Illinois Arborist Association

What Illinois Arborist Association does

The Illinois Arborist Association (IAA) is a 501(c)-style nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1982 and headquartered in Illinois, operating as one of the International Society of Arboriculture's (ISA) largest single state chapters. The organization serves the arboriculture and urban forestry workforce in Illinois, with a stated membership base of over 1,300 professionals representing more than 6,000 years of combined industry experience. Its mission is to foster engagement, reinforce standards, and exchange professional ideas supported by scientific research among tree care professionals.

IAA's product surface spans membership subscriptions ($25 student/retiree to $190 combined IAA+ISA), ISA certification preparation courses (Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Utility Specialist, Tree Climber, Board Certified Master Arborist), the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) program, an Advanced Training Program with four specialized domains (Pest/Diagnosis & Management, Tree Worker, Tree Site & Selection, Urban Forestry), and the MATP/CATP municipal and commercial on-site training program priced at $2,000 per session. The underlying technology stack consists of an online Learning Management System (LMS) that delivers on-demand courses, recorded sessions, and CEU-bearing content, supplemented by a self-serve e-commerce platform and a Find an Arborist directory that connects ISA-certified professionals with Illinois residents.

The association monetizes through five primary streams: recurring membership dues (subscription), per-course training fees ($130-$775 depending on credential and member status), newsletter advertising in the quarterly Illinois Trees publication distributed to 3,000+ professionals ($52-$363 per insertion), ancillary merchandise sales shipped within the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and free job posting services. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: an annual conference and trade show, a summer conference in Normal, IL, and recurring ISA certification exams and workshops across more than 13 Illinois cities drive both membership acquisition and training enrollment. Strategic partnerships include ISA as the international credentialing body, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and USDA Forest Service Eastern Region as co-funders of the MATP/CATP training-the-trainers program, and the Norm Hall Scholarship Fund as a workforce-pipeline initiative.

Name

Illinois Arborist Association

Legal name

Illinois Arborist Association

Website

https://illinoisarborist.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Illinois Arborist Association is a nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1982, serving over 1,300 arborists, municipal foresters, and tree-care professionals in Illinois as one of ISA's largest state chapters. It delivers ISA certification preparation, continuing education through an online LMS and in-person workshops, the MATP/CATP enterprise training program, and the quarterly Illinois Trees newsletter.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Arborist Training & Certification Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Tree Care & Arborist Services (BPABADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arborist Consulting, Tree Risk Assessments & Appraisals (HSAIADAJ), Forestry, Arboriculture & Silviculture (EDAOAOAJ)

Keywords

• Arborist training
• ISA certification prep
• Urban forestry education
• Professional arboriculture
• Tree care membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Antioch

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees ranging from $25 (student/retiree) to $55 (individual) to $190 (combined IAA and ISA membership). Over 1,300 members generate recurring annual revenue.
2. Training and Certification Courses: ISA certification prep courses, TRAQ qualification courses, Advanced Training programs, and MATP/CATP municipal and commercial training. Fees vary from $130-$675 per course depending on membership status and course type.
3. Newsletter Advertising: Illinois Trees quarterly newsletter (distributed to 3,000+ professionals) sells advertising space with rates from $52 (business card, 4x) to $363 (full page, 1x). Commercial advertising limited to 25% of newsletter content.
4. Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling arborist supplies, merchandise, and IAA-branded products shipped to locations within the United States, U.S. territories, Canada, and Mexico.
5. Job Posting Services: Free job posting service for members to advertise employment opportunities in the arboriculture industry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Illinois Arborist Association is a nonprofit professional membership organization that delivers arborist training, ISA certification preparation, continuing education, networking events, and industry resources to professional arborists, urban foresters, and tree-care practitioners across Illinois. Founded in 1982, it serves more than 1,300 members and operates as the largest single state chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), with a complete professional pathway spanning entry-level technician training through Board Certified Master Arborist preparation.

Product overview

The Illinois Arborist Association operates as a membership-based professional organization offering a comprehensive suite of arboriculture training and certification services. The core product is the IAA Membership ($55/year), which provides access to the Learning Management System, professional recognition, industry resources, and networking opportunities. Supporting this are certification preparation courses including the Arborist Certification Prep Class (online 16-chapter course) and ISA exam prep courses for multiple credentials (Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Utility Specialist, Board Certified Master Arborist, and Tree Climber). The Advanced Training Program offers four specialized domains (PDM, TW, TSS, UF) for continuing education. The MATP/CATP program provides customizable on-site training for municipal and commercial arborists. Additional offerings include the Young Tree Training module and TRAQ certification course. The Illinois Trees Newsletter is published quarterly as a member benefit with advertising opportunities for commercial partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 800 arborists trained by Norm Hall alone, demonstrating significant training program reach
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAA serves as the Illinois state chapter of ISA, one of ISA's largest single state chapters. The partnership involves administering ISA certification exams, hosting ISA certification prep courses, providing ISA member discounts on exams and materials, and promoting ISA credentials (Certified Arborist, Board Certified Master Arborist, Certified Tree Climber, Municipal Specialist, Utility Specialist, Urban Forest Professional) throughout Illinois.
• Norm Hall Scholarship FundminorOthersMemorial fund honoring Norm Hall, former Lead Instructor who trained over 800 Illinois arborists. The scholarship supports training and education of future arborists in Illinois.
• Illinois Department of Natural ResourcescoreOthersFunding support for MATP/CATP training the trainers program provided by the Urban and Community Forestry Programs of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the USDA Forest Service Eastern Region. IDNR is also referenced in Young Tree Training program context.
• USDA Forest Service Eastern RegioncoreOthersJoint funding partner with Illinois Department of Natural Resources providing support for Urban and Community Forestry Programs and trainer development for MATP/CATP programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AmericanHort: AmericanHort is a national trade association serving the horticulture industry, including nursery and landscape professionals — an adjacent peer whose members overlap with IAA's nursery/landscape customer segment.
• International Society of Arboriculture (ISA): ISA is the parent credentialing body for the arboriculture profession and operates as a global nonprofit. IAA functions as one of its largest state chapters, making ISA the closest broad incumbent and direct strategic counterparty.

Direct peers

• Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA): TCIA is the leading national trade association for commercial tree care companies, offering accreditation, safety programs, and training. It is the most direct peer in the arboriculture professional association space, though with a commercial-operator focus versus IAA's individual-credentialing focus.
• Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA): SMA is a professional association focused on municipal arborists and urban forestry practitioners, directly serving one of IAA's primary customer segments (city foresters, urban forest professionals, municipal tree wardens).
• American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA): ASCA is a professional association for consulting arborists offering credentialing, ethics standards, and member education. It overlaps with IAA in serving ISA-certified professionals seeking advanced credentials and continuing education.

Regional players

• New England ISA Chapter: The New England Chapter of ISA is another large multi-state ISA chapter offering certification prep, training, and member networking — structurally analogous to IAA but serving a multi-state region.
• Ohio Chapter of ISA: The Ohio Chapter of ISA serves arborists across Ohio with certification prep, training, and member events, mirroring IAA's role as a single-state ISA chapter with a comparable mix of offerings.
• Pennsylvania-Delaware Chapter of ISA: A multi-state ISA chapter providing arborist certification prep, events, and member services across Pennsylvania and Delaware — a directly comparable regional ISA-affiliated association.
• California Arborists Association: California Arborists Association is a West Coast state-level professional association for arborists offering certification prep, events, and member services — directly comparable in scope and structure to IAA but operating in a different geography.

Emerging players

• Utility Arborist Association (UAA): UAA is a professional association focused on utility vegetation management arborists, overlapping with IAA's utility forester and vegetation manager customer segment and serving a niche within the broader arborist ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illinois-arborist-association
• Xx.com/iaawirrcom

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Illinois Arborist Association