Meet our Team of Professionals

St. Louis Tree Pros was founded in 2015 as a company that cares for trees first. That reputation quickly spread through the industry. As St. Louis Tree Pros grew over the early years, it continued to attract top-level employees who felt the same way about trees. We are not powered by people who are just looking for a job; we carefully built this company to be run by individuals who want to see the urban forest of St. Louis well taken care of. Nearly all of our employees are ISA-certified arborists, and if not, they are working towards earning that certification. Most employees have bachelor's or associate's degrees in Forestry and Horticulture; if not, they are encouraged, and even reimbursed for tuition expenses, to attend the horticulture program at St. Louis Community College. The philosophy at St. Louis Tree Pros is to build a team that genuinely puts the trees' best interest before the company's profits, and it is shown from ownership first and then trickles down from there.

The Team

Passionate experts nurturing St. Louis' urban forest

Gabe Waterhouse

Owner
B.S. Forest Resource Management, University of Missouri-Columbia
B.A. Business Administration Lindenwood University
I.S.A. Board Certified Master Arborist
Licensed Pesticide applicator
Tree Risk Assessment Qualified

After graduating from Mizzou, Gabe became a botanist in the Ozark region before being drawn back to St. Louis to establish roots and start a family. His experience working for a local tree service provided the expertise to start his own tree care company in St. Louis. Making tree knowledge and teamwork a priority naturally led to customer satisfaction.

Since 2015, Gabe’s family and business have grown alongside his tireless mission to serve the St. Louis region by maintaining a healthy urban forest community for many generations to enjoy.

Brandon Copeland

Sales Consultant
B.S. Biological Systems Engineering Virginia Tech
I.S.A. Certified Arborist
Certificate of Proficiency in Horticulutre STLCC- Pending
Six years of experience in tree work as a crew leader

Joel Suerman

Lead Foreman
I.S.A. Certified Arborist
Certified climbing arborist - pending

Robert Hembry

Plant Health Care Foreman
B.S. Psychology, Truman State
Associate in Applied Science in Horticulture, St. Louis Community College
I.S.A. Certified Arborist
Licensed Pesticide Applicator

Payton Orr

Arborist in training

Emil Banaszak

Crew Foreman
Associate in Applied Science in Horticulture, St. Louis Community College
I.S.A. Certified Arborist

Open Positions

Certified Arborist or Arborist Trainee (Full or Part Time flexibility)

St. Louis Tree Pros is currently accepting applications for a Certified Arborist or Arborist Trainee. Our company's focus is on making sure that trees can live to their full potential while humans and property stay safe. We would love to tell you how great of an employer we are, but recommend you send in your resume and schedule an interview to find out for yourself.

Job Description:

Daily activities consist of climbing trees to safely prune targeted branches, removing entire trees, planting trees, and performing other miscellaneous tasks. There is frequent interaction with clients, such as explanations of tree information. Cleanly removing all debris after nearly every job is required. Daily safe operation of brush chipper, chainsaws, and large trucks, as well as other small hand tools, is required. Basic maintenance of equipment is performed on a daily basis. Safety is always the priority, and no one is expected to perform any task that they deem to be unsafe.

Qualifications:

Strong knowledge of plant ID and tree health issues is desired. Formal or other education in forestry, horticulture, biology, or other related fields is desired. Willingness to climb trees as high as 80 feet above the ground is required. Willingness to work in all seasons of the Missouri climate while performing strenuous activity, including occasional heavy lifting. If you don’t qualify, you can still apply. We would be happy to teach you.

Compensation and Benefits:

Experienced climbers' starting pay is $25-$40, with higher starting pay available based on experience. Benefits include: retirement, paid time off, health insurance stipend, paid holidays, tuition assistance for the horticulture program at St. Louis Community College, and more.