Josh Tatge is a franchisee owner of ByeBye Stumps, removing tree stumps in NE Minneapolis, Columbia Heights, and surrounding areas.
His childhood split between North Dakota and Willmar, after high school Tatge joined the military.
When he came back, he dabbled in construction and other lines of work before eventually earning a degree in automotive technology.
Since 2012, Tatge has worked as a mechanic.
“But I finally had enough,” he says, pointing to a scar on his arm, a physical reminder of the side effects of working on cars, but emotionally, Tatge also was hungry for more.
“I no longer wanted to earn money for someone else and make their dreams come true. I wanted to build my own business.”
Having known Chris Mehrkens, the founder of ByeBye Stumps, for many years, Tatge discovered that Mehrkens was looking for franchisees to expand his tree stump removal business.
Intrigued, Tatge inquired within, and in due time, became a business owner under the ByeBye Stumps brand.
“I wanted to have to pack sunscreen when I went to work,” Tatge jokes, and while he will spend summer 2025 avoiding sunburn, he will no longer be depriving himself of the entrepreneurial journey.
“The worst thing that happens is the business goes belly up and I have to go back into automotive work.”
Which is to say, in America, one can always whiff on a business venture and still be able to put food in the fridge.
“A job will always be available,” Tatge reasons.
“I could work fast food or go to Kwik Trip and make $20 an hour. I don’t necessarily want to do that, but my point is that of course there is risk involved in starting this venture with ByeBye Stumps, but there is also a lot of opportunity, and that’s why I am willing to plunge into the unknown.”
At the same time, had it not been for Chris Mehrkens and the brand he has cultivated, tree stumps may never have entered Tatge’s vernacular.
“I might have rented a machine to see if I could make it work that way, but Chris understands tree stumps and how to deliver a customer service experience. In that sense, I wanted to join a company that already knows what it takes to be successful.”
As a franchisee, Tatge incurred some up-front investment costs, but he’s now in charge of his livelihood, and his workload.
“Becoming a franchisee allows me to make my own schedule and be around for my kids, and provide for them,” he points out, perhaps hinting on the most crucial element of his transition away from the grueling hours of the auto industry.
But that’s not to say that partnering with ByeBye Stumps will be easy.
This spring, Tatge already is seeing his phone blow up as prospective clients look for help with tree stump removal.
From NE Minneapolis, to Lino Lakes and everywhere in between, Tatge is active around the Twin Cities.
“Realistically, wherever there are tree stumps to be removed, I will go there,” the motivated Tatge emphasizes.
For reference, when customers contact Tatge and ByeBye Stumps regarding their tree stumps, they can receive a rough estimate over the phone, but Tatge prefers to meet with clients in person in order to accurately assess the scope of work.
“If I can see the tree stump, then I know what I’m looking at and can properly diagnose the issue and offer a solution,” he says.
“I can still give a general price over the phone, but often there are details that don’t get accounted for when we’re quoting over the phone, which is why I prefer to be in person to meet with the client and see how I can best help them.”
In the same way Chris Mehrkens has structured his business, Tatge’s services are unlikely to be the lowest price on the market, but there are practical reasons for why that is the case.
“One of the main reasons I wanted to become a part of ByeBye Stumps was because of Chris’s approach to customer service, and truly taking care of the customer,” Tatge says.
“I don’t want to just go out to someone’s home, dig up a stump, and then leave. Instead, I want to ensure that my clients are completely satisfied with the work that is being done.”
Adds Tatge, touching on another area ByeBye Stumps tries to be full-service in their dealings with customers.
“Sometimes people might need help with their roof, or with cutting down an entire tree. Fortunately, I know you [Grussing Roofing] and other people who can help with those projects, and so that’s a lot of what I’m doing when I’m out at the home, is looking for different ways that I can be of service to the homeowner.”
If there is one key factor that homeowners should be prepared for this spring when it comes to removing tree stumps, it’s that signing an agreement with the company who offers the lowest bid may come at a later cost.
“There is always going to be a tree stump removal company who can do it cheaper,” Tatge admits.
“But are those types of companies going to be licensed and insured to perform the work, and are they going to make sure they’re not cutting into any wires when they dig up your stump? Those are things for the homeowner to consider when they’re deciding which tree stump removal company to hire.”
As time elapses and Tatge establishes himself in the Twin Cities market, his aim is to become so busy that he is forced to hire employees.
“The busier we are, the more that means that we are helping people in an impactful way,” Tatge says.
“Right now, there is a lot about the tree stump removal business that I don’t know, and that firsthand knowledge will come with time, but that’s why I’m so intent on delivering an exceptional customer service experience, because you don’t have to be a savant to make your clients satisfied.” QS
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