photo by Jason Schoonover/Albert Lea Tribune

Crews for Mattson’s Lawn & Garden Inc. work to clear snow from the Albert Lea Medical Center parking lot at the old high school Friday morning.

No business like snow business

December sure kept snow removal workers busy

Staff

Published Monday, January 12, 2009

County crews are not the only ones working to clear the way for drivers this winter. Private citizens and companies are also working to clear parking lots and driveways.

For about 15 years, Mattson’s Lawn & Garden Inc. in Twin Lakes has been one such business. Mattson’s works with all commercial customers, one being Albert Lea Medical Center, said Bernice Mattson, co-owner.

Snow removal being their business in the cold months, Mattson said she and her employees watch the weather much more closely than the general public does and even have to plan their personal lives around the weather.

“We have to make sure everything’s up and going all the time, so before it starts to snow we have everything ready,” Mattson said.

Before and between snowfalls, Mattson said they have to plan employee availability and make sure they have salt and sand and that they repair equipment, such as plows, a sander, a front-end loader and shovels.

When it begins to snow, Mattson said their clients contact them and then contact them again when the snow begins accumulating. Since some of Mattson’s clients are open 24 hours a day, Mattson said the they will often clear a customer’s property more than once during a snowfall. They charge by the hour, Mattson said.

Mattson said this December’s heavy snowfall rivaled their heaviest December. She said low snowfall totals harm revenue.

“If there’s no snow we have no income from that portion of our business, and you still have to pay for trucks and you still have to pay for repairs and keep employees employed over the winter wherever possible,” Mattson said.

Even with a mechanic on staff, Mattson said maintaining their equipment can be difficult and costly. Also, blizzards and other times when crews work long hours can be difficult, Mattson said, because they may need workers for second shifts.

“Last year we had a few different blizzards, so we would have the entire crew there starting, then we would get most everything cleaned out and have a few of them leave and go home and get a four hour nap.

Some work a longer stretch, then they’d take turns and we’d have that second crew come in, additional people who can come help: part-time employees, farmer friends, people that are laid off from road construction,” Mattson said.

And unlike Mattson’s, Jere Van Riper and Craig Stickfort, who both work alone to clear private residences and businesses, don’t depend on snow removal as their sole income.

Stickfort, part owner of North Star Power Sports, plows snow for about 25 homes and businesses. Unlike Mattson’s, Stickfort doesn’t plow unless there’s more than an inch of snow, and he typically plows after the snowfall has stopped. Stickfort said on some occasions he will plow a business before it’s done snowing so the business can stay open.

Stickfort, who’s worked in snow removal for about 15 years, uses a truck with a blade to remove snow and said snow removal is not something he can rely on for income.

“It’s not a very profitable business,” Stickfort said. “You have a $40,000 to $50,000 investment in a truck and a blade and you do $5,000 or $6,000 in snow removal a year.”

Another similar investment is fuel, and Stickfort and Van Riper, who has his own snow removal business in Albert Lea, both said this year has been easier because of lower fuel prices.

The recent economy has affected snow removal, because Van Riper said he believes many people are opting to shovel their driveways rather than pay for it.

“A lot of them are shoveling; they just don’t have the money,” Van Riper said.

Even though some are opting to shovel their own drive ways, those in the snow removal business are still keeping busy.

“Some days when we get a foot of snow I’m in the truck for eight or nine hours and it’s very tiring, very tedious back and forth, back and forth, back and forth work. Even though you’re sitting down, it gets to you. It wears on you,” Stickfort said.

After working long hours, Mattson said safety is key and drivers always have to be cautious.

“It’s difficult because you have to be so aware of your surroundings,” Mattson said. “It’s harder to do parking lots when it’s full of cars and it’s snowing out, but you have to.”

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