Better for Life and Limbs
June 14, 2016
Atlanta, GA
A compact track lift from Teupen can help tree care professionals do more than reduce time and costs on a job. It can also reduce the physical toll on climbers. Just ask a professional arborist.
"During my career I've climbed almost 1,600 trees with a harness and spikes," says John Booth. "I've used all the climbing assist tools out there, every one. Even so, the risk, the natural abuse and the wear and tear on my body were unacceptable, and the exertion and exhaustion were getting to me. I owed it to myself to invest in a compact lift. And I'm happy to say I haven't climbed a tree since."
Booth recently purchased Teupen's CANOPY® Series TC69A model for his company, Creative Tree Solutions, based in Atlanta, Georgia. He had operated other tree care equipment over the years, from bucket trucks to competitors' compact lifts. But once he took a Teupen machine for a test drive, he knew he'd found the ideal solution.
"I needed a safer, more efficient and more user-friendly method to access the canopy for trees-trims and removals," he explains. "I saw a Teupen lift in a magazine ad, and that was enough to spark my interest. Now I have access to 75 feet of canopy and the ability to navigate the narrowest of commercially produced gates. Best of all, riding in the two-man basket completely eliminates the wear and tear of climbing."
Booth has made the most of his Teupen lift for a variety of projects working around utility lines, reaching high limbs and rolling through fence gates as narrow as 36 inches. "I can work longer hours and it feels like less, because the physical strain is greatly reduced and I can be more productive with every minute," he says. "For example, setting rigging lines is no longer a trial-and-error exercise in patience. Now I simply swing over to a limb via the 360-degree turntable design, and boom, I'm there."
Such precision is a major differentiator for Booth. He says his experience with bucket trucks is very different than operating a Teupen lift. "With a bucket truck, you usually have to park on the sidewalk and hope that the reach is sufficient. My Teupen lift allows me to get right next to the tree, so I maximize 90-95% of its reach. It's just a smarter way to work."
Booth says he's not the only one impressed by his recent acquisition. "I get an audience wherever I go," he explains. "Homeowners, contractors and property managers stop and stare, and give compliments and ask questions about my machine. They're amazed by its easy access, high reach and low weight it can do the job within a surprisingly small footprint."
Naturally, the proper training was essential to Booth's ability to hit the ground running. He says his Teupen account representative provided not only comprehensive training, but outstanding support after the sale. "The response time is excellent and my questions are answered immediately," he says.
Booth adds that efficiency is the real value of a Teupen compact track lift. "It's lighter than a Bobcat, more effective than any bucket truck, and cheaper than a bucket truck as well," he says. "With Teupen, you simply get more bang for the buck."
Comments like John Booth's are very gratifying to everyone at Teupen, because we work hard to give our tree care clients the tools they need to do their jobs safely, efficiently and cost-effectively. To learn more about the compact aerial lifts designed specifically for superior tree care performance, please get in touch with us today.
Center City Challenges
June 3, 2016
Charlotte, NC
Anyone managing multifamily properties in an urban environment understands one basic truth: the taller the building, the more complicated the exterior maintenance. Access from city streets and through tight entrances, combined with the need to reach multistory heights, requires smart solutions to get the job done while minimizing any inconvenience to the daily lives of hundreds of residents.
For a property as uniquely designed as Fifth and Poplar Condominiums, the maintenance issues are amplified. This mixed-use, eight-story building is located in the rapidly growing Center City of Charlotte, North Carolina. Constructed with stone, brick and stucco, Fifth and Poplar features European architectural influences and a landscaped one-acre residential courtyard. The property takes up an entire city block in a historic neighborhood with sloped side streets on the outside and very tight, limited access to the interior courtyard.
This all posed a brand-new challenge for Midwest Maintenance, Inc. The company specializes in building restoration and maintenance and had already partnered with the Fifth and Poplar management team for façade improvements on the lower levels of the building, which was originally constructed in 2003. For the next phase of maintenance, Midwest Maintenance was contracted to remove and replace all exterior caulked joints as well as repaint the façade and trim above the building's fourth floor.
"We looked at the entranceway; we looked at the courtyard; and we asked ourselves, how are we going to access this space?" recalls John Shellenberg, project manager for Midwest Maintenance, who works out of the company's regional office in Augusta, Georgia. "This is the kind of project that takes months to complete, so we needed a solution that worked best for the long term and was the least disruptive for residents while still being cost-effective for our client."
Shellenberg says he and his team ruled out a traditional boom lift because it would be too difficult to access many of the work spots or set up on the slope of the side street. They considered scaffolding, but determined that it would be overly obstructive to daily condominium living and more expensive in the long run due to the total man hours required.
Instead, Shellenberg took a recommendation from his contact at the Charlotte area CAT dealer and brought in two compact lifts from Teupen the TL63A-LI and TL92SJ models. He says it was the first time he had used a Teupen compact lift, but it won't be the last.
"We've really made the most of these machines," he explains. "They're very solid and versatile, able to access all the work points and navigate the tight-walled turns and large concrete planters in the courtyard. We can set them up in places where a boom lift just wouldn't work and can really get a lot of reach out of them to do our work on the upper floors. The Teupen lifts help us maintain our production level with minimal impact on the day-to-day activities of the Fifth and Poplar residents."
Shellenberg adds that he wondered about ease of use until the Teupen team showed up to provide comprehensive training. "Everyone at Teupen has been great to work with at every stage of our process," he says. "My workers and I were fully trained on operating the units, and when we have issues or questions, Teupen is very responsive. They've made a long and complex project move along very smoothly, without a hitch."
At Teupen, we appreciate hearing the positive comments from great customers like Midwest Maintenance. We make it our mission to solve problems by providing compact track lifts designed to take on the most unusual height access challenges. To discuss the particulars of your next facility maintenance project and how Teupen can help you think beyond traditional solutions to achieve outstanding results, please get in touch with us today.