Asplundh: FPL's $2.37 billion partner in 'Distribution Vegetation Management'

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Actually, our favorite section in the story we ran across in Transmission & Distribution World magazine, titled FPL Invests in Infrastructure Resistant to Hurricanes, is the part subheaded "Distribution Vegetation Management." That, of course, is an industry euphamism for the hat-racking that Florida homeowners are so accustomed to witnessing when an Asplundh truck chances into their neighborhood.

According to the article:

In 2008, FPL continued its three-year cycle for clearing vegetation from distribution main lines and completed the second year of its six-year cycle for neighborhood lines. Overall, FPL trimmed trees and cleared vegetation from more than 11,000 miles throughout the state. Total costs in 2008 were $57.9 million, with 2009 costs expected to be $68.3 million.

That means that FPL paid out nearly $60 million in '08 and will top that amount by nearly $10 million in '09 to pay companies like Asplundh to keep the lines clean. OK, so we know the cost to the customers.

But, at what brutal cost to the trees? And, at what profit to Asplundh?

Ah, well ... we had no idea that Asplundh, with its 28,606 employees nationwide does so very well at the hat-racking business, thank you! And, by well, we mean they pulled in $2.37 billion in revenues for 2008.

That's "B" as in "BILLION," folks, earning them a coveted spot in the Top 200 rankings by Forbes Magazine of "America's Largest Private Companies." Who knew?