Rob and Amie Williamson, co-owners of Trees Plus, Northwest Florida's premier full-service tree and landscaping company, have announced that Agronomist Derrick Sammons has joined the company as Director of Landscaping. This newly created position is due to Trees Plus' rapid expansion in 2009, especially in the areas of commercial, municipal and residential landscaping. In this position, he will be responsible for assisting the company in many capacities including project manager, landscape contractor, landscape design, irrigation installation, tree installation and preservation, integrated pest management and landscaping consultation.
"Derrick has outstanding credentials and is a great fit for this important new position. Customers of Trees Plus Tree Care division have come to expect exceptional service and Derrick will ensure the Trees Plus Landscaping Division is no different," explained owners Rob and Amie Williamson. "As a growing business, we recognized the need for some of Derrick's caliber to help share our rapidly growing landscape division and allow us to maintain the outstanding level of service and quality our customers expect from us."
"I am thrilled to Join the Trees Plus team. I am committed to their mission of providing affordable, quality tree and landscaping services to Northwest Florida," said Sammons. "I look forward to working with Trees Plus during this exciting growth period."
Prior to Trees Plus, Sammons served in positions wtih some of the most respected golf courses in the area, including lake Forest Yacht and Country Club, Hidden Creek, Tiger Point, New Orleans Country Club and the Country Club of Mobile. In these positions, he was responsible for course and lawn maintenance, landscaping, pest maintenance, irrigation, and lawn installations. In addition, he has worked at events on all three golf tours: PGA, LPGA, and Champions, including the US Women's Open.
"With Derrick's extensive turf management experience, Trees Plus customers will receive unparalleled service and creative landscape design elements," said Trees Plus owner Rob Williamson.
Sammons earned a bachelor's degree in Agronomy with an emphasis in Golf and Sports Turf Management from Mississippi State University. He is a native of Pensacola Florida where he resides with his daughter, Erin.
Media Contact
Amie Williamson, Co-Owner of Trees Plus
850-939-9979 office
850-291-1502 cell
About Trees Plus
Trees Plus is a full service tree and landscaping company, covering the needs of residential, commercial, municipal and military customers across Northwest Florida since 1992. Their services include Arborist consultations (land development tree preparation, construction site planning and tree appraisal services), shrub and tree pruning, tree installation, tree removal, landscaping, stump grinding, debris removal, land clearing, emergency tree care, hurricane preparation and after storm care.
Their service area includes Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Pace, Mary Esther, Fort Walton Beach, Shalimar, Niceville, Crestview, Destin, Sandestin, and Miramar Beach in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton Counties.
Story Highlights
I was conducting a hurricane evaluation for a client recently and a question came up. How do I hurricane-proof my trees? Many clients have the same goal of tree preservation along with home protection. The truth is, most indigenous trees, if properly maintained, should perform without failure during a wind event. The key is eliminating pre-existing conditions while lead to tree failure. Following Hurricane Ike that struck the Houston area in 2008, insurance carriers commissioned a study to analyze the claims they paid. One Houston company discovered that roughly 50% of all structural losses were caused by fallen trees and tree limbs. However, his insurer went one step further and hired an arborist to inspect the trees and determine why the failure had occured. That high winds caused the tree failures was not a surprise; the surprise was 100% of the sampled trees exhibited pre-existing health and/or structural conditions which served as the catalyst to the trees' failure. Of the sampled properties, there was not a single healthy tree which failed. As a result, many arborists, me included, believe most trees losses can be avoided with proper identification and treatment of pre-existing symptoms and regularly scheduled maintenance.
So now that we know tree failures can be avoided, what are the steps to take to protect trees and structures? Trees' conditions can be very difficult to diagnose. Even a hollow trunk can still support a full crown. This is when an arborist with experience in risk assessment is vital to proper diagnosis. The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), of which I am a member, provides a list of certified arborists in your area to aid in selecting a tree service provider. Take the appropriate steps to reduce or eliminate potential tree hazards prior to the next storm. Use an arborist to assist you in this risk assessment process and with all your tree service needs. Next time I will discuss how trees can save and even make us money.
Originally printed in August 2009 in the Fort Walton Beach Chamber Official Publication
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Each spring Florida homeowners are often alarmed by the appearance of blisters and wrinkles on the leaves of their valuable oak trees. These deformities are symptoms of a disease known as oak leaf blister, caused by the fungus Taphrina caerulescens. This disease is found throughout the United States and Europe.
In Florida it most commonly occurs on live oaks, water oaks, laurel oaks, and southern red oaks. On healthy trees the effect of oak leaf blister is usually negligible. Although severe cases of the disease can cause defoliation and loss of growth, it rarely if ever kills the host tree.
Prepared by Ernest C. Ash, Biologist, and Dr. Edward Barnard, Forest Pathologist, Florida Division of Forestry.
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