12/13/2023
Our son, Caden Trenary, is a Journalism, Media Major at University of Northern Iowa, he chose to do his final over the family business. He had to do a multi media property below is the article he wrote (copy/pasted) after interviewing his dad, Levi Trenary about the business, Trenary's Tree Care.
The Journey of Trenary’s Tree Care LLC.
By:Caden H. Trenary
I picked Levi Trenary as I admire small business owners and I believe that all small businesses stories are newsworthy sources.
Levi Trenary was born in 1983 in Colorado on a military base and shortly after his birth he and his family moved to a small town called Chariton,IA and finally at the beginning of high school he moved to what would become his new home not only for his family but for his quite successful self made business, Trenary’s Tree Care LLC.
Trenary was always working in his youth from mowing lawns to helping cut up firewood to sell in the winter whatever he could do to make some money. Later on towards the end of high school he started work for a small construction company as a road sign holder, then as an electrical line repairman, and finally his first tree care related job at Wright’s tree care.
Trenary learned a lot from these jobs, he learned how to do electrical work, how to repair machinery and equipment and even mechanical work, he also learned a trove of information about trees and how to care for them and dispose of them. Trenary soon found that he could do this on his own so in 2002 by himself he opened Trenary’s Tree Care LLC.
“I was a really good trimmer and then foreman at my job and honestly got tired of working for someone else every day of my life when I knew I could do better and make more money on my own and be my own boss.” Trenary said
When asked why he decided to commit to the hard labor/tree care industry he said that's what he knows and is good at and something he was experienced in. “It was my first real job out of high school, trimming trees for line clearance with other companies before I started my own business.” Trenary said.
The description of Trenarys Tree Care LLC and what they do and how big the company is as well as describing all different tasks the company can do. “Trenary Tree Care LLC is a commercial and residential full service tree company. We provide tree trimming, tree removal, brush removal and land clearing, stumping as well as working storm and city contracts.” Trenary said. Trenary started this business with one truck and trailer and only him as the sole proprietor and employee. He was only 19 years old when he went out on his own to start the business. Trenary became successful by doing quality work and also started working on storm contracts like blizzards, hurricanes, and tornado damages.
Soon his company grew he had a crew of three employees and had more trucks and equipment which led to a bigger range that he could service he started servicing all the way from Topeka, Kansas to Kansas City, Missouri. Eventually Trenary had four crews and fourteen employees and this helped expand even further to do more out of state contracts.
“We use Trucks for bidding the work. Bucket truck. Chip trucks, Spider Lifts, Grapple Trucks, Chippers, skid loaders, mini skid loaders, stump grinders, then other tools like chainsaws, climbing gear and all of the safety gear.” Trenary said.
Trenary soon started getting contacted by Disaster Relief Organizations like FEMA and Red Cross to work on storm damage like Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, and The 2019 Lawrence Kansas/Douglas County Lone Star Lake Tornado. He has also worked a few different blizzards and ice storms, some around the Franklin County area and Oklahoma.
“We get called to go do disaster relief help following storms by organizations like FEMA or others. Also cities contact us to do work for their tree removal or trimming needs for their cities or counties as well.
Depending on what city or state we just need to make sure we have whatever licensing and insurance requirements needed. They all have different requirements to meet.” Trenary Said.
Trenary eventually employed his wife Melissa J. Hough-Trenary in 2019 and she helps run all the logistics while he runs the ground day to day operations, she has helped not only lighten the load off of Levi’s shoulders but also helped grow the business from advertising and helping get all the paperwork in order.
“I joined When the business was growing so much that your dad could not handle everything himself and needed my help with everything on the office side of things and answering the phones and scheduling and stuff like that, we decided that it would be best for us to both go all in with the business.” Hough-Trenary said.
Since Trenary and his wife started working together the business has grown more successful, they have gotten more contracts, and have grown in size of equipment and employees.
Logan Wyatt Trenary the son of Melissa Joe Hough-Trenary and Levi Trenary started helping around the shop that the crews use. Trenary helps clean the equipment and filling up the trucks and equipment with gasoline he helps in small ways when he can.
“I joined shortly after my mother Melissa joined to help out both of my parents and I have been working there for almost four years now. Well, I work when I can in small ways really from cleaning the equipment to helping clean up around the building the crews use.” Trenary said.
Levi Trenary and his family work hard to serve the communities around them from cutting down trees to helping on storm damage trenary has built connections with the communities he serves to where customers ask for him by name due to his spectacular work.
“I have had the pleasure of working for the communities of Kansas, Missouri and Iowa, Kansas is my main state of work and the home of my business i have worked in the Kansas area and i have enjoyed helping the communities of Kansas from storm damage clean up to working through all conditions we are always ready to work for the communities.” Trenary said.
Trenary’s other way of being successful is working through all conditions whether it be rain, snow, extreme heat, or extreme cold Trenarys Tree is always open no
matter what the weather is like outside always ready to serve the people at a minutes notice.
Levi J Trenary is a hard working man who fell into the Tree Care business because that's all he’s ever known, hard work and determination. This shows in his business and how he runs it from there clean and quick work to their kind hearted nature by cleaning up storm damage sometimes for free depending on the severity of the weather this shows that Trenary and his crew truly care about the communities they serve.
“I’m proud of what I have accomplished and built in the past twenty years. I am also glad that I was able to grow closer to my family while doing something I'm passionate about and I am glad I was able to become as successful as I have become in this field.” Trenary said.
Trenary also had some words of wisdom for those who may be interested in joining the hard labor field especially the tree care field.
“You have to be willing to work hard and be a self motivator. There is a ton of work and money to be made in this business, but it's not easy, it's hard work and you have to work for it every day. Some people can do it, some can't.” Trenary said.
