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SAULT STE. MARIE - The Crane family leads busy lives. Richard works full time for Cloverland Electric Cooperative in Dafter, Mich., as a journeyman lineman; his wife, Marquita, attends Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, as a full-time student working towards a degree in early childhood development; and their three sons are active in several athletic programs on top of attending elementary school.
Not satisfied with that schedule, the family has recently taken on the additional duties of starting their own family business, E.U.P. Tree and Stump Removal.
Based out of their home on 5 1/4 Mile Road in Sault Ste. Marie, Richard Crane builds on the experience he has developed as an arborist from working at Cloverland for over 10 years. An arborist is a trained worker who climbs a tree from bottom to top, cutting pieces down with a chain saw. In this manner, a tree can be downed gradually, which is a safer method when there are any buildings near by. Crane learned his trade from chopping up trees that had downed power lines after big storms.
Marquita Crane handles the advertising, billing, and scheduling of jobs. She also works as clean up crew along with the couple's three sons, Richie, 9, Derek, 8, and Cyle, 6.
The three boys are part of the reason that Richard and Marquita Crane started their own business. "Richard wanted to get the boys involved in the job so that he would have something to give them when they are old enough," she explained.
Richard Crane started helping friends out last summer and then decided to make a business of it. He has the equipment to handle most jobs - a stump grinder, brush chipper and dump trailer - and will soon be purchasing a bucket truck to handle bigger jobs. At this point, he works at his new business evenings and weekends after completing a full day at Cloverland.
Marquita Crane said her husband has been wanting to have his own business for some time and this seemed a good place to start, although he does have higher ambitions. "Eventually he would like to build on it and expand into doing more with it. With the purchase of the bucket truck, he will be able to take on bigger jobs and eventually become an electrical contractor," she said.
The couple has been married for 10 years. Marquita Crane is the youngest daughter of Dee and Robert Bowen of Bay Mills, Mich., where she was born and raised. She graduated from Brimley High School.
Richard Crane's father was a Michigan State trooper and the family moved often but considers Sault Ste. Marie their home. Richard is a graduate of Sault High. Following graduation he spent time in the U.S. Army, took an apprenticeship program from Alpena Community College to become a lineman, started as an apprentice at Cloverland over 10 years ago, then worked his way up to his current journeyman status.
E.U.P. Tree and Stump Removal offer the following services: stump grinding, lot clearing, removal of dangerous trees, and hauling the resulting mess away. Call 906-632-5438 for a free estimate.
