Company Journal 01: A year on the tools, and what comes next

Written By Wez - 06/08/2026

This is the first entry in what we intend to keep going: a running record of what the company is doing, what we are investing in, and where we are heading. Less polish than a press release, more use than a newsletter. It felt right to start with the year behind us, because it is the year that made everything coming next possible.

The year on the tools

Over 400 projects completed across landscaping, tree surgery and grounds maintenance throughout England and Wales. Six accreditations renewed: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ARB Approved Contractor, SMAS Worksafe, BALI and TrustMark. Renewals rather than first-time awards, which matters more than it sounds. Anyone can pass an audit once.

We secured new partnerships with Dorchester Living, Berkeley Parks, Beechwood, OX Living and Elevate FM, renewed with Kohler Mira and MOTUS, and carried on delivering for long-term clients including the National Trust, Cheltenham Borough Council, Stroud Town Council, Upper Rissington Parish Council and Besford Court. Continued investment in people, systems and equipment means we can now take on projects anywhere in England and Wales.

What we put back in

That investment shows in the yard and in the team. We added a Valtra tractor, a Heizohack wood chipper, a D60 remote-controlled stump grinder and a FORST TR8 tracked chipper, and secured a new operational yard with Silver Tree Nursery established on it.

On the people side, we launched our Manager Training Programme and Supervisor Development Programme, funded more than 20 external courses and qualifications, and every member of the team passed First Aid and Forestry Plus through Silver Tree Training. A 100% pass rate, start to finish.

Giving back to the community

Alongside the commercial work, we are delivering a full garden transformation free of charge for a military veteran and serving police officer. We have also partnered with St Peter’s RC High School in Gloucester, donating labour and expertise to build a new outdoor training area for their Elite Sports Programme, with Occupational First Aid qualifications to follow as part of Key Stage 4.

Five names instead of one

Here is the change we have been working towards. Silver Tree has grown well beyond a single trading name, and carrying on as one brand was starting to confuse the people we work with. So we have split the business into five, each with its own identity and its own logo:

Silver Tree is the group the other four sit under.
Silver Tree Services is the commercial arm: tree surgery, landscaping and grounds maintenance.
Silver Tree Nurseries grows and supplies stock from our new yard.
Silver Tree Training delivers qualifications and accredited courses, in-house and to outside clients.
Silver Tree Biomass handles the arisings side, turning what we cut into fuel rather than waste.

The new services website is the first of these to go live, and it is the one you are reading now. Dedicated sites for Silver Tree Training and Silver Tree Nurseries will follow. Nothing about who you deal with day to day changes, and existing contracts carry on exactly as they are. It simply means that when you come to us for stock, for training or for fuel, you will find a business set up to do that properly rather than a sideline of a tree surgery firm.

More entries to follow as things develop!

Ready When You Are