By Sue Baldani

Large, mature trees provide shade and beauty and are an excellent addition to any property. However, they require maintenance to ensure that they stay an asset and not become a liability.

“Safety is number one, so trees should be pruned and checked every couple of years to ensure nothing is wrong with them,” says Rony Mena, founder and owner of Rony’s Tree Service. “It’s important to make sure nothing is rotted, and there are no holes on the branches or cavities at the base of the trunk.”

Even severely compromised trees can look fairly healthy to the average person. It often takes an expert like Rony with the knowledge to decide whether a tree can be salvaged or has to be taken down. In addition to observation, he usually taps the trunk with a special tool to be able to hear if it's hollow inside.

Damaged trees can cause extensive damage when they or their limbs fall. They can end up on your house, a neighbor’s house, or your vehicle and put people at risk.

After working for a tree company for six years, Rony started his own successful business. He founded Rony’s Tree Service in 1996 and has been offering pruning, cabling for bracing tree limbs, and tree and stump removal since then. He is proud of the work he and his team perform.

“When you have a business, you create your own personality, and part of that is doing the best work you can do, and another part is how you talk to and treat people,” he says. “With customers, it’s almost like having another family. I have some of the same customers I had over 25 years ago.”

He also has many long-term employees, which is rare in this type of business. “One of my workers has been with me for 17 years, and others have been here for more than five years,” says Rony. “I try to keep them as long as possible by being a good boss.”

Even though his team knows what they are doing, Rony is on every job too. “That's why I’ve always kept this business on the smaller side - that way I can supervise everything being done,” he says. “Bigger companies have a harder time overseeing all the work and providing the same high quality.”

He explains that these large businesses often send out workers and the workers can do whatever they want. “That's not the case here,” says Rony. “I'm always with them to ensure everything is done in the best way possible.”

No job is too small or too large. “We do pretty much everything and have the machinery to do very large jobs. Right now, we’re clearing an acre and a half of property to make room for a new house.”

His largest customer base is in Berkeley Heights, followed by Watchung and Warren. But, he provides services outside of those areas as well.

Rony’s Tree Service is primarily made up of repeat customers, many of whom were referred to him. “It’s been word of mouth from day one,” he says. “I just want to make sure customers are happy with our work. That's the most important thing, and that's why I have had the same customers for years.”

For all of your tree needs, call Rony at 908-337-0429.