No Off-the-Shelf Solution Existed
So We Built One.
How Susco delivered a modern dispatch, field, and estimating system for the nation’s largest emergency tree removal network – without disrupting the team that runs it.
The missing piece for arborists, adjusters, and homeowners.
Timber Warriors is the largest emergency tree removal network in the country, providing insurance companies, municipalities, and government agencies with thousands of safe and knowledgeable first responders to all tree-related emergencies across the United States. They specialize in delivering comprehensive emergency tree services — including tree removal, temporary roof tarp, and board-up — in the wake of severe weather events or any situation where an insurance claim is involved.
Their President and CEO is a second-generation arborist who understands both the craft and the complexity of running a small business in the insurance ecosystem. Recognizing critical gaps between arborists, adjusters, and homeowners, Timber Warriors was built to be the connective tissue that allows all three to work cohesively — streamlining claims, reducing fraud exposure, and ensuring homeowners receive the right services within their policy limits.
Who they serve
Insurance carriers, municipalities, government agencies, and homeowners requiring emergency tree services tied to insurance claims.
What they do
Emergency tree removal, temporary roof tarp, and board-up services following severe weather events and daily insurance claim occurrences.
Their edge
A nationwide network of vetted, licensed arborists dispatched with speed and precision — bridging the gap between contractors, adjusters, and policyholders.
Their mission
To be the missing piece that allows arborists, insurance adjusters, and homeowners to operate cohesively — eliminating fraud, inefficiency, and miscommunication.
No capacity to upgrade
Known improvements sat on the backlog for years with no internal development resources to move them forward.
No off-the-shelf fit
Managing in-house staff and external field crews within an insurance workflow is a combination no commercial platform handles.
Risk of disruption
Any solution had to preserve existing workflows. A full platform replacement meant retraining, downtime, and risk the business couldn't absorb.
Expertise, credibility, and transparency from day one
After evaluating their options, Timber Warriors chose Susco based on proven industry knowledge, trusted referrals, and a refreshingly clear approach to scoping and cost.
Industry expertise
Susco's existing work with Verisk gave Timber Warriors confidence they understood the insurance ecosystem — not just the technology.
Trusted references
Direct referrals from the Verisk team provided third-party validation of Susco's capabilities before a single conversation began.
Transparent expectations
Susco communicated realistic timelines and costs upfront. No surprises, no overpromising — that honesty was the deciding factor.
A hybrid model built around Timber Warriors’ DNA — not against it.
Rather than replacing their existing system, Susco retained the CMS foundation Timber Warriors’ team already knew and built the modern capabilities they’d been missing on top of it. This minimized training disruption while delivering meaningful operational improvements.
A key differentiator was Susco’s support of a hybrid development model — enabling Timber Warriors’ internal team to contribute where they had capacity, while Susco led the more complex components. This kept costs controlled without sacrificing quality or cohesion.
🔗 Integrated CMS enhancement
Built on top of their existing platform, adding capabilities without requiring a full system migration or rebuilding what already worked.
🚒 In-house and field crew management
Enabled Timber Warriors to manage internal operations and dispatch to their nationwide arborist network within a single, unified system.
🔄 Hybrid development collaboration
Susco structured the project to leverage Timber Warriors' internal capacity where possible — reducing cost while maintaining seamless milestone handoffs.
📋 Backlog feature delivery
Long-standing improvements deferred for years were finally scoped, prioritized, and shipped.
VCA — Dispatch and admin platform
- Automatic staging location updates based on last known crew location
- Crew dispatch with map-based search by equipment type, crew rating, and distance
- Drag-and-drop queue reordering directly from the map screen
- Automatic homeowner notifications (text, email, robocall) triggered by job status changes
- Photo Sheet PDF generation tied to the homeowner and claim record
- Automated payable bill generation emailed to members with click-tracking
- Role-based field and page visibility for Insurance Carrier and Adjuster roles
- Multiple Work Authorization document templates with auto-selection by insurance company
Member app — field contractor application
- View assigned jobs with clock-in/out and geolocation logging
- Submit ETAs with real-time status updates back to dispatch
- Photo uploads organized into 8 labeled buckets (Before, During, Debris Before/After, After, Tarp, Equipment, Crane)
- Structured tree/limb detail forms capturing diameter, height, hazards, and structure involvement
- Claim Matrix Form auto-populated from previously entered job data
- In-app messaging directly tied to the job record
Tree calculator — estimating intelligence
- Historical job matching by geography, job type, and tree characteristics
- Crew size, equipment, and man-hour predictions with statistical confidence ranges (low/median/high)
- Similar jobs grid ranked by percent match for estimator review
The work the software supports.
Every dispatch, photo bucket, and estimate in the platform traces back to crews doing this – in the field, in any weather.
Significant efficiency gains, minimal disruption.
Since partnering with Susco, Timber Warriors achieved the modern capabilities they needed while keeping their team’s learning curve to a minimum.
Significant efficiency gains across internal claim handling processes, with the team able to do more with the same headcount.
Minimal training impact achieved by preserving core CMS functionality while layering in new modern capabilities.
Long-backlogged improvements finally delivered — giving the operations team tools they'd been waiting for.
Positive stakeholder reception from the operations team, with feedback reflecting improved day-to-day usability.
Controlled development costs through the hybrid model, allowing Timber Warriors' internal developers to stay actively involved.
A scalable foundation in place, with a continued roadmap of enhancements planned for both internal efficiency and external customers.
We knew what we needed — we just needed a partner to help us get there. Susco intentionally structured the project so our internal team contributed where we had capacity, yet remained integrated into the overall build, positioning them to seamlessly accept each milestone handoff.
In one word, Elaine described the partnership as:
Susco's custom development approach isn't just about writing code — it's about understanding a business's unique DNA and becoming a true extension of their team. For Timber Warriors, that meant a partner who listened first, scoped realistically, and delivered incrementally without upending what was already working. With a robust roadmap still ahead, Timber Warriors and Susco are just getting started.
“It’s essential to partner with a company that understands your unique DNA and is committed to listening, collaborating, and supporting you — not just at the finish line, but at every milestone along the way.”
— Elaine Elliot, AVP of Business Development