Bandit’s model 2150XP goes to school with Ace Gallagher Stump Grinding

FLORHAM PARK, N.J.- 21-year stump grinding veteran Tom “Ace” Gallagher knows a thing or two about grinding stumps. As the founder, owner, and single employee of Ace Gallagher Stump Grinding LLC in Whippany, New Jersey, he also knows something about being successful. And he loves his Bandit Model 2150XP stump grinder.

“The Bandit is head and shoulders above any stump grinder I’ve had before,” said Gallagher. ”I count on it five to six days a week; I can go into a house and grind a two-inch stump right in front of a picture window, or I can work for a logging company and do 30 to 40 stumps in one day. It’s a great piece of equipment-the best I’ve owned in my life.”

At this point, you might be thinking this is just another happy Bandit owner talking about his machinery. But you’d be wrong-very wrong.

“I have two kids,” he said. “The most important things to me are my kids and their safety, and everybody I know feels the same way.”

So when Ace noticed potentially hazardous tree related issues affecting the local schools around his community, he and a few of his friends volunteered to clean up the grounds. For a couple years he did this, spending a few hours here and there on small projects while aspiring to turn the occasional volunteer work into a bona-fide program that could inspire others. He ultimately met up with Florham Park Mayor Scott Eveland and Florham Park Schools Superintendent Dr. William Ronzitti, and joined by Rick Close of Davey Tree Expert Company of Morris Plains, they succeeded in launching a program called the Eveland-Gallagher-Close One Day One School. The inaugural event took place in 2007 at Ridgedale School in nearby Florham Park, and it was a complete success.

“It was almost like magic-like when The Beatles got together-when me, Dr. Ronzitti, Rick Close and Scott Eveland got together,” said Gallagher.

The concept of One Day One School is simple. Unite a group of talented tree care workers, school administrators, law enforcement and townspeople, and volunteer a day of hard work to remove unsightly and potentially dangerous material from school grounds. The execution for that first event wasn’t quite as simple; Gallagher recalls many conversations and property walkthroughs with Eveland prior to the event, only to be blown away by the level of motivation and exceptional work ethic everyone displayed when the actual work began.

“One thing about Scott Eveland; the first day we got together on this project he asked me what to do,” said Gallagher. “I said to just keep everyone away from the equipment and he said no way, he was working, and he worked harder than any tree guy I had. The second job he was hauling concrete in a dump truck all day, and people kept saying ‘that’s your mayor?’ It’s the whole mentality of everybody kicking in that we go for with One Day One School.”

They’re all still at it three years later, having expanded to include areas like parks and baseball fields utilized by the schoolchildren, though schools like Whippany Park High-the subject of a One Day One School event just last month-remain the group’s focus. Event participants have also grown to include students, parents, community leaders, and several partner companies. Whole Foods provides an abundance of food and drink for the workers, with folks like Florham Park Police Chief Patrick Montuore operating the grill. Florham Park Public Works Director Frank Esposito provides dump trucks and access to dumping sites. The YMCA provides staff and activities to keep young volunteers occupied and away from the heavy equipment until it’s time for the cleanup. Ace’s own brother Dan Gallagher handles the public relations and media communications, serving as the “silver bullet” for the program. And Ace is also very pleased to have Bandit Industries on board as the official stump grinder for One Day One School.

“I’m going to thank Bandit Industries,” said Gallagher. “They said this is awesome; it’s what they’re all about. And it’s ironic too, because all the county equipment around here now is Bandit; all Florham Park runs is Bandit. All the guys are starting to run Bandit.”

Aside from his one-man stump grinding business, Gallagher is also a member of the Hanover Township Board of Education, working closely with Hanover Township Superintendent Scott Pepper who is also a vital part of One Day One School. In this position, Gallagher has unique insight into just how much help school systems need.

“There is no money in any school budget for this type of work,” he said. “There’s no money to have a tree evaluation. There’s no money to have the tree taken care of. If you deduce that it should come down, the bottom line is there’s money when it already falls on its own, but not to take it down.”

Ace takes all the fame with humility, quick to remind people that he’s just one person in a sea of hard working volunteers. Even when the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) elected to present him with an award, he insisted that it be presented not as an individual effort, but group collaboration. The DEP agreed, and last October, Ace graciously accepted the 2009 Green Community Achievement Award not for himself, but on behalf of the One Day One School Initiative.

“I’ve got to give credit to this guy,” said Phil Infantalino, supervisor of building and grounds for Florham Park schools and One Day One School volunteer. “Without his energy, without his perseverance, without his ability to unite people and make things happen, this would never be.”

At the end of the day, Ace enjoys being a hard working resident of his community. His level of dedication and commitment to putting in an honest day on the job is why his client list includes municipalities, major tree companies, and over 100 landscape companies. He sees the same level of dedication and commitment at Bandit Industries, and he’s all too happy to share his experiences with others seeking durable, dependable, high-production equipment for the tree care industry.

“We’ve all been out in the field having different problems with different pieces of equipment,” said Gallagher. “We’ve always said how nice it would be if the guy that designed this was out here with us now. With Bandit Industries, the guys that design and make these stump grinders know how to grind stumps. When I call the company and talk to them, it’s like I’m talking to a colleague in the field.”

Great minds think alike, and the relationship between Bandit Industries, Ace Gallagher Stump Grinding LLC, and Eveland-Gallagher-Close One Day One School is a testament to how great things can happen when great companies come together to make a difference.

“I just want to say thank you very much to Bandit Industries,” said Gallagher. “I consider you guys my partner here at Ace Gallagher Stump Grinding.”
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