history

Serving Middle Tennessee since 1993... Based on Jim Johns' excellent reputation, customer satisfaction, and expertise, the extensive client list and referral base of Affordable Pro Tree Service by Jim Johns grows larger every season. In 1993, Jim started with a cargo van, a trailer, two chainsaws, and some climbing equipment. Currently the company houses a Ford F800 Chipper Truck, a GMC 7500 Bucket Truck with a chipper dump bed, a GMC 7500 Crane Truck (aka Log Truck) with a 56 foot reach and a 9,000 pound lift, a Vermeer BC 1800-A Chipper, a Vermeer BC 1500 Chipper, a Vermeer 372 Stump Machine, a Vermeer 252 Stump Machine, commercial chainsaws, professional tree climbing gear, and tree crews consisting of 2 foreman, 4 tree climbers, 4 bucket truck operators, and several ground men.

A natural and gifted climber, Jim Johns (aka James Johns) began rock climbing in the Northwest mountain ranges of Washington State at the tender age of 11 under the instruction of a family friend and professional mountaineer. Jim successfully climbed Mt. Adams at the age of 13, and by the age of 23, he climbed to the top of Mt. Rainier.

While living in Seattle, Jim worked a number of years as a culinary arts trained chef and kitchen manager at Elliot Bay Café. Always in search of an adventure, he opted to make a big change and was hired to work one year as a commercial fisherman on board a 350' fishing vessel, fishing Alaska's Bering Sea. Following that oceanic venture, Jim took a part-time, summer job with a private arborist/tree company in Seattle, and it was at that point, his rock climbing translated into tree climbing.

In 1991, Jim and his new bride moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Jim was offered a position as kitchen manager and chef at a prominent restaurant near Music Row, and though he took the job, he longed to work outdoors so he gave his two week notice at the restaurant, and hired on as ground crew with Tennessee Tree where he very quickly advanced to climber, clearing power lines on contract with NES.

An entrepreneur and business management minded person, in 1993 Jim went into the tree business for himself, officially forming Affordable Professional Tree Service, serving Davidson and Williamson counties. It was the ice storm of the winter of 1994 and that state of emergency that put Jim Johns' round-the-clock, emergency tree service on the map. Jim was the featured arborist in the Nashville newspaper, the Nashville Banner, photographed and interviewed while engaged in ice storm, tree clean-up. Jim Johns' tree company and stellar reputation continued to grow from that point on. Affordable Professional Tree Service by Jim Johns further served Nashville for weeks to come in the emergency clean-up on the April 16th, 1998 mile-wide tornado.

In the fall of that year, Jim returned to college and moved himself, his wife and their two young sons to Canada where he completed his Bachelor of Arts Degree. For the duration of those four years, he notified his clients that Affordable Professional Tree Service would be in summer service for their tree needs from late April to the end of August, but otherwise he would be up north studying. It was a challenging transition, however, most all of his clients remained loyal, stating clearly that they would rather wait for Jim to come home in the summer to handle their tree needs than hire another arborist. In 2002, Jim Johns and his crew were back in year-round action in Middle Tennessee.

*Something not everyone knows: Together with his wife Karen Johns, Jim Johns (aka James Johns), has co-written, engineered, and produced five indie Gospel CDs for Isaiah 12 Records, three jazz CDs for the Top 10/Top 40 jazz chart label PtarmiganMusic/Jazz, numerous music videos and documentary short films for Karga Jamez Films, and four soundtrack songs for Stormworks Productions in cooperation with Miramax and Disney Films. For several years, Jim has performed jazz guitar with the internationally acclaimed swing-jazz band Karen Johns & Company.

www.KarenJohns.com
www.KargaJamezFilms.com
www.FaithSongMission.com