Erich Schneider came out of the Air Force with no business training and started a tree care company in 1996, in a town with 90 tree services in the phone book. His edge was simple: show up when you say you will, and do what you say you’ll do. Along the way he helped build the industry’s Certified Tree Care Safety Professional program and served on the TCIA board. Thirty years later, Schneider Tree Care has four offices across Upstate South Carolina and Charlotte, more than 100 employees, and a team that runs the day-to-day without him. Last December he sold the company to TreeServe and stayed on to lead his team through the change.

The shift that made it possible: he stopped being the guy who had to climb every tree and see every job, and became the visionary while his brother Kurt ran the daily operation.

What you’ll hear:
• The day he climbed 64 trees and couldn’t straighten his arms
• The near-miss that shaped his safety culture, and how he helped build the industry’s CTSP program
• How DISC and EOS split the work between two brothers
• Why buyers aren’t buying you — they’re buying a system
• The emotional side of selling a 30-year company that nobody warns you about
• What he’s still holding onto, and where he lands on the Stage Check

About Alan Melton & SBCA
Alan Melton is the founder of Small Business Coach Associates. He’s coached 1,100+ business owners on marketing, sales systems, and operational clarity. Credentials: Inc. 500 founder (#422) | SBA Small Business Person of the Year, 1994 | Florida Governor’s Sterling Award, 1999 | #1 Small Business Coach, Life Coach Magazine 2026. Free strategy session: smallbusinesscoach.org | Subscribe for new episodes.

About Beyond the Owner’s Trap
Real small business owners on what it takes to grow. Hosted by Alan Melton.

Connect with Erich Schneider
Schneider Tree Care: https://schneidertree.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erich-schneider-94677912/
Taylors, SC — serving Upstate SC and Charlotte, NC

Connect with Alan Melton
Website: https://smallbusinesscoach.org
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2228822/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeyondTheOwnersTrap

Timestamps
01:51 From the Air Force to 90 competitors in the phone book
04:38 64 trees in one day
07:52 “Nobody can do this job as well as me”
09:49 Helping build the industry’s safety program
15:13 Two brothers, DISC and EOS
19:08 The decision to sell
34:13 What he’s still holding onto
38:40 Stage Check

#BeyondTheOwnersTrap #SmallBusinessOwner #TreeCare #Arborist #TradesBusiness #SellingABusiness #EOS #FamilyBusiness