Bartlett Tree Experts
F.A. Bartlett arborists have climbed a long way from the days when they had to hitch, and then hitch up, their ride to the job.
When F.A. Bartlett founded his company in Stamford, Connecticut, in 1907, reaching his clients looked very different from what it does today. In the early years, F.A. Bartlett and his trained “dendricians” (Bartlett coined the term for scientifically trained arborists) relied on the only modes of transportation available at the time to carry their tools and equipment. These pioneers of early scientific tree and shrub care traveled by trolley and train, then hired a horse and buggy for the day from a local livery stable.
As Ford Model Ts and other motorized vehicles became more practical, they began changing how Bartlett crews traveled to clients’ properties. Soon, trucks and arboriculture equipment evolved in parallel, and F.A. Bartlett vehicles carried increasingly sophisticated spray equipment, woodchippers, and other machinery that made tree care safer and more efficient. The introduction of aerial lifts was particularly transformative, allowing arborists to reach portions of the canopy that had traditionally required climbing with ropes or ladders.
By the 1980s, Bartlett trucks were built on Mercedes-Benz chassis and equipped with aerial lifts from Aerial Lift of Connecticut—combining transportation with state-of-the-art equipment for working safely high in the trees.
That chapter of Bartlett history has now come full circle. Today, a historic Mercedes-Benz truck that carried Aerial Lift’s very first lift is being restored at the Bartlett Research Laboratories and Arboretum in Charlotte, NC. Rather than allowing an important piece of arboricultural history to disappear, the truck is being preserved as a tangible reminder of how far the company, equipment, and the industry have come.
In 2027, Bartlett Tree Experts will celebrate 120 years of focus on the most effective ways to bring arborists, equipment, and plant health expertise to clients. While the way Bartlett reaches the trees has changed dramatically, the purpose behind every mile has remained remarkably consistent. Bartlett Tree Experts brings skilled, knowledgeable arborists, the right tools, and the best practices in scientific tree and shrub care to the people and landscapes that depend on them.
