Press, Talks and Recognition
This page collects the published places where O'Neil's Tree Service or Apollo O'Neil, our founder and an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, have been recognized, quoted or invited to teach. Each item links to the original source, so you can read it for yourself instead of taking our word for it.
Awards and Recognition
- Florida Chapter ISA, Loren Westenberger Award, 2014. Awarded to Apollo O’Neil. Listed on the chapter’s awards page.
- Florida Chapter ISA, President’s Award of Merit, 2017. Awarded to Apollo O’Neil at the Trees Florida 2017 luncheon in Palm Coast, announced in The Florida Arborist, Fall 2017.
- Florida Chapter ISA, President’s Award of Merit, 2019. Awarded to Carson Smith, our Chief Operations Officer, per the chapter’s awards page.
- Inc. 5000, 2019. O’Neil’s Tree Service was ranked No. 3463 on Inc. magazine’s 2019 list of fast-growing private companies, and No. 28 in Environmental Services, according to the press release.
- ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, 2018. Apollo’s certification was listed in the Certification Committee report of The Florida Arborist, Fall 2018.
Talks and Teaching
- Alabama Urban Forestry Association Annual Conference, October 2026. Apollo led two sessions in Orange Beach and Elberta, Alabama, one on starting a tree consultation the right way and one on redirecting harmful client requests in the field. See the conference agenda.
- Trees Florida 2019, Fort Lauderdale. Apollo and Carson Smith were among the Florida speakers, per The Florida Arborist, Summer 2019.
- Intro to Tree Climbing for Arborists workshop, 2019. Apollo and Carson were among the instructors at the first workshop, held in Plant City, per The Florida Arborist, Winter 2019.
Carson Smith also serves as President of the Florida Chapter ISA, and Apollo serves on the chapter’s Finance Committee, as listed on the chapter’s governance page.
Interviews
- Palm Harbor Local podcast, January 2024. “Roots to Treetops: Exploring the World of Tree Trimming and Pruning,” an interview with Apollo about how the company started and why we lead with education. Listen to the episode.
Supporting the Industry
O’Neil’s has sponsored the Florida Tree Climbing Championship, including as a platinum sponsor in 2019 per The Florida Arborist, Spring 2019, and our climbers have competed in it. Apollo has volunteered at the event, and he is listed with Phil Runyan and Rich Yarbrough on Pinellas County’s registered professional mangrove trimmers list.
Our Videos
We also teach on our own YouTube channel, with videos on pruning, tree risk assessment, tree preservation during construction, and how to tell what a tree needs. For written answers, browse our education library, and our arborists page lists our team’s credentials.
Press FAQ
Yes. Apollo O’Neil received the Florida Chapter ISA Loren Westenberger Award in 2014 and the President’s Award of Merit in 2017, Carson Smith received the President’s Award of Merit in 2019, and the company made the 2019 Inc. 5000 list.
Yes. He has spoken at Trees Florida and at the 2026 Alabama Urban Forestry Association conference, and he has taught climbing workshops for arborists.
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