Drew and the TreeWiseMen
It is said that the greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members. Bluffton and Hilton Head are no stranger to wonderful members of the community, and they have been around in all the generations of folks that have called this area home.
Drew Bedingfield has called Bluffton home most of his 38 years on this earth. He spent most of his growing up years on Buckingham and on the waters of the May River. As with many youths of the area in the 80s and 90s, there was not a lot of money, and the kids found ways to earn some cash and found ways to entertain themselves.
“I kind of came from a family that wasn’t around a lot. We didn’t have a lot of money, so me and my buddies were always either on the water shrimping in our little john boats trying to make some extra income, or we were riding dirt bikes or 4 wheelers on the power lines, mud bogging around town. I never owned any of those but was nice that my friends did!”
Drew fondly tells me stories, explaining that the closest way to picture his childhood was that of the Netflix series, “Outer Banks.” His good friends, Chris and Matt Shoemaker, Allick Inglis, CJ Steedley, and William Goodman were the main characters in his movie. “We were thick as thieves.” Drew tells me with a slight smile coming over his face.
“We all had to work through high school -- we graduated from Hilton Head High. I remember when I first got my learners permit to drive, mom just treated it like I now had a license and now it was my job to take my brother to school. I worked at Charlie’s that was owned by the Golson’s (RIP Mr. Charlie) as well as stints at Do Si Dos and Brooke’s Bed and Biscuit cleaning up dog kennels.”
Drew ended up going to Clemson and graduated in 2008 with a degree in business management and a minor in fisheries and wildlife. He wasn’t quite sure what he was going to do with these degrees, but the thought of land management always excited him. He had visions of taking care of a big piece of property, regulating the deer populations etc.
When Drew came back from Clemson to Bluffton he started working on boats and motors, and that kept food on the table for a while. He eventually decided to work for the Bluffton Fire Department and spent 2010- 2015 as a fireman and EMT.
To supplement his income on his off days from the station, Drew was a sub-contractor for All Care tree service. He tells me the story of how he borrowed $7,000 from his mother and bought his first dump trailer to help in the tree service industry. Little did he know that it was the beginning of quite a big business for him.
Drew saved his money and eventually bought his first used Bobcat and an old work truck. He borrowed $15,000 on his aunt’s credit card and purchased a commercial woodchipper. In 2014, with the help of his main side kick and friend, Javier, TreeWiseMen was born!
Today, Drew, his wife Carly, and TreeWiseMen crew have a fleet of 22 trucks and 35 employees, and they stay BUSY!
“I think that I have done well in Bluffton and this business because of respect. I have done my best to treat everyone that I grew up with and members of this community before me with fairness and respect, and in turn they have shown me the respect back. It’s nice to know that I am one of the first that get the call when a big oak has fallen or some one needs trees trimmed up at their house. One of my basketball coaches growing up, Mr. David Mack, just called me the other day to help with something. It’s nice to live in a community where I can help out and give back as much as I can.”
“Bluffton will always be special to me. If it wasn’t for some of the folks that helped me growing up, Jonathon and Monica Bragg, Stan Yocco, and all my friends’ parents, I may not be where I am today. There was something special to be able to grow up in Bluffton during that time. We may be the last real generation of eccentrics that lived here before the tourist boom and the development. I had a random thought the other day about when the Pantry gas station at Buckingham had coloring contests for kids. I remember I won an ICEE beach towel one time from there! That’s just a mere glimpse into things we had when I was growing up. Something so small but looking back was something so big.”
Today, Drew and Carly are raising their two children and letting them enjoy the May River as Drew has done for so many years. He is still happy to call Bluffton his home and was just nominated to the rank of fire commissioner in Bluffton, a spot held by 6 other individuals around the area. Although nothing can be done to change Bluffton back to the years past, he does all he can do to give back to the community, a community that has given him and his family so many wonderful memories. I am very proud to call Drew and his family my friends.
Paul Tollefson is the Director of Tennis at the Hampton Hall Club in Bluffton. He found his love for the Lowcountry in early 2002 after graduating high school and unsure of what career path he was destined towards. After moving from Hilton Head to Bluffton he became enthralled with the history of the town and the people and cultures that called it home for many generations. He has found a passion in writing and enjoys being able to share the stories and pictures of long-time locals. He is the co-creator of the Facebook page “Bluffton Then and Now.”
