Winter Warriors

While some of us may still have summer on the brain, snow removal companies are beginning to gear up for another season full of unpredictable snow storms and freezing cold temperatures. Getting parking lots, sidewalks and streets cleared for traffic is the No. 1 priority in the snow business, as clients rely on these professionals to battle the snow.

“People count on us to get their lots cleared, so they can start their day and get where they need to be,” says Jay Maynor, president of Building Management Systems, a snow removal company, based in Barrington, Ill. “We’re accountable to municipalities and school districts to make sure kids can show up for class and people can get to the train station and get to work. We need to get in and out, so life can continue on as usual.”

Building Management Systems (BMS) was established in 1995 as a way to earn a little extra dough in the winter. Fifteen years later, the company is thriving as a leading snow removal contractor.

“We first started doing snowplowing and construction repairs as a sideline for extra income and decided to take it seriously and make a business out of it,” explains Maynor. “Now, we’re a pretty substantial player in the snowplowing market in the Chicago area.”

Today, BMS provides building maintenance services — ranging from snow removal to masonry work — to condominium associations, townhouse complexes, commercially-managed properties, developments, shopping centers, hospitals, school districts and municipalities. Located about 35 miles from Chicago, the company offers its services to surrounding suburbs of the Windy City. BMS retains 25 full-time employees throughout the year and stocks its crew with up to 350 people during the winter — the company’s busiest season.

“All of the employees are broken up into whether it’s summer or winter and we have crew leaders and specialized disciplines within each crew,” says Maynor. “Some crews do concrete or masonry repairs and others do snow removal, depending on what discipline they fall into in the company.”

To keep its crews safe on the jobsite, BMS takes training and safety seriously. The company relies on quarterly safety meetings to keep its employees up to date on the latest procedures, as well as trained foremen to pass along and reinforce safe practices.

“Each employee is generally brought up through the ranks of working with us, so we know firsthand that they’re able to do what’s expected of them,” says Maynor. “If they’ve come up through our concrete division, that means they’ve been working on the concrete crew with us and we’re pretty sure that they have the expertise to do it. The foreman keeps everyone in compliance with the rules, regulations and safety procedures.”

Equipped for the Cold

To battle against the frigid weather and piles of snow, BMS prefers JCB skid steers and loaders to tackle its wintertime tasks because of their increased safety and visibility. Last year, the company deployed more than 20 skid steers and six loaders to combat the cold and keep clients satisfied.

“We’ll park a machine on a client’s lot, so he or she knows that the equipment is there and they’re our first priority,” says Maynor. “We want our clients to know that we’re able to meet their needs whether they’re a hospital or a townhouse complex with 60 houses in it.”

When it comes to snow removal work, BMS pairs its skid steers with a variety of buckets, snow blades and snow blowers to get the job done. As for taking care of the operators who run the machines, Maynor notes that keeping employees comfortable is key in keeping them productive throughout the long days.

“Don’t overwork your employees,” explains Maynor. “Make sure to give them time to relax, as well as good equipment to work with. Believe it or not, a lot of snow operators will still put someone in a skid steer without a heated cab or a windshield and expect them to work 12 to 14 hours in a snowstorm. It’s abusive and I’m amazed when I still see people trying to do that. First off, it’s a hazard and secondly, it’s not a great, long-term plan.”

To keep its equipment working properly, BMS performs regular maintenance on its machines so they stay up and running. Maynor recommends following the operator’s manual for maintenance concerns and routine checks. As for cold weather operations, he notes that his machines work well in the chilly climate.

“The machines are hardy enough to take on what we do,” says Maynor. “Although they’re out in cold temperatures, we tend to work 100 to 125 hours in six months while these machines are designed to work 40 hours a week. The JCB machines have been the best fit for us and what we do. We’re definitely satisfied with the machines, because their maintenance has been next to nothing.”

On top of maintenance, Maynor and his crews rely on a good relationship with their dealer Casey Equipment, based in Arlington Heights, Ill. Maynor points out that the equipment dealer has been helpful and supportive in the times that BMS has needed its services, which is important when working in snow removal where clients depend on these services to start their day.

“The whole support network is critical because when these machines go down, we don’t have days to get them back up and running. We have hours,” says Maynor. “There’s no room to say, ‘Oh, it broke down. I’ll have it fixed tomorrow.’ If a machine goes down, I need it back up and working in one or two hours.”

Plowing Through

With the right equipment and crews to do the work, BMS is able to offer its services to more than 100 accounts each winter — allowing the company to remain competitive in an aggressive market.

“We’re probably in the most competitive market in the country,” says Maynor. “Of the top 20 snow removal companies throughout the United States, 10 of them are in this market with us.”

One important advantage BMS has over its competitors is sending out its own crews and equipment to do the work rather than relying on subcontractors. Last year, Snow Business magazine honored BMS as being one of the largest snow removal companies that does all of its plowing in house.

“By owning and managing all of the equipment in house, we offer a higher degree of control and hopefully a better product in the end,” says Maynor. “That’s critical to our clients, because they want to know that the equipment is there and we’re personally handling the work — it’s not being done by a subcontractor.”

Another advantage is the diversity of BMS’ clientele, with accounts ranging from 60-unit condominium complexes to 15-acre retail facilities. Maynor points out that being well versed in both residential and commercial properties sets the company apart from other contractors who typically stick with the latter.

Although the company is in a competitive market, BMS has been doing well with business up by 5 percent year over year. With various segments of the economy suffering during the recession, Maynor stresses the importance of hard work and keeping a strong business plan to survive.

“Companies that know their costs and operations and have plans in place are the ones that are going to succeed in this economy,” says Maynor. “Having the will to prepare and actually following through on those preparations are critical, whether it’s snowplowing or any other business.”

Another business strategy Maynor recommends is smart bidding when going after a new account or client. He mentions that knowing your numbers and what the work will actually cost you will save time and boost your bottom line in the long run.

“There are a lot of guys out there right now throwing out a low bid just to get work,” says Maynor. “Just because a company is generating revenue, it doesn’t mean it’s generating a profit. We all know that without a profit, you go under.”

As for reaching out to new clients, Maynor notes that his business is mostly promoted through word of the mouth. With more than a decade of snow removal work under its belt, BMS is continuously provided with bidding opportunities to expand its client base.

With fall beginning to roll in, Building Management Systems will begin preparing for its busy snowy season. Equipped with hard-working machines, a dedicated crew and plenty of experience, the company can storm into the winter and tackle its elements.

Pam Kleineke is assistant editor of Compact Equipment, based in Peninsula, Ohio.

The Push for Higher Efficiency

A New Jersey Contractor Uses Snow Pushers to Reduce Man Hours by 64 Percent   

By Bryce Goodell

Like many snow and ice management contractors, Royal Turf Custom Lawn Care relies on snow removal as an important revenue generator during the winter. Based in Sterling, N.J., the company typically deals with approximately 30 in. of wet, heavy snow throughout an average of five storms each year. And like many other contractors in recent years, Royal Turf began exploring the use of snow pushers to increase its efficiency when clearing lots.

One of the properties serviced by Royal Turf is a series of condominium lots, totaling five acres. The condos are situated in a horseshoe pattern with the parking lot in the middle of the horseshoe and a cul-de-sac in the middle of each lot. Each condo has a garage door, which must be cleared, and there are 8-ft islands between every four garages, so snow can only be removed by pulling it directly away from the garages. Then, the snow must be moved to an access road, where it is cleared into piles at designated areas. Making matters even more difficult, Royal Turf is usually forced to work around cars while clearing the lot.

Originally, Royal Turf used three pickups with straight-blade plows, two skid steers with buckets and one backhoe to clear its condominium lots. To clear the snow from the garage doors, the backhoe and two skid steers were used. They piled snow at the ends of the islands, and then the pickups cleared the snow to the access roads, where it would then be stacked by the buckets in designated areas on the front lawns. In all, the process typically took up to 11 hours with six men, requiring a total of 66 man hours to clear the lot.

However, the standard buckets on the skid steers provided poor capacity for moving large amounts of snow, so Lawrence Neville of Royal Turf started looking for a more efficient method to clear his lots.

 

That’s when Neville invested in two Pro-Tech Sno Pusher containment plows for his skid steers. The first was a SP12S, a 12-ft rubber-edged model with an 11-cu ft capacity that was installed on a John Deere 260 skid steer. The other unit, which was attached to a Caterpillar 262C, was Pro-Tech’s PB08S, a pull-back unit that not only pushes snow, but also tips forward to pull snow in a reverse direction for clearing in front of garages, loading docks and similar areas.

With the new setup, Royal Turf now clears the same condominium lot using only two skid steers and one pickup. The pull-back snow pusher first clears a path away from the garage doors in one pass. Then, the remaining snow can be cleared by making passes in front of the garage doors. Finally, the snow is cleared to the access road and moved to designated areas by the 12-ft pusher.

With the new equipment, only eight hours and three employees are now needed to clear the lot, resulting in a 64 percent reduction of man hours from the original method used.

“With snow pushers I was able to free up two trucks and a backhoe,” said Neville. “The difference was incredible.”

Bryce Goodell is a writer for The Promersberger Co. , based in Fargo, N.D.

Operation: Snow Removal

Project EverGreen and THE BOSS Snowplow Launch a New Program Supporting Military Families

A new nationwide program called SnowCare for Troops — underwritten by THE BOSS Snowplow and coordinated by Project EverGreen — will bring together snowplow professionals and volunteers to provide free snow removal services for military families with a spouse or family member serving in the armed forces.

Following last year’s harsh winter and record-breaking snowfalls, this grassroots initiative kicks off just in time for the 2010-11 snow season. In addition to serving as the program’s exclusive sponsor, BOSS will help Project EverGreen promote awareness for the SnowCare for Troops program to those seeking support and providing volunteer assistance.  

 

“THE BOSS Snowplow is proud to offer our support to America’s military families who are making the ultimate sacrifice,” said Mark Klossner, marketing manager for BOSS. “As the brand snowplow professionals have come to rely on for quality and durability for 25 years, BOSS sees our sponsorship of this program as a natural extension of our commitment to snowplow professionals and local communities.”

“For our military families with loved ones serving away from home, help on the homefront reduces stress and eases the burden shouldered by those left behind,” explained Den Gardner, executive director of Project EverGreen. “We would like to express our appreciation to THE BOSS Snowplow for putting military families first through this community-based volunteer program. This program is a natural extension of our nationally known GreenCare for Troops program, where free service is provided to military families in need of lawn and landscape services.”

To kick off the SnowCare for Troops program, Project EverGreen and BOSS are asking snow removal and lawncare professionals and volunteers to join their ranks and sign on as goodwill ambassadors in their communities. There are many opportunities to get involved, including:

• Adopting one or two families locally by providing snow removal services throughout the winter;
• Loaning snow removal equipment to volunteers or groups; and
• Donating money, transportation or gas cards to offset snow removal and maintenance costs.

The new SnowCare for Troops program joins the four-year program, GreenCare for Troops, managed by Project EverGreen that has already provided free lawn and landscape services to thousands of military families. This program now has more than 10,000 military families in its database and is supported by nearly 3,000 green industry professionals and volunteers.

To learn more about how to support SnowCare for Troops, visit www.projectevergreen.com/scft or www.bossplow.com/snowcarefortroops.