Fitzwater has served the outdoor maintenance needs of our community since 1946. For nearly 80 years, the company faced change and adapted accordingly, consistently meeting and exceeding the expectations of our customers and growing the company successfully.
This year, we faced one of the most significant changes in our company’s history when our president and former owner, David Furlong, decided to retire after 33 years.
David joined Fitzwater in 1992, running operations before buying the business in 1998. Under David’s leadership, the company grew year over year from a small shop of six employees to more than 170. He sold the company to employees in 2022 and stayed on to lead as president until his recent retirement.
Pam Furlong (wife) and Ashley Furlong (daughter-in-law)
Our Next Chapter
As our leadership group reassessed the company’s succession plan with David prior to his retirement, the decision was made to become part of an organization that shares our values.
While our commitment to safety, customer care and excellence has always been non-negotiable, we recognized the demands of the company’s rapid growth required a greater level of capital investment and resources than we could achieve on our own. To continue our steady expansion and ensure the long-term health of the business, we found a partner we knew would help us reach that scale immediately.
We are proud to announce Fitzwater is now part of the Asplundh family of companies.
While we are now part of a much larger organization, Fitzwater will continue to be led by a familiar face: operations leader and vice president, Jay Adams. Jay is a 15-year veteran of Fitzwater with a long career in our industry. He will make sure that our transition to this new phase for the company is seamless.
What This Means for Our Employees & Customers
It was extremely important in making this decision to consider those who entrust us to be their employer of choice and outdoor maintenance provider of choice. Our employees and customers, with whom we have long-standing partnerships, were notified in person immediately.
Fitzwater remains firmly planted in the community, retaining the same values and shared purpose of our new parent company, Asplundh Tree Expert, LLC. Asplundh is an independent, family-owned business with a nearly 100-year history of safe and effective vegetation management, utility infrastructure service operations, storm and emergency restoration and more.
As part of the Asplundh family of companies, Fitzwater will now serve our local communities with national support and resources to scale our capabilities. With one phone call, Fitzwater has always answered immediately and now has the strength of the entire One Asplundh team ready to respond with best-in-class equipment, vast resources and comprehensive services to meet any need.
We continue to operate locally from Greenville, Ohio, with our team of management, account representatives, onsite supervisors and field crews customers know and trust. Collectively, Fitzwater management holds more than 10 years in the company and even more serving our industry as a whole.
For our employees, this partnership means enhanced career mobility and the increased stability of a national organization, ensuring Fitzwater remains an employer of choice.
Our shared sense of pride in meeting and ultimately exceeding the needs of our customers with quality and safe work practices is unwavering. Our ability to grow alongside our customers is unstoppable.
We look forward to continuing to serve you and our community for generations to come.
: Strong roots grown on generations of trust :
