Case Study - Target Trees Limited
Monday 06 July 2026Knowing exactly who to trust with the trees around your home
I started Target Trees on the 9th of July 2009, having spotted a gap that nobody else was filling. Norfolk had a couple of large tree companies and plenty of small ones, but almost nothing in between. We set out to be the medium sized company that could bridge that gap, and along the way we became early adopters of micro mechanisation, using compact machinery to work smarter and more safely. It is far more common across the industry now, and I am proud that we helped pave the way for others.
Since then we have grown into a team of seven full time staff, working from three locations across Norfolk. That is a deliberate choice. Spreading ourselves across the county keeps our mileage down and helps us manage our carbon footprint, which matters to us as a business built entirely around trees and nature.
Not simply tree surgeons
Here is something many homeowners do not realise. To call yourself a tree surgeon, you really only need to buy some insurance. There is very little standing between an untrained person with a chainsaw and your garden, and that is exactly what makes our trade so difficult for people to navigate safely.Every member of our team is a trained arborist, not simply a tree surgeon. The difference is years of college training and continued learning, because every tree and every species is different and needs to be understood and cared for in its own way. Behind our climbing teams sits a consulting arm that carries out tree surveys, valuations, impact assessments, development methodologies and independent expert witness reports for tree disputes. It is a depth of knowledge the customer may never see, but it sits behind every job we do.
Why we joined Norfolk Trusted Trader
When we looked around, we saw the internet awash with ‘vetted’ badges and lead generation services that, frankly, did not seem to vet anyone very thoroughly at all. That bothered me. I wanted our customers to be able to see, clearly and independently, that we are a genuine and properly checked company.Norfolk Trusted Trader gave us exactly that. Through the scheme, homeowners know they are choosing a company that has been thoroughly vetted, where every review is real, and where they have the reassurance of independent mediation to fall back on if something ever cannot be resolved between us. That last point matters more than people expect.
The vetting itself did not faze us. We are already used to a high level of auditing through the HR company we work with, so the checks felt entirely reasonable. If anything, the thoroughness was part of the appeal.
“One of the very few schemes that actively guards against fake reviews, with genuine Trading Standards support behind it.”
Reviews you can actually believe
Look at Google these days and you will find it stuffed with fake reviews, some written by bots and some by friends for a few pounds. We have never played that game. Every review on our Norfolk Trusted Trader profile comes from a real, verified customer, which is why our record means so much to us. We hold a spotless five out of five, earned one genuine job at a time.We have also found that the mediation available through the scheme helps us win work. Faced with a choice, most people will happily pay a little more for a reputable company, knowing there is real support behind them if they are ever unhappy, rather than gamble on the cheapest quote with no safety net at all.
Support in the background
We tell clients about our membership whenever we can, because it reassures them that we are a legitimate and accountable business. On the occasions I have needed the Trusted Trader team, they have been genuinely helpful, and it is good to know that backing is there for us and for our customers alike.
What keeps us going
We are a close knit team, and we work a lot like a family business. There is a genuine passion for nature running through everything we do, and we care about getting the job right for the living tree just as much as for the customer standing in front of us.For us, being a Norfolk Trusted Trader is a natural fit. It stands for exactly the things we have built Target Trees on: real expertise, honesty, and doing right by the people who trust us with the trees around their homes.
Ian Flatters
Director, Target Trees Limited
- View Target Trees’ Norfolk Trusted Trader profile.
- Read Target Trees’ verified customer reviews.
- If you would like to become a Trusted Trader, you can apply here
- If you are a Trusted Trader and would like to leave a case study either as text or as a video, get in touch.