Snow Removal Success Leads to Landscaping Opportunities
For many Northern landscapers the move into snow removal is as natural as ... falling snow. It's a great way for them to keep good employees working the year round and to maximize their investment in equipment. And it can be quite profitable.
Greg Dowe of Fall River, Nova Scotia, took the opposite approach. His company, Provincial Pavement Markings, Inc., had been using several Bobcat skid-steer loaders doing snow removal for the city of Halifax. He noticed that there were numerous landscapers working in the area, but most didn't have what he had - a fleet of good equipment and top-notch operators.
"I had three S130 loaders, along with an S185, an S300 and a Toolcat 5600 utility work machine," says Dowe. "They are the perfect fit for landscaping."
Dowe began his business eight years ago doing pavement repair and marking for the government. He expanded into snow removal to keep his employees busy in the winter.
"I received my first snow contracts through some of the people I worked with in the pavement business," he says. "That's when I started buying Bobcat equipment from Bobcat of Halifax. I knew that to make it in snow removal I needed the most reliable machines available. I checked around and Bobcat was the name most often recommended."
Dowe's snow removal work in the Halifax area included being part of a test program.
"Previously a homeowner had to take care of the sidewalk in front of his house," says Dowe. "The city added an area tax to have the snow removed by an outside company. For a small fee homeowners get their sidewalk cleared. They think it's a great idea.
"When I got the first contract to do this type of work I had to purchase the right equipment as required by the city. I needed machines with heated cabs that were at least 30 hp and had a width of not more than 64 in. The units have to be capable of plowing, moving snow in buckets, blowing snow and spreading salt. My Bobcat loaders and Toolcat 5600 are the ideal combination. I use them with angle blades, buckets, snowblowers and salt spreaders."
Dowe's work includes removing snow that has been dumped by the road plows. "A couple of years ago we had such a big snowstorm that some sidewalks had snow piled as high as 22 ft. It took a little longer, but my Bobcat equipment got the job done."
He especially likes the 5600 utility work machine for working in snow removal applications.
"The Toolcat machine is fast and versatile — an unbeatable combination when it comes to removing snow," says Dowe. "I like the cargo box for hauling salt and supplies, and the spreader for applying salt to sidewalks. The utility work machine fits sidewalk work quite well. It gives the illusion of being bigger than it really is. I also use it to service the loaders with fuel. Because of its travel speed, the 5600 can complete its snow work faster than the skid-steer loaders, allowing it to do double duty at times."
With the addition of landscaping capabilities, Dowe is in position to offer a complete menu of services to his goverment and commercial customers. "The versatility of Bobcat equipment has helped make it possible."