Tree Care Pros
A towering oak leaning too close to a house has a way of keeping homeowners awake at night, and a storm-split maple across a driveway can turn a quiet morning into a crisis. In northern Indiana, where wind and ice can reshape a yard overnight, tree care is rarely just about how a yard looks. More often, it is about protecting the home beside it.
For Jim Lea, owner and operator of LumberJack Jim Tree Service, it has also been a lifelong calling.
“To get through college, I planted trees in Canada,” he says. “It paid my tuition.”
What began as summer work soon turned into a broader forestry experience. Canadian lumber companies are required not only to replant forests but to maintain them.
“In maintaining the new forest, we did brushing and thinning, which consisted of cutting down the competition trees and making sure the planted evergreens would survive,” he adds.
That early work shaped his understanding of how forests thrive. After earning a degree from Grace College and working in graphic design, he decided he wanted to build something of his own — outdoors, working with his hands. In 2005, LumberJack Jim Tree Service was born, though the early days required patience.
“It was hard because I was building a business part time on the weekend. I kept my regular day job,” he says.
Equipment was rented at first, since tree service equipment is expensive, and growth came steadily rather than overnight.
Today, the company operates with a full-time employee, AJ Hostetler, along with part-time help from Moises Andrade, Jim Robinson, his son Tomas, and his son-in-law Mitchell Ashenfelter. His wife, Amy, joined the business in 2019 and handles the bookkeeping and paperwork, while his three daughters, Natasha, Jenna and Makayla, lend a hand from time to time, reflecting the family spirit that still shapes the company.
Over the years, services have expanded beyond residential trimming and removals to include commercial tree work. Storm-damage cleanup was, and continues to be, an essential part of the work, as Indiana’s weather regularly leaves homeowners needing immediate help.
Recently, the company stepped into licensed timber buying in Indiana, focusing primarily on black walnut and white oak. Rather than clear-cutting properties, they practice selective logging because Jim understands that thoughtful forestry practices benefit the entire landscape.
“It’s healthy for the forest to remove some of the mature trees,” Jim says. Selective logging allows smaller trees to thrive, a perspective that reflects his roots in forestry rather than simple removal.
Tree trimming and removal remain core services of the business. Stump grinding, lot clearing, emergency response and insurance work round out the list, and every job begins the same way — with an in-person visit.
“In most cases, to give an accurate estimate, we need to go on site to identify any hazards and determine how to get the bucket trucks and equipment in,” he says.
Safety is central to the work. Crews wear helmets and harnesses while working high in the canopy, and equipment is carefully maintained. When power lines are involved, the local power company trims and sleeves the lines before any cutting begins, reflecting the careful process required for safe tree work.
“One tree at a time and one branch at a time,” Jim says.
That steady approach has earned the company something many contractors never experience: zero insurance claims on record.
Reviews echo the same themes. One customer noted that a large removal was completed in 3 days despite a rain delay, with excellent cleanup.
Another appreciated the care taken to avoid damaging the lawn. Others described the work as thorough and highly recommended, with responsiveness and communication appearing again and again.
“Usually our clients prefer their tree work to be completed quickly, especially in the case of storm damage,” Jim says. “We try to accommodate and be as efficient and responsive as possible.”
Storm-damage calls often arrive when homeowners feel overwhelmed, and Jim advises clients to document the damage with photos before work begins. If a tree has fallen onto a roof, the crew removes it and can tarp exposed areas to prevent further rain damage while other contractors are scheduled.
Jim’s experience also shapes his advice on tree health. If a tree has lost more than 30% of its canopy, it may be beyond recovery, and protecting a home sometimes means making difficult decisions.
“For many homeowners, their biggest investment is their house and their property,” he says. “Protecting that investment is essential.”
Still, removal is not always the first recommendation. Proper trimming strengthens trees and prevents future hazards, selective thinning improves forest health, and education accompanies every estimate so property owners understand their options.
The business also salvages good-quality wood that it removes through LumberJack Jim Hardwoods. Logs are milled and kiln-dried to remove moisture before being sold as hardwood lumber. Dining room tables and countertops have been crafted from trees that once shaded local yards, while firewood is also produced as part of what Jim describes as a thoughtful, full-circle approach.
As the company looks ahead, growth continues. Timber buying and kiln-dried hardwood sales represent expanding opportunities, yet the core of the business remains local service.
“The LumberJack Jim team strives to honor God through their tree work while serving our community,” Jim says. “Serving locally also keeps us closer to home and family.”
That philosophy is reflected even on the company’s shirts, which display a favorite verse that guides the way the team approaches its work: Colossians 3:23-24. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”
When asked what he hopes clients experience after working with his crew, Jim answers simply that he wants them to feel satisfied that their needs were met and that good tree care solutions were provided.
In the Lakes West region, where trees define the landscape and often protect the shoreline, that steady presence matters. Storms will come, trees will age, and homes will need safeguarding, and it helps to know someone nearby understands both the science of the forest and the value of the property beneath it.
LumberJack Jim Tree Service is located at 653 E 250 N in Warsaw. For more information, call 574-371-6536 or email them at lumberjackjimtreeservice@gmail.com. You can also visit them online at lumberjackjimtreeservice.com.
