Whalen & Son Tree Service

By Cindy Ladage

Located at 1100 W. Dean Street, Whalen and Son Tree Service has been in business for the last 16 years.  Shawn Whalen said his father encouraged him to get into the tree business and that’s why he got started.  “I worked for Wright Tree Service for two years as a Union Tree Trimmer,” Shawn said before going out on his own.

Working in the tree business takes a lot of experience and training.  Becoming a Union Tree Trimmer gave Shawn the basic training he needed to get his start.  “That’s why I went to work for Wrights.  I wanted to learn the roping and climbing and all the safety aspects of the job,” Shawn added.

He decided to open his own business because he said, “It is nice to be in business for yourself.”

Whalen & Son Tree Service is a family business.  Shawn and his son Keaton make up the tree crew and Shawn’s wife Heather handles the office.  Shawn’s brother Shane does the stump grinding for the business.

Shawn and Heather also a daughter Kinley that is not involved with the business.  “She is in the National Guard and works at the House of Representatives in Springfield,” Shawn added.

Keaton graduated from high school in 2021 last year and now works fulltime in the business.  This year they added another arm to the Whalen business model.  “We started a towing service, Whalen & Son Towing,” Keaton said.

Whalen & Son Tree Service keeps the Whalen family hopping.  They have a fleet of equipment with a chipper, bucket truck, loader and lots of chain saws.  Shawn and Keaton have no fear of heights, the bucket truck goes up 75 feet in the air!

They offer quite a few services from tree removal to tree topping tree trimming, and stump grinding. The stump grinding includes removing burdensome roots that can block septic and other building and foundation issues.

“Tree removal is our biggest business,” Shawn said.  With winter storms that have passed, and spring storms around the corner, downed trees can always be a problem.  Homeowners should be cautious about removing trees and branches on their own.  There are many safety issues with tree branches falling on roofs, vehicles garages and more.  They often get calls from homeowners that have started a job and are stuck.

Shawn’s advice to homeowners that are thinking about removing a tree is, “don’t”.  The same goes for stump removal and taking out roots that could be dangerous coming into contact with buried power lines.  Climbing ladders can also result in a fall as well.

Whalen & Son Tree Service works in the Central Illinois Area.  “We work from Springfield to Gillispie,” Shawn said.

The Whalen family is originally from Thayer, but now are Virden residents.  They like working in the Virden community.  “We like knowing everyone.  People automatically know who you are and call,” Heather said.

In times of emergencies during storms and other events Shawn said that the Virden community rallies around one another and works well together.  “The Virden businesses work in tandem with one another.”

For more information about Whalen & Son Tree Trimming, check out their facebook page at (3) Whalen and Son Tree Service | Facebook or call them at 217-341-4662