One guy.  One borrowed chainsaw.  And one rented truck. 

That’s all it took for Joey Schossler to start his tree removal service four years ago. 

Today, this thriving business, now simply known as OhioTree.com, is not just about clearing trees.  Schossler and his partner Jesse Muhlhan are environmentally friendly tree removal specialists, thanks to Schossler’s toddler son, Brady. 

When Brady was two, Schossler took him for a ride around on his bulldozer pushing trees over.  Brady simply told his dad that it wasn’t right to cut down so many trees.  This innocent comment altered Schossler’s way of thinking, so from that day forward, he pledged to plant a tree for every one that he removed. 

OhioTree.com believes in trying to save trees as well.  They would rather transplant or relocate a tree, than simply cut it down.

In accordance with their “one-out one-in” pledge, Ohio Tree teamed up with local school children and planted 1,500 trees in the Copley/Akron area in 2008.  “We went into the schools with red oak and silver maple saplings and gave a speech to the kids about the importance of giving back what you take from the environment,” Schossler said.  “We also talked about why we should be trying to reduce our carbon footprint on the environment.”

This year, Ohio Tree set their goals even higher.  They partnered up with the Wilderness Center in Wilmot, Ohio and pledged to plant two trees on their property for every one they remove in Ohio. 

GoGreenTeam.org is an educational website sponsored by Ohio Tree that urges everybody, especially kids, to start “creating a better world one tree at a time.” It encourages readers to take action now by getting involved and going green.

These tree advocates also have strong beliefs when it comes to recycling.  “We recycle every piece of material we use,” Muhlhan said. “All the wood chips and everything else is reused and recycled as mulch.”  Ohio Tree is currently looking to partner with other alternative energy companies that use wood chips to power greenhouses by actually converting the wood chips into alternative fuel, or ethanol.  Eventually, this business strives to become a full-out recycling center. 

As of now, OhioTree.com provides tree service, tree removal, tree trimming, tree cabling, stump grinding, tree planting, tree transplanting, snow removal, firewood, and some landscaping services.

When dealing with heavy machinery like their 30,000 lb crane, it is important to preach safety first.  With workers trained to follow OSHA regulations, Ohio Tree has been injury-free since its inception.  To protect their customers, Ohio Tree is covered with property damage liability insurance as well as Ohio Workers Compensation. 

OhioTree.com is the tree service of choice for many Northeast Ohio consumers.  With their environmentally conscious attitudes, you can be sure they will not remove any extra “green” from your property or your wallet