Innovations in snow removal equipment is enabling a leading New England company to clear more snow with significantly less equipment, labor, maintenance, and repair
According to Degen Kelly, Director of Operations at Outdoor Pride, a company that generates approximately $13 million in annual revenue from snow removal services, more snow removal businesses base their decision on acquiring snow plow or pusher based on initial cost.
However, more consideration should be given to selecting attachments that improve operator efficiency, reduce the time and quality of clearing, and increase the potential to secure additional projects. When considering these factors, the optimal return on investment is achieved through the utilization of adaptable and agile attachments, even if the upfront expenditure is a little higher.
“Once you crunch the numbers, you see how much time you can save, how much onsite equipment you can eliminate, how much quicker your operators can work, and how much longer the equipment lasts,” says Kelly. “Once you start to think about the ROI with the goal of doing more with less equipment, using a more flexible, quality attachment is a no-brainer.”
Founded in 1988, Manchester, NH-based Outdoor Pride has become one of the largest landscape and snow management providers in New England. Like many landscape contractors, the company offers year-round service that includes snow removal in the winter for large commercial and government-owned properties.
To keep up with the high demand for snow removal services, Outdoor Pride maintains a large fleet 85 Bobcat skid steers and mini loaders, each equipped with a unique AutoWing attachment from Minnesota-based SnowWolf Plows.
SnowWolf offers a variety of models and sizes of snow plows, pushers, blowers, and other snow removal accessories that are compatible with skid steers, wheel loaders, front-end loaders, tractors, and other machinery.
Among SnowWolf’s offerings is its patented AutoWing QuattroPlows, available in four models and machine operating weights, which are specialized attachments that allow operators to switch between angle plowing, wide-angle plowing, pushing, and back dragging on the fly.
A key feature of the AutoWing design is the ability to extend and retract its side wings independently, depending on the width of the road or the amount of snow cleared. This allows operators to efficiently clear wider swaths of snow without manually adjusting the plow’s position, increasing productivity and reducing the need for additional passes.
The AutoWing is also unique because it only requires one hydraulic circuit for efficient operation. The attachment can be angled left or right with a standard control feature on the joystick. The user-friendly design simplifies operator training.
The increased efficiency of Outdoor Pride’s snow removal equipment has substantially improved its operations. Kelly estimates the amount of time to clear a complex area has been reduced by one-third, which often means an additional machine is not required.
There are other ancillary factors that contribute to the ROI. A major factor is the ability of the equipment to withstand the rigors of annual snow clearing.
“The [attachment] is an investment, but from what we have found, it is an investment that gives us results and lasts,” says Kelly.
For more information, call SnowWolf at 1-800-905-2265; email [email protected]; visit http://www.snowwolfplows.com