Chris Hohenstein loves live Christmas trees. But he knows a lot of people don’t like the hassle of hauling home a live tree and trying to unload it on a busy Chicago street or maneuvering it up apartment stairs.
So in 2009, Hohenstein decided to start a business that not only would help busy families get a live tree, but also would pick up the trees after the holidays.
"We sell, deliver, set up and recycle premium Christmas trees," Hohenstein says.
City Tree Delivery delivers a tree purchased either off its website or from its lot at Damen and North Avenue in Bucktown and brings it into the customer’s home. For those who need a little more help, City Trees staff will bring their own sturdy tree stands, put up the tree and decorate it.
Last year, Hohenstein and his staff delivered about 1,000 trees to city families.
“The people who use it, there’s a lot of new families, busy families, single moms, elderly people without cars and just people who don’t want to deal with the inconvenience,” Hohenstein says.
“The nice thing is, we’ve also delivered to special projects like hospice or a theater group that was here on a temporary assignment. The best thing is, everyone’s excited,” he says. “You get to, in a way, deliver Christmas.”
For more information, visit citytreedelivery.com or call (312) GRN-XMAS.