A message from Josh:
It is with great enthusiasm to announce that Fox Valley Tree Care and Landscape has been acquired by The Vande Hey Company, Inc., and we are currently merging our two families into one.
This process was sparked several years ago when I was having a conversation with one of my older and wiser business mentors regarding business plan updates and more specifically, my non-existent succession plan for the future of myself and the business as a whole. Through this conversation, we discussed opportunities and options going forward such as one of my children taking the reigns, becoming employee-owned, becoming acquired by a larger local company, being acquired by a larger national company, or dissolving at retirement like so many companies end up doing.
My original intention was to hand this business over to one of my children when I am ready to retire. As I thought about this, it felt somewhat selfish to possibly force one of my children into something they may not be as passionate about as I am. Right now my kids will want to be firefighters, astronauts, or dinosaur chasers depending on the day, and this just doesn’t seem fair to them. They are only 2 and 4 years old after all.
Once coming to this realization, and the fact I am not getting any younger, I made the decision. I want to keep the business local and family-oriented. We are getting to a business size and scale where our options will become very limited if we continue along our path of growth and success. This is what led me to open up the dialogue with The Vande Hey Company.
We have worked with The Vande Hey Company for a handful of years, partnering together on several projects. My professional relationship with their company has been outstanding leading up to this point, and every person I have worked with over the years has enjoyed their time at the Vande Hey Company and I truly believe they enjoy coming to work every day. It is a business culture that is hard to find, but when you do, you want to be a part of it.
The Vande Hey Company, Inc. has over 70 years of experience in creating distinguished outdoor environments. They have diverse expertise in landscaping construction, residential and commercial maintenance, pool and spa installation, and landscape design. The Vande Hey Company is focused on continuing to elevate its suite of services to deliver unparalleled quality to its customers. Andy Vande Hey, president of the Vande Hey Company shared, “We are dedicated to expanding our repertoire of five-star products and services to maintain our legacy of excellence. The addition of a Tree Care division further solidifies our commitment to crafting exceptional spaces for relaxation and enjoyment.” We, at Fox Valley Tree Care, are excited to be part of that expansion.
The people you are used to working with at Fox Valley Tree Care will continue to be the individuals delivering the same great tree services you are accustomed to. We are upholding the same standards of expertise, professionalism, and quality that we always have. Our merge with The Vande Hey Company now gives our clients access to additional services to help complete your outdoor project all under one roof.
Working with The Vande Hey Company, it is easy to see that our core values align, both for the client, as well as for our team. Our goal at Fox Valley Tree Care has always been to put our team and clients first with the rest to follow. With this mindset we have continually improved on our company foundation of high-quality work, matched with a high level of professionalism. Due to this, we have had a very high level of business growth and that has come with a lot of learning lessons generally through trial-by-fire, paired with many conversations with my mentors and people who have gone through these same growing points in their businesses and careers.
In 2011, we started with 3 people, a pickup truck, and a trailer. We have progressed into a six-crew company with 25 people upholding our high level of standards for quality and professionalism. Our growth has been built by our people, and they have always been our greatest asset. I have watched each person grow since they walked through our doors and love looking back on where they all started, to where they have grown to both personally and professionally in their lives here today.
Every person on our team has stepped up in some way to help Fox Valley Tree Care grow and that is a family feeling I never want to see fade. They have allowed us all to explore additional service opportunities to help you as the client with newer services to Fox Valley Tree Care, such as landscaping, stump grinding, property maintenance, and plant health care-related needs.
With this growth, my time commitment to the business has hit a point where I need to prioritize my personal life and regain the family time I have been missing out on. When people say kids grow up fast, they are not wrong, and I do not want to miss out or be absent in my children’s lives. By working Fox Valley Tree Care into The Vande Hey Company family, both companies will be able to achieve so much more and ease the workload on everyone involved.
The face you are familiar with will continue to be an integral part of this transition and will continue to provide exceptional services to you now, as well as into the future. We have worked with so many wonderful people in our community, and we look forward to continuing this relationship with all of our past, current, and future clients moving forward. I am excited about where the future will take us, and look forward to working with you all well into the future.
For more information, please visit our website, or contact us for a free consultation.
Josh Heuer
