JOSEPH ARMSTRONG
Building a Legacy, One Tree at a Time
story by JENNIFER BROWN CARPENTER photos by SUSAN DELOACH
For Beaufort native Joseph Armstrong, hard work has never just been about making a living. It is about building something lasting — for his family, for his community, and for the place he has always called home.
Joe was born and raised in the Lowcountry, when Beaufort was much smaller and mostly dirt roads. “We grew up running around, hunting, and fishing. We learned to live off the land, it’s just what we did. Everyone knew everyone back then.”
Joe’s father, Joe “Big Nate” Armstrong, introduced him to the sport of boxing. Through training and discipline, Joe went on to win many boxing championships and medals, including state, regional, and national championships and Junior Olympics.
After graduating from Beaufort High School, Joe immediately jumped into running his landscaping and tree service business. That was in 2001.
Joe’s grandfather was originally from St. Thomas, while his grandmother is a Beaufort native. After they got married, they traveled back and forth between the two places, and their love and dedication to the places they lived not only inspired Joe in his love for his home, but also the name of his business: Caribbean Tree Service. “My grandpa, everyone always called him ‘Caribbean’ and that just stood out to me. He was a wise man, and I was always going to him for advice. I knew I wanted to name the business after him.” Caribbean Tree Service officially launched on November 23, 2004.
Joe had worked for another landscaping company for a few years over the summers, and for Advanced Irrigation for several years as well. Those jobs prepared Joe for opening his own business. Not only that, but his daddy, Big Nate, taught him everything he knows about working with trees.
“The landscaping industry is an easy one to break into. Anybody with a truck, weed eater, and lawn mower can do landscaping. That is one reason I started doing the tree work. I wanted to provide something harder to come by.”
Joe has always had a passion for being outdoors and working in nature. “I think it started as I was growing up, being outside all the time. And then through sports at school. My family just loves being outdoors.”
“I like it when a person has a problem and I can help solve it,” Joe says. “Sometimes people have an idea of how to make their property more beautiful. They have a vision, but they just can’t see it or explain it. We can walk through and help them understand what’s possible, but even more than that, we can explain what’s safe, what will provide the best views, what will keep the house cool during the long summer months, and what is the most beautiful option. We’re helping build people’s dreams one-by-one, house by house, lot by lot.”
Many times people can get scared when storms are coming in, worried about what trees on their property might be a liability. Caribbean Tree Service is there, not just to cut down your trees and take your money, but to let you know if you actually have anything to be worried about. “We want to provide knowledge, that is what makes us feel good. We want to help assist and solve problems.”
Beaufort is growing rapidly, and Joe wants Caribbean Tree Service to continue to be part of that history. One way they do that is by providing that knowledge and insight, and preserving the beauty and history of the Lowcountry.
Today, the company handles everything from tree removal and storm cleanup to demolition work, lot clearing, dirt pads, property levelling, ditch digging, driveway installation, septic tank preparation and installation, and site work for new construction projects. “We do a lot of work on Habersham. Some of those trees are so tall, you have to climb up them to take them down.”
“I’m not building houses, but I’m there at the start of the foundation, which really is the heart of the house. I love that. I love getting to ride around Beaufort with my 4-year-old son and show him the houses that we have been a part of. It feels good to take part in the growth and change of Beaufort.”
There are 13 employees at Caribbean Tree Service. “I am the main owner, but this is a family affair. My two brothers work for me, my uncle, my nephew, a couple of cousins, and classmates, all working this business.” Joe says that his grandparents passed down the ideals of being family-focused. “We are a big family, and we were raised to be together and enjoy time together.” Joe laughs, “We can disagree, we can argue, we can get on each other’s nerves, but at the end of the day, or maybe the end of the week, it is all love. We work it out and we are respectful of each other. That is what family does.”
Something else that Joe wants to preserve in the Lowcountry is the sense of community. “I want the younger generation to know how to work, how to be responsible to each other, how to support one another, and grow as family members. You don’t have to be in the same family to be a family.”
One of Joe’s uncles is a retired Master Carpenter. Now that he is working for Caribbean Tree Service, he can use his skills not only for the work that they offer, but also for any odd jobs he can handle while on a job, such as fence repairs. “We can see the experience he got from my Granddaddy being played out on the job site. We have contractors on standby, but it is cool to be able to handle things like that on our own.”
“I don’t think that when my granddaddy came here and met my grandmother, he could have imagined this legacy. The loyalty, the trust, and the bond that we have are a blessing. It is amazing. We are doing this work as a unit. The saying, ‘It takes a village to raise a child,’ that’s what we’re doing. We’re doing this work as a village.”
It is important to Joe that not only are they sharing that loyalty, love, and trust within their family and their company, but that those things are directly shared with the customer as well. “We want them to feel like they are family, that we are taking care of them just as carefully as we would our own family members. And they can talk to anyone who works at Caribbean Tree Service. They do not have to just talk to me.”
Joe’s absolute favorite aspect of his business is the relationships that are built through it. “We get to talking about the old days, and we don’t stop talking, we bond over our love for the Lowcountry. Especially those of us who lived in Beaufort when Beaufort was small.” Joe laughs, “My daughter gets so upset about going anywhere with me. Even if we’re just running in Walmart or the gas station. We could be in there for hours because I end up talking to people. She is a homebody, and she says I want to smile at and talk to everybody. I’m trying to teach her that that is the Southern way.” Networking is the key. “I have to sell myself, because at the end of the day, I am the business. You won’t be getting an automatic line if you call Caribbean Tree Service. You’ll be talking to a person, and I’ll be happy to put a name to the voice and a picture to the voice and name.”
Joe’s granddaddy and dad taught him so much and one of the main things was being a man of his word. He taught him to put the Lord first, pray for health and strength, and be respectful. “Granddaddy and Daddy taught us to do what you say you’re going to do — to have good character, to build relationships, and to invest in long-term goals.” All of these things are what keep Caribbean Tree Service working to keep the Lowcountry beautiful and thriving for many generations to come. Joe has been married for 19 years and has 4 children that he is raising to love the Lowcountry, and teaching them to believe, like his granddaddy before him, that there are no bad days, only blessed ones.
“I thank God for all His blessings, for the people and family members he placed in my life, and for being my Lord and Savior.”
