Meet Local Family Man, Ian Isedale + Hear How Helping Locals Is At the Centre Of What He Does + Why He Does It

One of the good things about living in the Southern Highlands is all the beautiful trees. But sometimes one of the challenging things about living in the Southern Highlands is ALL THE BEAUTIFUL TREES!

Thanks to the hectic weather and unpredictable storms we’ve been dealing with lately, it’s more important than ever to get a good understanding of how to manage the trees on your property.

We don’t want to get rid of them all, that’s for sure! We love our trees! But we also want to make sure we’re co-existing with them safely….especially considering there are so many huuuge, historical trees across the region.

That’s where someone like Ian Isedale of Berrima Tree Services comes in.

We chatted to Ian to get more of an insight into what he does and why he does it!

1 :: Running a tree services company wasn’t the first thing on your mind when you started your working life, was it?

I was a qualified chef in the army and kept working in hospitality after I left the army. About ten years ago, I got over the weekend work that’s part of life in hospitality and got a job with a local tree services company.

I worked with them for a while and then co-owned another local tree company for six years before starting Berrima Tree Services this year.

2 :: Why the shift to Berrima Tree Services?

We were doing a lot of big contract work for larger companies, council, rail and electrical and I missed the smaller jobs and the more personal side of what we do. There was a lot of travel involved too.

I guess I wanted to down-size the business to keep it local, help local residents out and also meet the needs of what I want out of life at this point in time too.

I like offering a more personal service which you can lose on the big jobs and in the big companies sometimes.

Berrima Tree Services is a local, prompt, reliable and trustworthy operator that aligns more with my values around running a business and how I want to live my life.

3 :: So, tell us what sort of work you and the team do in the Highlands.

We do everything from tree and stump removal, stump grinding, heritage trees, tree and hedge trimming, emergency callouts and storm damage clean-ups, which we’ve been doing a lot of lately!

As an example, the other day we removed three proserpines [DA approved] which were dead or dying and hazardous.

One of the things about all this wet weather is that it can make trees unstable, especially ones that are unhealthy.

We can also help if you’re unsure about a tree or multiple trees on your property. We’re happy to come and have a look at them and advise if they need to be removed or whether trimming will be the answer.

4 :: How many on the Berrima Tree Services team?

We have four locals on the team – all employed full time.

I’m on the tools too which I think is important for a business owner to do. I do the admin, although I’m trying to convince my wife to come on board to help with that. I’d much rather be out on a job than doing admin!

We also have a range of machinery to help us do what we need to do – chippers, excavators and all sorts of machines that help make life a bit easier for us to get the job done efficiently.

5 :: What do you think is behind the early success of Berrima Tree Services?

We’re prompt and reliable and trustworthy. 75% of our business comes from word-of-mouth. Having local clients that trust in our business, our team and our services is really important, especially in the Highlands.

We’re proud that we can get to most jobs pretty quickly and we offer free quotes which we can turn around promptly. 

Local knowledge is really important too. I was born in Bowral, I’ve lived here for 33 years and while the current weather patterns are a little out of the ordinary and a bit unpredictable, my local knowledge means I’ve got a good understanding of the types of trees in the area, weather patterns, the landscape, what the soil is like in Canyonleigh compared to Robertson, for example. I’m familiar with the area which definitely helps.

6 :: What do you love about living locally and running a business in the Southern Highlands?

It’s a great place to raise your kids.

We live out in Medway. My wife, Louise, and I have two young boys – aged 2 and 5 – so they keep us busy. But we really enjoy taking them out and about in the Highlands. There’s plenty to do, we’ve got lots of friends here. It’s a real community and that’s the environment we want to raise our kids in.

7 :: So what’s next for Berrima Tree Services?

We just want to grow on our early success and keep doing what we do and make sure we do it well, which is providing great quality work at affordable prices in a timely way.

For me, it’s all about looking after the locals. It’s why I do what I do. 

Thanks Ian!

Berrima Tree Services is a family-owned business operating in the Southern Highlands with a local team offering services including tree and stump removal, stump grinding, heritage trees, tree and hedge trimming, emergency callouts and storm damage clean-ups and more.

Call Ian on 0437 764 447 – pop his number in your mobile number now. It’s VERY handy to have just in case! You never know when you might need it. 

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