Emmons Tree & Landscaping -- a business success

At age 19, with a degree in arboriculture and landscaping, Shawn Emmons started in the tree business with a dump truck and a rented woodchipper.

Today, Mr. Emmons, 30, is the owner-operator of Emmons Tree & Landscape Service with a crew of six groundsmen, one crane operator and a secretary.

He runs two residential and commercial crews and a landscaping crew.

"When I was a kid, all I wanted to do was to be outdoors," said Mr. Emmons, a New Milford native. "When I was 13, I worked for Cosmos Landscaping."

"I'm glad my parents encouraged me to take that job," he added. "I'm where I am today because of that."

Emmons Tree & Landscape Service made its start in March of 2000 and now serves homeowners and businesses from Torrington to Westport, westward into New York and eastward to Middletown.

"I began using Shawn (in 2007) to handle most of our town tree work," said Don Borkowski of Sherman Public Works. "I am really pleased with the job he and his crew have done. He has a great group of guys working for him."

When Lover's Leap State Park was created in New Milford, it was Mr. Emmons' crew that cleared the parking lot. He now sits on the Lover's Leap Board of Directors.

"I'm talking to Mayor Pat Murphy right now about letting us plant a tree at the bandstand on the Village Green in memory of Phil Lovell," Mr. Emmons said, referring to the town's longtime tree warden, who died in January.

"My customers have been great to me. They put me on the map," he said "Our reputation is everything. We grew through word of mouth."

The year 2011 brought challenges for the company but inspired Mr. Emmons to laud his crew. Tornados, a tropical storm and the unexpected October snowstorm left residential and commercial properties in shambles around the state.

"Watching properties we'd taken care of for years be destroyed was difficult," Mr. Emmons said.

"A tree company is only as good as it's crew," he said. "My guys were working seven days a week, 12-hour days."

"After the October storm, our first break was Thanksgiving," he reflected, "and then we were back at it. We're still doing storm damage."

Emmons Tree & Landscape Service, 5 Old Town Park Road in New Milford, offers 24 hours' emergency service. Call 860-355-9709 or visit www.emmonstreeandlandscape.com.