Forty Years of Independent Vegetation Management — and Counting
ACRT was founded in February 1985 by Dick Abbott and his wife, Sue, making it one of the most experienced independent vegetation management consulting firms in the country. What began as a two-person operation run out of the Abbotts’ home in Akron, Ohio, has grown over four decades into the nation’s only fully independent, 100% employee-owned utility vegetation management consulting firm, and one trusted by utilities of every size and type across the country.
In February 2025, ACRT celebrated its 40th anniversary. That milestone reflects not just longevity, but the kind of consistent, principled growth that comes from staying true to a founding idea: that independent, people-first consulting makes utilities better, safer, and more reliable.
The Founding Story
Dick Abbott came to ACRT with deep roots in arboriculture, safety, and utility vegetation management. His influence on the industry extended well beyond ACRT. For 15 years, Dick served as chairman of the ANSI Z133 Safety Standards Committee, helping develop the Tree Trimming Safety Standards that remain in use across the industry today. That commitment to safety was foundational to ACRT’s beginning.
Dick and Sue founded ACRT with a clear mission: to bring a new, independent approach to helping utilities manage vegetation on their systems. The company’s original acronym — Appraisal, Consulting, Research, and Training — reflected the breadth of that vision from the start. As the company evolved and its work deepened, so did the meaning behind those four letters. Today, ACRT stands for Assessments, Consulting, Representation, and Training — a reflection of how the work has grown while staying rooted in the same purpose.
Built on People, Sustained by Ownership
From the beginning, ACRT operated on the belief that great people, well-trained and well-supported, are what make a vegetation management program succeed. That belief ultimately shaped one of the most significant decisions in the company’s history: the transition to 100% employee ownership.
In 2003, ACRT completed its transition to a fully employee-owned company through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). It was a decision Dick and Sue made deliberately — choosing to share the company’s success with the people who had built it, rather than selling to a competitor or passing it on outside the organization. Today, every eligible ACRT employee is an owner, with a direct stake in the company’s performance and future.
Four Decades of Growth and Focus
Over its history, ACRT has continuously sharpened its focus on the services where it can deliver the most value: independent utility vegetation management consulting, arborist training, field performance, and safety. That focus — reinforced by our independence from tree care companies and construction contractors — has allowed us to build deep expertise, retain experienced people, and develop trusted, long-term partnerships with utilities across the country.
Our headquarters remain in Stow, Ohio. Our reach extends nationwide, including dedicated California operations through ACRT Pacific, launched in 2018 to serve the unique vegetation management challenges of the state.
Forty years in, the mission is the same as it was in 1985: independent expertise, people-first culture, and an unwavering commitment to helping utilities keep the lights on for the communities they serve.
