When Joe Hewitt launched Hewitt Tree Surgery in June 2024, he knew exactly what equipment he needed to compete in the domestic market.
After nearly five years working his way from apprentice to fully qualified climber, including stints in Australia and New Zealand, he’d learned that reliable equipment makes all the difference. The FSI B21 stump grinder was his natural choice to complete his fleet, expanding the services he can offer to domestic customers across Cornwall.
Growing from the ground up
“After I completed my apprenticeship, I started subcontracting, climbing for other tree surgeons in Cornwall,” Joe explains. “I then spent some time working in Australia and New Zealand before coming back and setting up on my own. ”Since launching, Joe has welcomed a new team member and a growing customer base to his books.
Right choice
“We’ve invested in everything we need to service the domestic market – van, hand tools and woodchipper – and this year decided to get our own stump grinder. We found we were hiring one fairly frequently but this was reliant on availability and sometimes involved a lot of running around to collect a machine, only to find it wasn’t in the best working condition.”
Right fit
Cornwall’s coastal landscape brings plenty of challenges, from narrow gardens to steep steps, which made the lightweight FSI B21 a sensible choice.
“It’s light and compact enough to lift and manoeuvre around properties and steps but powerful enough to handle most of the stumps we see in a residential garden,” Joe reports. “We’d previously hired the slightly larger FSI B22 so I knew of the build quality and reliability. The B21 is equipped with useful features such as the hill-hold brake assist which is great for loading on trucks and working on slopes. It’s fitted right in with how and where we work.”
Reputation and experience played their part too, he adds. “Many arb community groups praise FSI and from my own experience I’ve got only positive things to say,” as he does for local dealer Elmstar Machinery.
“The FSI B21 has been an affordable, versatile addition to the fleet, helping us expand our services as we continue to grow the business in new ways,” he concludes.
www.fsi-stumpcutters.co.uk