We Weren't Handed a Business. We Built One.

Born Into the Trade. Built From Scratch.

Michael Ripke was born into the tree business. His father owned a tree service, and from a young age Michael spent his weekends and afternoons after school working alongside him — climbing trees, cutting, rigging, working around equipment, and learning what it takes to safely handle difficult tree work. Tree work was in his DNA.

He didn't take the trucks. He didn't take the equipment. He didn't take the customers.

He took the knowledge and experience he had earned through years of hard work.

Ultimate Cut started with a car, some climbing gear, and a determination to make it work. There was no fleet of trucks. No large equipment lineup. No established customer base. When a job required equipment we didn't own, we rented it. When we didn't have a way to haul brush, we'd stack it neatly at the curb.

When it came to finding work, we didn't go after the easy jobs. We went after the big, nasty trees that other people didn't want to touch. The difficult removals. The complicated jobs. The trees that required extra work, extra planning, and a willingness to get it done when others would pass.

Sometimes the goal wasn't even to make a huge profit. The goal was to get our foot in the door, do an incredible job, earn the customer's trust, and hopefully earn the next opportunity. One job became another. One customer became a referral. The company kept reinvesting. The equipment grew. The crews grew. And Ultimate Cut kept moving forward.

Today, Ultimate Cut Tree Service is a fully equipped professional tree service with bucket trucks, chippers, stump grinders, and the equipment needed to handle serious tree work. We now serve hundreds of customers every month throughout Midland and surrounding Mid-Michigan communities.

But despite how much the company has grown, the foundation hasn't changed. We still believe in showing up, doing the job right, taking care of the customer, and earning the next opportunity. Everything we have today came from hard work, determination, and years of learning the trade. Michael may have been born into the tree business — but Ultimate Cut was built from the ground up.