The arborist
Kevin Masse
Founder of Bent River Tree Care · ISA Certified Arborist · TCIA Certified Treecare Safety Professional · Horticulturist
About Kevin
I started working young. At eight years old, I was earning money at a flea market booth at Pendergrass in Commerce, Georgia. A few years later I was mowing lawns around the neighborhood, and by the summer of 1997 a buddy and I were doing landscape work through his stepdad’s company in Sugar Hill.
I’ve always enjoyed working outside and had an interest in plants and the natural world. That eventually turned into a career in landscaping, horticulture, and ultimately arboriculture. The more I’ve learned over the years, the more I’ve come to appreciate how connected everything on a property really is — the trees, soil, water, sunlight, turf and landscape all affect one another.
I started working professionally in the green industry in 2007, beginning in landscaping and landscape design before moving into arboriculture in 2013. I became an ISA Certified Arborist and Certified Landscape Designer in 2015, earned my degree in Horticulture in 2016, and became a TCIA Certified Treecare Safety Professional in 2017. I also hold a Georgia pesticide applicator’s license for our Plant Health Care work.
Nearly twenty years into the green industry, I’m still learning. That’s one of the things I enjoy most about this work.
The right answer matters more than selling the job. Sometimes that’s pruning, treatment, or removal. Other times it’s telling someone to leave a perfectly good tree alone and keep their money. Our goal is to help people understand what they’re looking at, make informed decisions, and properly manage their trees and landscape over time. Every property and every customer is different. Our job is to explain the options and help find the solution that makes the most sense for them and their property.
Qualifications
What each one actually means.
- ISA Certified ArboristSince 2015
- A professional credential from the International Society of Arboriculture covering tree biology, identification, diagnosis, pruning, tree risk, soil management and other areas of professional tree care. Certification requires testing, continuing education and ongoing renewal.
- TCIA Certified Treecare Safety ProfessionalSince 2017
- Advanced safety training through the Tree Care Industry Association focused on identifying hazards, improving job-site safety, and building a culture where everyone goes home safely at the end of the day.
- Georgia Licensed Pesticide Applicator
- Required for the professional application of the products we use in Plant Health Care. Combined with our knowledge of tree biology, it allows us to diagnose problems and develop targeted treatment plans when treatment is appropriate.
- Horticulture Degree & Certified Landscape Designer
- My background isn’t limited to trees. Formal training in horticulture and landscape design helps me understand how trees interact with the soil, turf, ornamental plants, drainage, sunlight and the rest of the landscape around them.
- Licensed & Insured
- Bent River Tree Care is fully licensed and insured.
How Bent River works
Sometimes the best tree work is no tree work at all.
At Bent River, we’re not looking for something to cut every time we walk onto a property. If a tree is healthy and doesn’t need anything, we’ll tell you. If pruning will accomplish the objective, we won’t recommend removal. And when removal really is the right answer, we’ll explain why.
We’ve been asked to quote thousands of dollars of pruning ahead of a house sale, only to tell the homeowner we didn’t believe the work would make a meaningful difference. We’ve been asked how much pruning it would take to grow grass beneath a mature shade tree, when the better answer was to widen the landscape beds and stop fighting the shade.
That’s what having an arborist look at your property should mean.
“Other companies just tried to talk me into cutting the trees down in our yard, but he immediately spoke more about pruning and maintaining the trees which is what we wanted.”
We also know what we don’t do. When a project requires specialized equipment or another trade, we work with professionals we trust. And when something is simply outside our wheelhouse, we’ll tell you — and whenever we can, point you toward someone we’d trust to do it.
We’d rather earn your trust than sell you the wrong job.
Recognition
Award-winning service you can count on.
Best of Gwinnett
Gwinnett Magazine — county-wide
- Winner2023
- Winner2024
- Winner2025
Neighborhood Favorite
Nextdoor — voted by neighbors
- Winner2021
- Winner2022
- Winner2023
Donna R.Rated 5 out of 5.Google “Kevin, the owner is an actual Arborist and he is very knowledgeable. He is also very honest with what needs to be done and keeps in contact with you all throughout the process. This company did a fantastic job and cleaned up all their clippings along with the trees that had to be removed.”
Bunny R.Rated 5 out of 5.Google “Kevin is a great communicator and listener. He asked questions to insure the best possible outcomes for your tree care. Very pleased with his work and willingness to make adjustments if needed. His prices are very good. Very professional and polite.”
Steve P.Rated 5 out of 5.Google “We made an agreement that he would drop the damaged tree and cut it up and load it in my truck for me. His crew did exactly that. There was no other damage or sign that they had been there. That is what true professionals do.”
Let’s talk about your property.
Have a question or concern about your trees or landscape? Get in touch with Bent River. We’ll help you understand your options and find the solution that makes the most sense for you and your property.
Request a free quote