Job Profile: Arborist & Director

Name: Ian Geddes

Employer: Toller Tree Care Ltd (TTC)

Location: West Dorset (Toller Porcorum), but we travel throughout the UK for some work. For our standard services, we seldom travel more than 10 miles from HQ.

 

Job Responsibilities

I am responsible for the day-to-day running of the business that I started in 2012. Previously trading under my name and changing to TTC and a Limited company in January 2020. With owning the business, planning the work, and usually carrying out the work alongside my team the list of responsibilities is long.

Having built the business up from being a sub-contracting climber operating out of a small hatchback car, it's taken a lot of consistent small steps to get the business to the point it is now. My development has had to keep up, giving me the skills I now possess, and continue to develop that allow me to efficiently manage these responsibilities. Each day is a new challenge in a demanding industry.

Majority of time is spent doing: It takes about 40% of my work time for site visits, administration, logistics, accounting, and servicing. The remaining 60% of my work time is spent on-site with the team working through our planned schedule.

Most of my time is outdoors, and we seldom cancel work in poor weather. Workshop tasks can be a welcome break. Administration is usually done in the evenings and weekends, or a day in the week if I can keep it free.

There is seasonal variation: We are busy all year round on the commercial and domestic tree work. In the autumn and winter, we run teams of climbers carrying out seed-collecting work throughout the UK. The winter is our busiest season with the additional countryside work that includes hedge laying, scrub clearance, hedge and tree planting.

 

Qualifications needed

I have a national diploma in countryside management and an array of stand-alone qualifications.

Additional training: I have over 25 separate qualifications/tickets for different tasks within the industry. These have been obtained as and when required.

Skills needed: Being adaptable with a good ability to problem solve as you go. Being able to think a step ahead will massively increase your productivity and value in the workplace. As well as all of the usual skills expected by an employer.

  

Advice to anyone looking at similar roles

A can-do attitude will take you a long way in any industry. It's not just about specific skills or experience, being someone who fits in with a team and pleasure to work with carries you a long way and opens opportunities where you put the time in. Look after your fitness, it’s the best asset you have in a manual job.

 

If you have any queries about this role or would like to ask a question of the job holder please contact CJS by email.