James Martin — Owner and Lead Arborist
James Martin holds ISA certification from the International Society of Arboriculture — the recognized professional credential for arborists. He passed the ISA exam covering tree biology, risk assessment, pruning standards, and safety, and maintains continuing education requirements to keep the credential current. He also carries the Tree Climbers International (TCI) Certified Tree Technician credential.
James came to tree work through landscaping — ten years shaping yards before spending the last five focused on trees. Every removal still runs through his hands: climbing and rigging the canopy down piece by piece, reading each cut, and dropping large or hazardous trees exactly where they need to go. He treats it as equal parts craft and science.
What customers thank him for most is the part around the saw work — an honest, educational walkthrough of what a tree actually needs, a price in writing up front, and a yard left clean at the end. After Hurricane Helene, he and the crew cleared a couple's storm-downed trees, chipped everything on site, and turned the salvaged logs into a built-up firepit area and hardscape — and got sent off with a homemade lunch. That's the standard: keep people and property safe, respect the yard like it's his own, and leave it better than the storm did.
When you call Martin Tree and Turf Care, James Martin answers. When we send an estimate, James Martin does the assessment. When your arborist report is signed, James Martin signs it. That chain of accountability is not standard in the tree service industry — most operations separate the estimator from the arborist from the field crew. At Martin Tree and Turf Care, the same person holds all three roles.
Serving 30+ communities across Upstate SC — see the full service area map.
What James Martin Does on a Job
James Martin is present at every stage of the work — not just the estimate. Here is what that looks like in practice.
James visits the property, walks the tree, and identifies the failure points, access constraints, and permit requirements. He determines what equipment is needed and whether the job requires crane-assisted work, aerial rigging, or a different approach. No phone estimates — the assessment happens in person.
James writes and delivers the estimate. The price reflects what the job actually requires — not a generic per-inch rate. If a permit is needed, that is in the estimate. If stump grinding is included, that is specified. The written price is the price.
For permitted removals, insurance claims, HOA approvals, and risk documentation, James prepares and signs the arborist report under Cert #SO-356834A. The report documents tree species, condition, location, failure risk, and removal justification. These reports are prepared for submission to Greenville and Spartanburg county permitting offices, insurance carriers, and courts.
James is typically the lead climber. He directs rigging decisions, determines the cut sequence, and is accountable for how the work proceeds from the first cut through cleanup. This is not a crew he dispatched — it's his company doing the work he sold.
Brian Pace — Operations Manager
Brian Pace is the operations manager — the one making sure the day actually runs. He came up under James, learning the trade from the ground: chainsaw work, rigging, pruning, and the site logistics of staging equipment and positioning a crew so a job moves without wasted motion. He's usually first on site, and he's the one clients end up talking to as the work unfolds.
His two priorities on any job are simple: protect the property from any damage it doesn't need, and leave a lean, clean worksite behind. Because Brian handles both tree work and turf, a removal ends with a graded, tidy yard instead of ruts and a pile of chips. He and James have worked shoulder to shoulder across hundreds of jobs in Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, and Pickens counties — and by his own account, it's not the kind of work you wake up dreading.
Jared Earp — Site Lead
Jared Earp came to tree work by an unusual road — trained as an engineer in the Marines, then years as a wildland firefighter felling trees in Montana's Bitterroot National Forest before bringing that experience home to Upstate SC. Four years in, he specializes in directional felling: putting a tree exactly where it needs to go. As site lead he runs the crew and equipment through removals, trimming, and cleanup, with two rules that don't bend — take no unnecessary risks, and leave the property looking better than the crew found it.
What's in Our Trucks
The equipment we bring determines what's possible on your job. Martin Tree and Turf Care operates with the tools to handle large removals, tight-access situations, and full site restoration — not just a chainsaw and a pickup.
Know Your Exact Price Before Any Work Begins
The certified arborist evaluates your tree in person and puts the price in writing. That's the number you pay — no verbal quotes that change on arrival, no invoice surprises. No pressure. No obligation.
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