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S2-77: Curbside Landscape & Irrigation, Minnesota
1k Plays3 months ago
The guys sit down with Al King, Matt Moeller, and Justin Hauge of Curbside Landscape & Irrigation to hear all about how they tackle their large snow operation in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, which includes sites such as the Minnesota Vikings facilities.
Music Credit: Rev Theory
Recommended
Transcript
00:00:39
snowjobspodcast
All right, here we go. Snow Jobs Nation, Episode 77 of the Snow Jobs Podcast, powered by Top Gun Backblades is off and running. As always, I'm Steve. That's right. You know who's with me? My main man, Rick James, the Snow Bully, Chuck Norris of Snow, Mr. Jeremy Lindstrom.
00:01:05
snowjobspodcast
Jeremy, what's up, brother?
00:01:07
RICK JAMES
it's Another day the other day here not much happening.
00:01:10
snowjobspodcast
No.
00:01:10
RICK JAMES
Just uh, yeah, it's pretty uneventful God's juice.
00:01:14
snowjobspodcast
God's juice? No? Spraying?
00:01:15
RICK JAMES
Oh, yeah putting that down Mmm wasn't huge um maybe five six.
00:01:16
snowjobspodcast
Yeah. How many miles last week?
00:01:23
RICK JAMES
How many?
00:01:24
snowjobspodcast
They're going to give you a medal one day. Keeping the state of Fargo dust free or far of the state of North Dakota.
00:01:29
RICK JAMES
Interstate interstates interstates.
00:01:30
snowjobspodcast
The interstate's dust free.
00:01:31
RICK JAMES
Yeah, I guess I got about four to do tomorrow.
00:01:32
snowjobspodcast
I love it, brother.
00:01:34
RICK JAMES
So we'll be good. So
00:01:35
snowjobspodcast
Nice. You moving plows around trying to make the snow gods happy for this year?
00:01:39
RICK JAMES
Yeah, always trying like and to keep them moving around.
00:01:39
snowjobspodcast
There we go very cool.
00:01:43
RICK JAMES
Just a little bit left to do in the yard here, but we'll get her cleaned up just in time to wreck it.
00:01:48
snowjobspodcast
Very cool. Yeah, had a little bit of a quiet week, just chilling.
00:01:51
RICK JAMES
You're at the lake, aren't you?
00:01:52
snowjobspodcast
A little bit of lake, a lot of back and forth.
00:01:53
RICK JAMES
Big Lake George.
00:01:55
snowjobspodcast
A little bit of lake, a lot of back and forth. I had to do some ah some work up there actually midweek. So it wasn't a pleasure a couple of days. It was ah getting some stuff done. A friend of mine from the firehouse was nice enough and nice enough to come up and do some tile work with me. He's very good at that. I'm not. so
00:02:12
RICK JAMES
Nice.
00:02:12
snowjobspodcast
That's what we do. So, uh, yeah, he, uh, he came up, we spent a couple of days tiling and, uh, then it was back and forth three hours each way for hockey. So, uh, lots of fun, lots of driving.
00:02:22
RICK JAMES
Yeah. You're in the, you're the hockey dad now. So you're and into that stuff. Did you get your suburban yet?
00:02:26
snowjobspodcast
Yeah.
00:02:27
RICK JAMES
get Your suburban?
00:02:28
snowjobspodcast
No, no suburban yet. No wagon here. No, none of that crap yet.
00:02:31
RICK JAMES
Nothing.
00:02:32
snowjobspodcast
Um, uh,
00:02:32
RICK JAMES
You got to get that. If you're in hockey, you got to have a suburban or a wagon here. It's just mandatory.
00:02:35
snowjobspodcast
Bullshit. He's nine. He's got to prove that this is actually something he's gonna want to do long-term I'm putting any more money into this shit.
00:02:40
RICK JAMES
That doesn't.
00:02:41
snowjobspodcast
It's bad enough He's a freaking goalie. It cost me like three grand right off the goddamn bat. He's gonna be grown out of this shit in a year So we'll see if he loves it What's that?
00:02:47
RICK JAMES
Oh well. You gonna get an ice rink out of your house? You gonna get an ice rink out of your house?
00:02:54
snowjobspodcast
Already have that that we we had last year
00:02:56
RICK JAMES
I thought you were gonna put one in the barn.
00:02:58
snowjobspodcast
Uh, we're trying, we're trying to figure out how that'll work with the, if we make it a quote unquote non for profit type thing. So we'll, we'll see, you know, we'll see, but the outdoor rink was up last year. He got like four weeks of ice time with it, five weeks, maybe. But, uh, yeah, that was good.
00:03:13
RICK JAMES
oh
00:03:13
snowjobspodcast
A custody. What are you going to do? And a customer ordered it for their kids and then canceled the order. I had to put it up somewhere. I wasn't going to eat it.
00:03:18
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yeah. Well, you live in New York, everything's nonprofit there, isn't it?
00:03:20
snowjobspodcast
Well, Oh, you ain't kidding, brother.
00:03:24
RICK JAMES
Liberals.
00:03:24
snowjobspodcast
More more so every day. Even for-profit companies are turning in into non-for-profits.
00:03:30
RICK JAMES
Well, you have to, you got to, you got to make work the system, apparently.
00:03:31
snowjobspodcast
Holy shit.
00:03:34
snowjobspodcast
Oh, it's bad, dude. It's getting bad. I might come out to Fargo, man. You got the got a loader for me?
00:03:38
RICK JAMES
There's no profit here. No, no profit here.
00:03:40
snowjobspodcast
No no profit there?
00:03:42
RICK JAMES
Nope.
00:03:43
snowjobspodcast
ah Oh, man. Well, we'll start chasing snow all over the country. We'll see how that goes.
00:03:49
RICK JAMES
That sounds not profitable either.
00:03:49
snowjobspodcast
but That's right. That sounds very expensive. oh and But speaking of chasing snow all over the country, our our good buddy Steve Smythe actually arranged ah today's guest for us. These guys are good friends of Steve.
00:04:03
RICK JAMES
Who's that?
00:04:05
snowjobspodcast
ah He's from Storm. ah You met him like once or twice.
00:04:06
RICK JAMES
I've never heard of them.
00:04:07
snowjobspodcast
Never heard of him.
00:04:08
RICK JAMES
Never heard of them.
00:04:10
snowjobspodcast
Ah, but steve Steve knows these guys very well. And he said, you you know you got to talk to these guys. You got to get them on. They do some really cool stuff for snow. And yeah we said, all right, you know we can definitely do that. So today, guys, we have some of the boys from Curbside Landscape and Irrigation in Minneapolis, St. Paul area, Minnesota. All right, whenever we talk Minnesota snow with our Minnesota snow friends like Steve Smythe, Curbside's name always comes up. Oh, like over and over, right? I mean, Jeremy, he's taken a drink, but how many times, as Smythe mentioned curbside, every single time, like literally, like these guys might be paying him to drop their name.
00:04:40
RICK JAMES
Mm hmm. Yep.
00:04:44
RICK JAMES
Every time I talk to him, so.
00:04:50
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:04:51
snowjobspodcast
Like it's sit's that often, it's that often. All right. So, uh, yeah, Steve said we got to talk to these guys and, you know, I did a little, but as I do, I did a deep dive into what they do and how they do it. And, you know, they got some really impressive shit that we're looking forward to talking to him about. So, uh, yeah, I mean, uh, what should we drop the bomb now? Like, like they do a very high profile property that I i want to hear about.
00:05:15
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:05:16
snowjobspodcast
I know Jeremy wants to hear about them because you're a fan of them, right?
00:05:19
RICK JAMES
Definitely am, unfortunately.
00:05:20
snowjobspodcast
Yeah. These guys handle snow. Actually, they handle everything I think year round for the Minnesota Vikings. All right, so they handle the stadium, all the facilities around the stadium for them. So today from curbside, we have Al King. He's the president and one of the owners there. Matt Moeller, who is the director of snow operations, and Justin Hauge, who is the commercial accounts manager, and he runs their brime their Brian program, all right? So this should be great. We can't wait to get into it. But before we do that, as always, Let's hear from team Top Gun and we'll be back to do our week in review.
00:06:24
snowjobspodcast
All right, guys, we're back. So we can review real quick. Last week, we had the gang from Storm Equipment. All right, they were on with us. We had them on to talk about their SEMA show experience. All right, Storm was definitely one of the top three boots, most popular boots, if not the most popular boot this year at SEMA. They had their release of their new StormVision wireless wing cloud control system and the app that goes with it, as well as their introduction of the partnership with Telio to introduce the possibility of the ah autonomous machine control to snow and ice management. Alright, so with them dropping both of those, those are huge innovations for everybody.
00:06:58
snowjobspodcast
So for them dropping both of those at the same show, it's really no wonder that their booth was mobbed, you know, the entire show.
00:07:04
RICK JAMES
Mm hmm.
00:07:04
snowjobspodcast
Right, Jay? I mean, they're always busy, right?
00:07:05
RICK JAMES
Yeah, it was pretty busy. Yeah. oh yeah
00:07:09
snowjobspodcast
And they were busy despite the fact that they had the snow jobs in their booth as well.
00:07:13
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yeah.
00:07:13
snowjobspodcast
So all the people that didn't want their balls broken, they they stayed away and they were still busy.
00:07:16
RICK JAMES
They were busy.
00:07:17
snowjobspodcast
So that was great. But yeah, we had the whole gang on. Darcy took us through the planning and execution of what everybody who attended it, is they're they're all calling it the greatest after hour assignment event of all time. And it's really hard to argue with that. it you know If you attended it, yeah I think you think it, right, Jay? No?
00:07:34
RICK JAMES
Yeah, it was a good, it was a good, so I don't know what you're like.
00:07:35
snowjobspodcast
What would you say?
00:07:38
RICK JAMES
I don't know. It was, it was a great party. Yeah.
00:07:40
snowjobspodcast
It was a great party.
00:07:40
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:07:42
snowjobspodcast
All right.
00:07:42
RICK JAMES
What you're like, you're like looking at me.
00:07:42
snowjobspodcast
it It takes a lot. I'm easily impressed, apparently. Jeremy is very hard to impress, so.
00:07:46
RICK JAMES
Well, I don't know. You know, I'm not, no, I'm good. I just made it, made it sound like we went to a ball or something.
00:07:52
snowjobspodcast
ah
00:07:54
RICK JAMES
I don't know.
00:07:54
snowjobspodcast
No, I think it was just raising the bar.
00:07:56
RICK JAMES
Oh, it was great.
00:07:56
snowjobspodcast
They raised the bar. They definitely did.
00:07:58
RICK JAMES
Yeah. I'd go there every day. Let's go.
00:08:00
snowjobspodcast
All right. So for all you out there, if you want Jeremy to come to your party, it better be really, really good.
00:08:05
RICK JAMES
Yeah, I go to so many parties.
00:08:05
snowjobspodcast
Otherwise, he's just going to be like, man it's all right.
00:08:07
RICK JAMES
I got it i go to so many parties, see you got it.
00:08:11
snowjobspodcast
So if you want Jeremy at your event, make sure it's awesome or he's just going to poo poo it. All right.
00:08:15
RICK JAMES
Yeah, yeah, that's what I do.
00:08:17
snowjobspodcast
ah Oh man, Darcy crushed it though at the party. She did a great job. We're glad we were able to get her on and thank her for the hard work in front of Snow Jobs Nation there. ah Phil and Brady took us through the Storm Vision. ah they so They took us through that release, told us all the ins and outs of what Storm Vision is and more importantly, where it's going to go in the years to come. um Hearing the plans for that was awesome. Their app and all their tracking software and stuff that goes along with it. That's going to be pretty cool.
00:08:42
RICK JAMES
Great.
00:08:44
snowjobspodcast
They're going to have that in Fargo.
00:08:45
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:08:45
snowjobspodcast
They're going to be doing contests. There's going to be a lot of money on the table, betting who's being the most productive, who's the fastest, right?
00:08:49
RICK JAMES
That would be, yeah, we're going to have on the board.
00:08:52
snowjobspodcast
Definitely.
00:08:52
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:08:53
snowjobspodcast
That's going to be awesome. We're going to have to just set up a TV show just at Glacier, just just to watch all the bets.
00:08:59
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yeah. I don't know about that.
00:09:02
snowjobspodcast
All right.
00:09:03
RICK JAMES
That's that would be R rated for sure.
00:09:03
snowjobspodcast
well
00:09:06
snowjobspodcast
Well, yeah, I mean, it it definitely will be, but, you know, put the kids to bed and then watch. All right. ah Christian and Steve were there, too. ah I'm kidding. You know, Christian and Steve handle both inside and outside sales for Storm. They told us all about the Simon show from a sales perspective. They also helped explain the teleo system a bit since Dan, the man for teleo, was unavailable to be on with us. All right. All in all, great having the Storm Gang on with us. It's always a good time with those guys. um there They're just some of the best people you ever want to meet. And you know together, they make an amazing team.
00:09:37
RICK JAMES
Yeah, I think Dan was trying to get the internet to work at home now.
00:09:38
snowjobspodcast
They really do.
00:09:41
RICK JAMES
That's why he couldn't make it.
00:09:43
snowjobspodcast
He had no internet at home.
00:09:44
RICK JAMES
Well, I'm just kidding, because he couldn't, because it because the internet pis at the Pittsburgh, he missed a joke there, but yeah, i guess it's kind of inside.
00:09:45
snowjobspodcast
Oh, that's right. Yeah, you yeah my bad. Yeah, I missed it. We're right over my head. I'm sorry, brother.
00:09:51
RICK JAMES
it' say it's It's an inside joke, I guess, but yeah.
00:09:53
snowjobspodcast
I totally left you hanging. I do remember that now.
00:09:55
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:09:56
snowjobspodcast
Shit.
00:09:57
RICK JAMES
Nothing, 15K won't fix.
00:09:58
snowjobspodcast
Uh, uh, that's it. Nothing but 15 to 20 grand won't fix for internet. Jesus char Christmas. Um, but yeah, they're, they're just great people. We always have a blast with them and they're truly figuring it out. They're leading the charge to make snow pros lives better. They're doing it on a daily basis. So we want to thank them all for that. And guys, keep up the amazing work, right? We also talked about Storm equipment field day. all right That's coming up August 22nd in Minnesota. That's going to be a great day of learning networking. So if you're interested in going, the day is free to you, but you got to register. right And spots are going really fast. So contact Storm equipment and or register on their socials. They got the ads up for that.
00:10:39
snowjobspodcast
So, but get registered because they are locking it at 150. There is not going to be any bum rushing the gate, like at the storm party, the snow jobs party at Sima, where they're letting an extra 70 people in. It's not going to happen. All right. 150 is the number. I think they had, last time I checked, 50 something spots available still. So they're going to lock that out.
00:10:57
RICK JAMES
hm.
00:10:58
snowjobspodcast
that The way they're going, you got about two weeks. All right. um And if you are coming out to a attend Storm's Field Day, all right, in the the Storm Field, I keep wanting to say that because there's a weather guy in New York, Storm Field. If you are coming out to attend Storm's Field Day on the 22nd, in Mankato, Sanco Equipment is having their own demo day on the 21st, all right, also in Mankato. So you can check out the whole product line that Sanco sells, including the the XCMG loaders that we keep talking about and, ah you know, see if they're as advertised, all right.
00:11:32
snowjobspodcast
Oh, I think we're going to stop by, right, Jay?
00:11:34
RICK JAMES
Yeah, we're going to make a, we're going to go by and see what we can mess up.
00:11:35
snowjobspodcast
We're going to go by.
00:11:38
snowjobspodcast
Yep. Hang out, hang out for a bit, see what we can get into, see if we can get Jeremy yeah into one of the XCMG loaders, see if ah the Rick James of snow, ah see what he thinks about him.
00:11:42
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:11:49
RICK JAMES
Yeah. I'll run one.
00:11:50
snowjobspodcast
All right. So get ahold of Sanco and come on out if you're interested in that day. So that's two days in a row out in Mankato that's going to be, you know, equipment and snow talk. All right. I think that's good. I think that's it. You got anything else, Jay? I'm going to wrap it there.
00:12:03
RICK JAMES
No. Yeah, that's a little rep.
00:12:04
snowjobspodcast
All right. All right, cool. So let's hear from our sponsors and we'll be back and we'll bring in the curbside gang. We'll be back in a minute.
00:13:39
snowjobspodcast
All right, guys, we're back. So let's get into this with the guys from Curbside. They can all unmute their mics. And let's welcome Al King, Matt Moeller, and Justin Hauge to the Snow Jobs. Guys, welcome aboard. How are we doing today?
00:13:53
RICK JAMES
Hey, guys.
00:13:54
Al King
Good. Thanks for having us.
00:13:56
snowjobspodcast
No problem. Any time.
00:13:56
RICK JAMES
that Yeah, let's get right into it.
00:13:58
snowjobspodcast
Any time.
00:13:58
Matt Moeller
Thank
00:13:59
snowjobspodcast
All right, Jay, you want to take us away, brother?
00:14:02
RICK JAMES
Let's tell everybody whoever wants to go ahead and take this for all you guys and take it.
00:14:04
Matt Moeller
you.
00:14:05
RICK JAMES
but Let's tell everybody about curbside, what you're all about and what you guys how long you've been around and all the good stuff.
00:14:12
Al King
Well, we, uh, we started in 1998, um, uh, partner and myself out of his garage. And, uh, just doing mowing and, um, then started picking up landscaping and obviously did snow removal in the winter.
00:14:25
Justin Hauge
Thanks.
00:14:27
Al King
Um, grew pretty well for quite a few years. Um, got kind of stuck at like that 8 million range for four or five years. And then I was able to buy that partner out. Um, and, uh, I think we did 23 last year. And that was nine years ago I bought him out.
00:14:48
snowjobspodcast
Wow.
00:14:50
Al King
So got a, quite a, yeah.
00:14:51
snowjobspodcast
Nice.
00:14:51
RICK JAMES
Oh, good for you.
00:14:53
snowjobspodcast
That's yeah, that's a that's a pain when you get stuck at that $8 million dollars mark.
00:14:57
Justin Hauge
but
00:14:58
Al King
Well, it's quite, quite a crew of people. A lot of, a lot of the employees that are there have been there for, I bet we have 40 employees that have been there between 10 and 15 years.
00:15:00
snowjobspodcast
yeah
00:15:05
RICK JAMES
Oh, that's awesome.
00:15:10
snowjobspodcast
That's awesome. That says a lot about your culture.
00:15:11
Al King
Yeah.
00:15:11
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:15:12
snowjobspodcast
That's great.
00:15:13
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Makes makes a lot easier to doing stuff.
00:15:14
Al King
yeah
00:15:17
Al King
Yeah.
00:15:17
RICK JAMES
Guys know what they're doing. So how many?
00:15:19
snowjobspodcast
Yeah, same boots on the ground.
00:15:20
Al King
Yup.
00:15:21
snowjobspodcast
Definitely make it easier.
00:15:23
Al King
Yup.
00:15:23
snowjobspodcast
Very cool. So what area you guys operate out of? Take everybody through like what your core area is. What do you do most of your damage?
00:15:30
Al King
Uh, our main offices and, uh, shops and stuff was in Savage and then we have a North location, um, as well up in the Northeast corner of the Metro, um, or Northwest.
00:15:42
Matt Moeller
Northwest Yeah, I'd love one there cut my commute down
00:15:43
Al King
Yeah.
00:15:43
RICK JAMES
so Wow.
00:15:43
Al King
Matt wants one in the Northeast.
00:15:47
Justin Hauge
Go home.
00:15:47
Al King
We're working on it. We're working on it.
00:15:47
snowjobspodcast
Close it to home.
00:15:50
snowjobspodcast
ah That's cool. That's very cool.
00:15:53
Al King
um Yeah, we we we're probably about to outgrow what we have. um We're running about 110 people in the summer months, and we go up to what we talked about, matt probably close to 500 in the winter.
00:16:07
Matt Moeller
about 500 and 500 in the winter so 5 to 550 and it can ramp up obviously with the storm you know if we're getting 15 inches or we'll ramp her up close to 650 700 that's not being shared
00:16:11
snowjobspodcast
Wow. That's a big swell. Sure.
00:16:21
snowjobspodcast
Very cool.
00:16:21
RICK JAMES
Jeez, where'd you get all those guys?
00:16:24
snowjobspodcast
Yeah. Where do you find them?
00:16:26
Al King
We've got a lot of good partners.
00:16:29
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:16:29
Al King
No.
00:16:30
snowjobspodcast
a Good for you.
00:16:31
Justin Hauge
Top secret.
00:16:33
Al King
See, it seems to go the same with the the partners in the industry.
00:16:33
snowjobspodcast
I love it.
00:16:37
Al King
If you treat them the same way, you know, treat each other, um, they, they keep, they come running from places that don't treat them right. So we've, uh, we've done pretty well there.
00:16:46
snowjobspodcast
Amen.
00:16:46
RICK JAMES
Right, oh yeah.
00:16:46
snowjobspodcast
Amen. amen
00:16:49
snowjobspodcast
It's amazing that everybody hasn't figured that out yet. Just go old school with it.
00:16:52
Al King
Yeah.
00:16:53
snowjobspodcast
You know, I mean, keep it, keep it family oriented, keep the culture good and you know, good shit will happen.
00:16:56
Al King
um
00:16:59
Al King
yeah
00:17:00
snowjobspodcast
It's incredible. So you guys obviously curbside landscape and irrigation. So take everybody through the, what's what's your specialties? What services do you guys offer?
00:17:09
Al King
what we do We used to do commercial and residential. um We only do commercial now all across the board. So we have I think eight or nine landscape crews, full landscape. We have 11. mowing crews are 12, something like that, Justin 12.
00:17:28
Justin Hauge
12. Yeah 12.
00:17:30
Al King
Um, we have six or seven irrigation techs. Um, we have, you know, we're very departmentalized. We have two tree crews, um, uh, three Fertex.
00:17:39
snowjobspodcast
Sure.
00:17:42
Al King
So we're kinda, everybody kind of runs their own little business there.
00:17:43
RICK JAMES
Oh.
00:17:48
snowjobspodcast
Very cool.
00:17:48
Al King
Um, take, you know, they take a lot of pride in it stuff.
00:17:49
RICK JAMES
It's
00:17:52
Al King
So,
00:17:52
snowjobspodcast
That's awesome.
00:17:52
RICK JAMES
awesome.
00:17:53
snowjobspodcast
Yeah. So you guys cover everything. That's awesome. One stop shopping doesn't hurt.
00:17:55
Al King
you know,
00:17:57
Al King
yeah
00:17:58
Matt Moeller
Well, then Al actually has a partnership and a sweeping and striping company. So, I mean, that also helps that we kind of can answer every question for any customer that calls self, you know.
00:18:07
RICK JAMES
Oh
00:18:10
Al King
no
00:18:11
snowjobspodcast
That's uh, yeah, that's awesome.
00:18:11
RICK JAMES
yeah.
00:18:13
snowjobspodcast
Is that is sweeping big up there? Like some places sweeping is big.
00:18:16
Al King
Yeah.
00:18:17
snowjobspodcast
Some places it's not.
00:18:17
Al King
Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's, I mean,
00:18:19
Justin Hauge
you.
00:18:22
Al King
The majority of the commercial properties are swept at least spring. Um, if not spring and fall, and then you get into the retail stuff and they have periodicals, whether it's monthly or weekly or whatever, just police sweeping quick, you know, buzz through, you know,
00:18:34
snowjobspodcast
Gotcha. Very cool.
00:18:38
RICK JAMES
sweeping sweepers are pretty uh high maintenance aren't they what i've heard the sweepers they're pretty ah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah oh
00:18:43
Al King
Yep. Yep. So, um, yeah, you just keep them clean and greased.
00:18:44
Matt Moeller
Yup.
00:18:48
Al King
That's the main thing. They seem to last a lot better if you just take care of them. So.
00:18:53
snowjobspodcast
Who better to take care of sweepers than snow guys? that That's all high maintenance and high breakdowns.
00:18:56
Al King
Yeah. No guys are definitely high maintenance.
00:19:02
snowjobspodcast
That's it. ah Oh man.
00:19:04
Al King
that
00:19:06
RICK JAMES
So what's, uh, what's your guys's, well, let's go to get into some snow stuff. That's what we're about. So what's your weather like up there? what What's your average? I mean, I think we've heard from other guys, but what are you guys doing average snowfall around cities are.
00:19:19
Al King
Matt, you want to talk on this?
00:19:22
Matt Moeller
it broke up a little bit but uh... you average i mean if you take the hundred years of thirty years yeah nah yeah it's usually in that forty eight to fifty five range i mean that's pretty consistent i mean the hundred hundred years i believe like forty four of the thirty years fifty six so i mean i would say in twenty two years of doing it at uh...
00:19:24
Al King
Out, snowfall yearly.
00:19:26
RICK JAMES
Average snowfall your yearly snowfall. How many events?
00:19:30
Justin Hauge
Not including last year.
00:19:32
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yeah.
00:19:38
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:19:44
RICK JAMES
Mm hmm.
00:19:50
Matt Moeller
If you have a 50 inch winter, you had a good winter.
00:19:54
snowjobspodcast
Gotcha. All right. Now, when your normal type of storms that you're going to see in normal is like two to four range or you guys getting big ones to.
00:20:03
Al King
We definitely get big snowy mud.
00:20:03
Matt Moeller
We get big ones, we, yeah.
00:20:06
snowjobspodcast
Gotcha. Cool.
00:20:07
Matt Moeller
I mean, Germany knows how the big ones go.
00:20:08
snowjobspodcast
Very cool.
00:20:08
RICK JAMES
What's up?
00:20:10
Matt Moeller
I mean, when when it's big, it it doesn't even have to be the total amount.
00:20:11
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:20:16
Matt Moeller
It's with the 50 mile an hour wind behind it.
00:20:16
RICK JAMES
Just a wind. Oh, yeah.
00:20:19
snowjobspodcast
So you guys get the win, too.
00:20:19
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:20:19
Matt Moeller
That kills you.
00:20:22
Matt Moeller
Yeah.
00:20:22
snowjobspodcast
Gotcha.
00:20:22
snowjobspodcast
and
00:20:22
RICK JAMES
They had to win. They still don't get the win we get. Nobody really understands our wind dog here.
00:20:25
Al King
No.
00:20:25
Matt Moeller
No, God, I mean.
00:20:26
RICK JAMES
but
00:20:28
Matt Moeller
yeah yeah North Dakota is a 30 mile or completely sustained wind up there.
00:20:28
RICK JAMES
of
00:20:31
snowjobspodcast
Guys, he gets very... Yeah, he gets...
00:20:33
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yeah.
00:20:38
snowjobspodcast
Yeah, he gets very protective of his wind, all right?
00:20:38
RICK JAMES
yeah ah love yeah right upstairs Hey, I've had many guys from the East Coast come on here and go, but don't they and know I'm not Kim.
00:20:40
snowjobspodcast
you know but Nobody's got wind like Fargo.
00:20:41
Matt Moeller
its
00:20:50
snowjobspodcast
No, we have no idea.
00:20:50
Matt Moeller
no yeah
00:20:51
snowjobspodcast
We have no idea.
00:20:51
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:20:52
snowjobspodcast
I can honestly tell you that.
00:20:52
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:20:54
snowjobspodcast
We have no idea. You sent me that one video when you were trying to rescue... Who was it, Aaron?
00:20:58
RICK JAMES
Snowballs, yeah.
00:20:59
snowjobspodcast
Yeah, you're going out to try and rescue Aaron. And I'm like, holy crap. like That is no joke.
00:21:04
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:21:05
snowjobspodcast
So yeah, no. the The wind is definitely not a thing here like it is for you guys.
00:21:06
Matt Moeller
it
00:21:10
Matt Moeller
No, absolutely demoralizing to the worst part because you'll be sitting there after 24 or 30 hours.
00:21:10
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Uh huh.
00:21:16
Matt Moeller
And you're it suns out and you're watching this stuff come off the tops of buildings and building this six to eight foot drift that's harder than rock. And you're like, oh, this is going to be a long day.
00:21:25
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:21:27
Justin Hauge
Okay.
00:21:28
snowjobspodcast
I can imagine.
00:21:28
Justin Hauge
Okay.
00:21:29
snowjobspodcast
I can imagine. Yeah, you're already exhausted and you think you're on the home stretch and then the wind picks up and time to start over.
00:21:36
RICK JAMES
Yeah, sidewalk crews are not going home. You guys are going to sit there all day, babysit that roof.
00:21:40
Matt Moeller
Yeah.
00:21:40
snowjobspodcast
Oh, man.
00:21:42
Justin Hauge
Just keep doing rounds.
00:21:43
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:21:43
Matt Moeller
one
00:21:44
snowjobspodcast
There you go.
00:21:44
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:21:44
snowjobspodcast
Do you guys get a lot of freezing rain stuff like that normally or I know you did last year, but as a normal winter goes, do you get a lot of the freezing rain and crap?
00:21:54
Al King
I feel like the last you know five, six years has been more than normal here, like more than historically.
00:22:00
snowjobspodcast
got Gotcha.
00:22:03
Al King
I'm not sure why, just temperature changes.
00:22:03
snowjobspodcast
Yeah.
00:22:06
Al King
you know
00:22:08
snowjobspodcast
Very cool. Yeah. Did you guys, I mean, you had a hundred inch, two years ago, you had a hundred inches, right?
00:22:09
RICK JAMES
Well, yeah.
00:22:10
Matt Moeller
And work.
00:22:13
Al King
you know Last year was 30.
00:22:13
snowjobspodcast
Last year was down.
00:22:13
Matt Moeller
No.
00:22:15
Justin Hauge
Yes.
00:22:16
snowjobspodcast
30.
00:22:16
RICK JAMES
yeah Yeah. How'd you even get 30? I mean, oh, you got, you got those ones.
00:22:18
snowjobspodcast
Yeah.
00:22:18
Matt Moeller
One star, one storm.
00:22:19
snowjobspodcast
The wind.
00:22:19
Al King
Yeah. um
00:22:20
snowjobspodcast
but
00:22:21
RICK JAMES
You guys, yeah, you guys, you guys got that at the end, that storm at the end.
00:22:22
Al King
Yeah, one of them was like 16 inches or something at the end, which...
00:22:24
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yeah.
00:22:25
Matt Moeller
Yep.
00:22:26
snowjobspodcast
Oh, there you go.
00:22:27
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:22:27
snowjobspodcast
That was, that was our winner two years ago. That was, uh, we had what, nine inches, I think on February 28th. And then we ended up with 39.
00:22:32
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yeah.
00:22:35
snowjobspodcast
We two storms drop 30 on us.
00:22:35
RICK JAMES
yeah So if we're going to talk about last year, what did you guys do last year? Then it was such a low year. What do you guys do to keep your crews busy or keep shit moving?
00:22:44
Matt Moeller
Send Al to Florida.
00:22:45
snowjobspodcast
Hmm.
00:22:49
snowjobspodcast
<unk>
00:22:49
Matt Moeller
Tell him to leave and stop looking at the shop.
00:22:50
Justin Hauge
A lot of the office.
00:22:52
Matt Moeller
It's already been repainted.
00:22:54
Al King
Yeah.
00:22:54
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:22:55
Justin Hauge
Trucks were clean.
00:22:56
snowjobspodcast
Uh, there you go.
00:22:57
RICK JAMES
yep
00:22:57
Justin Hauge
Equipment was clean.
00:22:57
Matt Moeller
Yeah.
00:22:59
Al King
Should have been.
00:22:59
snowjobspodcast
Yeah, that's yeah.
00:23:01
snowjobspodcast
You can always tell with Jeremy too.
00:23:02
Al King
and
00:23:03
snowjobspodcast
Like when he's having no snow, cause uh, when they get down to actually polishing the rims on the loader, they haven't had snow in a little bit.
00:23:09
Matt Moeller
Yeah.
00:23:10
snowjobspodcast
there He's got them doing all the maintenance. And then when they get down to the rims, what are you doing today? Well, we're polishing rims, man. Has it been that long you guys having that snow in a little bit?
00:23:20
RICK JAMES
Yeah, it sucks.
00:23:20
Matt Moeller
using Using four cans of tire shine on the tires.
00:23:21
RICK JAMES
It really sucks.
00:23:21
snowjobspodcast
It doesn't hit us. Okay.
00:23:24
RICK JAMES
yeah It gets expensive when there's no snow trying to find stuff to do.
00:23:30
snowjobspodcast
Uh, Oh, it does.
00:23:31
RICK JAMES
but
00:23:32
snowjobspodcast
So take us through, like, what, what type of sites do you guys service? What for snow? What are you, what are you doing? Uh, I know you got a wide array of stuff, but you know, what are your, your highest, you know, I don't know what the word is. you you're You're the sites. You're proud of stuff really to do.
00:23:48
Al King
Go ahead, Matt.
00:23:49
Justin Hauge
What
00:23:51
Matt Moeller
I would say, I mean, obviously you you nailed it at the beginning.
00:23:53
Justin Hauge
was that?
00:23:55
Matt Moeller
I mean, we take a lot of pride in doing the work with the Vikings and it's a great partnership with us. We do got to say something. We do not do the stadium. We do all their training facilities and all their other property.
00:24:04
snowjobspodcast
The training facilities.
00:24:06
Matt Moeller
Yep.
00:24:06
snowjobspodcast
Gotcha.
00:24:07
Matt Moeller
Yep. Just so we're not.
00:24:09
Matt Moeller
speaking out of turn on that one um but i we're very diverse we handle you know from medical to large industrial i i think our niche if you had to pick out one thing would be large industrial large square footage big iron moving these big campuses of you know nine ten buildings but uh
00:24:09
snowjobspodcast
Gotcha.
00:24:10
snowjobspodcast
Okay.
00:24:10
Justin Hauge
Okay.
00:24:12
snowjobspodcast
Understood.
00:24:32
snowjobspodcast
Gotcha.
00:24:34
Matt Moeller
You know, my history, I come from all different from healthcare care to this big square foot stuff, but I'd say as curbside, I think we take pride in all our work, obviously, but being able to manage big square footage.
00:24:40
Justin Hauge
Okay.
00:24:45
snowjobspodcast
Sure.
00:24:52
snowjobspodcast
Yeah, that's a, it's a well-coordinated ballet at that point, you know, when you got the big stuff and you could do it well.
00:24:54
Al King
really
00:24:57
snowjobspodcast
Now, let me ask you a question now. You do the Vikings training facilities and stuff. Are all the guys that work there, do they have to be Vikings fans? Like you got any Packer fans snuck in there at all on those crews?
00:25:06
Al King
that the guy who manages the area is a Packers fan
00:25:06
Matt Moeller
Oh, there's it.
00:25:08
RICK JAMES
God no. ah Damn sabotage.
00:25:12
Justin Hauge
Oh, that's not right.
00:25:12
Al King
yeah grin and bear
00:25:14
snowjobspodcast
That's it.
00:25:15
Al King
yeah
00:25:16
snowjobspodcast
Uh, he's kicking the salt off the walkways of the player's entrance.
00:25:17
Al King
no
00:25:20
snowjobspodcast
like yeah oh Oh, that's great.
00:25:20
Justin Hauge
keep
00:25:20
Al King
yeah
00:25:21
RICK JAMES
Big game coming up. ah Now I know what's going on.
00:25:24
Al King
yeah
00:25:24
Matt Moeller
Yeah.
00:25:24
RICK JAMES
um That's too bad.
00:25:26
Al King
the
00:25:27
snowjobspodcast
That's great.
00:25:29
RICK JAMES
I don't know if I'd employ him.
00:25:29
snowjobspodcast
Oh man. yeah ah Jeremy, this should be a good. Oh, sorry. Go ahead. ah
00:25:37
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:25:38
snowjobspodcast
I'm sure. um That's awesome. Yeah, the videos of of the facilities over there, you guys do some serious work, man.
00:25:40
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:25:40
Justin Hauge
Yep.
00:25:44
snowjobspodcast
It looks great. Good for you guys. ah Jeremy, you're about to be very excited, brother. You want to take them into the Jeremy Lindstrom favorite segment of all time?
00:25:50
RICK JAMES
Oh yeah.
00:25:53
RICK JAMES
Yeah. let's So let's get into the equipment. What are you guys running for equipment?
00:25:56
Al King
year
00:25:57
RICK JAMES
Loaders, skidsters, pickups, everything. I want to know it all. So what do you guys got?
00:26:02
Matt Moeller
It's true pretty simple. Large frame case loaders and then John Deere mid-size loaders, the 344s, we run a lot of those. And then all John Deere skid steers. A couple of cat track machines, John Deere wheel machines.
00:26:18
RICK JAMES
Okay.
00:26:18
snowjobspodcast
Very cool.
00:26:23
snowjobspodcast
Okay.
00:26:23
RICK JAMES
So 344 is have you guys any speed sensors and all that bullshit that goes on with them?
00:26:30
Matt Moeller
Only thing we had last couple of years is some, some deaf stuff, which is naturally we're battling with everything.
00:26:30
RICK JAMES
No. God.
00:26:35
RICK JAMES
Yeah. um
00:26:38
snowjobspodcast
Sure.
00:26:40
Matt Moeller
Um, and then pickup trucks, straight, straight, uh, Ram, Ram across the board, uh, super duties and soul trucks are all Ford's, um, Vermeer chippers.
00:26:40
snowjobspodcast
Yup.
00:26:49
RICK JAMES
Hmm.
00:26:52
Matt Moeller
I mean, how far do we want to go down the line?
00:26:52
snowjobspodcast
Ha
00:26:53
RICK JAMES
what are What are we, what are we running for plows, plows on those loaders and stuff?
00:26:53
Justin Hauge
Thank you.
00:26:54
Matt Moeller
Yeah. hit boss oh for the plows um metal plus and arctic so a combination of both all the skids have metal plus um boss plows on the trucks a lot of salt dog uh spreaders uh
00:26:59
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Okay. Nice.
00:27:09
Justin Hauge
Thank
00:27:17
Matt Moeller
We're getting more into the SSVs for sidewalk equipment.
00:27:19
snowjobspodcast
ha ha ha!
00:27:22
Matt Moeller
I've had great luck in the past with those, and we were using Snow Raiders, but we're really moving towards that direction.
00:27:29
Justin Hauge
you.
00:27:31
Matt Moeller
i John Deere sidewalk tractors over the vent racks. um to
00:27:38
RICK JAMES
What size, what size you're on and 25.
00:27:41
Matt Moeller
1025Rs, the subcompacts twenty five yep with with turf tires.
00:27:44
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:27:44
snowjobspodcast
Mm-hmm.
00:27:45
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:27:45
snowjobspodcast
Very cool.
00:27:45
Matt Moeller
so ah
00:27:47
snowjobspodcast
Very cool.
00:27:49
Matt Moeller
Yeah, I mean it's pretty simple. I mean we keep it as streamlined as we can with our shop.
00:27:52
RICK JAMES
So they run a lot.
00:27:55
RICK JAMES
We run a lot of, uh, metal metal class and artics.
00:27:56
Matt Moeller
Go ahead.
00:27:58
RICK JAMES
Like you said, what do you think scrapes nicer?
00:28:01
snowjobspodcast
Oh, here we go.
00:28:05
RICK JAMES
We're talking, it's just not even, it's not even that hard on my thought, is it?
00:28:05
snowjobspodcast
He's thinking. He's, uh...
00:28:11
Matt Moeller
I don't know if I want to piss John off with Arctic or who I want to piss off here.
00:28:11
Justin Hauge
Yes.
00:28:11
snowjobspodcast
ah
00:28:13
RICK JAMES
ah ha ah I'll get John on the phone when we're so glad I'm in.
00:28:16
Matt Moeller
kind yeah um yeah um I think they both scrape very well.
00:28:17
snowjobspodcast
ah ah That's great. ah That's great.
00:28:23
snowjobspodcast
ah Oh, it's great.
00:28:30
Matt Moeller
I think they both have their very strong points. arctic I mean, simplicity, it doesn't get much simpler. The metal plus with the right guy, but we all know that not everyone can hop in and run a, say, 30,000 pound loader with one of the massive metal pluses.
00:28:46
snowjobspodcast
Yep.
00:28:51
snowjobspodcast
100%.
00:28:51
Matt Moeller
I mean, you're going to be losing a wing. I don't care how strong they're built. They're going to do it. So it's like, you got to know your operators. You got to know the right fit, the right site. I mean, if you've got a bunch of loading dock and you come in with a 25 or 26 foot, whatever it is, metal plus and knock those loading docks out, absolutely right fit. But sometimes if you're just hogging and pushing, a lot of times I find in combination is the best way to use them.
00:29:17
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:29:19
snowjobspodcast
Oh, very, yeah.
00:29:19
RICK JAMES
Sounds like we're, we're at a political debate. is we Are we doing politics now?
00:29:22
snowjobspodcast
I was going to say very, very boring and politically correct answer, Matt.
00:29:22
Justin Hauge
Okay.
00:29:22
Al King
Not.
00:29:25
RICK JAMES
Jesus.
00:29:26
snowjobspodcast
Way to go.
00:29:28
Matt Moeller
I had to keep it.
00:29:29
snowjobspodcast
but No, that was as that was perfect.
00:29:29
RICK JAMES
gods yeah
00:29:32
snowjobspodcast
That was perfect.
00:29:34
RICK JAMES
ah
00:29:35
snowjobspodcast
That's awesome. We tried.
00:29:36
Matt Moeller
ah Hey, you saw what happened yesterday.
00:29:37
snowjobspodcast
that
00:29:38
Matt Moeller
I don't want to end up. I don't know who's outside my window right now I don't want to end up losing an ear out of a deal And old older old pictures
00:29:43
RICK JAMES
ah
00:29:44
snowjobspodcast
a Oh, that's funny.
00:29:45
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:29:47
snowjobspodcast
Oh my God.
00:29:48
RICK JAMES
Oh,
00:29:49
snowjobspodcast
ah What else, Jay? what ah You want to know anything else about their equipment? I thought I saw some Kamatsu's on the videos and stuff.
00:29:57
Justin Hauge
Oh yeah, those were some years ago.
00:29:59
snowjobspodcast
Oh, you know got it.
00:30:00
Al King
Yeah.
00:30:00
RICK JAMES
oh
00:30:01
snowjobspodcast
Okay.
00:30:01
RICK JAMES
what are you running for case loaders?
00:30:01
snowjobspodcast
Very good.
00:30:03
RICK JAMES
What size are you running the vibes or six sevens?
00:30:05
Matt Moeller
521s with no key ins.
00:30:05
RICK JAMES
what Yeah.
00:30:09
Matt Moeller
Everything we have has a snow tire on it. I will not operate without a snow tire.
00:30:11
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:30:12
snowjobspodcast
That was my next question.
00:30:12
RICK JAMES
yeah There you go. You're my guy.
00:30:15
snowjobspodcast
Yeah, that was my next question.
00:30:16
RICK JAMES
You can't once once you go with them, you cannot not go with those. It's just.
00:30:21
Matt Moeller
I mean, you're losing horsepower.
00:30:21
snowjobspodcast
The no key ins are in insane. You are 100%.
00:30:24
Matt Moeller
I mean, you're you're you can run a 950 with half ass bald tires and I'll take a 344 with no key ins on it over that thing.
00:30:24
RICK JAMES
Mm hmm.
00:30:34
snowjobspodcast
Yep,
00:30:34
RICK JAMES
Yep, yep.
00:30:35
snowjobspodcast
you'll I'll push it. That's for damn sure.
00:30:37
RICK JAMES
Hey, you.
00:30:38
snowjobspodcast
yep That's awesome.
00:30:39
RICK JAMES
They are the ticket.
00:30:41
snowjobspodcast
Got anything else you want to know with equipment, Jay?
00:30:42
Al King
you.
00:30:43
RICK JAMES
um What do you run on your on your John Deere equipment? Do you run on brooms? What do you blades? What do you run on them are for?
00:30:51
Matt Moeller
Uh, the eight 10 or eight 12.
00:30:51
RICK JAMES
Sidewalk machines.
00:30:54
Matt Moeller
Oh, sorry.
00:30:54
RICK JAMES
I meant i met your sidewalk, sorry.
00:30:58
Matt Moeller
sorry Um, I mean, we run tool cats with brooms and then, uh, blades mainly, and we'll, we'll take and, you know, whether it can use a steel edge or a rubber edge or whatever, and kind of customize.
00:31:10
snowjobspodcast
Sure.
00:31:11
Matt Moeller
We run a lot of our mowers. We run the multi forces.
00:31:15
RICK JAMES
Mm hmm.
00:31:15
Matt Moeller
So, I mean, we put probably put out 15, 20 of those and I mean, pound for pound and speed wise, they're probably the fastest out there, but they're a little limited on certain things.
00:31:15
snowjobspodcast
Okay.
00:31:26
snowjobspodcast
Yeah.
00:31:27
Matt Moeller
You don't have a blower broom.
00:31:30
snowjobspodcast
Gotcha.
00:31:31
RICK JAMES
How about you running?
00:31:31
snowjobspodcast
Very cool.
00:31:33
RICK JAMES
You're talking about liquid. What are you running for liquid?
00:31:36
snowjobspodcast
No, that's Justin, right?
00:31:37
Justin Hauge
ye Yeah, so Jordan was really instrumental in helping us out with that at BSI.
00:31:37
snowjobspodcast
He's the head of the liquids program.
00:31:37
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:31:38
Matt Moeller
Yep. Justin.
00:31:45
Justin Hauge
So in 2018, we got into ah doing brides. We bought brine maker from start making it in house. We got a couple of thousand gallon ah sprayers, two 500 gallon sprayers, a 750. So we're moving quite a bit of liquid I think since the, when we started spraying, I think we've gone through almost 2 million gallons of process made and sprayed brine.
00:32:14
snowjobspodcast
Nice. So you're spraying a little bit of liquid.
00:32:14
Justin Hauge
So yeah, quite a bit.
00:32:15
snowjobspodcast
All right.
00:32:17
Justin Hauge
Everything, everything out in Egan is basically all brine.
00:32:19
snowjobspodcast
Okay.
00:32:21
Justin Hauge
So that site doesn't really see any rock zone.
00:32:22
snowjobspodcast
What are you, what are you using as far as additives?
00:32:26
Justin Hauge
Uh, we used AMP at first from Virotec, but then we switched a couple of years ago to headwaters hot. So that's just the mixture runs a little less.
00:32:33
snowjobspodcast
Gotcha.
00:32:34
RICK JAMES
Well, you know what?
00:32:37
Justin Hauge
So it's, it's a little bit more expensive than AMP, but it seems to have a little bit better. Uh, I guess I'll come.
00:32:47
snowjobspodcast
Yeah, a little hotter.
00:32:48
RICK JAMES
You know, little system.
00:32:48
Justin Hauge
Yeah.
00:32:50
RICK JAMES
Do you do a lot of pre-treating them too or just post or both?
00:32:52
Justin Hauge
We. Uh, well, yeah, we tried to, uh, we tried to do as much pre-treating as possible. Just, you know, and there's always the challenges of the freezing rain events before where you just, you know, you can maybe try to time it to get out afterwards, but yeah.
00:33:03
snowjobspodcast
Sure.
00:33:08
Justin Hauge
So, but yeah, we do quite a bit of pre-treat.
00:33:09
RICK JAMES
eight He's in any liquids on sidewalks too, or just parking lot?
00:33:09
snowjobspodcast
Gotcha.
00:33:13
Justin Hauge
Yeah, quite a bit. Yeah. Well, we have, uh, what meant four Snow Raiders, I believe, or five.
00:33:20
Matt Moeller
Yeah, four and then and then the tool cats are set up with VSIs.
00:33:24
Justin Hauge
Yeah, two whole panels we had set up, so.
00:33:27
Matt Moeller
So I'd say there's probably 10 sites in our whole portfolio that have gotten completely all the liquid.
00:33:28
snowjobspodcast
With it.
00:33:31
Al King
Bye.
00:33:34
Matt Moeller
But with that, they saw that it's an additional cost, but their cleaning went down, their repairs went down.
00:33:40
snowjobspodcast
Sure.
00:33:41
Matt Moeller
You know, they saw replacing a railing costing them $25,000 for an ADA ramp.
00:33:42
RICK JAMES
Okay.
00:33:48
Matt Moeller
And they went, uh, yeah, we see why you guys want to do this.
00:33:51
RICK JAMES
Okay.
00:33:53
snowjobspodcast
Yeah, well, that's good, man. It's all how you sell it and it's it's up to the customers to realize the value.
00:33:57
Justin Hauge
um
00:33:59
snowjobspodcast
That definitely seems to be the biggest hurdle I think a lot of guys are having is trying to sell it. We heard of guys in the Northeast last year that were starting out and they were having a tough time selling it to the customer saying, listen, this is going to save you money. I think they just need to see it. Like you said, once they were
00:34:14
Justin Hauge
Yeah, absolutely.
00:34:15
snowjobspodcast
Play some railings and you know all that kind of stuff. They'll see that it definitely will definitely will enhance their infrastructure longevity, that's for sure.
00:34:25
Justin Hauge
Yeah, I mean, cuts down on the sod damage and stuff like that as well. I mean, and you're still going to have it, but you know, I mean, we've seen quite a reduction in a lot of that damage as far as plant materials on all that.
00:34:38
snowjobspodcast
The tool cats carry what as far as gallonage of liquids? what What units do you have in those from VSI? Are those the sidewalks layers?
00:34:43
Justin Hauge
um
00:34:44
snowjobspodcast
or
00:34:45
Justin Hauge
No, we actually just because of the. volume that we go out there we had them ah kind of custom make one of their hydro seed tanks and we had them turn that into a de-icer for us because it also had the gas engine on it the that we noticed with the first um basically it was like 110 gallon battery operated electric motor and it just didn't put out the volume that you need so we switched and had that and we actually used one of the
00:34:54
snowjobspodcast
Okay. Yep.
00:35:12
snowjobspodcast
Gotcha.
00:35:16
Justin Hauge
We use a LT Rich Fert sprayer as well. We fill those tanks up and spray brine out and vegan because it just, it moves so much faster than the snow rangers.
00:35:21
snowjobspodcast
Cool.
00:35:25
snowjobspodcast
Now, spraying so much brine, do you guys have like remote sites for, you know, storage facilities, holding facilities type thing, infrastructure?
00:35:25
RICK JAMES
Thank
00:35:30
Matt Moeller
Thank
00:35:31
RICK JAMES
you.
00:35:32
Justin Hauge
Yeah.
00:35:33
snowjobspodcast
Yeah.
00:35:33
Justin Hauge
Yeah. Yeah. We hold, um, about 45,000 gallons of brine at our sell shop.
00:35:36
Matt Moeller
you.
00:35:38
Justin Hauge
We hold. 15,000 gallons of brine out in Egan and 15,000 gallons of brine up at a Golden Valley location. And then each one of those have about 3000 gallons of headwaters. And then we hold 5,000 gallons of headwaters at Savage. And then Pelican has us set up with a 20,000 gallon frac tank for headwaters that sits at our North shop that we can kind of save a little bit of delivery costs there. So well stocked.
00:36:08
snowjobspodcast
Gotcha. And do you guys, you, you have one Brian maker, one centralized Brian maker.
00:36:10
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:36:12
Justin Hauge
media We do. Yup. Yup.
00:36:15
snowjobspodcast
So if you don't mind me asking, how are you, how are you overcoming like the logistics of, of refilling the tanks and stuff?
00:36:15
Justin Hauge
Let's start at our Savage location.
00:36:23
snowjobspodcast
Do you have a tanker truck that transports it? How are you getting by doing that?
00:36:27
Justin Hauge
Yeah, we do. We have a local guy that works with us, um, that runs a lot of our brine and fills up our satellite lake tanks for us. So yeah, we just don't have the volume.
00:36:34
snowjobspodcast
Sweet.
00:36:37
Justin Hauge
I mean, light days and something especially last year, we didn't need it. You know, we could supplement it o ourselves, but yeah you know, the year before we had him running his trucks and he also does snow as well.
00:36:41
snowjobspodcast
ye
00:36:49
Justin Hauge
So he was running pretty ragged as well, but he got it done for us.
00:36:50
snowjobspodcast
Yep.
00:36:52
RICK JAMES
It's not Tommy, is it? Tommy Young Quest?
00:36:54
Justin Hauge
Yeah.
00:36:54
Matt Moeller
Oh, yeah.
00:36:54
Justin Hauge
Yup.
00:36:54
RICK JAMES
Is it Tommy?
00:36:54
snowjobspodcast
Oh, he's a good man.
00:36:55
Matt Moeller
Oh, yeah.
00:36:55
Justin Hauge
Yup.
00:36:55
RICK JAMES
It is a Tommy, okay.
00:36:55
Justin Hauge
Absolutely. Yup.
00:36:58
RICK JAMES
Ah, yeah, I talk to Tommy every day.
00:36:59
Justin Hauge
He, he came in clutch for us.
00:37:01
RICK JAMES
Oh, yeah.
00:37:02
Justin Hauge
So yup.
00:37:03
RICK JAMES
Part-time Tommy, part-time Tommy.
00:37:05
snowjobspodcast
He's a good man.
00:37:06
Justin Hauge
Absolutely.
00:37:06
RICK JAMES
He works so hard, just let him heal that. He'll tell you how hard he works.
00:37:10
Justin Hauge
Oh, yeah.
00:37:11
Matt Moeller
that
00:37:13
Justin Hauge
Oh, yeah.
00:37:13
RICK JAMES
He'll be listening to this, I know he will, so.
00:37:15
snowjobspodcast
Oh yeah, he does, he listens.
00:37:17
RICK JAMES
Oh, I know.
00:37:17
snowjobspodcast
Oh, that's great. That's great. So you guys also...
00:37:20
Matt Moeller
Tommy, love your buddy.
00:37:21
Justin Hauge
Yeah, absolutely.
00:37:22
Matt Moeller
aye
00:37:22
RICK JAMES
Mr.
00:37:22
snowjobspodcast
Mr.
00:37:23
RICK JAMES
Political here!
00:37:23
snowjobspodcast
Politically correct.
00:37:24
Matt Moeller
I absolutely...
00:37:24
snowjobspodcast
there is Check it in. ah
00:37:28
Matt Moeller
I used to work for the guy. I know him well.
00:37:30
snowjobspodcast
ah
00:37:31
RICK JAMES
Oh yeah, I got his little cup here he gave me the last time he was up here.
00:37:31
snowjobspodcast
He's the best. He's a good dude.
00:37:34
Matt Moeller
I had twin city roads in control.
00:37:35
snowjobspodcast
Oh, there it is.
00:37:36
Justin Hauge
oh
00:37:36
RICK JAMES
i Yeah, he he comes up here at least once or twice a year or so.
00:37:37
Justin Hauge
um
00:37:38
snowjobspodcast
There it is.
00:37:42
snowjobspodcast
Yeah, those dust control guys stick together. oh man
00:37:45
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:37:47
snowjobspodcast
you You guys also do granular as well to back up the ah the brine program Is that straight salt are using treated salt at all?
00:37:47
Justin Hauge
but of
00:37:52
Justin Hauge
Yes.
00:37:52
Matt Moeller
Yes.
00:37:55
snowjobspodcast
What are you guys doing?
00:37:56
Justin Hauge
Well, go ahead Matt.
00:37:57
Matt Moeller
Both depend, yeah, both dependent on temperature. So watching pavement temperatures, watching the forecast coming in, we kind of split our bins. So, I mean, if I see something coming that's really wicked cold, I'll just start treating it and getting that in. And if it's going to be a 30 degree day the next day, we'll just run regular white salt.
00:38:19
snowjobspodcast
What are you treating it with?
00:38:19
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:38:21
Matt Moeller
So we have a, We're getting it out of skyline right now the stuff Tommy has so the green stuff so and I've used oh No, I wasn't clearly it's it's no it's their own treated blend And then there was a very used Jeremy have you ever used the purple stuff out of Central or yeah, I came out of Duluth I that stuff is hard to get a hold of cuz it came out
00:38:28
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:38:30
snowjobspodcast
Okay. Clearly. No, it's not clearly. Oh, okay.
00:38:37
RICK JAMES
Yeah. The roof?
00:38:52
RICK JAMES
I think years ago we did, years ago we'd use some, but yeah, we haven't used that for years. So we, I don't know, if you get ice lacer, that stuff is hot.
00:38:57
Matt Moeller
That stuff was hot. That was a good stuff.
00:39:03
RICK JAMES
If you ever try ice lacer.
00:39:04
Matt Moeller
So isn't Skylines stuff treated with Ice Slicer?
00:39:06
snowjobspodcast
I yeah thought that's what it was.
00:39:09
RICK JAMES
Ice lacer is just it's own salt. It's appears, it's a salt. It's not treated or anything.
00:39:12
snowjobspodcast
Hmm.
00:39:12
Matt Moeller
Okay.
00:39:14
RICK JAMES
It's comes out of, I'm pretty sure Utah, it's, Virotec has it.
00:39:15
Matt Moeller
Gotcha.
00:39:17
RICK JAMES
So, so yeah, it's,
00:39:18
snowjobspodcast
Very cool.
00:39:19
Matt Moeller
Okay.
00:39:21
RICK JAMES
It's like, it looks really reddish brown, you know?
00:39:21
Matt Moeller
Well that's...
00:39:24
Matt Moeller
Yeah, it looks like NSI is solved.
00:39:24
RICK JAMES
But yeah, yep.
00:39:29
RICK JAMES
Yeah, they, I don't know if they have it right. Cause we run like a three cell blend here, but yeah, I don't know. I don't know. I guess city of Fargo uses a ton of it as do we, but yeah. Ice slicer is pretty hot. It's expensive, but it's hot. So.
00:39:43
Matt Moeller
Yeah.
00:39:44
snowjobspodcast
Very cool. What else you got for him, Jay?
00:39:45
Matt Moeller
So I'm mixing it.
00:39:46
snowjobspodcast
Anything on the icing and everything?
00:39:48
Justin Hauge
me
00:39:48
RICK JAMES
Oh, was it?
00:39:49
snowjobspodcast
Sorry, go ahead, Matt. you were Matt was going to say something else.
00:39:52
Matt Moeller
No, I was just going to say, so mixing mixing based on temperature, pavement temperature, what's forecasted.
00:39:52
snowjobspodcast
I was just asking if you had anything.
00:39:56
snowjobspodcast
Yep.
00:39:56
RICK JAMES
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:39:57
snowjobspodcast
Oh.
00:39:59
snowjobspodcast
Nice.
00:40:02
RICK JAMES
No, I think that that's about all I got on there, equipment and salting and stuff, but yeah.
00:40:02
snowjobspodcast
What else?
00:40:05
snowjobspodcast
All right. Cool. Moving on then, boys. Do you guys use a contracted weather forecast service?
00:40:13
Justin Hauge
Yep.
00:40:14
snowjobspodcast
Okay.
00:40:15
Matt Moeller
yeah Yeah.
00:40:15
snowjobspodcast
Yeah. We're an audio show. So the nodding of the heads, you know, that's all
00:40:17
Justin Hauge
You know, we I was waiting for you to respond, Matt.
00:40:19
Matt Moeller
Yes.
00:40:22
RICK JAMES
ah
00:40:26
RICK JAMES
ah
00:40:27
snowjobspodcast
good.
00:40:27
Justin Hauge
I just saw you, I'm like, oh shit.
00:40:27
snowjobspodcast
What are you guys using?
00:40:27
Matt Moeller
ah Sorry.
00:40:29
snowjobspodcast
Who are we beating up tonight? Who are you guys using?
00:40:33
Justin Hauge
True weather.
00:40:34
Matt Moeller
i Two mothers.
00:40:34
snowjobspodcast
True weather.
00:40:34
RICK JAMES
Oh, I got their hat Marked him in his hat.
00:40:34
snowjobspodcast
Oh, we can't beat them up.
00:40:36
Justin Hauge
Yeah, there you go.
00:40:36
snowjobspodcast
Yeah, there it is.
00:40:37
Justin Hauge
You got the green one.
00:40:38
snowjobspodcast
Yeah. Jeremy's rocking true weather tonight.
00:40:41
Matt Moeller
That's probably my favorite.
00:40:45
snowjobspodcast
Marky Mark Schanaberger, how do they do for you?
00:40:45
Matt Moeller
Yeah.
00:40:48
Matt Moeller
We like them a lot and a lot of it is based on their certified totals.
00:40:50
snowjobspodcast
ah Yeah, he's gonna be the next presidential press secretary.
00:40:52
RICK JAMES
That's not as mad. He's not gonna give us a real answer. He's just gonna give us... easily yeah
00:40:58
Matt Moeller
Well, i didn't I didn't...
00:40:59
snowjobspodcast
Oh, good news.
00:41:02
Matt Moeller
I didn't even want to get into that salt conversation because I was gonna say something.
00:41:06
RICK JAMES
ah
00:41:07
Justin Hauge
so
00:41:08
snowjobspodcast
ah
00:41:08
Justin Hauge
ah but
00:41:08
RICK JAMES
er
00:41:09
snowjobspodcast
ah Nobody's listening anyway, don't worry about it.
00:41:10
Matt Moeller
I mean...
00:41:10
RICK JAMES
ah shit
00:41:11
Matt Moeller
and That pink stuff's like moon dust.
00:41:11
RICK JAMES
isn't
00:41:14
Matt Moeller
That's the way you gotta sell that stuff.
00:41:16
Justin Hauge
because
00:41:16
Matt Moeller
That pink salt.
00:41:17
snowjobspodcast
ah
00:41:18
Matt Moeller
Crap.
00:41:18
RICK JAMES
oh you're talking oh yeah i know he no we call it mineral milk yeah whatever yep
00:41:19
snowjobspodcast
Oh, yeah Gotcha, so true weather's been good for you Okay, very good Bo that was somebody bono's weather or something.
00:41:22
Matt Moeller
Ooh.
00:41:26
Matt Moeller
Yes.
00:41:28
RICK JAMES
Who's the other guy?
00:41:28
Matt Moeller
And then we use...
00:41:29
RICK JAMES
Who's the other guy locally? Bow. Yeah, bow nose or whatever.
00:41:35
Justin Hauge
Yeah, there's a bunch of those Facebook guys.
00:41:36
Matt Moeller
Yeah, no.
00:41:41
Justin Hauge
True weather. And I think we've used DTN for a while as well.
00:41:45
snowjobspodcast
Oh OK, we've heard that a couple of times.
00:41:46
Justin Hauge
Those have worked out pretty well.
00:41:48
Al King
Who is the...
00:41:49
snowjobspodcast
True Weather's platform. You guys like True Weather's platform, though? that That's pretty cool, right? That portal that they have.
00:41:55
Justin Hauge
Yeah. Belong with the certified snow totals and everything.
00:41:59
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:41:59
snowjobspodcast
I haven't used the snow and the snow totals yet. I'm going to have to use that this year. See if they're see if they're what I have.
00:42:03
Matt Moeller
It's huge.
00:42:06
snowjobspodcast
Yeah.
00:42:06
Matt Moeller
When it comes to billing, a it's not your air it's not your local airport when you're pushing 20 inches of snow and they say you got eight.
00:42:06
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:42:06
snowjobspodcast
Oh, so he he airs on the big side. He airs on the big side.
00:42:09
Justin Hauge
yeah
00:42:14
snowjobspodcast
ah
00:42:14
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:42:18
snowjobspodcast
Dude, amen, brother.
00:42:18
Matt Moeller
you know so
00:42:18
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:42:19
snowjobspodcast
we We have that problem all the time here. Like, oh my God, the local guys are horrible. I tried to get somebody to actually give me the name and address of the storm spotter for the National Weather Service from my area, just so I could pay them a visit. They are awful.
00:42:33
Justin Hauge
Yeah.
00:42:34
snowjobspodcast
They're always off by 30, 40% and they don't give a crap because it's not costing them money.
00:42:36
Justin Hauge
Yeah.
00:42:39
snowjobspodcast
You know, they're calling it how they're calling it if they don't wake up till 11 a.m And ah it's already compressed, you know 60% by then because it's 36 degrees They don't care but that's good.
00:42:40
Matt Moeller
Yep.
00:42:50
snowjobspodcast
Yeah good that marks on top of it. That's great What else Jay?
00:42:53
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Well, how many, I think you guys said what you can have up to 650 guys working in the storm or usually right around 500 or something.
00:43:00
Matt Moeller
Yeah, depending on the storm.
00:43:01
snowjobspodcast
That's insane That's insane
00:43:03
RICK JAMES
Yeah. So that's, that's great.
00:43:05
Justin Hauge
Yeah. know
00:43:06
snowjobspodcast
Let me ask you a question. How do you, yeah what do you do for like logistics on a a storm like that? If these guys are out 12 plus hours and you got 600 guys, how are you feeding them? How are you you know taking care of them on that stuff? Are you guys doing anything special or just fend for yourselves type thing?
00:43:22
Al King
We do, uh,
00:43:22
Matt Moeller
I would say, go ahead Al.
00:43:25
snowjobspodcast
god
00:43:25
Al King
we, we do a lot, you know, the, uh, a lot of the partners just are on their own.
00:43:26
Matt Moeller
No, go ahead Al.
00:43:32
Al King
Obviously it's their employees and one and so forth.
00:43:34
snowjobspodcast
Gotcha.
00:43:35
Al King
And then, um, you know, in, in the different areas, we, we have, uh, the city's broken up into territories is what we call them. And there's a manager for that territory, so Matt will give direction to the managers for those territories. And then they give direction to everybody in their territory, you know whether it's their walk teams or whatever, and lay the plan out. And know he'll be like, if if you're through the second round, take everybody, have them go get something to eat, you know whatever, go buy some pizza.
00:44:04
snowjobspodcast
Uh-huh.
00:44:11
Al King
If they're but close to one of the shops, buy pizzas, and they all come there. and We have dryers and they can dry their clothes and stuff like that.
00:44:15
Justin Hauge
Bye.
00:44:19
Al King
Get geared back up for the next round.
00:44:23
snowjobspodcast
That's why your people keep coming back, Al, doing stuff like that.
00:44:25
RICK JAMES
Yeah. yeah
00:44:27
snowjobspodcast
That's awesome.
00:44:27
RICK JAMES
Plus there's...
00:44:29
Matt Moeller
Well, I'll say, uh, I mean, one thing we do probably a little different is like most of our workforce is coming from half hour to an hour away.
00:44:31
RICK JAMES
Go ahead Al.
00:44:32
snowjobspodcast
Go. Or Matt.
00:44:42
Matt Moeller
Like it's an hour for me to get the Savage.
00:44:43
snowjobspodcast
Really?
00:44:45
Matt Moeller
So we have a lot of people coming from out of state and roads can get shut down. So.
00:44:50
snowjobspodcast
Yep.
00:44:51
Matt Moeller
We'll just say, if we're getting a 15 inch two-day event, we'll just start renting hotel rooms and say, everyone just starts making a cycle.
00:44:57
RICK JAMES
ye
00:44:59
Matt Moeller
You get a shower and six hours of sleep, come back and keep doing it. And it means the world because everyone that plows knows that that shower is worth about four hours of sleep.
00:45:03
snowjobspodcast
That's awesome.
00:45:09
RICK JAMES
Oh, yeah, yeah.
00:45:10
snowjobspodcast
Easily.
00:45:10
Justin Hauge
So.
00:45:11
snowjobspodcast
Easily.
00:45:12
Matt Moeller
it
00:45:13
snowjobspodcast
Yep.
00:45:14
RICK JAMES
Yeah, we do this we do the same thing here.
00:45:14
snowjobspodcast
You get human again. Quick.
00:45:16
RICK JAMES
Yeah, getp get those hotels rented and get guys in there and get them fed and keep them moving and keep the spirits up and, I don't know, keep throwing them Gatorades or whatever else.
00:45:17
snowjobspodcast
Yeah.
00:45:25
RICK JAMES
They need Red Bulls or, yeah.
00:45:26
Al King
Yeah.
00:45:27
Matt Moeller
Yep.
00:45:28
snowjobspodcast
That's it. That's it monsters stuff like that. Yeah.
00:45:30
Matt Moeller
Oh yeah.
00:45:31
snowjobspodcast
and It's not rocket science. It really isn't. That's just doing the right thing by, you know, being good people, taking care of your people that are taking care of you. A lot of we hear it a lot. Like a lot of guys don't do that. and We hear about companies that people have worked for before they got to where they're at now. And, you know, there's reasons that they didn't stay with those companies. So it sounds like you guys got figure it figured out. And that's why you got the same boots on the ground year after year. If they're driving an hour to get to you, you got to be doing something right.
00:45:56
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:45:57
snowjobspodcast
So good for you guys.
00:45:58
RICK JAMES
What do you guys what are you guys doing for like dispatching using the software or what are you guys using for that?
00:46:05
Matt Moeller
So we use BOSS as our main platform for anything from accounting to billing to all the way through. All our internal people, everyone's working on BOSS. Every one of our subcontractors operate a little differently, but we are partners I'd call them because most of them have been with me or curbside for 20 plus years. Some of them are old school. They can't get on the program. you know but you gotta manually enter times sometimes and you know for that manager they may love the service that night but the next day i hear about it god we gotta get them on here we gotta get them using this so we use bots and uh
00:46:47
RICK JAMES
No, yeah.
00:46:50
snowjobspodcast
That's good so boss, okay.
00:46:50
Al King
Sometimes we even gotta do her own.
00:46:53
RICK JAMES
Never heard that.
00:46:55
snowjobspodcast
Oh Man all right. I've heard of it. I think they were at Simon actually this year. I think they were at the show um i I don't this is the first time I've had anybody that used it that ah we've talked to I
00:47:03
RICK JAMES
How about like texting out your crew? I would use that too, or is there is around what do you guys use for that? Like just calling all your guys up or getting shit going?
00:47:16
Matt Moeller
um I'm old school. I do everything email or text or talking to people.
00:47:22
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:47:22
Matt Moeller
I live out in the events. I'm up. I'm not at home. So i I am seeing what's happening and texting them and going, hey, what the hell?
00:47:31
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:47:33
Matt Moeller
Why are we not at this site? Like, let's get going here. We got to go.
00:47:37
snowjobspodcast
Oh, that's great. That's great. Cool.
00:47:40
Justin Hauge
Yeah, Matt usually sends out an email as far as what he wants for a plan, sends it all to the territory managers and then territory managers basically call in their guys and relay, you know, basically down the chain.
00:47:40
snowjobspodcast
All right.
00:47:52
snowjobspodcast
Gotcha.
00:47:53
Matt Moeller
Bye.
00:47:54
snowjobspodcast
Very cool.
00:47:54
Justin Hauge
So then, and then Matt, like he said, he's out there so he can see the changes and he can make, you know, split second decision to say, okay, Hey, we're going to need this.
00:47:54
RICK JAMES
ah Yeah.
00:48:03
Justin Hauge
Or, you know, if he's noticing that a different area is going to need some help, or if you got breakdowns and we can mobilize and get crews over to help of everyone out.
00:48:13
snowjobspodcast
Awesome. You want to take a commercial break? Let these guys get something to drink, Jay. All right, guys, we're going to do our 15 second commercial. We'll be back in a minute and 15.
00:48:43
Matt Moeller
Thank you.
00:49:12
Matt Moeller
for me.
00:49:27
snowjobspodcast
All right guys, we're back. Let those guys get a quick drink. We got some more stuff to cover with them. So we'll, uh, we'll keep going here. Um, so we covered how many guys they have on a storm, which is staggering at 600 guys at six 50. That's, that's pretty impressive managing that many guys.
00:49:43
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:49:44
snowjobspodcast
Um, what are your contract structures?
00:49:45
RICK JAMES
What?
00:49:46
snowjobspodcast
Oh, you got something, Jay?
00:49:47
RICK JAMES
I was going to ask what do you you guys keep them mostly equipment on site now or what's what's what's going on there.
00:49:52
Al King
Yeah, we try to house it and in the you know on a property that works on and obviously work right around there.
00:49:54
Justin Hauge
Yeah.
00:50:00
Al King
We don't haul anything really for equipment, except for the sidewalk equipment.
00:50:02
snowjobspodcast
Gotcha. Very cool.
00:50:06
RICK JAMES
Gotcha.
00:50:07
Al King
But campus and stuff, we'll try and house even the sidewalk equipment and product and everything right at sites.
00:50:07
snowjobspodcast
Call that around.
00:50:07
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:50:14
snowjobspodcast
Very cool. Very cool. So as far as your contract structures, are you guys doing you guys are obviously I'm thinking mostly seasonal. Are you doing any per push or per hour stuff like that?
00:50:24
Al King
We, in 2016, I think it was 16. We had, it was like 16 inches of snow, or was that 13, Justin?
00:50:36
Justin Hauge
Not 2015-16.
00:50:36
RICK JAMES
I think, yeah, 16, yeah, that's pretty bad.
00:50:37
Justin Hauge
Yeah, it was pretty light.
00:50:38
Al King
i oh When that happened, um We were all time and material and per push. um No, no monthlies hardly at all. So we kind of created a ah plan with my controller Shana of what we need to make sure that I don't have to go tell people that they can't take a check home because I'm not taking the check home because there's no snow and we have no income. So we developed a plan and a percentage of contracts that we need to get monthly.
00:51:13
Al King
You know, in the beginning it was, we were heavy on monthly, but now that we've been growing and growing, um, we're at about 54%. Last year was monthly contracts and the rest were either a per push T and M, um, something like that.
00:51:23
snowjobspodcast
Okay.
00:51:31
snowjobspodcast
Gotcha. Cool.
00:51:31
RICK JAMES
Nice.
00:51:32
Al King
And that that covers all of our bills, keeps everybody paid.
00:51:33
snowjobspodcast
Very cool.
00:51:36
Al King
You know, they worked all summer long now that it's not snow and they still need to check. So.
00:51:41
snowjobspodcast
Yes, sir.
00:51:41
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:51:44
RICK JAMES
Oh, that's good. What do you want to do, Steve? What was that?
00:51:49
snowjobspodcast
Um, what are you with? You got anything before the five and five you want to ask them?
00:51:53
RICK JAMES
Oh, it's just gonna. Well, no, that's we'll ask that after. So yeah, let's just do five and five unless you get something else.
00:51:58
snowjobspodcast
I was just wondering about competition. I mean, you're in Minnesota. you There's got to be a lot of guys pushing snow out there. You know you guys have a lot of competition in the ah in the area. I'm sure you do. And if so, like how do you feel you guys separate yourselves?
00:52:09
RICK JAMES
um not not that steve smythe is out of the business and they don't get him yeah
00:52:13
Al King
yeah now he makes it
00:52:14
RICK JAMES
ah ah yeah yeah ah
00:52:14
Matt Moeller
Oh yeah, now now that he's out of it, which it's free and clear.
00:52:18
Al King
Yeah.
00:52:19
Matt Moeller
Get all those little bids out of the way. You just get that little bid out of the way, you're good.
00:52:21
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:52:21
Justin Hauge
look
00:52:23
snowjobspodcast
Oh, that's great.
00:52:23
RICK JAMES
yeah ah got
00:52:28
Al King
I don't know.
00:52:28
Justin Hauge
Yeah, he basically covered that with the national companies. Trying to explain that in his show, so it's good that they're making their way out.
00:52:31
snowjobspodcast
Yeah.
00:52:33
RICK JAMES
Ah,
00:52:33
Matt Moeller
Jeremy, you love them, don't you?
00:52:34
snowjobspodcast
Yes, sir.
00:52:37
RICK JAMES
not that Steve Smythe is out of the business.
00:52:37
snowjobspodcast
Absolutely. That's a great thing. Good. Get them out of there.
00:52:40
Al King
I think there's plenty of
00:52:40
snowjobspodcast
um ah
00:52:43
RICK JAMES
Oh God, yeah.
00:52:44
Matt Moeller
You love nationals, don't you?
00:52:45
RICK JAMES
They're the best.
00:52:46
snowjobspodcast
yeah Yeah, we both do.
00:52:47
Matt Moeller
see
00:52:47
snowjobspodcast
Yeah.
00:52:48
RICK JAMES
They're the best.
00:52:48
snowjobspodcast
They're awesome.
00:52:49
RICK JAMES
They're the best.
00:52:50
snowjobspodcast
Uh, Al, you were, you were about to say something now. I'm sorry. We cut you off there.
00:52:53
Al King
Yeah, no, that's the problem.
00:52:53
snowjobspodcast
Go ahead, bud.
00:52:54
Al King
um I think there's there's a lot of properties in the metro area to take care of and the the people who are on the company the right way and pat take care of their employees are going to get the work and the people that don't are going to weed themselves out. I mean, it's been happening for in 28 years or 26 years now.
00:53:15
Justin Hauge
All
00:53:15
Al King
So that's happened.
00:53:16
snowjobspodcast
Amen.
00:53:17
Al King
And it's just, just the way it goes around. So I don't know when people ask me, ah you know, who my competition is. I don't really feel like we compete or bet against people. Cause yeah, somebody might, a property manager might change and then they are, they have a comfortable relationship with this other company.
00:53:35
Justin Hauge
right.
00:53:36
Al King
So they bring them in and that's the only way we really lose a property. We, We gain properties organically, you know, through the same thing happening or property managers growing their portfolios, getting expanded or being referred.
00:53:46
snowjobspodcast
Sure Amen.
00:53:53
Al King
We don't really have a sales team that runs out and hunts and knocks on doors and calls buildings that are next to our other buildings. So.
00:54:03
snowjobspodcast
That's awesome.
00:54:03
RICK JAMES
So you guys are, I've heard it say it a few times, you're subcontractors, but you guys call me partners, which is great too. But you have quite a few partners or as you want to say it or in your.
00:54:13
Al King
Yep. and In the summer, in the summer, we don't, we do everything in house in the summer.
00:54:15
Matt Moeller
yeah
00:54:19
Al King
In the winter we have, I don't know.
00:54:20
Matt Moeller
14.
00:54:23
Al King
What, what do you think? 14.
00:54:26
Matt Moeller
14. Yeah.
00:54:27
RICK JAMES
Yeah, they're not.
00:54:27
Al King
So some of them are big.
00:54:31
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:54:31
snowjobspodcast
That's great.
00:54:31
Al King
Um, so.
00:54:32
RICK JAMES
It's good.
00:54:34
snowjobspodcast
And are they, are they the same way where they're coming back every year, year after year for you?
00:54:38
Al King
Yep.
00:54:39
snowjobspodcast
That's awesome.
00:54:39
Al King
Yep. Good relationships and they just stick.
00:54:40
RICK JAMES
yeah I
00:54:43
Al King
They know they're getting checked twice a month, whether we got paid or not.
00:54:44
RICK JAMES
don't.
00:54:45
snowjobspodcast
Amen.
00:54:47
RICK JAMES
Oh, wow.
00:54:50
snowjobspodcast
What a novel concept.
00:54:51
Al King
Yeah, right.
00:54:51
snowjobspodcast
that's all oh That's awesome.
00:54:53
RICK JAMES
All right.
00:54:53
Al King
All of a sudden it's their problem.
00:54:56
snowjobspodcast
Good for you. That's, that's great. Now that's why they keep coming back. That's for sure. ah Yeah, you want to go five and five Jake
00:55:03
RICK JAMES
Let's do it. I don't know whoever wants answers or all you guys can, but where do you guys want to see yourself in the next five years?
00:55:12
Al King
um I know Matt Matt's really real Matt and Justin are both all gangster trying to trying to grow like crazy stuff and Shawn is pumping the brakes in the background, you know, she's our controller and she's like She's pretty budget conscious and she you know, she gives Matt You know these both these guys actually like to spend money on snow
00:55:20
Justin Hauge
but
00:55:37
Justin Hauge
like
00:55:39
snowjobspodcast
ah Forgiveness yep forgiveness Sure
00:55:39
Al King
Sometimes ask after they buy this stuff.
00:55:39
RICK JAMES
that
00:55:40
Justin Hauge
You know, easier to ask for forgiveness.
00:55:43
RICK JAMES
yeah Forgive this. Yep. Forgive this.
00:55:48
Al King
So I think we're just gonna, I think we'll continue to grow that, you know, 10 to 15% is pretty comfortable growth rate for us every single year, which that seems to get bigger as, you know, as you get bigger, that 10 to 15% is a bigger growth.
00:56:04
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:56:05
Al King
So that's kind of the trend we've had the last, you know, five to eight years. Um, once in a while you get a big portfolio that comes on and that's 20% growth, but, um, you just, uh, lean on your team and roll with the punches.
00:56:20
snowjobspodcast
Cool.
00:56:25
snowjobspodcast
That's it.
00:56:25
RICK JAMES
Nice. so That's nice.
00:56:26
Al King
So yeah.
00:56:26
snowjobspodcast
So.
00:56:27
RICK JAMES
That's nice growth, Paul. Nice steadyy steady growth.
00:56:28
snowjobspodcast
Yeah, ah steady, steady, and it's easily to keep it, you know, it's easy to keep up with it. You know, you're not overextending at that rate. That's awesome. um What do you think the most important decision you've made out in the last five years to get you to where you are now at this point?
00:56:42
Justin Hauge
Okay.
00:56:43
snowjobspodcast
What's been the most important thing you've done?
00:56:46
Al King
Um, I don't know. I think that just continuing to let the, the people on our team do their job and not micromanage them stuff. Um, Matt came on and he's been here two years. First year was a hundred inches and last year I didn't see him. Yeah.
00:57:06
snowjobspodcast
He got the year off. is He was practicing practicing his political correctness.
00:57:07
Al King
yes yeah
00:57:11
Justin Hauge
Oh, we love you.
00:57:15
snowjobspodcast
ah That's great. That's awesome. Now letting letting your people do your do their jobs and having trust in them to do it, that's ah that's awesome because that's not easy. Believe it or not, it's not easy for a lot of guys to do.
00:57:26
Al King
That was the, that was the very hardest thing that I had to learn.
00:57:26
snowjobspodcast
you Let go.
00:57:27
RICK JAMES
you
00:57:31
Al King
Um, when I, when I bought my partner out and I was essentially in charge of everything at that point, uh, pretty much turned it over to Chris Banhols and he runs, runs of the company and he just said, just don't be in my pot.
00:57:31
snowjobspodcast
I hear you. I definitely hear you.
00:57:40
RICK JAMES
You
00:57:44
Justin Hauge
Okay.
00:57:47
Al King
Don't be in my back pocket. And I said, okay.
00:57:50
RICK JAMES
know.
00:57:51
Al King
So now when there's bad winters, like last winter and I'm walking around the shop and being like, what are these guys all doing on their phone? What's this? And I'm Pester and Chris. And he's like, I got other shit to worry about. like Go to Florida.
00:57:51
snowjobspodcast
ah
00:58:03
Matt Moeller
Yep, exactly.
00:58:04
snowjobspodcast
ah
00:58:04
RICK JAMES
ah
00:58:06
snowjobspodcast
That's great and it but it's worked Oh but ah gift cards golf round gift cards Nice
00:58:07
RICK JAMES
but on It all worked all right and I'll work on the end.
00:58:07
Matt Moeller
it
00:58:09
Al King
Yeah. Yeah. Works fine.
00:58:11
Matt Moeller
chris Chris will come to me and be like, how the hell do we get him out of here? like Do we send him golfing in Arizona or something?
00:58:15
Justin Hauge
different
00:58:17
Matt Moeller
like we can't We can't do this another week.
00:58:17
Justin Hauge
but
00:58:20
Matt Moeller
we He just got back. It's two days. We got to get him out of here.
00:58:26
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:58:27
Matt Moeller
Yeah.
00:58:27
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:58:30
Al King
You're not telling them what do you, you're just making random suggestions in the air, you know.
00:58:30
snowjobspodcast
but
00:58:35
snowjobspodcast
There you go.
00:58:35
RICK JAMES
yeah yeah
00:58:36
Matt Moeller
yeah yeah
00:58:36
Justin Hauge
Ha
00:58:36
snowjobspodcast
There you go.
00:58:37
Matt Moeller
i heard heard there's a top gu
00:58:37
snowjobspodcast
It has a little weight though.
00:58:40
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:58:40
Justin Hauge
ha ha ha.
00:58:40
snowjobspodcast
Top golf. yeah The random suggestions have a little weight when they're coming from the boss man though.
00:58:42
RICK JAMES
ah
00:58:46
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:58:47
snowjobspodcast
Those those turn those turn into actual decisions real quick.
00:58:48
RICK JAMES
right
00:58:51
snowjobspodcast
ah That's great. It sounds like you guys are making all the right moves. It's ah it's awesome. ah I like hearing this. This is great. You know, ah what lessons, Al, specifically, you know, you've been doing this 26, 27 years now with curbside.
00:58:59
RICK JAMES
Yeah,
00:59:01
Matt Moeller
Yeah, yeah. I heard there's a tap call.
00:59:05
RICK JAMES
yeah.
00:59:06
snowjobspodcast
What lessons did you learn in your early stages or as you started to scale up ah that you would want to pass on to other guys who who may just be starting out or or may just be starting to scale?
00:59:10
Justin Hauge
Okay.
00:59:17
snowjobspodcast
Like what will be the important lessons that you learned?
00:59:20
Al King
um I guess pretty much what I've been talking about, you know, just surround yourself with good people and treat them the way you would want to be treated, I guess, as an employer, as a partner or whatever.
00:59:23
snowjobspodcast
OK. Yeah.
00:59:34
snowjobspodcast
Amen.
00:59:34
RICK JAMES
Mm hmm.
00:59:35
Al King
makes it makes everything easier, you know.
00:59:38
snowjobspodcast
Yeah, it it definitely does. And that's why you're successful. It's coming around, you know, yeah yeah for a for a while there, you feel weird that you're you're treating everybody else like you want to be treated and doing the right thing by people.
00:59:44
Al King
Yeah.
00:59:50
snowjobspodcast
Because it it became a foreign concept, I think, for for a lot of guys for a long time. But it's coming back around because I think everybody's been ah been shown that that shit don't work. You know, you got to take care of the guys that are taking care of you.
01:00:00
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:00:02
snowjobspodcast
It's the only way you're going to get anywhere. You know, otherwise you'll be shoving a lot of snow by yourself.
01:00:07
Al King
yeah
01:00:07
snowjobspodcast
So. Oh man, Jeremy.
01:00:10
RICK JAMES
Yeah, I got another one.
01:00:10
snowjobspodcast
What do you got, brother?
01:00:11
RICK JAMES
I got another one.
01:00:11
snowjobspodcast
You got one? There you go.
01:00:12
RICK JAMES
All the guys can probably answer if they want themselves.
01:00:14
snowjobspodcast
ah
01:00:15
RICK JAMES
What are you getting good snow stories that you want to say or you know something that probably wasn't funny at the time and now it's kind of funny.
01:00:20
snowjobspodcast
yeah
01:00:24
snowjobspodcast
so
01:00:24
RICK JAMES
and yeah We all know we got those, right?
01:00:27
Al King
Yeah. Well, go ahead, guys.
01:00:29
snowjobspodcast
We can mute Al if you need us to mute.
01:00:30
Matt Moeller
Yeah.
01:00:30
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:00:31
Matt Moeller
yeah
01:00:31
Al King
yeah
01:00:31
snowjobspodcast
yeah like we can We can, so Al doesn't hear it if you want.
01:00:32
Matt Moeller
yeah
01:00:35
Justin Hauge
He's got all the good stories though.
01:00:37
RICK JAMES
ah ah
01:00:38
snowjobspodcast
ah What do you got Justin you got anything Oh That's
01:00:41
Justin Hauge
Oh, shit. All right. There's too many. I don't know. I can't. Nothing really comes to mind. I think Matt, you got anything?
01:00:50
RICK JAMES
You gonna hit a light pole or?
01:00:51
Matt Moeller
I don't know.
01:00:52
RICK JAMES
you
01:00:52
Matt Moeller
like and then Oh, yeah, light bulbs.
01:00:53
Justin Hauge
Oh, yeah. I mean, I've done that a couple of times.
01:00:54
Matt Moeller
That's shit. That's a given.
01:00:56
RICK JAMES
Oh boy.
01:00:56
Justin Hauge
You know, I think I did that. Uh, what, what else?
01:01:00
snowjobspodcast
just Tuesday
01:01:02
Justin Hauge
is Probably like my second month back here just got into a truck and backed into a a trailer during the heavy storm.
01:01:03
Matt Moeller
Yeah.
01:01:10
Justin Hauge
And I was like, Oh, let's leave him now.
01:01:13
Matt Moeller
I was gonna say back in the light pull of Buffalo Wild Wings the other day, I think.
01:01:14
snowjobspodcast
ah
01:01:18
RICK JAMES
oh boy
01:01:20
snowjobspodcast
yeah That's
01:01:25
RICK JAMES
Uh.
01:01:25
Justin Hauge
go
01:01:25
Al King
I did, uh, I did have a kid, a kid running salt truck for us, um, backed into a light pole and a property up in Golden Valley.
01:01:26
snowjobspodcast
great.
01:01:35
Al King
It took us about a month to get it put up. It was four grand. Um, got the new one put up the day it got put up. He did the same thing.
01:01:45
RICK JAMES
Oh.
01:01:46
Al King
Same, same pole.
01:01:46
snowjobspodcast
god
01:01:47
RICK JAMES
Uh.
01:01:48
snowjobspodcast
Oh my god.
01:01:49
Justin Hauge
20 years ago, we still take care of that property.
01:01:50
snowjobspodcast
Oh.
01:01:51
Al King
Yep.
01:01:52
RICK JAMES
no
01:01:52
Al King
Yep.
01:01:54
snowjobspodcast
And is he still working for you?
01:01:55
Al King
No, I didn't make the cut.
01:01:56
Justin Hauge
Oh.
01:01:57
Matt Moeller
yeah
01:01:58
snowjobspodcast
First one's free.
01:02:00
RICK JAMES
He was consistent.
01:02:02
Al King
Yeah.
01:02:02
snowjobspodcast
yeah
01:02:02
RICK JAMES
yeah ah well um Oh boy.
01:02:04
snowjobspodcast
First pole's free, second one you're fired. Oh man.
01:02:06
Al King
Yeah.
01:02:08
snowjobspodcast
And that was with a salt truck?
01:02:09
Al King
Yeah.
01:02:10
snowjobspodcast
Holy crap.
01:02:10
Al King
Like, why are you even backing up in the salt truck?
01:02:13
snowjobspodcast
I was about to ask that. Like, why?
01:02:14
Al King
Yeah.
01:02:15
snowjobspodcast
aye Oh, that's great.
01:02:16
Al King
It's a giant parking lot.
01:02:17
RICK JAMES
Well, I might as well, we might as well ask those two, since Steve started. You got any good Steve Smite stories?
01:02:24
snowjobspodcast
Yeah.
01:02:25
RICK JAMES
Let's light them up.
01:02:26
snowjobspodcast
Yeah.
01:02:26
Al King
Oh, I i do, but I can't.
01:02:28
RICK JAMES
I mean, throw them under the bus.
01:02:29
Al King
come on the No, I'm kidding.
01:02:30
RICK JAMES
You can run them right over.
01:02:31
Matt Moeller
Go
01:02:32
RICK JAMES
Run them over.
01:02:35
Al King
You know, the the guys used to, his guys would always complain to me when I'd see him out and about when he had his own lawn care company and I'd see his guys and I'll be like, this is so stupid. Every time we come back from work, we have to wash the trucks before we park them inside.
01:02:49
Matt Moeller
ahead.
01:02:50
Justin Hauge
kind of clean their Got
01:02:55
Al King
And they were just so mad. They had to spend that extra hour cleaning everything and washing the trucks before every single day.
01:03:02
RICK JAMES
I love that.
01:03:03
Al King
And yeah, he's very meticulous, took care of his doctor, a lot of pride in it.
01:03:03
snowjobspodcast
Yeah. Are they getting paid?
01:03:07
Al King
Yeah. They just thought it was a waste of time. I'm like, that's what I told him. I said, you're getting paid, right?
01:03:11
snowjobspodcast
Yep.
01:03:12
Al King
Yeah, but it's stupid to do this. I'm like, yeah.
01:03:14
snowjobspodcast
Not your call.
01:03:15
RICK JAMES
no
01:03:18
snowjobspodcast
You're not paying for the truck. You're not paying for the trailer.
01:03:21
Al King
Yeah. Steve's always, always been one of those guys that does things right.
01:03:21
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:03:24
snowjobspodcast
Yep.
01:03:25
RICK JAMES
Yo, he's a good guy.
01:03:26
snowjobspodcast
He's still doing it right.
01:03:27
Al King
yeah
01:03:28
snowjobspodcast
Oh, that's great.
01:03:29
RICK JAMES
You gonna buy your metal plus from Steve or you gonna go to k Christian?
01:03:30
snowjobspodcast
That's great.
01:03:34
Justin Hauge
but
01:03:35
Matt Moeller
that's well hey here's the problem is usually they're baked into an equipment deal so it's like I don't know where they even come from right stop so so favors
01:03:35
snowjobspodcast
Ooh, Mr. Political, correct?
01:03:45
RICK JAMES
Oh, there you go.
01:03:46
snowjobspodcast
Ah, okay. See, he found a way.
01:03:49
Al King
Yep.
01:03:50
snowjobspodcast
He found a way not to answer the question.
01:03:50
RICK JAMES
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:03:52
snowjobspodcast
ah He is good.
01:03:52
Al King
Yep.
01:03:54
RICK JAMES
He is good.
01:03:56
Matt Moeller
Favorite snow plow story.
01:03:58
RICK JAMES
Oh, he got one.
01:03:58
Matt Moeller
So we're plowing on a big campus. Yep. I had to think of one. So we got a 12 inch and a 14 inch event within two days of each other in 2007, I want to say in the spring and we're plowing eco lab down in Egan. And we plowed the whole week. I mean, me and my buddy were running on maybe 10 hours of sleep in seven days.
01:04:18
snowjobspodcast
you
01:04:22
Matt Moeller
And we're hauling downtown Minneapolis for, we're going, going to town. So of course me being at that point, you know, in my twenties, I was like, hell yeah, I'll hop in a loader and load snow and can make another 40 bucks an hour cash.
01:04:26
Justin Hauge
Okay.
01:04:34
Matt Moeller
I'm like, hell yeah, why not? And I'm low on snow all night. I got to deal. It's old Komatsu WA three 20. I got to deal all radio sitting and on the floorboard, just pounding Red Bull and, um, My buddy, I go, take my truck over to eco lab and clean up where they, we pushed over the sidewalk and everywhere. I said, clean all that shit up. I can't get a hold of him for like three hours. All of a sudden he comes rolling up. He's like, dude, I owe you tires. And I'm like, what the hell are you owe me tires for?
01:05:06
Matt Moeller
He's like, I fell asleep going into the pile and your truck, he slept for three hours on the steering wheel.
01:05:12
snowjobspodcast
Oh no.
01:05:16
Matt Moeller
Tires just turning.
01:05:17
snowjobspodcast
Oh my God. That is a first.
01:05:20
RICK JAMES
That's awesome, I never know oh Yeah Yep,
01:05:21
snowjobspodcast
Never heard that. Jeremy, I think we found the inspiration for Storm's caffeinated Carl. I think that's the literally how Matt just described himself in the loader is caffeinated Carl. I think we just figured it out.
01:05:34
RICK JAMES
oh
01:05:35
snowjobspodcast
That's great.
01:05:35
Justin Hauge
The guy who lives off a white monster.
01:05:39
snowjobspodcast
Ah, i'll be careful with those things, man.
01:05:40
RICK JAMES
Yeah
01:05:40
Justin Hauge
flip
01:05:43
snowjobspodcast
Oh, man. um I had one more. I had more question. One more question for the three of you, actually. You can all ah answer it individually. what We'll start with Al. What do you feel are the biggest issues facing the snow management industry today?
01:05:58
Al King
Oh, I think the so the salt is going to be a big issue.
01:06:01
Matt Moeller
Ha!
01:06:05
snowjobspodcast
OK.
01:06:05
Al King
And, you know, people are trying to make it a big issue already. um and and And a lot of it has to do with how, you know, how some of our people put, you know, some of the people in our industry use it, you know, they abuse it, put it down, make sure it's white, send the bill.
01:06:17
snowjobspodcast
Sure.
01:06:22
Al King
um there's There's a lot of overuse.
01:06:23
RICK JAMES
Mm hmm.
01:06:26
Al King
I mean,
01:06:27
snowjobspodcast
Oh yeah.
01:06:28
Al King
All of our employees are assault certified. um But everybody knows you're not going to assault 100 square feet of sidewalk with a tablespoon of salt like they think.
01:06:36
snowjobspodcast
Mm
01:06:40
RICK JAMES
Right.
01:06:40
Al King
But I think that's one of the big things that it's going to be changing how our industry is.
01:06:41
snowjobspodcast
hmm.
01:06:45
snowjobspodcast
okay
01:06:49
Al King
And the Brian, I think, is going to start taking place of that a little bit more and moving forward. So Justin's got his hands full with that growth.
01:06:57
snowjobspodcast
Oh, yeah.
01:06:57
Al King
and I think the other thing is the national companies. I mean, Matt and I and Justin talked about this question before, and all of us said the same thing.
01:07:04
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:07:04
snowjobspodcast
Yep.
01:07:08
Justin Hauge
Thank you.
01:07:10
RICK JAMES
Mhm.
01:07:11
Al King
These guys come in a little bit.
01:07:14
snowjobspodcast
Oh, yeah.
01:07:14
Al King
The time the person's out there that's doing it, they're doing it fifth tier, and it's almost free.
01:07:15
snowjobspodcast
yeah
01:07:20
Al King
and I don't know. I just don't get it.
01:07:24
snowjobspodcast
Yeah. You're preaching to the choir, brother. Yeah. We're, we're trying to, trying to educate. I think it's ah starting to become unpopular to do work for the low ball nationals. That's for sure.
01:07:34
Al King
Yeah.
01:07:34
snowjobspodcast
It's a more guys are catching onto that, that, you know, we shouldn't be working for free. You know, we, we do all the work. We have all the liability. We have all the investment and, uh, we need to be paid for that accordingly.
01:07:41
Al King
Yeah.
01:07:44
RICK JAMES
And plus they weren't, they're bidding or they're banking on you to not but do an app rate or do some sort of check-in.
01:07:52
snowjobspodcast
Yeah, they're banking on not paying you even if they have to pay you, even if you're going to do the work.
01:07:54
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:07:55
Matt Moeller
Yeah.
01:07:55
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:07:56
Al King
Yeah, if you don't cross a T or dot an I on their contract or to take a picture at the right time of something you did, you don't get paid.
01:07:56
snowjobspodcast
So, yeah.
01:08:00
snowjobspodcast
Yep.
01:08:00
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:08:04
RICK JAMES
yeah
01:08:05
snowjobspodcast
100%.
01:08:05
Al King
so
01:08:05
snowjobspodcast
100%, definitely. That's definitely two two big problems. ah What about you, Justin? What are any of the problems you think for snow management industry today?
01:08:15
Justin Hauge
Yeah, I think I'll hit it right on the head with, you know, the salt is going to be an issue. Um, and the pricing, whether it's national companies or other companies, maybe they just are unsure is what they should be billing. Um, you know, Matt and I kind of work on that together as far as when we price new commercial properties and want to make sure that we're, you know, pricing it accordingly, whether it's, you know, it doesn't matter if it's right next to a property that we take care of, you know, we don't want to low ball it just to get it. But, um you know, we want to make sure that, yeah, we're we're billing accordingly so guys can get paid accordingly and, you know, we provide the level of service that it wants.
01:08:58
snowjobspodcast
Very cool, very cool. Press Secretary Mueller, what do you got?
01:09:02
Matt Moeller
I think everything is even keel. I think it's been a great year.
01:09:06
RICK JAMES
there
01:09:06
snowjobspodcast
ah
01:09:09
Matt Moeller
I think everyone is friends.
01:09:10
RICK JAMES
if Everybody wins. Here's your ribbon.
01:09:14
snowjobspodcast
Oh, there you go, bud.
01:09:14
Matt Moeller
Everyone wins. Everyone gets a lollipop and we're good.
01:09:18
Justin Hauge
You got it.
01:09:19
Matt Moeller
um
01:09:19
RICK JAMES
yeah
01:09:19
Matt Moeller
i mean it better It's definitely the Nationals. I can't stand it and I i won't hold back on it.
01:09:25
snowjobspodcast
Yeah, yeah.
01:09:28
Matt Moeller
i think it's and you know and The other issue is companies building just to be sold to a national is driving the industry.
01:09:35
snowjobspodcast
Yeah.
01:09:37
Matt Moeller
That's the biggest issue is everyone's trying to get to this X dollar revenue to go straight after ah i now i'm a 30 millionaire. you know That's all they're trying to do.
01:09:47
snowjobspodcast
Yep.
01:09:48
Matt Moeller
And all it is is a revenue game and it's just straight acquisitions and it's just not how I'm built in this industry.
01:09:48
snowjobspodcast
yep
01:09:51
snowjobspodcast
Yep.
01:09:55
Matt Moeller
I've been in it my whole life. I don't know where else I'm going to go. So I cannot stand the nationals. Won't hold back on that.
01:10:03
snowjobspodcast
Amen.
01:10:03
Matt Moeller
I think it's just sloppy and it's this truck in a truck Lois bid It's bullshit.
01:10:06
snowjobspodcast
There we go.
01:10:07
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:10:10
Matt Moeller
It's taking food out of good people's mouth I mean, my biggest thing is like MSP Airport. I'll layer this on your show I think it's a fixed deal arrow came in from all your way Brought in a bunch of hoop.
01:10:20
Justin Hauge
Thank
01:10:24
Matt Moeller
Yes
01:10:26
Justin Hauge
you.
01:10:26
Matt Moeller
Case loaders from 1980, I mean, they have eight three Cummins in them. I mean, it's just, and they're trying to do the airport. It was a disaster this year and it was a, some 10, $15 million dollars contract. I'm like, well, cat here got screwed. all the union guys won't go work for them because they were treating them so shitty so but they already had a union agreement with the airport and the union before the it was even awarded so i called the airport out on that i'm like this thing was a rigged game this is bullshit but i mean the big box stores all that shit it's just ruining the industry and it's just a race to the bottom why would we why would we
01:10:45
snowjobspodcast
Yeah. Hmm.
01:10:57
RICK JAMES
Yep.
01:11:04
snowjobspodcast
Yeah, absolutely.
01:11:06
Matt Moeller
keep buying $200,000 loaders we used to buy for a hundred thousand, and you know, and you get five bucks more an hour.
01:11:07
RICK JAMES
and
01:11:07
snowjobspodcast
Yeah.
01:11:11
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:11:14
Matt Moeller
Why the hell are we doing this?
01:11:14
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:11:15
snowjobspodcast
but
01:11:15
RICK JAMES
All right.
01:11:16
Matt Moeller
You're working at three in the morning in the worst conditions possible.
01:11:16
snowjobspodcast
Yep. Amen.
01:11:19
RICK JAMES
Yep.
01:11:21
Matt Moeller
And there's some bean counter in an office that's just hiring a truck and a truck and acting like it's a no nothing career. It's like, no, this can be a career for people.
01:11:31
snowjobspodcast
Absolutely.
01:11:31
RICK JAMES
is
01:11:31
snowjobspodcast
You guys approved it for 26 years now. So we found Matt's trigger.
01:11:35
RICK JAMES
Well, welcome welcome to the show, Matt.
01:11:36
snowjobspodcast
Yes.
01:11:36
Al King
Yeah.
01:11:37
RICK JAMES
Welcome to the show.
01:11:39
Al King
We
01:11:41
snowjobspodcast
That's great.
01:11:42
RICK JAMES
oh well
01:11:43
Al King
got some contracts.
01:11:43
snowjobspodcast
Uh,
01:11:46
RICK JAMES
da
01:11:48
snowjobspodcast
Oh, that's awesome.
01:11:49
RICK JAMES
ah ah We'll just beep and beep.
01:11:50
snowjobspodcast
but but Yeah.
01:11:55
snowjobspodcast
Oh, man.
01:11:57
RICK JAMES
well
01:11:57
snowjobspodcast
Jay, you got anything else for these guys?
01:11:59
RICK JAMES
I don't think so. It was a good show. These guys are good guys. so
01:12:02
snowjobspodcast
Absolutely. That was a lot of fun, guys. You guys got anything for us before we let you go?
01:12:05
Justin Hauge
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
01:12:08
Matt Moeller
Nothing thanks for doing everything you're doing and kind of making you know the We we're work in the shadows of the night and you know make make some light of what we do. I say the most important amazing thing you ever see at night, the orchestra of snow plowing.
01:12:25
snowjobspodcast
hundred percent
01:12:25
Matt Moeller
When you drive around and you watch all the blinking lights and everyone wakes up the next morning and it's wet pavement, they have no idea the effort that went into making that.
01:12:26
RICK JAMES
i am
01:12:33
snowjobspodcast
100%. Yep.
01:12:37
RICK JAMES
Nope.
01:12:37
Al King
Yeah.
01:12:38
snowjobspodcast
Nope.
01:12:38
Matt Moeller
It's emergency management. That's what it is.
01:12:40
snowjobspodcast
It is.
01:12:40
RICK JAMES
Nope.
01:12:40
snowjobspodcast
Jeremy says it all the time. Yeah. Most people just think the snow fairies came. Oh yeah.
01:12:44
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:12:44
snowjobspodcast
It didn't snow here.
01:12:44
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:12:45
snowjobspodcast
The snow fairies came, took care of everything.
01:12:48
Matt Moeller
yeah
01:12:48
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:12:48
RICK JAMES
The best is when it, when you get it all cleaned in that six o'clock, you get that little dusting and the people come and they go, well where are you been all night?
01:12:48
snowjobspodcast
Uh,
01:12:53
Justin Hauge
I'm
01:12:54
Matt Moeller
all
01:12:54
RICK JAMES
What the fuck?
01:12:55
snowjobspodcast
Yeah.
01:12:55
Matt Moeller
yeah
01:12:56
snowjobspodcast
You guys didn't do anything all night long.
01:12:57
RICK JAMES
hey we guy just here I'm like, yeah, I just got here.
01:12:59
Justin Hauge
sleeping in.
01:13:00
RICK JAMES
We put the other six inches away.
01:13:01
snowjobspodcast
ah That's it.
01:13:02
RICK JAMES
but Yeah.
01:13:03
Justin Hauge
um
01:13:04
RICK JAMES
yeah
01:13:05
snowjobspodcast
All right.
01:13:05
Matt Moeller
Yeah. Yeah, no, so many customers do that. I'd say, you haven't been here all night.
01:13:08
RICK JAMES
yeah
01:13:08
snowjobspodcast
Yeah.
01:13:10
Matt Moeller
What happened to the other 15 inches of the snow?
01:13:10
snowjobspodcast
yeah
01:13:12
RICK JAMES
ah
01:13:13
Matt Moeller
We got 15.5.
01:13:13
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:13:13
snowjobspodcast
ah ah
01:13:15
Matt Moeller
Give us a break. The roads aren't even plowed.
01:13:16
RICK JAMES
All right.
01:13:16
snowjobspodcast
Yeah. Oh, yeah.
01:13:19
RICK JAMES
Look at your cameras.
01:13:19
snowjobspodcast
Oh man. All right. Yeah. Well, you guys, if you guys are good, then that was great. We appreciate you guys coming on and Jay, you're good. We wrap it up.
01:13:29
RICK JAMES
Yeah, it'd be nice to see these guys in person storm chase them.
01:13:32
snowjobspodcast
Absolutely.
01:13:32
Justin Hauge
Yeah, we'll see you down there.
01:13:32
snowjobspodcast
Absolutely. Yeah. We're going to do it. These guys are one of the companies selected to be on the first season of storm chasing. So stay tuned for that coming at you this winter. But, uh, yeah, that's it boys and girls.
01:13:43
Al King
Yeah.
01:13:45
snowjobspodcast
That's going to do it for episode 77 of the snow jobs podcast. So as always, we want to thank Al, Matt and Justin for coming on, giving us the time, ah telling us all about curbside. It was awesome hearing about your company. You guys keep doing it the right way. You guys are crushing it. And we're very appreciative for you you coming on and and doing this with us. But that is it, guys. We are out for the press secretary. Everybody have a great week. All right. Be safe out there and keep pushing.