Pocatello man turns retirement into part-time wood-chipping venture

Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.

BIZ BUZZ

POCATELLO

Former Latter-day Saint seminary teacher trades classroom for wood chipper with new Pocatello business

POCATELLO – After a 30-year career with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ken Southwick has found a new calling as a wood chipper.

The 61-year-old Pocatello man launched BranchesBeGone in 2021. It’s a mobile business that grinds down fallen branches into wood chips and hauls them away.

Southwick tells EastIdahoNews.com his business serves customers in a niche market.

“If someone has tree work that’s bigger than they want to tackle themselves, but not worth the time of the full-service tree companies, that’s the area where I provide the service,” Southwick says. “Big-sized trees are beyond my expertise. I can’t pull anything out of the ground.”

So far, Southwick says the bulk of his customers are in the Pocatello area, but he’s traveled as far as Rigby to service clients. While Southwick says he wants the business to remain a part-time venture, he is willing to serve clients farther north.

“It has to be the right size job for me to go outside of Pocatello,” says Southwick. “The truck pulling that chipper gets about 4 miles to the gallon. If I can make enough to justify the travel, I’ll go (farther) north.”

From philosophy to wood chips

Before launching the mobile operation, Southwick says that outside of pruning trees in his yard, he’d never done anything like this before.

He retired as a seminary and institute teacher for the LDS Church in May. He graduated with a degree in philosophy from the University of Utah, and taught philosophy as an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University-Idaho for seven years. He retired from that job in December.

Southwick says he’s been curious about the world around him since he was a kid, and that trait led him to philosophy. He recalls taking a philosophy course as a business student and feeling impressed to switch his major. His intent was to teach philosophy after graduation, until a friend introduced to him to the idea of teaching seminary. He didn’t start teaching philosophy until 2018.

For Southwick, pruning trees is an annual practice, and that’s what sparked the idea for his business.

Every spring, the branch pile would accumulate and Southwick says finding a tree company to haul them away was always a challenge.

“I’d end up hauling them to the landfill. One year, I even rented a giant U-Haul truck and took a whole load out to the landfill,” says Southwick.

After years of hauling branches away, Southwick began to wonder if there were any wood-chipping businesses. As he looked into it, he discovered there were quite a few, but none were doing it for people like him with small-scale projects. Realizing how much he enjoyed staying active outside, Southwick says he wanted to serve others and invested in a wood chipper.

Today, the part-time venture provides a supplemental income for Southwick during retirement, while still allowing him and his wife to enjoy time together.

“We like to hike, we like to camp, we like to fly fish,” he says. “But I would like (the business) to grow a little bit.”

Those interested in Southwick’s services can call (208) 530-6333. You can also visit the website or Facebook page.

BIZ BITS

Stones Auto Group acquires Teton Motors in Jackson Hole

JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming – What started as a single dealership has grown into a trusted automotive family across eastern Idaho and is now expanding into Wyoming.

The Loveland family owns Stones Auto Group, which includes Stones Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Toyota in Rexburg, along with Stones Kia in Idaho Falls and Stones Hyundai in Pocatello. It recently acquired Teton Motors in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The transition brings two new brands to the group — Stones Subaru and Stones Chevrolet — allowing the business to serve more customers across the region.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support our communities have given us over the years,” the Loveland family says in a news release.

The family opened its first dealership in 1966. For nearly six decades, it’s worked to serve their communities through hard work, integrity and dedication to customers.

Over the years, that vision has grown into a thriving group of dealerships known for customer service and community involvement.

It’s that same community that has made this growth possible, the family says, expressing gratitude for all the support.

With the expansion, the family says it’s looking forward to continuing the tradition of “providing quality vehicles, trusted service and a dealership experience centered around people.”

“This next step is an exciting opportunity to continue growing, while maintaining the same values and personal service that have guided us since 1966,” the family says. “This is more than growth — it’s the continuation of a family legacy.”

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