Brothers follow father’s example in tree-service business

When your dad instills values in you such as honesty, a strong work ethic and integrity, it’s not so difficult to work alongside your brother.

Brad and Jon Bielen have discovered just that as co-owners of owners of A Cut Above Tree Service Inc. in Longmont, which provides trimming/pruning of trees, tree removal, stump grinding, fire mitigation, log milling, lot clearing/demolition and firewood. The brothers plan to expand their business in the spring by buying two spray rigs to spray trees for bugs and provide deep-root feeding, so they will offer every tree service available. They also plan on hiring four to six new employees as their business grows.

“We have our battles, but for the most part when we’re at work, business is business and being brothers takes a back seat,” Brad says of working with his brother, adding it helps to know that they can count on each other.

The Bielen brothers have been working in the tree industry since 1988 and opened their own business in 1991 to pursue the American dream of working for themselves, setting their own hours and days, Brad says. Their father, who passed away 2006, was an inspiration to them both.

“In my eyes, he’s probably one of the greatest men I’ve ever known,” Brad says, noting his father had a great work ethic and his responsibility for family was of the utmost importance. “I wish I could be half the man he was.”

The example their father set and the values he taught his sons have translated into how the Bielen brothers run their business, treating customers with honesty and integrity, doing their part to preserve the environment and helping others in any way they can.

The brothers do a fair amount of charitable work, doing trimming and tree removal for those who are unable to do it themselves and unable to afford to pay someone, as well as providing wood chips and even firewood at no cost to those struggling to make ends meet. “We give away a huge amount of firewood every year to people who just can’t afford to buy firewood,” Brad says.

When A Cut Above trims or removes a tree, none of it is wasted. “What’s nice is every little bit of material from a tree is utilized,” Brad says. “If we cut a tree down, we use the branches as woodchips that we give to customers for free; the logs are turned into lumber at the two saw mills we own and are used for everything from furniture to fencing; and the smaller pieces are used as firewood.

“Environmentally speaking, it’s important to not let anything go to the landfill. It’s just the way we’ve developed our business around making sure nothing goes to waste.”

The brothers have lived in Colorado for 40-plus years – Brad, a father of 3-year-old fraternal twins (boy and girl), is a native – so this is where their family and friends as well as their livelihood are. “We worked in Arkansas for a few years and came back,” Brad says. “We know trees – we know these trees. We’ve seen trees that we planted that are now mature. This is home. It’ll always be home.”

To contact A Cut Above Tree Service Inc., visit www.ACutAboveTreeService.org or call (303) 682-5678.