For Immediate Release

Contact: Corporate Communications

708 Blair Mill Road, Willow Grove, PA 19090

Phone 800-248-8733 / Fax 215-784-4405

www.asplundh.com

Date: December 14, 2007

Asplundh Tree Crews Respond to Midwest Ice Storm

Willow Grove, PA—In response to a late autumn ice storm that started this past Sunday, Asplundh Tree Expert Co. has mobilized an additional 1,956 tree workers to clear tree debris from ice-laden power lines in parts of Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. Asplundh employees from 12 states are assisting hundreds of local Asplundh crews in storm restoration work for the following electric utility companies: AEP/PSO, Westar Energy, Empire District Electric, Aquila-Utilicorp United, Oklahoma Gas & Electric and Oklahoma Electric Cooperative.

The company’s tree workers have traveled many miles and are working long hours to clear toppled trees and broken limbs from the power lines. At the height of the storm, more than one million customers reportedly lost service. The majority of Asplundh crews are working in central and eastern Oklahoma and Kansas, as well as parts of western Missouri, where the ice built up over a two-day period

“Everyone at Asplundh understands the urgent need to help utilities restore electricity after this unusual storm. We know there will be long hours and cold, wet conditions, but we cannot compromise the safety and welfare of our employees, as well as the thousands of people affected by this storm,” said Company President Scott Asplundh. “We want to reassure folks that we will work closely with their local utilities to safely clear the tree debris so power can be restored. I also want to thank our employees’ families for supporting their loved ones on duty and I applaud the cooperation of the more than 25 utilities who released our crews to do this work in the first place.”

Clearing tree debris is just one of the important steps in getting life back to normal for those communities affected by the ice storm. Personal and public safety must continue to be a major concern. Asplundh’s corporate and regional safety supervisors are conducting daily safety briefings with employees to remind them of the hazards posed by broken trees and downed power lines.

Asplundh Tree Expert Co. is a family-owned and managed vegetation management company headquartered just outside of Philadelphia in Willow Grove, PA. It primarily provides services to utilities and municipalities. The Asplundh family of companies employs approximately 28,000 men and women throughout the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

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