MarionMade!: Tree-trimming company lends a hand to community that helped it grow
Each week, this series shares MarionMade! stories of our many wonderful people, places, products and programs in the greater Marion community. To read more positive stories of Marion, or to share some of your own, visit us at marionmade.org or on social media.
Rodolfo Loaeza moved to Marion in 2003. He started his career in caring for trees in 2006. He and his friend, Osmar Vargas, have worked all over the United States for large companies, including responding to wildfires. Loaeza, his wife, Florinda Sanchez, and Vargas founded their own tree service company in 2020.
“Maintaining your trees can keep damage from happening, especially with windstorms. If you don’t remove branches, it can go through your roof or your car window," Sanchez said. "Sometimes it can take quite a while for the insurance companies to respond after a large event. You definitely want to take care of your trees before they get to that stage.”
To keep trees healthy, Loaeza & Vargas Tree Service recommends trimming trees at the right time.
“Pruning the trees in the late fall and winter months while they are dormant is the best time to get trees pruned, in order for them to heal properly and avoid damage to the tree. I would never recommend topping off a tree, personally,” Loaeza said.
Community support has helped the business thrive.
“Starting a new business came with many challenges, especially starting in the middle of a pandemic, but this community has really shown its support for us since we started and I am extremely grateful for that,” Loaeza said.
“When we started, we didn’t have a stump grinder. Corey’s Stump Grinding worked with us to take care of our customers,” Sanchez said.
The tree company offered five hours of work to someone in need last fall to thank the Marion community for its support. A local couple in need were thrilled to be selected.
“We had a tree that was dying and close to the neighbor's house. We were afraid a big wind would blow it down and damage their property,” said Sharon Johnson. “COVID damaged my lungs and disabled me so my income was cut almost in half. We began to pray.”
The Johnsons said being selected was an answer to their prayers.
“In two hours, they had the tree down and they had cleaned everything up. These guys are amazing," Johnson said. "They show up when they say they will be here. They worked hard the whole time. They are very kind yet professional. They are diligent. They worked with precision. When they cut a limb off, they didn't just let it drop to the ground they held it and took care to make sure it didn't hit our home or wires. They cleaned the whole yard up when they were finished. They are awesome! We are so thankful for the Lord's blessing.”
Other customers agree.
“I would highly recommend Loaeza & Vargas Tree Service. They were extremely knowledgeable, the pricing was very fair and they did a fantastic job. I would definitely use them again and have already recommended them to friends and family,” said Andrew Troiano.
“During the visit to develop the estimate, they carefully assessed the health of our trees and devoted a generous amount of time to explaining the rationale for the proposed treatment,” John Walters said. “The work was completed to a high standard and their cleanup was exceptional. … We plan to work with them again.”
Loaeza and Vargas pride themselves on showing up on time, doing a quality job, preserving other property and cleaning up as if no work was done.
The business started with just a truck and a trailer. By the end of last year, they expanded to include a bucket truck, a dump truck and two wood chippers. They credit local support for the growth.
“We want to thank Marion and especially all of our wonderful customers throughout the past few years,” Vargas said.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Loaeza & Vargas Tree Service finding success in Marion County
