Thirty Years in Portland's Trees
Marcus Holt started Apex Tree Service in 1994 out of a pickup truck and a deep respect for the Pacific Northwest's extraordinary urban forest. He'd spent four years working for other tree companies and two seasons as a wildland firefighter — gaining a practical understanding of how trees live, stress, and die that no classroom could provide.
In those early years, Marcus built his reputation one property at a time — showing up on time, cutting only what needed to be cut, leaving every yard cleaner than he'd found it, and taking the time to explain his decisions to homeowners who often felt anxious about their trees.
By 2005, Apex had grown to a team of eight and a fleet of four trucks. Marcus obtained his ISA Certification and made a commitment that every senior arborist on his team would do the same — a commitment that still holds today. When his son Eli joined operations in 2012 after studying urban forestry at Oregon State University, the business gained not just another pair of hands, but a new generation of scientific rigor.
Today, Apex Tree Service is one of Portland Metro's most trusted and established arboricultural firms. We've worked on everything from single ornamental trees to 40-acre land clearing projects — and we bring the same attention, integrity, and respect for living things to every single one.
