Marty Shaw CA TCNP
After leaving the US Navy in 1987, Marty Shaw CA TCNP took on his first green industry job in November that year selling lawn care for Evergreen Lawn Care in Milwaukee, WI.. That was an experience- there was snow on the ground- back then I really was “green”. Three more months, and 68 salespeople later, I was the only salesman remaining. I figured my number was up so I went to work for Trugreen Corp. and in 1990 moved to Knoxville, TN where I attended the University of Tennessee and got my feet wet in the landscaping and nursery business. In January of 1993, I spearheaded a Tree & Shrub Care Division for Barefoot Grass Lawn Care Service in Knoxville and had the most successful start up in the history of the company – lawn or tree & shrub care. I became a certified pesticide applicator and a licensed horticulturists that year. On Jan 30th, 1995 Marty Shaw became ISA Certified Arborist #1234. The day before I took the test, I had no idea that there was a certification manual- somehow I passed (lucky I guess). In 1996 I became president of TIPCO Inc. and moved the company from annual gross sales of $86,000 to over 1.3 million in just 7 years. February 3, 1998 I became a Tennessee Certified Nursery professional. That was the most difficult test I have ever taken- if you are feeling your oats on plant taxonomy, you should give it a try- it’s hard. On September 5th, 1998 my lovely wife Kristin and I were married at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church in Knoxville and we had a wonderful reception at the Maple Grove Inn a few miles away. I highly recommend the pink campaign and chocolate covered strawberries. Early in 1999, I chanced to visit with Fred Morgan in Memphis, TN and we talked at length about the many wonders of ASCA. On May 11th, 1999 I became the first ASCA member in Middle Tennessee. Our first daughter Caroline was born in 2000 and Meredith was born in 2001. During my time in Knoxville, I wrote many published articles and conducted tree health and training seminars all over the country. I was privileged to work with thousands of arborists across the Southeast and helped thousands of people solve their tree problems. From 1998 to 2003 I served on the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council and consulted with tree companies, Cooperative Extension Services, Exclusive Country Clubs, Urban Forestry Councils, Universities, Colleges and many other organizations needing expertise on trees and their care. In 2005 I sold my interest in TIPCO and my family and I settled down in the amazing small town of Franklin, TN. Franklin has just been nominated as the 5th best small town in America by Southern Living Magazine and the National Historic Trust has identified Franklin as a top 10 pick. My wife and I own and operate Happy Tree, Inc, where we serve Franklin and the surrounding communities lawn, landscape and tree care needs. I currently serve on the Franklin Tree Commission and have just been nominated for the Tennessee Pest Control Board. Marty Shaw is a founding member of the CEO Fellowship (a 501c3 nonprofit organization) and currently sits on their Board of Directors. I continue to find plenty of consulting opportunities and hope to become a full time consultant at some point in the future. Being a member of CEOF and becoming an ASCA RCA this year have been the most rewarding challenging privileges of my career. If you have a chance, please come visit us here in Franklin. In the meantime, I am available as a Green Industry and business consultant to assist companies overcome in these uncertain economic times.
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