Meet the Metro East's Most Trusted
Tree Care Company

How It Started

In 2007, a devastating ice storm swept through the Metro East. Trees were down everywhere, branches littered every yard, and the damage was overwhelming. At the time, Nic was working with his family's custom homes and remodels business, Demetrulias Homes, which his grandfather had started nearly 50 years earlier and was well known throughout the area.

Work had slowed down, and Nic's mom gave him the nudge that changed everything: "Hey Nic, you know how to use a chainsaw." Growing up rock climbing had made him comfortable with ropes and high-angle work. So with a pickup truck, a trailer, and a chainsaw, he went out and started cleaning up yards. Before long, he had a growing client list and people asking him to do more than he really knew how to do.

When a close call high up in a tree made him realize he needed proper training, Nic didn't cut corners. He ordered research materials, studied everything he could find, and traveled to workshops led by top arborists around the country. In February 2007, he went to the bank, secured a loan along with help from his uncle, bought real equipment, and officially founded Arbor Management.

The Early Days

In the beginning, it was just Nic, his childhood friend Justin, and his wife answering the phones. They'd leave at seven in the morning and work until four or five, then Nic would head straight out to bid jobs until dark — often while his kids were still small. It took four to six years to figure out how to make the business work, and just as long to become truly competent in the craft. The skill gap between one arborist and the next turned out to be enormous.

The Turning Point

Around year six, Nic hit a wall. He told himself: if this doesn't work this year, I'm done. It was his friend and client Jim Parker who kept him going. "Nic, I know you can do this," Jim said. "You're amazing at what you do, everyone loves you. I know you're going to figure out how to make money. Plus, if you don't, who am I going to have do my tree work that I can trust?"

That winter, Nic spent his downtime crunching numbers, understanding margins, and figuring out how to push through to the next level. He invested in better equipment, hired more experienced crew members, and that's when everything turned a corner.

Growing the Team

Over the next decade, Nic continued investing in equipment, manpower, and resources. His sister Elizabeth joined the company and became its backbone — co-operations manager, administrative director, HR, and, as Nic puts it, "VP of everything else." She's absolutely incredible and helps the company go round.

In 2025, longtime friend Justin Hays came on board as a partner, bringing expertise in marketing and sales that revolutionized the company. His work has polished and refined every process, allowing the team to serve clients even better than before.