Husqvarna battery products impress during lockdown

Navigating an arborist business through a global pandemic

Running a successful arborist business, Arbor-Venture Tree Care, Josephine Hedger, outdoor enthusiast, Husqvarna H-Team ambassador and multiple World Tree Climbing Champion, faced one of her biggest challenges yet, navigating her business through a global pandemic.

Establishing her own business in 2005, there were many obstacles Jo knew she could expect, but a global pandemic was not one of them. With eight members of staff and a busy working schedule ahead, Jo and the team quickly adjusted procedures to follow government guidance, reducing large rigging and removal jobs to adhere to social distancing measures.

Minimal disturbance was essential

With quieter roads and an increase in people working from home, efforts to reduce noise pollution was of great importance, and Jo turned to her Husqvarna battery products in an effort to reduce disturbance to her customers and their neighbours.

Jo explains: “As lockdown began and the nice weather made an appearance, more and more people began spending time in their gardens, and jobs that needed doing became apparent. Our workload began increasing but the thought of disturbing residents became a concern.

“With more people than ever staying at home, there was the worry of disrupting those working from home and home schooling their children. I was also very conscious of the fact that we wouldn’t know if we would be working near NHS workers who had worked a night shift and were trying to sleep during the day. The thought of starting up noisy petrol machines and disturbing the peace for everyone was too uncomfortable, so we knew using battery power was the right choice for us.”

Handheld battery products were the solution

With a range of professional battery-powered handheld equipment, Husqvarna allows arborists to continue their work, without the worry of fumes and noise pollution. Lightweight and designed for comfort and ease of use on long shifts, the tools are quiet enough to use anywhere, at any time.

Gaining feedback from her customers, Jo was relieved to find out minimal disruption was made from her work. Jo explains: “Many of our customers were unaware of battery products being available in a professional capacity and were extremely impressed about the little noise they produced. They were amazed that we were able to carry out such large jobs with minimal disturbance. Initially, I was nervous about how we would be perceived, but thanks to being so quiet, it actually made us more noticeable, in a great way!

“We’ve been loyal Husqvarna battery users since 2013, and throughout lockdown our love for these machines has only increased further. The battery hedge cutters, leaf blowers and chainsaws have been such a big help over the last few months, in particular, the new T540i XP and 540i XP chainsaws which I had the pleasure of being involved with from their initial design through to their launch. With such a high cutting performance and power, along with the other benefits that battery offers, I never had to consider switching to the petrol equivalents.”

Professional 500-series machines for demanding work

Delivering power and performance for full-time, heavy-duty and professional use, Husqvarna 500 Series battery products have been developed with long, demanding workdays in mind. Durable and robust to withstand heavy, professional usage, and provide a power output that matches, and even exceeds, their petrol equivalents.

“If it wasn’t for battery power, we’d have had to be a lot more selective in where we were able to work. With many customers living in tight knit residential areas, we’d have had no choice but to be reduce the number of hours we worked in order to limit disruption. Thanks to the benefits of Husqvarna battery products we’ve been able to keep our customers happy and continue business in this new ‘norm’.”