Carmine Schiavone to take over as SavATree CEO

BEDFORD HILLS, NY – SavATree has named Carmine Schiavone to succeed Daniel van Starrenburg, the company’s long-serving CEO.

Van Starrenburg will continue with SavATree as executive chairman, overseeing the company’s strategic direction and acquisitions program.

“We are very excited to have someone of Carmine’s caliber join SavATree," he said. "Under Carmine’s leadership, SavATree will continue to deliver exceptional service for our customers, while I will focus on growing the SavATree family through strategic acquisitions.”

Schiavone spent four years in senior leadership positions at Johnson Controls, most recently as general manager and vice president of Fire Protection Solutions & Services. Prior to Johnson Controls, Schiavone spent 16 years at Tyco, where he took on increasing responsibility as vice president, general manager and acting chief operating officer across various business units. Carmine holds the Six Sigma Green Belt certification and Lean certification, making him suited for SavATree, a Lean company. 

“SavATree stands out as an exceptionally well-run firm, with people and processes more often seen in Fortune 500 companies," Schiavone said. "I am excited to join a rapidly growing organization with an ongoing commitment to customer service excellence.”

Van Starrenburg began his career as a certified arborist in Bedford Hills, New York, purchasing SavATree in 1985 when it was a well-respected local business. Through organic growth and 27 acquisitions completed under van Starrenburg’s leadership, SavATree has reached 39 branches operating in 18 states. In June 2017, New York-based private equity firm CI Capital Partners invested in SavATree in a transaction that included a substantial reinvestment of proceeds from van Starrenburg.

“Each tree care firm has a unique way of doing business. There is something to learn with every acquisition, and we have grown as an organization thanks to the collective wisdom of the fine firms and people that have joined forces with us," he said.