BUCYRUS – A local landscaping and tree service company are still deeply “rooted” in the community after nearly 20 years.
Spencer’s Tree & Landscape Solutions, LLC, 4291 King Road, has grown since its humble beginnings back in 2002. Owner Spencer Purdue, an ISA certified arborist, credits the company’s success to commitment, hard work, and trust in the Lord.
“I’ve been doing this since I was in middle school. I always wanted to do it, and I worked incredibly hard, and everything I made for a long time went back into the business,” Purdue said. “This is God’s business, and I just want to be a good steward of it.”
Tree service makes up a good chunk of the company’s jobs, Purdue said. Crews manning three bucket trucks not only prune and cut down trees but also keep busy grinding down stumps and clearing lots for residential and commercial customers throughout North Central Ohio, he said.
Other tree services offered by Spencer’s Tree and Landscape include disease and insect control, deep root fertilization, tree risk assessment, and cabling and bracing trees when needed. All of the employees, he said, are Certified Tree Care Safety Professionals.
Purdue, 34, grew up on the northeast side of Bucyrus and attended Wayside Christian School as a youngster.
By the time he hit Bucyrus Middle School, he was bitten by the landscaping bug, so he made up flyers and handed them out to teachers and families of friends.
He landed small jobs at first mowing and mulching in the neighborhood, then tackled some landscaping work for a friend’s grandparents. He said he relied on his mom to drive him and a trailer to job sites where he planted shrubs while she often waited in the minivan.
In high school, Purdue enrolled in the horticulture program through Pioneer Career & Technology Center in Shelby. During his senior year, he had already purchased color-coded trucks and uniforms, plus the design for a company logo. “It just kept growing and growing.”
Purdue, who had a partner early on, earned an associate degree in horticulture from The Ohio State University in 2008. He said his Christian education at an early age laid the foundation for his work ethic.
“All of my real-life success came from mentors or me diving into books or my parents.”
Another key to the company’s success over the years, he said, has been diversifying the business, which, in the winter months, also provides snow plowing and salting services.
“Investing in the business to make sure we’re not hanging our hat on just one hook. That’s been crucial for us.
Purdue’s wife, Amanda, is the firm’s office manager. Currently, Purdue said, they employ ten workers but could definitely use more.
“It’s a very skilled labor, and it’s hard labor. We try to do whatever we can to provide the most professional service possible.