of what was new before they even hit the show floors!
In 2022, we had 21 annual sponsors.
Corporate members also took advantage of individual event and experience sponsorships, including for our podcast.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
TCIA enhanced the TCI EXPO onsite brochure by selling ads for the first time. Exhibitors could highlight their booth and attendees got a taste of what was new before they even hit the show floors!
In 2022, we had 21 annual sponsors.
Corporate members also took advantage of individual event and experience sponsorships, including for our podcast.
More than 5,563 tree care industry professionals descended on Indianapolis, IN, for TCI EXPO’21. A record 4,064 attendees plus 1,499 exhibitor-boot personnel representing 223 exhibitors in more than 310,000 sq. ft. of space!
New features:
PRINT MAGAZINE
24,469
monthly subscribers!
ONLINE GROWTH
With 106,659 new users, the Magazine website averages approximately 10,241 unique users each month.
Pageviews rose by 73% from the year before.
70 new features were added to enhance the online experience.
More than 5,563 tree care industry professionals descended on Indianapolis, IN, for TCI EXPO’21. A record 4,064 attendees plus 1,499 exhibitor-boot personnel representing 223 exhibitors in more than 310,000 sq. ft. of space!
New features:
PRINT MAGAZINE
24,469
monthly subscribers!
ONLINE GROWTH
With 106,659 new users, the Magazine website averages approximately 10,241 unique users each month.
Pageviews rose by 73% from the year before.
70 new features were added to enhance the online experience.
TRAINING & CREDENTIALING
Getting the right people, the right training and the right courses to meet the needs of the industry.
TREE CARE ACADEMY
CAREER PATHWAY
ONLINE COURSES
ADDED:
Aerial Lift Operations 2:
Aerial Lift Rescue (English)
EHAP – updated!
(English and Spanish)
Ground Operations 1:
Fundamentals (Spanish)
Ground Operations 2:
Chipper Specialist (Spanish)
Ground Operations 3:
Chain Saw Specialist (Spanish)
Ground Operations 4:
Tree Rigging and Removal (English)
Introduction to Arboriculture Safety (Spanish)
Tree Climber Specialist 1:
Fundamentals (English)
21 individuals passed the TCIA Trainer Qualification Course. These individuals meet an immediate need of the industry by offering free training workshops utilizing our online courses through the OSHA Susan Harwood Grant.
Crew Leader workshop materials were translated into Spanish.
5 new Crew Leader workshop Instructors were trained, three of whom are bilingual.
TCIA training portals are being piloted by TCIA Qualified Trainers to execute workshops for EHAP and Tree Care Academy Career Pathway courses.
Our first TCIA training portals were deployed for two tree care companies: Carr’s Tree Service and SavaTree, as well as for our first educational partner: Alamance Community College.
A Spanish language pack was deployed for online courses to allow a seamless user navigation experience for our Spanish-speaking members.
2 bilingual course developers are collaborating with Spanish-speaking industry experts for review of online courses.
TCIA was awarded an OSHA Susan Harwood Training Grant for safety training for 2022.
507 course certificates were awarded to tree care workers and training was funded for the following courses:
- Aerial Lift 1: Fundamentals
- Electrical Hazards Awareness
Program (EHAP) - Ground Operations 2:
Chipper Specialist - Ground Operations 3:
Chain Saw Specialist
499
CTSP certifications were
issued, from 26
sold out.
There were a total
of 2,658 CTSPs at the end
of August 2022.
5,125
educational/training
program certificates
were issued for
TCIA’S WEB PRESENCE and ONGOING DEVELOPMENT
TCIA continues to launch informative and timely micro-sites to better help us connect with our members.
MEMBER EXPERIENCE
BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
The Business Solutions team began a revamp of the TCIA mentoring process that includes TCIA mentoring programs.
- Member-to-member mentoring
- On-site Business Consulting
- Peer-to-Peer Groups
Business Solutions initiatives include:
- 401(k) Retirement Plan
- ArborMAX Insurance
- Business Webinars
- CEO Pulse Survey
- Savings4Members Program
- Wage & Benefit Survey
INFRASTRUCTURE
TCIA PRODUCTION STUDIO
TCIA launched an in-house production studio with high-quality AV equipment that will enhance the member experience with our enhanced videos and
our podcast.
WORKFORCE & EDUCATION
Recruiting a new workforce begins with education
Introduction to Arboriculture Safety
Certificate Program Course: 495 passed scores. This free, online safety education is a key component of our future tree care careers initiative, introducing the world of arboriculture to a new generation of prospective tree care professionals.
7 organizations added their scholarships to be featured on OutsideCareers.org, to help promote careers in arboriculture horticulture, and forestry for current and prospective students.
1,256 new job postings on Career Center Job Board
INDUSTRY STANDARDS
ANSI A300 STANDARDS
A new website was launched that shares TCIA’s accident briefs in a searchable and printable format for the tree care industry to use as an informative and educational tool.
The SVP of Industry Expertise, Peter Gerstenberger, participated in 10 Z133 committee virtual meetings
and in four section task groups – the aim of the group is to publish a revised standard by the Fall of 2023.
Peter also had 9 site visits, consulting with tree crews in northeastern Massachusetts to provide feedback on matters of safety and compliance.
12 Newly TCIA Accredited facilities
Helped Accredited companies earn 28% more revenue per production employee and saved 14.5% on Workers’ Comp Insurance.
Conducted 69 Loss Control site visits (for safety and business liability),
124 accreditation site visits, and 2 business consulting site visits.
PUBLIC POLICY AND ADVOCACY
More than 70 advocacy “connections” were made with members and/or lawmakers and regulators to discuss issues of importance to TCIA membership.
new website was launched: This provides TCIA’s Public Policy and Advocacy online communications for members and the tree care industry.
TCIA annual financial statement information
TREE CARE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
August 31, 2022 and 2021
ASSETS
Download a portion of the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Tree Care Industry Association, Inc. and Subsidiary for the year ending August 31, 2022 (TCIA’s fiscal year runs September 1 through August 31). The audit was conducted by the firm of Berry, Dunn, McNeil & Parker, LLC. The accompanying notes, not included here, are an integral part of these financial statements and can be obtained from TCIA. The TCIA Board of Directors accepted the complete audit report and accompanying financial statements at the February 2023 Board meeting.