Cohen & Master Tree and Shrub Services

What Cohen & Master Tree and Shrub Services does

Cohen & Master Tree and Shrub Services Ltd. is a privately held, full-service arborist company headquartered in Thornhill, Ontario, serving the Greater Toronto Area (Toronto, Markham, Vaughan, Oakville, Mississauga, Richmond Hill). Founded in 2002 by Tait Sala and Tomas Cohen as a two-person operation and grown to 50+ staff and crew, the company delivers science-based tree care to residential, commercial/institutional, municipal, and professional services clients (including law firms, engineers, and landscape architects). Its service portfolio spans consulting, plant health care, tree planting, soil care, pruning and maintenance, cabling and supports, removals, and wood chip/mulch delivery, supported by named enterprise accounts such as the University of Toronto, York Region, Sunnybrook, EllisDon, Oxford Properties, and several architecture firms.

Technically, the company operates with advanced diagnostic capabilities uncommon to typical arborist services: sonic tomography for non-invasive internal trunk assessment, resistance drilling (1.5mm needle) for residual wall-thickness measurement, air spade pneumatic soil remediation, and soil aeration tubes. It also developed Arborgain™/ArborGain™, a proprietary soil conditioner and biostimulant formulated from humates, kelp, and beneficial microbes, aimed at urban soil challenges. The consulting department is staffed by ISA-certified arborists (including several TRAQ-qualified), with senior consultants such as Ian Bruce (50+ years of industry experience) supporting arborist reports, tree preservation plans, risk assessments, and expert witness services.

The business model is professional services, quote-based following free, no-obligation on-site inspections, with a mix of one-time engagements and recurring maintenance contracts for commercial and municipal clients. Distribution is direct, field-based sales delivered by certified arborists without intermediaries. Go-to-market combines no-pressure residential inspections with a dedicated enterprise field-sales motion targeting developers, architects, institutions, municipalities, and professional services. The company is privately held by its founding partners, has remained independent with no disclosed institutional capital, and integrates the 2021-acquired Bruce Tree Expert Care as a retained consulting brand.

Name

Cohen & Master Tree and Shrub Services

Legal name

Cohen & Master Tree and Shrub Services Ltd.

Website

https://cmtrees.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cohen & Master Tree and Shrub Services Ltd. is a privately held, full-service arborist firm headquartered in Thornhill, Ontario, serving residential, commercial, municipal, and professional services clients across the Greater Toronto Area with consulting, plant health care, and advanced diagnostic tree care services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arborist and Tree Care Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (115310)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSAIADAD

Tree Health Care (Diagnosis, Treatment, Fertilization)

Home & Personal Services/Landscaping, Lawn Care & Outdoor Maintenance/Tree Care & Arborist Services

SECONDARYHSAIADAJ

Arborist Consulting, Tree Risk Assessments & Appraisals

Home & Personal Services/Landscaping, Lawn Care & Outdoor Maintenance/Tree Care & Arborist Services

SECONDARYHSAIADAB

Tree Removal & Dismantling

Home & Personal Services/Landscaping, Lawn Care & Outdoor Maintenance/Tree Care & Arborist Services

Keywords

• Arborist services
• Tree care
• Tree consulting
• Plant health care
• Urban forestry

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tree Care Services: Service-based revenue from arborist services including consulting, pruning, removals, planting, plant health care, soil care, and cabling. Mix of one-time services and recurring maintenance contracts for commercial/municipal clients.
2. Wood Chip/Mulch Sales: Free wood chip and mulch delivery service (minimum 15 cubic yards) for trees, garden beds, pathways, trails, playgrounds. Revenue through service delivery rather than product charge.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cohen & Master is a full-service arborist company that provides tree care and urban forestry services to residential, commercial, institutional, and municipal customers across the Greater Toronto Area. Offerings include consulting, plant health care, tree planting, soil care, pruning and maintenance, cabling and supports, removals, and free wood chip and mulch delivery. The firm deploys advanced diagnostic tools (sonic tomography, resistance drilling, air spade) and a proprietary soil conditioner (Arborgain).

Product overview

Cohen & Master Tree and Shrub Services is a full-service arborist company offering a comprehensive suite of tree care services across the Greater Toronto Area. The company operates as a unified service offering with distinct departments including Consulting Services, Plant Health Care, Tree Planting, Soil Care, Tree Pruning & Maintenance, Cabling & Supports, Tree Removals, and Free Wood Chip & Mulch. Key proprietary offerings include Arborgain (a proprietary soil conditioner and biostimulant), and advanced diagnostic services such as Sonic Tomography and Resi-Drilling. The company employs ISA-certified arborists and serves residential, commercial, and municipal customers, combining science-based approaches with hands-on tree care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Arborgain™: Proprietary soil conditioner and biostimulant product developed by the Cohen & Master team to address challenges plants face in urban soils. Formulated from humates, kelp, and beneficial microbes.

Products and services

• Consulting Services ISA-certified arborist consulting for residential, commercial, institutional, and municipal clients, covering tree by-law navigation, permit assistance, construction planning, tree preservation, tree risk assessments, sonic tomograph and resi-drill analysis, and expert reports.
• Plant Health Care Comprehensive plant healthcare services combining Arborgain (proprietary soil conditioner and biostimulant), mycorrhizae treatments, biochar soil amendments, deep root fertilizing, and pest and disease protection treatments.
• Tree Planting Tree planting services including ball and burlap planting, transplanting, earth anchors, and invisible tree support systems, supported by soil amendments, mulching, and staking.
• Soil Care Soil remediation and care services including pneumatic de-compaction, soil aeration tubes for gas exchange and water delivery, and custom compost applications.
• Tree Pruning & Maintenance Pruning and maintenance services including structure pruning, retrenchment pruning, ornamental aesthetic shaping, safety pruning, and ornamental hedge maintenance.
• Cabling & Supports Tree support services including cable installation for weak unions, bracing bolts for crack repair, canopy propping, and custom support systems for limb preservation.
• Tree Removals Tree removal services including emergency response, crane-assisted removals, permit acquisition, and stump grinding, available across all locations.
• Free Wood Chips & Mulch Delivery Free delivery of clean organic wood chip and mulch (from chipped tree material) to gardens, pathways, trails, and soil-improvement projects across the GTA (minimum 15 cubic yards).
• ArborGain (Arborgain) Soil Conditioner Proprietary soil conditioner and biostimulant developed by Cohen & Master, formulated from humates, kelp, and beneficial microbes to promote healthier foliage, stronger root development, and heightened drought resistance in urban soils; applied as part of the firm's plant health care service.
• Sonic Tomography Diagnostic Inspection Ultrasound-like diagnostic inspection that uses sensors placed around a trunk or branch to detect internal rot, cavities, and cracks, providing a digital readout of the percentage of sound stable wood remaining to guide support and risk decisions.
• Resi-Drilling (Resistance Drilling) Diagnostic Inspection Resistance drilling service that uses a 1.5mm drilling needle to measure drilling resistance and feed speed in real time, producing readings of residual holding wall thickness in branches, trunks, or anchor roots to identify decay and physical defects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving over 10,000 residential customers throughout the GTA
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Bruce Tree Expert Care / Ian BrucecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2021, Cohen & Master welcomed Ian Bruce and Bruce Tree Expert Care to their team. Ian Bruce is one of the foremost arborists in North America and has helped shape the arboriculture industry through program development and innovative practices. The acquisition brought expertise and legacy that enhances Cohen & Master's service offerings.
• ISA (International Society of Arboriculture)coreOthersCompany employees hold ISA certifications. ISA is the governing body for arborist certification. Several team members are ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified (TRAQ).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Asplundh Tree Expert Company: One of the largest North American vegetation management and tree care companies, with utility line clearance as a major revenue stream alongside commercial and residential arborist services. Comparable in service breadth but operates at materially larger scale.
• SavATree: Multi-region U.S. tree, shrub, and lawn care company with full suite of arborist services including plant health care, pruning, removals and consulting. Comparable business model and service mix to Cohen & Master's residential-and-commercial service portfolio.
• Wright Tree Service: Large U.S.-headquartered tree care and vegetation management provider offering pruning, removals, and right-of-way services. Comparable in core arborist service offerings and enterprise/municipal contract mix.
• Davey Tree Expert Company: Largest North American employee-owned arborist services firm with residential, commercial, municipal and utility line-clearance operations across the U.S. and Canada. Broad incumbent offering the same core service categories (pruning, removals, PHC, consulting) at far greater scale.
• Bartlett Tree Experts: Major U.S. and Canada-wide arborist services franchise with scientific tree care, plant health care, and consulting offerings. Comparable across residential and commercial/institutional segments, including advanced diagnostics and ISA-certified staff.

Direct peers

• Tree and Ravine Inc. Toronto-area arborist firm focused on tree and site management, preservation, and urban forestry. Cited in Cohen & Master data as the prior employer of senior consulting arborist Sebastian Bravo, evidencing direct overlap in GTA urban forestry work.
• Bruce Tree Expert Care: Ontario-based arborist firm specializing in consulting and tree care, now integrated into Cohen & Master via the 2021 acquisition. Operated as a direct comparable in GTA consulting arboriculture prior to the deal.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cm_trees
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/cohenandmaster
• Facebookfacebook.com/cohenandmaster
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cohen-and-master-tree-and-shrub-services
• Instagraminstagram.com/cmtrees

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Cohen & Master Tree and Shrub Services