We feel A Southern Tree has a pretty unique story among tree care companies in Atlanta. It began in 2002 with Jerome Lopez, the original owner and founder. Jerome has a true passion for trees and their care in the urban landscape. While removal is often necessary for various reasons, "it should always be a last resort," to quote Jerome. This mission is what built a large and loyal base of customers that generally share the same passion. Jerome has since moved back to "his homeland" in the south of France. He is close to his family and is the owner/operator of a peach orchard.
Darren Brackett bought the business and has continued Jerome's mission while building the business in key areas. A few of these include:
- Expanded PHC ("Plant Heath Care") to better treat trees and avoid removal.
- A more formal separation between "tree removal" and "arborist opinion" that mitigates the inherant conflict of interest that can, and often does, exist in this industry.
- A formalization of several business practices including a documented safety program and DOT certification.
- Investment in new equipment for safer and more dependable operation.
- A web presence that extends beyond the 2-3 pages of marketing that you get from most tree services and seeks to provide real value and information for the consumer.
Additionally, Darren's background brings a perspective that provides you - our customer - with unique value. After successfully managing investment properties in earnest for over ten years, Darren discovered that the number one expense over those years was tree work. Each property required at least one major tree "event" during that time, with many properties requiring multiple visits. This experience not only demonstrated the repeated requirement for tree work in Atlanta, but also the high potential for disappointing tree service results.
Armed with this knowledge and additional background experience in landscaping, ornamental and citrus nursery operations, sales and marketing, Darren teamed up with Jerome and took over A Southern Tree. Darren also has his Georgia real estate license and interest in a property management company and a sales consulting company.