For as long as there has been a Bremo Trees there has been a member of the Mondragon family at the helm. Original nursery manager Woody Cumbo hired Adan Mondragon in 1995, and Adan has been leading the field operation ever since. When the first tree spade was harnessed to a primitive skid-steer at the nursery it was Adan who pulled the trigger and extracted the first tree. Since that time, Adan has dug well over 100,000 trees, and is known for the quality of his balls and packaging. He is also a master at digging more challenging, tap rooted species, such as Black Gum (Nyssa) and Hickory (Carya). With these types of trees, the skill of the spade operator is often the difference between a successful transplant and future failure.
Beyond leading the digging operation, Adan is also responsible for pruning, field preparation, planting, and many other aspects of running a 250-acre tree nursery. Through decades of study and observation, he has developed species-specific pruning strategies, leading to well-shaped, balanced, and structurally sound trees ready for the landscape.
Adan’s two brothers, Salvador and Arturo Mondragon, have been with Bremo Trees since 2000. Like Adan, they are hardworking, skilled, and dedicated. Both Salvador and Arturo are part of the US Department of Labor H-2A program. They typically spend nine months per year living and working at Bremo Trees and return to their home in Mexico for three months during winter.
Arturo is known as the “tree boss master.” as he is often the one on the machine when loading trucks. He is excellent with spatial relations and can tell you exactly how many trees will go on the truck before beginning, regardless of size. Like Adan on the tree spade, Arturo has loaded thousands of trucks over the past twenty-two years.
Integrity is likely the key word when describing the Mondragon family. Collectively, they have missed only a handful of workdays during the past two decades. They are thorough, loyal, and full of good cheer. Without their contribution, the Bremo Trees story would be entirely different. While labor remains a challenge industry wide, we find ourselves blessed to be on the Mondragon team.
Ed Yates
