Over 60 years of experience and expertise—for the benefit of nature

The company Dieter Opitz Garten- und Landschaftsbau was founded in Heideck in 1964.

Starting out as a traditional landscaping business, Opitz grew to become a well-known name in the region. In 1988, the company specialised in tree moving, highlighting Dieter Opitz's particular passion for trees.

This specialisation laid the foundation for the company's success and its current expertise.

The first tree spade was built in Dieter Opitz's garage.

As the challenges and the size of the trees continued to grow, Opitz founded his own manufacturing facility in 1977. This allowed the experience gained over the years to be incorporated into the development of the machines of tomorrow. This is how the tree spade was born.

Today, Opitz OPTIMAL machines are continuously being refined and are used in nurseries all over the world.

The machines quickly became larger and more powerful.

The market for tree moving developed

rapidly, and just three years after the first machine,

a 250 cm machine was realised and put into operation.

Today, this model is known as the Optimal 2500.

A look at the current version shows that over 50 years

of development work have been invested in this machine.

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As challenges grew and trees became larger, the vision for a tree spade with a 300 cm diameter was born.

On March 27, 1981, the first Optimal 3000 tree spade was officially unveiled.

Since then, it has become an indispensable part of the industry.

Alongside continuous technical development, we have always placed a special focus on the well-being of the trees.

Through active exchange with other gardeners and experts, various growth-promoting measures were tested.

Ultimately, the rehabilitation zone with a watering ring was introduced—an innovation that is now firmly established in industry standards. Multi-year watering and maintenance of the trees became standard practice.

In 2001, Dieter and Helga Opitz handed over their company to their daughter, Heike.

From then on, she and her husband, Tom Braam, took over the management of the company.

The handover marked a significant milestone in the history of Opitz, as the next generation took on the responsibility and continued the family tradition.

New dimensions in tree moving. In 2016, a new era of tree moving began under the leadership of Wim, the son of Heike and Tom, who had joined the company in 2010. The era of superlarge tree moving!

Thanks to a specially developed process, we are now able to transplant virtually any healthy tree in a gentle and sustainable way. Since the introduction of this technology, numerous impressive trees have been successfully relocated. This advanced method is attracting significant interest within the industry.

For the past two years, the second son, Ron, has also been working in the family business, taking on the role of strategist alongside his parents and his brother, Wim.

Opitz GmbH & Co. KG is now being managed by the third generation, a fact that makes Dieter and Helga Opitz particularly proud.

They wish their daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren continued success and look forward to the future.