A long-undeveloped patch of woods seems like a fitting future home for a business with “tree” in its name.SavATree will soon be moving into a new facility now under construction at 1325 Boston Post Road in Old Saybrook.The company provides a variety of tree, shrub and lawn-care services, ranging from tree removal, trimming and pruning […]
Get Instant Access to This Article
Subscribe to Hartford Business Journal and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
- Critical Hartford and Connecticut business news updated daily.
- Immediate access to all subscriber-only content on our website.
- Bi-weekly print or digital editions of our award-winning publication.
- Special bonus issues like the Hartford Book of Lists.
- Exclusive ticket prize draws for our in-person events.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
A long-undeveloped patch of woods seems like a fitting future home for a business with “tree” in its name.
SavATree will soon be moving into a new facility now under construction at 1325 Boston Post Road in Old Saybrook.
The company provides a variety of tree, shrub and lawn-care services, ranging from tree removal, trimming and pruning to disease diagnosis. Launched in 1978 in New York, it has grown to include operations around the country, including in Bloomfield, New Milford, Norwalk and Old Saybrook here in Connecticut.
The new building will be 6,000 square feet, providing ample space for the company’s growing Old Saybrook-based operations.
Jim Kiely, branch manager with SavATree in Old Saybrook, said the business has been in the shoreline town for about 20 years in the same facility, at 4 Center Road.
“We have been lucky to grow, and our current building doesn’t suit us,” Kiely said.
The business spent about two years trying to find a new location to lease. However, company leaders found many properties on the market didn’t suit SavATree’s unique needs. They needed plenty of room, not only for a larger building, but to park a fleet of large service trucks, trailers and chippers.
The business decided to pursue leasing a new building instead. They ultimately found the 2.86-acre Boston Post Road site, which is zoned for business use, set back from the busy main road and completely wooded.
“It was large enough for the building we wanted,” Kiely said. “We enjoy being in Old Saybrook, and we wanted to stay in Old Saybrook.”
The Provence Land Company LLC of Torrington bought the property for $380,000 in October.
Chris Duclos, an industrial specialist with Sentry Commercial, represented Provence Land Co. He helped it search for a suitable location for its client, SavATree, for about seven months before they settled on the Boston Post Road parcel.
According to Kiely, SavATree will lease the property from Provence Land Co., which is based at 112 Wall St., Torrington. Provence Land Co.’s principal, Matthew Oneglia, is also a business analyst with O&G Industries, a construction firm based at the same Torrington location.
Oneglia said he expects to have the new custom building, which includes office and warehouse space, ready for occupancy in late spring.
SavATree expects to move in by July. The new construction is being modeled after SavATree’s existing building at its New Milford location.
Penny Parker, a real estate broker with Lyman Real Estate of Westbrook, represented the sellers in the transaction, including Charles E. Adelmann, Kevin P. Kelly and Edward O’Connell.
The three prior owners had owned the land since 1988, town records show.
Parker had the listing for about a year before it sold.
“It is an interior lot, so there wasn’t a huge demand,” Parker said. “A tree business is fine for that location, because it doesn’t need the [streetfront] exposure.”
The parcel does have some frontage on Boston Post Road, enough for a sign to advertise the business’ presence in the back. There are several restaurants and retail stores in the vicinity.
Christina M. Costa, Old Saybrook’s zoning enforcement officer, said Provence Land Co. already secured all necessary approvals and permits from land-use officials, including the zoning commission, this fall.
The new SavATree office will house up to seven employees, along with a field staff of 12 to 14 workers, according to records on file with the town.
SavATree has expanded over the years to include lawn care, tick management, deer deterrence and holiday lighting. It serves a range of clients, including residential customers, office parks, golf courses, municipalities, colleges and universities.
