Meet John Kugler.
Owner-operator, neighbor, and the steady hand behind 1 American Tree Service for the better part of three decades.
I work the way this part of the country works.
Born and raised in central North Dakota. Over 30 years of cutting experience, on saws and up in trees, on saws, behind chippers, and at kitchen tables figuring out what folks actually need done.
I started this business because I wanted to do tree work the way I’d want it done at my own place: show up when I say I will, do the job right, clean up after myself, and charge a fair price for honest work. No middlemen. No surprise invoices in the mail two weeks later.
For 20-some years, most of my work came in through word of mouth and the local paper. The world’s changed and the paper doesn’t ring the phone like it used to, so I’m putting out a sign on the internet, too. But the work itself? Same as it ever was. One man, one truck, one phone number. You call, I answer, and we figure it out together.
Twenty-five years of showing up.
John has been cutting trees and timber for over 30 years. His customers are mostly homeowners 35 and over, plant workers from the energy plants and mines, small-town families across McLean, Mercer, and Oliver counties, in-town residents of Washburn, Underwood, Garrison, Hazen and Beulah, and the occasional Bismarck homeowner who’s tired of waiting three weeks for the bigger outfits to call back.
Most of the trees John takes down were planted in the late 1930s, small towns growing, federal shelter-belt programs, and the post-Depression wave of homestead landscaping. That whole cohort is reaching the end of its natural life all at once. Diseased, hollow, leaning, dropping limbs. John’s been clearing them for decades and there’s a lot of work still left to do.
1 American Tree Service was formalized as an LLC in 2026, partly to bid on larger municipal and commercial work, partly to give John’s customers a more professional experience. The work, the man, and the standards behind it haven’t changed.
What John believes
Most people don’t think about their trees until something goes wrong. By then, a small problem has become a big one. John’s approach is straightforward: tell you what’s actually wrong, what you can leave alone, and what really needs to come down, at a price that reflects the work, not what the market will bear.
He turns down jobs he isn’t equipped for, refers them to outfits he trusts, and only takes on what he can deliver on time. That’s why his calendar fills up by word-of-mouth in a state where everybody knows everybody.
The four standards every job runs on.
If we can’t promise these, we don’t take the job.
Show up
When John says Tuesday at 9, he’s there Tuesday at 9. If something changes, you get a phone call, not silence.
Quote it fair
Estimates are free, on-site, and locked in writing. No surprise charges. No “while we’re here” upsells.
Work it safe
Equipped to do the job without putting your property, or anyone else, at risk.
Leave it clean
Brush hauled, chips spread or removed, stumps ground, yard raked. You shouldn’t be able to tell where we worked.
Fully equipped, fully maintained.
Everything needed to handle a yard pruning or a full lot-clear is owned outright and kept in working order, no rental delays, no missing-piece surprises.
Climbing & saw kit
Full arborist saddle, ropes, rigging, and a full set of professional chainsaws kept sharp and serviced.
Truck & trailer
Dedicated work truck and dump trailer for hauling brush, chips, and logs off-site at the end of every job.
Chipper
Commercial-grade brush chipper for fast cleanup. Chips can be left on-site as mulch or hauled away.
Stump grinder
Self-propelled grinder capable of stumps up to 30"+. Grinds 6–8" below grade for replanting or mowing.
Safety PPE
Helmet with face shield, chainsaw chaps, hearing protection, gloves, harnesses, used on every job, no exceptions.
Anywhere within an hour-and-a-half drive of Washburn.
Most outfits in Bismarck won’t drive past city limits without a premium. John works rural North Dakota every week, it’s the heart of the business.
Ready to talk about your trees?
Pick up the phone or shoot an email. John handles every call personally and will get back to you the same day, usually within a couple of hours.