Case Studies

Trevor Gardiner
New Zealand Manager, Asplundh

“I did most of my schooling in the UK and when I left at 16 I had no idea what I wanted to do for a career; that was until I attended a career expo and saw a video of Arborists in action. Once I was sure that I would actually get paid to climb trees for a living I was sold and demanded a job on the spot. I was offered a three-year Horticultural Apprenticeship specialising in Arboriculture.

I spent five years gaining experience in London before heading to Austria to work for a tree company in Vienna. In 1992 I moved to New Zealand where I was based in Tauranga for a year before joining Asplundh. I have been with Asplundh since 1993 and have been lucky enough to work at every level - Climber, Line Clearance Tree Trimmer, Crew Foreman, General Foreman, Supervisor and New Zealand Manager since 1999.”

 
Kathy Stevens
Contract Manager, Asplundh

Kathy is responsible for managing all aspects of Asplundh’s grounds and arboriculture contracts for the North Shore City Council. Kathy has a wealth of knowledge and experience gained through working in the Horticultural industry for 18 years. For the last ten years Kathy has been specifically involved with grounds maintenance.

“As I have no formal qualifications, this was an industry I could get into easily as well as having lots of opportunities for advancement. With a bit of hard work and determination I managed to work my way up to where I am today – looking after two major contracts in the Auckland area. The best part about my job is managing and meeting lots of different people. I also enjoy the challenges that come with the job and working outside for a living.”