◆ Hans Addicks at Tree Fellers is all about good customer service.
By Breanna Call, SVI Media
Winter is in full swing, so for those of us who rely on cord wood to heat our homes, it’s paramount that we have enough to last until the snow is gone. And if you’ve lived here for even a handful of winters, you know that you’ll be burning wood more often than not throughout the year.
If you’re needing more cords of wood, Hans Addicks has got your back. Three years ago, he started Tree Fellers, a business based out of Alpine that focuses on felling trees, hauling them off, and delivering wood. “[Tree felling] is one of the coolest things ever,” says Addicks. “I cannot explain it to you. . . . There’s something about being axe man that is just awesome. It’s the hardest work I’ve ever done. It is also the most rewarding in a lot of ways. Your office is outside. I like the fresh air, and when you cut pine trees out here and spruce trees, it smells like Christmas time. . . . It’s wholesome. It is extraordinarily hard work, and that feels really good to me. I’m a man’s man, so I like getting out there with axes and saws and getting after it.”
Before Addicks and his family relocated to Wyoming he says, “I did this for fun back home, and I developed a skill set that not a lot of people even know about anymore it seems like. And the people that do are either huge companies that have bucket trucks and . . . cranes and all kinds of heavy equipment, and then there’s just guys like me that kind of do it small.”
Doing it small is what makes Tree Fellers unique. When it comes to felling trees, Addicks takes the old-fashioned route. He has no heavy machinery. “I climb on spurs and a flip line,” says Addicks, “spurs like gaffs, basically spikes that go on your legs. And then kind of like a big adjustable lanyard that you kind of throw around the tree and the flip line or scare strap, and then you go up that way. It’s old school.”
Addicks can remove trees on your property, chop them up into cords, and hand them over to you for personal use. Or he can haul off the wood and find someone else who needs it. The minimum rate for tree removal is $500 and goes up from there depending on the tree’s size and proximity to other trees, homes, septic systems, sprinkler systems, and the like. You can contact Addicks at treefellersalpine@gmail.com or (307) 690-4383.
All in all, Addicks is focused on good customer service. “I believe your word is your worth,” he says.
“So I wanted to do something around here where I could help. . . . I mean it it’s a wholesome way to do things. I can put some money in my pocket, and I can heat someone else’s home, or I can spare their house from getting hit by a big nasty tree or some- thing like that. It’s just a good line of work.”
