CREJ - Journal

Page 28

— Property Management Quarterly — May 2015

he past winter was brutal for

many parts of the country. Feet

of snow fell in short periods of

time for weeks on end, roofs

caved in due to the weight of

snow and ice, and big cities, like Bos-

ton and NewYork, simply shut down

due to the overwhelming amount of

snow. Here on the Front Range we

experienced a winter closer to average.

Nonetheless, everyone celebrates when

spring comes.

Even though many snow and ice

management companies also celebrate

the end of overwhelming demand

and long work hours, the rest is short

lived. Spring and summer are the times

when snowmitigation companies per-

form a lot of work analyzing the previ-

ous year and preparing for the year

ahead.

Before discussing what you can do

now to wrap up your snow season and

begin the next season with strength, it’s

important to understand exactly what

snow and ice mitigation companies

are and what they aren’t. Snow and ice

mitigation companies are companies

that specialize in every aspect of snow

management.These companies are dif-

ferent from the typical landscape com-

pany that attaches a snowplow on the

front end of a truck during the winter

months.

During the winter months, mitiga-

tion companies plow, de-ice, blow snow,

and haul out or melt snow if necessary.

In addition, they help manage your

liability, keep your customers safe, and

protect and build your brand. Hiring a

snowplowmeans that your parking lot

gets plowed. Hiring a mitigation com-

pany means that your sidewalks are

shoveled and de-iced, entrances and

exits are cleared correctly, the parking

lot is plowed in the

time allotted by law,

and the snow piles

are created in the

correct spots. Miti-

gation companies

specialize in helping

the property man-

ager reduce the risk

of damage, falls, slips

and trips.

The biggest dif-

ference between

the two types of

companies is that

a traditional snow

removal company is reactive – they

react to a specific need based on a

weather event. Snow and ice mitiga-

tion companies not only react to the

immediate need, but also are proactive

in approach to the harsh winter envi-

ronment and work with the property

manager or owner to help identify and

improve areas of risk.Traditional plow-

ing companies don’t manage the “thaw

and refreeze” issues faced in Colorado,

while mitigation companies provide a

more holistic service. Mitigation com-

panies are the knowledge experts when

it comes to snow and ice, performing

the duties of snow removal during and

after a snowstorm, and providing guid-

ance and support to help protect your

property from the destructive forces of

snow and ice, as well as protecting your

organization from costly and damaging

litigation.

During the spring and summer

months, mitigation companies spend

their time performing audits, conduct-

ing specialized training for personnel,

maintaining and upgrading equipment,

and redefining internal business pro-

cesses.They also work with local clients

to keep clients up to date on how to

best keep the property safe.

It is important to keep up with the

latest snow and ice removal methods.

In the past, some of the treatment

methods would cause long-term dam-

age to concrete and sidewalks. Newer

treatment methods are available and

mitigation companies should work

with the property manager to find the

best method of ice mitigation, which is

one that provides less risk and damage.

The summer months are the per-

fect time for equipment maintenance

activities. January and February are

the wrong months to realize that the

brakes need to be fixed or that the

hydraulic system needs a major over-

haul. Preseason is also the time for

proactive planning regarding ice-melt

materials.The last few years the indus-

try, and Colorado in particular, has

experienced ice-melt shortages. A pro-

active service provider has plans and

contingency plans regarding ice melt

for sites.The companies work hard so

they can go into autumn knowing they

are ready for whatever Mother Nature

decides to throw at them.

Part of the summer process includes

visiting clients to make sure that the

entrances, exits, hydrants, loading

docks, parking areas and walkways

haven’t changed from the year before.

Matthew Haas

Owner, Summit

Outdoor Solutions,

Fort Collins

Vendor Relations

Snow considerations for the summertime

Mitigation companies specialize in helping the property manager reduce the risk of

damage, falls, slips and trips.