Founder, Bob Lee began his career as a uranium miner, but in the early 1980s, prices of uranium dropped and the mines closed. Lee found himself unemployed. A contractor friend in Payson called Lee and told him about the U.S. Forest Service mistletoe removal project near See Canyon. “We came out, looked at the project, and instantly fell in love with the Payson area,” recalled Lee. And so, in 1983, Lee opened Payson’s first tree service, aptly named Bob Lee Tree Service.

For the first five years, Lee cobbled together enough jobs to support his family and build a reputation in the community. At 67 years old, after running a successful business for 22 years, Lee decided to retire. That’s when son, Dale Lee stepped in. “I couldn’t see my dad’s business coming to a halt,” said the younger Lee, who took over his father’s business in September 2003, and renamed it Bob Lee & Sons Tree Service. “I felt very strongly that we should make a second- generation business. We plan to make a third-generation business as well.”

After acquisition of the business, Bob Lee & Sons expanded its service territory to include most of Central Arizona. We own and operate state-of-the-art equipment including aerial equipment, land clearing equipment, chipping or grinding equipment, and small scale logging equipment. Through the years, Dale Lee’s business has grown in several new and challenging directions. “None of this would have been possible without the help of my family and close friends,” said Dale Lee. “We were able to expand our horizons with the hard work and the expertise that comes with 30 years of experience. We do anything from a single tree removal to removing thousands of trees on forest service, private lands, commercial and residential properties” said Lee.