A Success Story: Rayon Watson, New England Christmas Tree Services, North Springfield
Rayon Watson’s business began with a fundamental observation: farmers are busy, tending to the work that never ends. Recognizing that he could help increase farmers’ capacity by lending a hand with routine maintenance and management, Rayon Watson launched New England Christmas Tree Services from his home in North Springfield. Two years after startup, Rayon received a loan to hire employees so that he could expand his business.
Now in its fourth year, Rayon’s company assists commercial Christmas tree growers in Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire with the planting, pruning, mowing, shearing, harvesting, cutting, and tidying of fields and land. He describes his work as “easing the workload for the farmers. Most of the tree farmers have been doing this for 30 or 40 years. It’s hard to find help for farming; I built a team to aid tree farmers with a wide variety of farm and field work.”
A graduate of Vermont Technical College, Rayon says he has found the “perfect situation.” “Dealing with these trees is like art for me. Working outdoors is something I enjoy doing.” In 2021, Rayon and his team completed work on 13 farms in the region, tending up to 4,500 trees in one location.
In the years to come, Rayon looks forward to strengthening existing relationships, building new connections, and continuing to grow with the help of Community Capital. “This loan is very important because I couldn’t expand on my own. I wasn’t sure if I would qualify for any funding because the business was brand new. Community Capital gave me the support and confidence I needed to hire employees. Thank you, Community Capital, for allowing me to get a loan.”