Newton County School System (NCSS) and the Newton County of Chamber of Commerce are pleased to announce Arbor Equity, Inc. as the 2022 NCSS Partner of the Year. Arbor Equity is a partner in education with Newton College & Career Academy. School principal, Chad Walker, nominated the local business for the annual award.
According to Walker, Arbor Equity owner Dan Bauer and staff volunteer their time and talents to support students not only at the Career Academy but other schools across the district. Recently the company helped Cousins Middle School students celebrate Arbor Day by planting trees on the campus.
“Mr. Bauer and his staff often serve on employability panels at our school to help students by having real conversations about career opportunities and what employers are looking for in potential candidates,” said Walker. “They also have assisted in planting multiple trees on our school campus, and they often bring their climbing apparatuses so our students can have the unique opportunity to climb a tree just like one of the employees would do.”
Walker added, “A result of them providing hands-on experiences—from planting and climbing events—many students have gained an interest in this industry in terms of career opportunity. In fact, Arbor Equity has hired no less than ten graduates from Newton County Schools in recent years.”
Arbor Equity has also led classes for Newton County Young Farmers on proper pruning techniques for Crepe Myrtle’s and other common trees found in home landscapes and they are currently working with NCCA students enrolled in the Natural Resources Management course, to develop a plan to replace invasive species on campus with native species of Georgia. Bauer and the company have pledged up to $6,000 in labor for the project if it comes to fruition.
“I think more than anything else, we value the fact that Dan and company are always available when we need them,” Walker explained. “They are just a quick phone call or text message away when needed to answer questions related to tree care or our school sawmill.”
He noted, “They never balk at sending over employees on company time to volunteer at our school. Dan’s professionalism and network help elevate our school’s programs and the school itself to new heights that would not be possible without his company’s involvement.”
“Arbor Equity has truly made a difference at Newton College & Career Academy,” said Debbie Harper, president of the Newton County Chamber of Commerce. “It makes me so proud to know that we have business partners like this in our community.”
“We’ve built our business on relationships, and we use the word partner, but my entire career, and my entire belief in how we operate in a community is in relationships,” said Bauer. “We don’t have big billboards along the drives, we are literally out in the communities all the time doing arbor days being involved and that’s how we built our business. And so, it’s the relationships we have it’s not just always giving to the school. We receive as well. We receive students and they’ve become some of our greatest employees. We were over here last week recruiting more so as we grow, we hire more…. The more we can do the more we can build off of that the more we can grow, it’s just a benefit to the community. We just want to be out helping people. Our goal is really about community involvement and it’s the relationships we have with the school the chamber and everybody else that drives that.”
“We are so appreciative of our partners in education and the support they provide to our schools,” said Samantha Fuhrey, superintendent of Newton County Schools. “Arbor Equity is a phenomenal example of a partner in education and Dan Bauer and company are so deserving of the NCSS Partner of the Year award. We are grateful for their willingness to volunteer and support our schools and look forward to working with them for many years to come.”