Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Henry Ford famously said, "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." Today's tree care industry is stuck asking for faster horses while I'm designing the Model T.
THE PROBLEM: AN INDUSTRY STUCK IN THE PAST
I'm about to share something that will fundamentally change how the tree care industry operates. But first, let me paint you a picture of the current disaster we're all living in.
Walk onto any tree care job site in America, and you'll see the same scene that's played out for decades: a crew of workers with no clear advancement path, minimal training standards, and compensation that barely reflects their skills or value. The tree care industry has operated on a medieval apprenticeship model while every other sector has evolved.
The current system is fundamentally broken. You have skilled climbers making the same wage after 10 years that they made after two. You have companies that can't scale because they can't systematically develop talent. It's madness.
As someone who's built tech products and understands systematic approaches to complex problems, I've been bombarded constantly with inefficiency that needs to be destroyed. The Tree Care Industry (TCI) is led by old men who don't possess the neuroplasticity to allow for effective change. Their empire is crumbling, and I'm watching it happen in real time.
From the venture capital “experts” on social media and tech media channels online, I constantly hear about "product-market fit." Don't do anything until PMF is perfected, they say. What a mediocre and average solution that thinking produces. Mediocre frameworks only ever result in mediocre outcomes.
Currently unproven: but I would hypothesize that the VCs that push PMF, have investments that require heroic pivots to win. Maybe I’ll get bored and research that.
Anyways—Two empires cannot exist. You either join the current empire or destroy it with yours. TreeShop is choosing the American option. I choose violence. I choose destruction. I choose a stable future over continuing with the current market and operation systems in TCi.
Today, I'm unveiling the solution I've been developing: the "Career Progression & Qualification System." The name can use some work but I really don't care about that stuff. I've focused on the system. Ai named it that lol. This is complete system replacement for what's operating in TCi in 2025.
I've designed a comprehensive framework that treats every position like a professional career track with defined advancement criteria, measurable skills, and stackable qualifications. Think of it as applying software development principles to blue-collar workforce development.
The Foundation: 16 Specialized Career Tracks
Instead of generic "tree guys," I've created 16 distinct specialization paths that cover every aspect of modern tree care operations:
Field Operations Specialists:
- •Arboriculture & Tree Care (ATC)
- •Tree Removal & Rigging (TRS)
- •Forestry & Land Management (FOR)
- •Land Clearing & Excavation (LCL)
- •Mulching & Material Processing (MUL)
- •Stump Grinding & Site Restoration (STG)
- •Emergency & Storm Response (ESR)
- •Landscaping & Grounds (LSC)
Equipment & Maintenance:
- •Equipment Operations (EQO)
- •Maintenance & Repair (MNT)
Business Operations:
- •Sales & Business Development (SAL)
- •Project Management & Coordination (PMC)
- •Administrative & Office Operations (ADM)
- •Financial & Accounting (FIN)
- •Safety & Compliance (SAF)
- •Technology & Systems (TEC)
Each track has five tiers of advancement, from entry-level apprentice to master-level expert, with specific requirements, responsibilities, and compensation levels that reward actual competence and value creation.
The Innovation: Dynamic Qualification Coding
Here's where my system gets revolutionary. Instead of static job titles, I've designed a dynamic coding system that captures every employee's complete skill set:
Example Employee Profile: TRS4+S+E3+D3+CRA+ISA / X-ESR3+E2 / X-ATC2
Translation: Tree Removal Specialist (Tier 4) + Supervisor + Advanced Equipment Operator + CDL Class A + Crane Certified + ISA Arborist, cross-trained in Emergency Response (Tier 3) and Arboriculture (Tier 2).
This is a complete replacement of how skills are developed, recognized, and compensated for the future of our industry. I understand the power of systematic approaches. This is applying product development methodology to workforce development.
THE MECHANICS: HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS
Five-Tier Progression: Meritocracy in Action
I've designed five tiers that reward competence, initiative, and results—not just time served or who you know:
Tier 1 (0-6 months): Foundation Building
- •Entry level with intensive safety and skills training
- •Clear performance standards and advancement criteria
- •Base pay range: $15-18/hour
Tier 2 (6-18 months): Skill Development
- •Demonstrated competency in core job functions
- •Begin mentoring and leadership responsibilities
- •Base pay range: $18-25/hour
Tier 3 (18 months-3 years): Professional Competence
- •Industry certification requirements
- •Independent project management capabilities
- •Base pay range: $25-35/hour
Tier 4 (3-5 years): Advanced Leadership
- •Department responsibility and business acumen
- •Advanced certifications and strategic thinking
- •Base pay range: $35-50/hour + profit sharing eligibility
Tier 5 (5+ years): Master Level
- •Industry expertise and innovation leadership
- •Strategic planning and business development
- •Base pay range: $50-75/hour + equity consideration
Modular Add-On System: Stack Your Way to Success
All great solutions have a smoothness to them, here's one of those at work. This system "slickness" lies in its modularity. Workers can stack qualifications for immediate recognition and compensation:
Leadership Add-Ons:
- •+L (Team Leader): Additional responsibility and pay
- •+S (Supervisor): Department oversight authority
- •+M (Manager): P&L responsibility and strategic input
- •+D (Director): Multi-department and strategic leadership
Equipment Certifications:
- •+E1 through +E4: Progressive equipment operation capabilities (think open field vs manicured lawn vs night time ops, vs emergency ops)
- •+D1 through +D3: Driver classifications from standard to CDL-A
- •Specialized certifications: +CRA (Crane), +ISA (Arborist), +OSH (Safety)
Cross-Training Recognition:
- •X-[ROLE][TIER]: Full recognition for multi-departmental capabilities
- •Compensation reflects total value-add to organization
THE VISION: PROFESSIONALIZING AN ENTIRE INDUSTRY
Attracting New Talent
This system is designed to attract talent that would never consider the current tree care industry. Military veterans will appreciate the clear rank structure. College graduates will see professional development opportunities. Skilled professionals from other industries will recognize the earning potential of a systematized approach.
We're not just competing for existing tree care workers anymore. We're expanding the talent pool by making tree care a legitimate professional career path.
Technology Integration
Through my TreeAI EcoSystem accessed via the TreeShop platform, this system integrates with advanced scheduling, project management, and operational optimization software. Real-time capability tracking, automated crew assembly, and predictive staffing create operational efficiencies that traditional companies simply cannot match.
This is where tech creates exponential advantage. We're not just running tree services—we're running data-driven, systematically optimized operations that happen to work on trees. Unlike traditional tree services that rely on individual relationships and informal knowledge transfer, this systematized approach scales infinitely. New locations can be launched with standardized training, predictable quality, and measurable outcomes.
THE DISRUPTION
As more companies adopt systematic workforce development, the entire industry elevates. Better training produces better workers. Better workers command higher wages. Higher wages attract better talent. Better talent delivers superior customer value. Superior value supports premium pricing. It's a virtuous cycle that benefits everyone except companies committed to mediocrity.
The tree care industry faces a simple choice: evolve or become obsolete. In a $40 billion fragmented industry, the companies that systematize excellence will consolidate market share while traditional operators struggle with chronic labor shortages and operational inefficiencies.
I'm not asking the industry what it wants because I understand that revolutionary solutions require revolutionary thinking. My workforce development system represents a paradigm shift from asking for "better tree guys" to building comprehensive professional development ecosystems.
Product-market fit for TreeShop isn't about incremental improvements—it's about building something so fundamentally superior that the old way becomes obsolete.
TreeShop Maps is out and free for now. Use it. Send me tweets about issues or upgrades it needs for the next update.
TreeShop Ops- is coming.
WHAT'S NEXT
This introduction is just the beginning. Over the next few weeks, I'll be releasing additional articles that dive deeper into this revolutionary system:
Article Two: "The Implementation Blueprint" - I'll walk through exactly how to deploy this system in your company, including the technology infrastructure, training protocols, and change management strategies needed to transform an existing operation or build a new one from the ground up.
Article Three: "The Economics of Excellence" - I'll break down the financial modeling, ROI calculations, and competitive advantages that make this system not just better for workers, but more profitable for owners and more valuable for customers.
The old empire is crumbling. The question isn't whether systematic workforce development will transform our industry—it's whether you'll be building the future or clinging to the past.
Free men don't ask permission. They build better systems.
Welcome to the future.
@MrTreeShop on X
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