When he realised, somewhat shakily, that he was not only alive but also unhurt, his thoughts instantly turned from his near brush with death to the survival of his business. 

“I was running my own gardening business, Garden Matters, at the time. I was working on a project when a client asked whether I could cut a few branches off one of his trees. I looked at it, full of enthusiasm and naivety, and said 'yes'. 

“I had no harness and no specialist equipment. I just got out a chainsaw, climbed the tree and started lopping branches off. Unfortunately, there was a power line just six feet away and I felled a branch straight onto the line, setting off a spectacular explosion and plunging half of St Mary into darkness. 

“I had never seen electricity behave like that before. The three lines welded together with the heat and there was lightning everywhere. I was convinced that the lightning was going to travel across the branch and kill me.” 

Coming back down to earth again, Joel began to panic about the implications of his well-intentioned but misguided attempt to help. 

“I phoned a tree surgeon I knew who worked for Jersey Electricity and, in a complete state of panic, I phoned him and explained what had happened. I was convinced that I would end up in court and would lose my business, my customers and everything I’d created,” he said. 

“However, on that beautiful sunny day, when there wasn’t a breath of wind, he looked at me and said: ‘Looks like we’ve got some storm damage.’ He then finished the job and arranged for the power line to be fixed. 

Always keen to develop his skills, Joel spent a year saving the necessary £5,000 to attend a course at Merrist Wood College in Surrey. 

“I was amazed that there was an opportunity to build a career as a tree surgeon,” he said. “I loved every second of that course – it blew my mind open, and I realised just how extensive an industry it was.” 

More cautious now following his earlier misadventure, Joel started work part-time at an established tree surgery company, while continuing to run his garden business. 

“I realised that, just because I had done the course, I didn’t know everything there was to know about the profession,” he said.  

“I therefore spent time working at CI Tree Services and VH Pallot & Sons to learn new skills and gain confidence. When I was comfortable with the trade, I started taking on my own jobs.” 

Initially, Joel ran both Garden Matters and Tree Matters, focusing on gardening during the spring and summer and then transitioning to tree surgery in the autumn and winter. 

As demand grew so did the team, with Tree Matters now employing a team of ten people who, as Joel explains, were tested in ways they could not have imagined when Storm Ciarán swept through the Island last year. 

“All of a sudden, we were like a frontline service, working with the government and emergency services to try and clear roads as quickly as possible,” he said. “The day before the storm, the government contacted us and said we needed to be on standby and ready to help, which was both frightening and exciting. 

Pictured: Joel and his team were like a "frontline service" in helping deal with the storm.

“I remember my brain switching into emergency mode while we made sure that all the team members had chainsaws and all the necessary equipment with them, as we realised that, if the weather was as bad as forecast, we probably wouldn’t be able to get to the yard the next day. 

“When I started work the next morning, I remember looking around me and thinking that I had come out too early. The trees were moving and doing crazy acrobatics in a way that I had never seen before, so I felt quite vulnerable standing beneath them.” 

Despite the element of fear, Joel also felt a certain buzz as he approached the task. 

“When you are confronted by situations which force you to think on your feet, you really have to be on the ball, so it was quite an exciting challenge,” he said. “We spent the whole day tunnelling through trees, clearing roads as directed by the government to ensure that the emergency services could get through as quickly as possible.  

“I started at Grouville Parish Hall and tunnelled my way from there to Rue des Près, where I met another team coming towards us. Despite being shocked by the amount of damage we saw – it was like being on a filmset – there was also a tremendous sense of community spirit.  

“Together with the other contractors, we formed a huge team, so that we could sweep as many roads as quickly as possible.” 

After clearing the public roads, Joel and his team turned their attention to Millbrook Park, where they spent two weeks sorting out the “complete mess” they found. 

The aftermath

Pictured: The business is still finding ways to deal with the hundreds of trees felled by Storm Ciarán.

"After that, we could start taking on private work again," Joel said. "We're still dealing with storm damage now."

Of course, once the trees are felled, there is the question of what to do with the wood and this quandary has seen Tree Matters diversify.

"About 13 or 14 years ago, we started looking into chainsaw mills," Joel explained. "It all started when I drove past a dead chestnut tree at Douro Terrace. I contacted the owner and offered to fell and remove the tree at a good price if I could have the trunk.

"He agreed and milling that tree opened up a whole new world. When I opened the trunk, I discovered lots of little bullets inside. When I researched Douro Terrace, I learnt that it had been taken over by the Germans during the Occupation, and they had used the tree for target practice."

While that tree now serves as Joel's computer desk, the company has gone on to create many shelves, desks and other pieces of furniture.

Pictured: Tree Matters now produces furniture made from felled wood

“We still produce a lot of logs but some of the timber is too beautiful to be logged and burnt,” he said. “Some of this wood is over 100 years old, and you will never find anything like it in a shop. 

“I felt that we had a duty of care to start milling some of the trees. It’s an aspect of the trade which I love because nothing is wasted. We assess each tree and decide whether it has potential for milling, firewood or turning into woodchips.” 

At the moment, the milling – or “autopsy”, as Joel describes it – is done using chainsaws either at the scene of the felling or at the company’s headquarters. But, as the former De La Salle College student says, he is hoping to establish a permanent sawmill in the not-too-distant future. 

“Working with architect Tom McAviney, we have recently completed a pre-planning application for a sawmill, which has been agreed,” he explained.  

“Now that we know the idea is feasible, we will continue to progress it. I am also looking into the option of investing in a kiln, which would enable us to dry wood for burning.  

Pictured: Some of the wood is over a century old and is "too beautiful" to burn, Mr Freire says

“At the moment, we dry planks of wood in an open-ended polytunnel but I’m keen to investigate anything which enables us to take our work to the next level.” 

Always developing

Indeed, it is a philosophy which has applied throughout Joel’s professional life. 

“In my 20s, I was happy earning just enough money to pay the rent and have a few drinks at the end of the week,” he smiled. “As I started wanting more, I discovered that one of the best things about being self-employed was the flexibility it gave you to up your game. 

“As my goals changed – ranging from buying a bigger lawnmower to getting a new car – I could always work harder or scale up the business to make them achievable. And each time I hit a goal, I got this enormous sense of achievement and moved on to the next target. 

“That attitude has got me to where I am today. I never dreamt when I started that I would have 10 people working with me today, but it has been an incredible journey, based on having a positive mindset and flipping any problems on their head to find a solution.” 

And while time is always a challenge, Joel is still looking at new ideas and possible ways to develop the business. 

“I recently went to Austria for a course where I learnt chainsaw sculpting,” he said. “While the tree surgery is the mainstay of the business, I would love to have a retail element one day, featuring items made from the felled trunks and branches.  

“Although wild local wood isn’t ideal for cabinet-making, you can use it to create some beautiful pieces for more rustic settings and while it is always difficult to find time for this side, I do love the opportunities to be creative which this side of the business offers.” 

READ MORE...

This article first appeared in the September edition of Connect Magazine – read it in full below...