by Diana Barnum, Correspondent
Workers are on hand to take out any unwanted trash or waste like
little paper bits that could interfere with the final product.
Sometimes companies have to take matters into their own hands to
fulfill a need. And that need turns into a profit center.
In the case
of C & S Tree Service & Recycling Center of Springfield, OH, their
need to dispose of green waste was an issue. Work that started out as
basic tree trimming and brush hauling with a pickup truck grew fast. And
so did their waste disposal needs and fees.
“Plus, we couldn’t find a
place to dump on Sundays,” said Clyde Suttles, co-owner of C & S Tree
Service & Recycling Center with his brother Don, who focuses on
sales.
The brothers expanded operations on their 20 acres surrounding
an old drive-in movie site. Their tree recycling operations feature the
handling of green waste throughout an approximately 12- to 18-month
turnaround period. Main tree logs go directly to their sawmill in the old
drive-in building, where it is cut into lumber largely for furniture and
barn lumber. Remnants and other large tree sections are then cut into
firewood. And remaining limbs and debris are made into mulch, with TG3
being the most popular, followed by natural, black and red.
“Our new
goal was to become 100 percent recyclable,” explained Suttles.
Steam rises and circulates as temperatures average between 160- and
200-degrees. Some mulch will then go on to be colored.
History of Company and Resources
With a motto of, “Beautifying
America One Yard At A Time!” the family-owned and operated C & S Tree
Service & Recycling Center has been growing since it was established
26 years ago by Clyde and Don’s father, Donald, and long time friend,
Floyd Lambert. They started trimming trees as a side job, then grew busy
in a hurry.
By the year 2000, they were in the mulch business with
their tree recycling and other operations. Mulch pick-up and delivery
services, tree removal, pruning, cabling, trimming, fertilizing, stump
removal, fence row cleaning, lot and field clearing, shrubbery work,
sawmill service, timber cutting, crane & bucket trucks and tub grinder
service. C&S even invites the public and city to dump their green
waste for free and stores mulch on their site for smaller distributors who
lack storage capacity.
Portable Vermeer TG525 tub grinder with crew: (left to right) James
McKinster, Chad Sutters, Clyde Sutters, Don Sutters, Carl Sutters, James
Tyree (first employee ever hired).
“We thought it would take five years to fill up our lot, but it only
took eight months,” said Suttles. “About 8-10 of our 20 acres is in use.
And as fast as we make mulch, we sell it.”
Overall, the company
produces an average of between 500-600 cords of wood annually. They
produced approximately 12,000 yards of mulch in the year 2000; 60,000
yards in 2002; and 150,000 yards in 2004. Their 2005 goal is 250,000
yards.
C&S purchased their first chipper from Vermeer in 1986 and
they continue to purchase an average of two pieces of equipment from them
every year.
“Vermeer always stands behind their equipment and
servicing, like when they spent two days helping us set up our tub
grinder,” said Suttles. “Paul (Strasinger ) has been our Vermeer rep since
1999.”
James McKinster, Chad Sutters, Clyde Sutters, Don Sutters, Carl
Sutters, James Tyree, Robin and Anna Sutters with a couple of C&S
trucks.
Challenges
Keeping up with supply and demand is a challenge. The
current coloring unit used by C&S colors 40- to 60- yards per hour.
Plans are in the works to upgrade equipment for greater coloring
production efficiency of around 200 yards per hour.
C&S is also
looking into the purchase of a horizontal grinder from Vermeer. The HG6000
series is great for large-scale reduction and recycling of waste and storm
debris.
Other Equipment & Fleet Operations
Plant operations
feature a portable Vermeer TG525 tub grinder, two Vermeer stump grinders
,a 252 and a 630; Trommel screens for screening up to 3 times; a Morbark
3000-P coloring machine that they load with colorants from AmeriMulch;
sawmill and a fleet of mobile equipment to help with loading and
transportation.
They use a couple of 950G Caterpillar front end
loaders, about a half-dozen 1250 Vermeer pull-behind chippers, a 2000
International 48-foot crane truck, walking floor trailers, Great Dane dump
trucks that can deliver about 50 yards of mulch, and 1-ton dump
trucks.
With C&S open seven days a week, about a dozen workers are
full-time, year-round. Staff increases to around 33 during busy season.
Generally operations include:
• 4 trucks and chippers with 2-3 people
on each crew
• 2 dump machine trucks with 2-man units to pick up logs,
firewood, etc. with crane attachment
• A couple of workers running the
mulch yard
• A few smaller trucks that are used for pick ups and
deliveries
• Walking floor trailers that each hold about 70 yards and
are used in retail sales, too
• Wholesale operations throughout the
state and surrounding areas, delivering usually with dump trucks or
walking floor trailers.
Product is screened up to 3 times. Clyde Suttles (owner of C &
S Tree Service & Recycling Center of Springfield, Ohio) is holding
mulch that was screened 3 times. In #5, sits the Morbark 3000-P coloring
machine that they load with colorants from AmeriMulch. It colors around
40- to 60- yards per hour.
Trade Tip
Using family members in management and other staffing
positions has proven very helpful. Even though several have gone on to
other fields of interest, they often jump in to lend a hand when needed
and join in work-related discussions, sharing ideas and advice.
Getting
out there and being proactive with sales is another company booster.
Word-of-mouth advertising has been their best marketing tool. And
Suttles’s continual sales efforts have proven very valuable; for example,
his sharing of the company news and information with media
representatives, prospects, clients and their referrals via phone and
email.
The Cat 950G is loading mulch into a portable Vermeer TG525 tub
grinder for its 3rd and final screening.
Bright Spot Ahead?
There is plenty of need for tree service and
recycling ahead. Crews are just now finishing up with this winter’s
Christmas ice storms, removing broken branches and debris that fell on
power lines and caused a lot of damage throughout the area.
For more
information, contact C & S Tree Service & Recycling Center, 2551
Dayton Ave., Springfield, OH 45506.; 937-323-4273; go online at:
www.candstreeandmulch.com or email treeandmulch@yahoo.com
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