A site in Kent, Ohio that was once Oak Knolls Golf Course and an old school has been transformed by The Davey Tree Expert Co. into the 200-acre SEED Campus for research, arboricultural training and community camaraderie. Spanning such a large area, the company uses drones to handle much of the seeding. The company stated the campus is a significant development for Davey Tree, reflecting their commitment to science, employee education and advancement.
Legacy to leadership
Sandee Reid, Davey Tree’s executive vice president, corporate communications and strategic planning, says the state-of-the-art property and facility will support Davey’s current and future workforce. Along with partnership opportunities, it will provide for local, regional and national green industry events.
“Davey’s roots in Kent, Ohio, tie back to our founding 145 years ago, and the SEED Campus is a legacy tribute to John Davey’s founding of the company and the continuation of his tree research and training in Kent,” says Reid. “The facility has a dedicated archival space to help continue to preserve Davey artifacts, such as uniforms, tools, letters, books and more, so Davey’s story can be told for years to come.”
From laboratories for conducting tree health, arboriculture research and plant pest diagnostics to four 600-square-foot greenhouses and nearly 26 acres for tree, shrub and turf research plots, Davey Tree didn’t miss a beat.
The at-height climbing training center, sitting at more than 10,000 square feet, is the star of the show. Located in the campus’ main building, this space features a climbing structure that can be reconfigured to match various training needs, offering flexibility and preparing crew members for safe at-height work.
Plus, the campus isn’t just about training. The former 18-hole golf course is now an outdoor oasis for more than 500 different tree and plant species, plus sunny greenhouses, a nursery and an arboretum.
“It’s been left alone, hence the beautiful, mature trees, which are really the staple of our arboretum. Everything else will come into play, but the large mature trees make it,” says Shawn Fitzgerald, curator, Davey Arboretum.
The arboretum, set to open to the public in 2027, features eight distinct “rooms” organized by similar plantings. The design emphasizes perennials rather than annuals, totaling more than 30,000 plants.
“Out front is what we’re calling our native garden. It’s got a lot of Ohio buckeyes, native blueberries and a lot of things native to Ohio,” says Fitzgerald. “We got azaleas, viburnum, forsythia, butterfly bush, all the things that bloom all summer long. So that’s kind of our flowering theme.”
Besides being a visual delight, the campus will offer plant identification training and other educational opportunities in four new training center classrooms, which are more than double the size of those in the former Davey Institute building across the street at corporate headquarters.
More than a campus for plants
The campus was designed with employees in mind. The main building features a brand store and an archival space holding a living history of the company. Outside, employees can play the remaining golf holes for recreational use, while a renovated barn — now a more than 200‑person event space with a catering kitchen — hosts company gatherings and celebrations.
The SEED Campus is a tribute to Davey’s past and an investment in its future, fully equipped for employees and a resource for the Kent community.
