KAGE Interview with Snow Removal Contractor – Green & Black, LLC
Part One – Getting the Business in the Black
So, I’m Nate with Green & Black. We’ve been in the snow removal business for seven years. We service Dakota County which is just south of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. Primarily started doing residential snow removal then got more into commercial snow removal the further along we went.
One of our main goals is to service everything relatively close to where our office or warehouse is located. The closer we are to our properties the better service we can provide. So we provide residential and commercial snow plowing, salting, sanding, lawn care, landscaping, irrigation and fertilizing.
What Type of Properties Do You Service for Snow Removal?
We do everything from small commercial lots of a third of an acre to a half an acre up to ten-acre lots, you know, being warehouses and loading dock facilities. We do small townhomes associations as small as 6-8 units all the way up to 250 units – one-building apartment complexes up to 15 to 20 building complexes.
What’s Most Important for Success in Snow Removal?
So the most important thing in the snow removal industry, from my point of view, would be to set yourself up right for the accounts you have. Make sure you’re bidding them right. Make sure you’re covering all your operating costs at the end of the day.
If Given the Opportunity, Would You Switch to Snow Only?
Yes, I would love to do that. You know, I love operating the snow equipment way more than I do in the summer. I love working over nights with no traffic and no people around.
We’re able to be more profitable in snow removal by using the right equipment. We’re able to use the right equipment and use fewer employees and get the same amount of work done.
Tractors Instead of Skid Steers for Snow Removal. Why
You know, five guys operating those skid steers can now I can hop into a tractor and do the same amount of work with one guy that’s making even twice as much an hour as the guy in the skid steer.
The labor market is only getting worse and harder to find employees. The fewer employees we need, the better off we are and the better service we provide.
How Did You Learn About KAGE Snow Plows and Eventually Buy One?
I saw a KAGE Snow Plow System on YouTube as my first interaction with your product. We first purchased a KAGE within 3-4 months of first seeing them. I believe we saw them in the summer and by that fall we purchased our first snow plow system to start out with.
What Sets You Apart From Your Competition?
We take pride in our equipment. We’re trying to get … you know, the snow equipment is what’s on the property so we want to make sure it’s up to par at all times. We want to use the best equipment possible and provide the best level of service that we can.
Stay Tuned for Part Two of This Interview …
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