[1][2][3] John Davey, its founder, is considered the father of the science of tree surgery and the modern-day industry of arboriculture.

[11] In 1873 at age 27, John Davey traveled from his native England to the United States, first to Castle Garden, New York, and later to Warren, Ohio, where he worked as a janitor.

[18] A training facility was staffed by experts and also provided employees with the skills and tools needed to advance tree science.

[19] According to the company, scientists and technical advisers guide field service teams in diagnosing and prescribing products, application procedure, and pest and disease cultural practices.

[21] Some areas it plans to research are water management and pollinator habitat as well as ways to test how to build more sustainable landscapes as the world faces climate change.

[27] The company has been involved in many projects to help care for the environment with initiatives such as i-Tree,[28] software created by Davey and the USDA Forest Service used to quantify the benefit of trees,[29] as well as helping the National Park Service care for the trees at the Flight 93 National Memorial.

[33] Throughout September and October 2017, thousands of federal, state, and private agencies were deployed to areas that were impacted by hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Nate.

The segment's services also include landscaping, grounds maintenance, tree surgery, as well as the application of fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides.

[36] Davey Tree has also purchased VanCuren Services, Inc. and Midwest Land Clearing, Inc. in 2024,[37] Mickman Brothers, Inc. in 2023,[38] Restoration Systems LLC in 2022,[39] and TGC Engineering in 2020.