BUILT ON A LIFETIME OF EXPERIENCE AND SUCCESS
The story of ACRT Services begins in Whitman, Massachusetts in 1945 — 40 years before the incorporation of ACRT. One of the original founders, Richard (Dick) Abbott, worked for his stepfather, a municipal tree warden similar to today’s urban forester. That early experience, his service in the U.S. Army, and degrees from the University of Massachusetts laid the foundation for Dick’s career with various utilities for the next few decades.
In the 1960s, an increased number of accidents led to national concern for tree worker safety. In response, Dick and other industry professionals developed the Z133 Tree Trimming Safety Standards through the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to help prevent future incidents — a standard that is still in use today. His influence on safety set a precedent for the arboriculture industry that is stronger than ever.
ACRT was founded in 1985 — which at that time stood for Appraisal, Consulting, Research, and Training — to provide a new approach to line clearance, tree inventory, and personnel training. In 2000, Dick turned leadership over to current CEO Michael B. Weidner, who in 2003 helped establish the employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) that enables our people to be a direct part of our success.
We have grown significantly since then — hiring and training the best talent and expanding our customer base while remaining the industry’s only independent vegetation management company. We have also strategically grown our core services by acquiring Bermex, a metering services company that enhances accuracy, error detection, and satisfaction for utilities. In 2018, ACRT, Inc. transformed into ACRT Services, a parent company supporting three wholly owned subsidiaries — ACRT, ACRT Pacific, and Bermex. In 2022, we expanded to four wholly-owned subsidiaries with our purchase of EnviroScience. This transformation was driven by our rapid, ongoing growth and the organization’s commitment to strengthening our service to all customers across industries.
Understanding our history is critical to our future. It helps us expand into new opportunities and industries. It’s a reflection of where we’ve been, who we’ve become, and where we’re headed, ACRT now stands for Assessment, Consulting, Representation, and Training. With our extended family of brands, we’re able to provide services that create exceptional value and benefit for our utility partners and their customers and members. And we will continue to do just that.
I believe in my heart that I made a difference in the lives of many people, and I believe that my life mattered. And that’s really what this life is all about.
Richard E. Abbott, 2016