The private limited company Eastern Landscape Service Ltd is controlled by father and son directors, Ken Hewitt, who formed the business in 1972 and Tim Hewitt who joined Eastern Landscape Service in 1987.
Ken had formerly worked for Economic Forestry Group (EFG) as a contracts supervisor before becoming self employed.
Work activities included forestry (incorporating everything from planting, harvesting and marketing of timber), Tree Surgery, Commercial and Private Landscaping.

Tree surgery became a prominent part of the business with the progression of specialised arboriculture, resulting in the phasing out of much of the other activities. Tim took charge of managing ELS in 1995, having previously undergone management training at a large retail chainstore before making arboriculture his career. Both directors have studied modern arboriculture privately and by attending college courses. The company continued a mycological research project started by a well-known late university lecturer. The studies included work on the Armillaria spp. (Honey Fungus) to determine resistance or immunity on a wide range of trees and shrubs both in culture and field trials.
The field trials involved inoculating introduced trees and shrubs on infected sites with the resident strains of Armillaria. Useful information was documented before closing the laboratory to make more office space.

The team includes three working contract supervisors, one having been with the firm for over 20 years. A newer arrival was previously a full time motor mechanic and fitter, who has since studied at Otley College, passing all his exams, some with distinction and also being awarded Student of the Year. He also services and maintains vehicles and machinery in our workshop on site. The other working staff includes a further seven certificated arborists plus trainees.

Holding things together we have Sue, our full time secretary who joined us in 1993 and Jackie who works part time and has been with the company since 1997 – both friendly voices at the end of the phone (well usually friendly!)