Lucas Tree Experts� business grew substantially after federal mandates required tree clearance near transmission lines.

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Since a 2003 blackout crippled parts of the Midwest, the federal government has stepped in and made sure utilities are more diligent in maintaining trees near transmission lines. To keep up with the work, companies such as Lucas Tree Experts (LTE) are turning to technological advances in equipment to make up for a lack of qualified laborers. “We’ve been known as leaders in innovation with both equipment and in training of our personnel throughout our history,” COO and Vice President Peter Marion says. “Since the last blackout in the Midwest, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has mandated standards for transmission line maintenance. We’re working with utilities in recognition of those standards, and we mechanize some of that work and the labor around it to speed it up and make it safe for the employees and the environment.”

Today, the company conducts its work throughout the U.S. Eastern Seaboard as well as across five Canadian provinces.

Labor Shortage
When the federal government mandated clearances around transmission lines, CFO Art Batson III says, some utilities were ahead of the curve while others needed time to catch up to the new standard. The problem, however, has been the labor shortage in the tree industry. LTE utilizes H2B visas, which allow companies to fill labor shortages once they’ve proved to the individual state that there is not enough of a local labor pool to fill their needs. The visa allows immigrants to spend nine months of the year in the United States before returning to their place of origin.

State governments set the hourly rates that companies, such as LTE, must pay the H2B workers based on the actual labor markets. Batson estimates that this type of labor makes up 30 to 40 percent of his industry’s manpower.

Although this is a valuable tool to maintain appropriate staffing levels, the H2B visa also has its drawbacks. For instance, LTE values its long-standing training and safety programs for its employees, and believes this helps differentiate it from competitors. Because of H2B, LTE cannot guarantee the same employees will return for work once its peak season comes each year. “One of the issues we have as a company is our employees are our greatest asset,” Marion says. “We put them through training from the beginning, and we have them follow manuals and pass field tests. They are highly trained and known for it in the industry. With the foreign help, we hold them to the same level.“One of the problems is those employees have to leave our company. If we get the same ones back, training doesn’t become an issue.”

Batson, however, emphasizes LTE does get good employees out of the program. Approximately 60 out of the company’s 430 employees come to LTE with an H2B, and many of them return annually to work for LTE. “If you provide a good work environment, you do see a lot of employees back,” Batson adds.     

Technological Advances
LTE recently brought technology to its field personnel by equipping crews with handheld computers. These allow the field personnel to more efficiently track time and progress, perform their daily safety and tailgate checks, as well as communicate with their managers.     

Fifty percent of the work force is connected to the system. “We’ve really been making an aggressive push to get our whole work force electronic,” Batson says. “Soon, all the information they get will be all electronic.”

The transition to electronic information should improve production by reducing time spent on administrative tasks, reduce errors and improve the reliability of the field information, allowing

LTE to better measure performance and bid more effectively.  
In addition, because LTE crews are so spread out, constantly moving down the roads to clear the utility lines, and don’t report to a central location on a daily basis, communication to the employees has always been a tremendous obstacle.  LTE feels the shift to electronic communication will aid in the timelines and consistency of information to its employees.