Courtney and Audra Kelly were born and raised in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. This also is where they put down roots, both as a family and as a fledgling tree service business when they started ArborTech in October of 2008.

A few years into the business, they reached six full-time employees and it was time to “go hard or go home,” according to Courtney. They realized they needed to pay more attention to the administrative side of the business and, in 2014, they became members of TCIA.

“TCIA was and still is the resource we tap into to move forward,” Audra says. “They definitely have been the biggest contributor to our success on the administrative side.”

“I knew Accreditation was the best-in-class designation for our industry,” Courtney explains. ArborTech is one of an elite group of tree care companies that holds dual Accreditation, both Residential and Utility Contractor (UC). It earned the Residential credential in August 2022 and UC in February 2023.

Audra put together an Accreditation team that included herself, Courtney and their HR staff. “It was a collaborative effort,” she says. “I took the templates and made them ours, which is why it took so long (one year). We made the systems work to fit our company needs.”

The process was so beneficial to us in terms of policies and procedures, ArborTech has become more deliberate, purposeful and intentional, which is extremely beneficial to our team and to our clients, who we have always considered to be ‘Our Boss.’”   – Audra Kelly

With three CTSPs on staff, including himself, Courtney Kelly says safety is of utmost importance at ArborTech. “We have a very apparent culture of safety. Our onboarding is slow, because we want every employee properly trained.”

As for the future, the couple hopes to add plant health care (PHC) to ArborTech’s list of offerings, as well as expand the company’s presence in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. “Within five years, we foresee another location that will mimic what we already have as far as space, layout and people,” says Audra.

“Our reputation precedes us, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without our team and the support of TCIA.” Audra Kelly

This article was featured in the TCIA brochure: MEMBERSHIP MATTERS: Companies That Make the Most out of Their TCIA Membership. This brochure showcases profiles of TCIA members, offering insights into how they leverage their membership across the essential domains of their businesses: safety, workforce development, advocacy, training, sales & marketing and business strategy.

To see the full brochure, click here.