ABOUT
You can hire Asheville Arborists with confidence!
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We are fully licensed and insured
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Safety is our highest priority
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We comply with industry regulations and standards
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Our modern, professional equipment allows us to work efficiently and safely on your property
Nich Maidment, Owner, Operator and Certified Arborist
Nich has been in the industry for almost two decades and has filled a lot of different roles, he can honestly say that climbing trees is still his favorite part of tree work. The canopy of a tree is where Nich feels most at peace with what he is doing and enjoys it.
He has owned Ash Arb for about 1.5 decades. His primary role now is in the sales/consulting role, although he still spends days on the crew when he can. He states that his body isn’t as young as it used to be, and fieldwork is a little more taxing than it used to be. Nich finds himself more and more grateful for the time he spends touching trees and learning from them. He has been able to work on the same trees multiple times now, and the lessons bestowed are only from repeat visits and observations.
Nich’s life has evolved since he started the company, and his family is now the primary focus of his free time. His wonderful and supportive wife, Amy, and his incredibly busy daughter Ayla are whom he spends most of his time with. Exploring mountains, camping, and seeing national parks is still a commonality. Although now the itinerary is a little different.
Nich’s family also consists of his cat Gigi and his dog Tsuga. The latter of which may be with him when he visits your property.
He has been pleasantly surprised with where his path has taken him, and he has stepped into the most important role at this time. He hopes to still someday venture into Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA) land and get back to being more of an arborist.
Billy Barbour, Crew Manager and Lead Certified Arborist
Billy was born in North Hollywood, CA. Growing up in the mountains not far from there, he fell in love with trees and climbing them. As a forestry major at Bakersfield college he found his path, then moved to Iowa city, Iowa and started his arboriculture career in 2011.
Billy has been with Asheville Arborists since September 2017. Has been a certified arborist since 2017, as well as tree risk assessment qualified since 2018. He has plans of getting his Tree Care Safety Professional (CTSP) certification and continuing to advance his knowledge and experience in the field.
In his free time, Billy enjoys woodworking, blowing glass, and repurposing some of the wood harvested from our urban forests in the Asheville area.
Jeannie Dewan, Office Manager
Jeannie joined Asheville Arborists as our Office Manager in June of 2022. She holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Education and has dedicated much of her life to improving the environment through education and programming for youth. Her work has included being the Founder and Executive Director of a nonprofit implementing community programming on the topics of human rights, animal welfare and environmental ethics. Jeannie is the voice you hear when you call Asheville Arborists with your tree care needs.
In her free time, Jeannie enjoys vegetarian dining and hiking with her boyfriend and German Shepherd, Bear.
Jake Handley, Certified Arborist
Jake was born in San Luis Obispo, California and grew up in Mt. Dora, Florida. He attended Mt. Dora High School where he played varsity soccer for 3 years. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's Degree in Art History in 2011.
Jake subsequently got a job working in the rope access industry which he has done for the past 5 yrs. Asheville Arborists welcomed Jake to the team in July 2017. Jake became an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certified arborist in 2019.
Nick Ngaopraseut, Arborist
Nick served 3 years in the Navy; during his time in service he has always wanted to be a part of the arbor industry.
Asheville Arborists welcomed Nick to the team in August of 2022. He has been in the arbor industry since 2021. He is working towards getting his International Society of Arboriculture certification (ISA) and is super excited in the road ahead. He is learning advanced climbing techniques, tree health care, and preservation.
In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, mountain biking, snowboarding, training dogs, and working on cars.
Ray Nichols, Arborist
Raymond is a North Carolina local who recently returned to Asheville after working as a diesel mechanic around the country. He spent the last 10 years in the Northwest working with forestry programs involving controlled burns and reinstatement of native land management practices.
At Asheville Arborists, he combines his mechanical skills with his forestry experience by keeping our machines in top shape and providing extra muscle on the job site.
In his spare time, he enjoys fixing up his old homestead and playing fiddle for his cattle dogs, Yoohoo and Bandit.
Ryan Prentiss, Arborist
Ryan is 37 years old and moved to Asheville 11 years ago to teach rock climbing and backpacking for an organization called Outward Bound. Along the way, he met his first boss in the tree industry, at a farmer’s market and was offered a job as a Groundsman. This was a little over 6 years ago and he hasn’t looked back yet. Ryan has been with Asheville Arborists as a skilled climber since October 2021.
When he is not climbing trees, Ryan likes to spend time either fly fishing, tying flies, riding his bike or traveling.
Carl Martin, Arborist
Carl has been a Groundsman at Asheville Arborist since April of 2021. He is hoping to become a certified arborist and he strives to further learn to become a more efficient climber. When he does climb at work, he enjoys seeing the views from the canopy.
In his free time, he tries to get out in the woods. He enjoys camping with his family and teaching his child about a sustainable life. Exploring the Chattahoochee area is a favorite pastime of his and he is often there on weekends.
Paul Barros, Arborist
Paul has served as a climber for Asheville arborists since 2019. He enjoys all aspects of being a climbing arborist, especially climbing BIG trees. Paul's love of trees started in his passion for farming and food justice, and grew to encompass a love of native wildflowers and plants, and eventually trees.
In his spare time, he can be found hanging out with his wife and two kids; keying out plants, practicing jiu-jitsu and reading poetry.
