Snow Removal

dayexco

i know it's a weird time to ask this question. but how many of you do snow removal in the winter months to supplement your income, keep key people around? we do, and it absolutely sucks!! it's like having dairy cows. you HAVE to be there. at least my son or myself have to stay here, can never leave and go somewhere at the same time. those of you that don't do snow remokval, what do you do? we're thinking of maybe setting up a small manufacturing plant in our shop in the winter mos., build bedding boxes, pack wheels, snow blades...etc. etc...any ideas?

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someday, i'll be as patient as Nick.

Glasshousebltr

Sounds like a plan. Back when I had a larger shop I prefabed as much as I could. That made it nice in bad weather.

Bob

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Bob

jmic

We always work through the winter months, you might lose a day here or there due to the weather, if it's that bad I'll stay in the office and work on quotes. We do have a truck with a plow but only to open up our own jobs.

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___"Remember You Never Get A Second Chance To Make A First Impression"______________________
Joe

dayexco

we didn't have it this year, but typically get frost down 3-4' in the ground, makes it economically unfeasible to thaw/pull the frost. the concrete crews don't want to shelter, heat their work either. snow removal is dang good money, it just sucks having to be hear all the time

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someday, i'll be as patient as Nick.

denick

25 years ago we gave it up for that exact reason. We had a very good account list where I used to live. The week after I sold it I got a call from the property management company that we had many accounts with that someone had fallen on an un sanded sidewalk and they were looking for our insurance company's number. The contract for that account was for sanding by fax notification only. They hadn't. Our contract also allowed us to sell the accounts without notification. I was so glad.

We have thought about a metal fabrication shop but if we started we're afraid we might not be able to keep it to one season. You can't even get someone to do railings in less than 6 mo's around here. If you could cover payroll and overhead and not bite into cash flow I'd do it.

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Nick

"Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving" Albert Einstein

Teetorbilt

There used to be a company here that offered that service for free. As far as I know, they never got a call.

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You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

Always Greener

We don't have that problem at all... You need to have your key people step up and take care of things while you are away. But even when I’m away I’m not. I still have to make calls to make sure the plow routes have been done, salt routes, subcontractors are in place and someone is in to answer calls, but once the plan goes into affect you can enjoy whatever you were doing. We always start having snow meetings in October to try to minimize the craziness before the first snow event..

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www.alwaysgreenerlawn.com

dayexco

i'm just getting sick of being up at nite, sleep patterns screwed up, laying underneath a front end loader in a walmart parking lot at 3 a.m. -20F changing a hydraulic line or something.

my thinking is getting like denicks. as long as i can cover shop overhead, payroll, put a few bucks in the pocket along the way. i'd be elated. here, snow removal has become "iffy" anyway. were it not for having seasonal contracts on the target and menard's store, wouldn't have been worth it anyway. snow removal budget wise here has to be considered bonus money, you can't depend on it at all.

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someday, i'll be as patient as Nick.

Always Greener

Yea the long nights and days get old but it is also very exciting knowing that a storm is coming and it's go time.. I love the rush it gives me and everyone that works for me can tell you that I get crazy.. We make a a good dime just doing salting jobs so this year was good for us, not great but good.. Most of my commercial properties have a zero tolerance.. I can’t see me doing anything else but plowing during the winter months that’s why we bust our butts off during this time put a lot of money in different accounts so if we ever have a bad winter there is some of a cushion to carry my family and the business. But we do contracts so even if it does not snow or ice we still get paid..

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www.alwaysgreenerlawn.com