Christmas started early for senior James Cloud, who as an employee of one of the metro area’s major Christmas tree suppliers has a major behind-the-scenes perspective for the second year in a row.

“My aunt went into Gore’s Christmas Trees last year right after Thanksgiving and was asked if she knew any high school age boys that were looking for work. She called me and I went in later that day,” Cloud said. The following month of labor provided triple digit dividends. “I made around $600 last year working three to four days a week with five-hour shifts,” he said. This year, Cloud continues to work a couple weeknights and on Sundays from noon to 6.

This year, Mr. Jim Gore, owner and operator of Gore’s Christmas Trees, gave Cloud another month’s worth of work. “(Gore) said, “call me before Thanksgiving” after we lost in the playoffs. I started (Nov.) 25,” Cloud said. Gore would “call it a retail Christmas tree sales operation,” he said. The business has been around for decades and continues to boom.

Gore said, “My father started the first Christmas tree farm in 1952. He then started the retail operation of selling trees in 1962, as it takes approximately 10 years from the time they are planted to make them marketable.”

Gore has owned the family business for 17 years, and his father started the retail operation 55 years ago.

A casual interaction landed Cloud a spot on the squad of laborers. “James introduced himself and asked if there were any open positions. We then put him on the schedule. He is a great asset to the team,” he said. The total group of employees amounts to around 25 spots.

Gore’s company provides a wide range of products in an accessible, efficient fashion. Gore sells eight different tree types: “Fraser fir, grand fir, concolor fir, Canaan, Blue Spruce, scotch pine, white pine and Douglas fir,” he said.

A year of experience under his belt has served Cloud with a firm handle on the day-to-day operation. “We can be in the back of the site filling the empty three holes or we’re carrying the purchased trees to people’s cars. I also clean up here and there and can take and answer customer’s questions,” he said.

Cloud’s core group of coworkers was made up of entirely Bishop Chatard students until recently. Senior Logan Stachnik also has been hired for this season. Having a friend on staff “is really nice,” Cloud said.

With a central location in the Glendale neighborhood on East 62nd Street and Broad Ripple Avenue, Cloud encounters familiar faces. “My favorite part is seeing people I know come in to buy trees,” he said. Cloud has served the Blanchet, Fralich and McNulty families in his time on staff.

The job will carry on with flurries of customers throughout December. He said, “It usually wraps up either a couple days before Christmas or whenever we run out (of trees).”

If your family is in need of a quality tree from a from a well-run business, head over to Gore’s Christmas Trees at 2815 E. 62nd St. in Indianapolis and make sure to tip James Cloud for a job well done.