In this The Edge article, Dan Joy, executive vice president and assistant to the president shares information about the construction and future of Davey's SEED campus.
The Davey Tree Expert Company is committed to scientifically-based horticulture and environmental services, and to help with that, they are currently constructing the Davey Tree SEED (Science, Employee Education and Development) Campus in Kent, Ohio.
This 170+ acre property formerly housed Oak Knolls golf course and Franklin Elementary School on State Route 43. It will now serve as Davey’s specialized training and research facilities.
“The goal is to ensure Davey continues to attract and retain the most qualified, well-trained and engaged employees possible with the specialized training and research facilities planned for the campus,” says Dan Joy, executive vice president and assistant to the president with The Davey Tree Expert Company.
This new campus includes a 10,700-square-foot indoor climbing center, 25,000-square-foot training center, outdoor climbing center, tree canopy walk, native gardens, a historic barn event center, and more.
By mid-summer 2023, construction progressed with phase one, which included 43,000 cubic yards of soil being moved and stockpiled and 6,650 linear feet of walking pathway being laid. By December 2023, over 800 trees have been planted both for research purposes and the arboretum.
The SEED Campus is expected to be open by summer 2025.
“Once open, the general public is welcome to enjoy the trails through the native gardens and arboretum,” Joy says. “The historic barn will be open for limited community events. The indoor climbing center will be part of a partnership with Education Now Safety Assured (ENSA) that provides training to numerous work-at-height sectors. Other partnership members in the work-at-height sector will have access to Davey’s indoor climbing center through this parentship, and likewise, Davey will have access to the roughly 12 other similar facilities across the US to utilize for training.”
To read more about the SEED Campus, click here.
The Davey Tree Expert Company provides research-driven tree services, grounds maintenance and environmental consulting for residential, utility, commercial and environmental partners in the U.S. and Canada. Established in 1880 and headquartered in Kent, Ohio, Davey has over 12,000 employees and is the ninth largest employee-owned company in the U.S. This year, Davey celebrates 45 years of employee ownership – Join us and apply today!
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