East Idaho News
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Pocatello man turns retirement into part-time wood-chipping venture
Posted
March 21, 2026
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2,218
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March 21, 2026
2,218
111
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5.32%
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1:47Now Playing#eastidahonews #bizbuzz #woodchipper
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.”
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