Bandit Industries President Jerry Morey received the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) Award of Merit this. The award is TCIA's highest honor, and is considered by many to be the most prestigious and exclusive award within the tree care industry as it's not presented every year.

Bandit president honored

Bandit Industries President Jerry Morey received the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) Award of Merit this past February, presented during the association’s annual Winter Management Conference. The award is TCIA’s highest honor, considered by many to be the most prestigious and exclusive award within the tree care industry as it’s not presented every year. The TCIA Award of Merit is a very special recognition that honors achievements and contributions throughout the tree care industry.


“I had absolutely no idea it was coming, though halfway through the presentation speech I started to get suspicious,” said Morey. “My partners and founding owners Mike Morey Sr. and Dianne Morey are also dedicated TCIA supporters and long-time attendees of the Winter Management Conference, and this award really reflects our combined influence and dedication to the industry as well as the dedication of everyone at Bandit. This is a very special recognition and I’m humbled to have been given this honor.”


Outgoing TCIA Chairman Scott Jamieson gave the speech and presented Morey with the award during the conference, which took place Feb. 12-16 on the island of Curaçao in the Caribbean. Here is Jamieson’s speech honoring Morey:


TCIA often recognizes people from within our active member companies who give considerable time and energy to our industry. This year, in thinking about those to whom we are grateful for gifts of creativity, vision and dedication, what came to my mind was our tremendous partners – TCIA’s associate members – and one gentleman and company in particular.


This year’s honoree has 25 years of experience in the industry, currently serving as president of a company that has distributors throughout U.S. and in 30 foreign countries. Having started out in sales and marketing years ago, he is still sought out for his expertise in this area within his company, while leading one of the largest manufacturing firms in our industry.


The company has been a strong advocate by contributing volunteers to TCIA’s Board and associate member committee. This honoree himself was on the board of the National Arborist Foundation, eventually became chair of the Foundation, and had a hand in merging the NAF with the ISA’s Research Trust to form what is now the TREE Fund. He served as a director and treasurer of that entity for several years. Over the years, he has helped raise more than $250,000 for arboriculture education and research.


Randy Owen, president of Owen Tree Service in Michigan, former TCIA Board chair who served on the NAF Board with our honoree, estimates that he is responsible for more than half of the Robert Felix Memorial Fund’s receipts.


Beyond fundraising and donations, this year’s Award of Merit honoree volunteers and recruits others to get involved with activities of the industry and association. That spirit carries over to leisure activities here at Winter Management Conference, where it is not unusual for him to invite others along on an outing, often people he does not even know well, just to help them be more involved.


A TCIA PACT partner, Student Career Days Sponsor, and a regular participant at Winter Management Conference, our honoree was one of the driving forces behind the creation of both Tree Care Industry magazine and TCI EXPO. He has supported both ever since as important engines for education, promoting professionalism and advancing tree care businesses.


But our honoree is not living in the past. He and his company are leading our industry into the future of the green energy movement. He is helping develop biomass equipment and finding markets for turning green waste into energy and making wood waste more valuable, both of which will have a positive financial impact on the tree care industry. He is a source of information and guidance to the Voice for Trees PAC on wood waste utilization legislation in Congress, as well as a healthy contributor to the PAC. Most recently, his company is partnering with TCIA and his competitors to improve safety in the industry.


We know him as someone who never says “no” and never lets us down. We know him as someone who is a tough businessman with a deeply committed heart to our industry. A true leader … a total gentleman … someone who is always willing to help. For these and countless other contributions to our industry, today we honor Jerry Morey, president of Bandit Industries, with the TCIA Award of Merit.