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S3-110: Twin City Erosion Control, Hastings Minnesota
848 Plays1 month ago
The guys sit down with Tommy Youngquist, owner of Twin City Erosion Control to hear about their snow operation, as well as their liquid hauling services.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Guest Lineup
00:00:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Here we go, Snow Jobs Nation. Episode 110 of the Snow Jobs Podcast, powered by Top Gun Backblades, is off and running. As always, I'm Steve. You know who's here with me.
00:00:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Couldn't do it without him. Wouldn't do it without him. Mr. Snow himself. Snow Bully. Tay Tay. There's only one Rick James.
00:01:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
Jeremy Lindstrom's in the house.
Winter Weather Discussion
00:01:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
What's up, Jay?
00:01:10
RICK JAMES
Hey, Steve-O. Not much.
00:01:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
How we doing?
00:01:12
RICK JAMES
Not much happened. Pretty slow here. Pretty slow.
00:01:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
No snow winter over.
00:01:15
RICK JAMES
think no snow. No snow. but Oh, well.
00:01:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
You think
00:01:19
RICK JAMES
They keep putting something in for next... True weather or something in for next weekend. So, but very much...
00:01:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
still getting that 0.10 to one every day.
00:01:26
RICK JAMES
i
00:01:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Whoa. Whoa.
00:01:28
RICK JAMES
That's like saying, it's like saying ah next I'm going to come for two inches. Woo. and yeah And then they got something for Tuesday and next the following Tuesday.
00:01:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
whoa
00:01:37
RICK JAMES
But it's a long ways away. So I'm not going to hold my breath to anything. If it's over, it's over. Honestly, at this point, I don't care.
00:01:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:01:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
Did I see somebody in the group put they got 11 inches?
00:01:50
RICK JAMES
Yeah, that's what last what well I'm sure we'll hear from or sure we'll hear from Tommy when he gets on.
00:01:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Really?
00:01:56
RICK JAMES
but yeah but cities
Storm Academy Experience
00:01:58
RICK JAMES
Some areas down there got some.
00:01:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
They got 11 inches?
00:02:00
RICK JAMES
Some areas did, I guess.
00:02:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah And we filmed two inches?
00:02:06
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:02:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man. Why didn't we go back out there? Get some more footage of big snow.
00:02:11
RICK JAMES
Because we already did.
00:02:14
RICK JAMES
I don't know.
00:02:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man, that seems like a miss on our part. Man, I didn't realize they were.
00:02:18
RICK JAMES
Nah.
00:02:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
I thought they were getting a little bit like two to four.
00:02:19
RICK JAMES
Here.
00:02:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
I didn't think they were getting that much.
00:02:25
RICK JAMES
Yeah, i don't know. It is what it is. It's the snow business.
00:02:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, good for them. They needed it.
00:02:29
RICK JAMES
The snow business, yep.
00:02:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, they needed it. Good for them. Good for them.
00:02:33
RICK JAMES
So.
00:02:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Was it over a big area or just in the cities?
00:02:36
RICK JAMES
Don't have a really good, I think mainly around the cities and like Iowa maybe got some. um I don't know, i guess.
00:02:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
Jordan get me storm.
00:02:48
RICK JAMES
Yeah, the Mankato got quite a bit, so.
00:02:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, good.
00:02:51
RICK JAMES
think they got about, i was down there on Wednesday Thursday.
00:02:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, good.
00:02:55
RICK JAMES
Yeah, I think Dustin said they had eight plus down there, so...
00:02:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. ah How was storm Academy? i was a little busy the end of this week. How was storm Academy?
00:03:04
RICK JAMES
It was fun. Tyler Guerin had his crew there, so I just kind of ran down there and wanted to check it out and see what was about. It was a good time. It was a fun day. they there it's set up pretty nice. and like a little Obviously, you get to run equipment, and a little classroom stuff and lunch. and you know It's a normal normal day. went pretty fast, but yeah, it was a fun day.
00:03:28
RICK JAMES
got a little too warm, so we couldn't make any more snow. So that kind of sucked, but... I think they got they had they got plenty out of it. They left the snow on the pad from that snowfall, so there's quite a bit there's enough for them to play around and have their guys get some experience on some stuff. So it was a good time. It was is fun to see.
00:03:48
RICK JAMES
so
Snow Equipment and Industry Events
00:03:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
Very cool. Yeah, we met Tyler at the that Storm Day last year, right?
00:03:50
RICK JAMES
like got Yep, yep. Tyler's good guy. and is Him and his brother have a good company out there in the Rogers area, Minnesota there.
00:03:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:04:01
RICK JAMES
Gearing Outdoors,
00:04:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's awesome. what ah What a resource that is, though, and and it's going to be as they perfect that over the next couple years. That's Storm Academy. That's going to be awesome.
00:04:12
RICK JAMES
Storm Academy is going to be cool. I mean, it was just cool just looking around there, seeing all that equipment stacked up. You can pick out what you want to use, different attachments, just hook it up to ah loader. And, you know, they have big loaders, little loaders.
00:04:24
RICK JAMES
They have ah Tom was there at the Vroom Vroom. He brought his tractor inroom and broom and was showing them that.
00:04:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nice.
00:04:30
RICK JAMES
And there are snow Raiders there. I mean, there's, I mean, what what do you want to play with? I mean, I guess I didn't see a shovel, but that's not my department.
00:04:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's awesome.
00:04:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
I think we're good. I think we're good. ah That's great, man.
00:04:42
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yeah,
00:04:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Good for you. Glad you had a good day. That's sweet.
00:04:46
RICK JAMES
it's good day. And I think they got another than one coming up to this next Wednesday. I think I'm goingnna run down for that also. Yeah.
00:04:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nice. Look at you.
00:04:53
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:04:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Go, boy.
00:04:54
RICK JAMES
I don't think they're going to make...
00:04:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
You didn't want to go to right.
00:04:57
RICK JAMES
ah The truck show would have been cool. would have been fun to go. But yeah, it just wasn't in cards this year. so
00:05:04
RICK JAMES
It looked like they had some cool stuff there. i mean Boss dropped their new plow.
00:05:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
I haven't seen.
00:05:09
RICK JAMES
So...
00:05:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
all what is that? That down pressure V?
00:05:12
RICK JAMES
I believe that's what it is. And they came off new wiring harness and stuff. So I don't know. So it was, i don't know. That's about all I really saw. I haven't looked at hard on social media and stuff, but yeah, looks like it was, I know Arctic boys were there one day and they, uh, John said they had a pretty good time there. So
00:05:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
No, they always have a good time wherever they go.
00:05:31
RICK JAMES
yeah, it very true.
00:05:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's that's not not a shocker.
00:05:34
RICK JAMES
No, no.
00:05:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:05:35
RICK JAMES
well
00:05:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah It's awesome, though. Good.
00:05:38
RICK JAMES
Yeah, it was a pretty, but otherwise, like I say, not much happening around here.
00:05:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
good oh
00:05:43
RICK JAMES
ah I don't know, just waiting and holding patterns, see if something happens. But otherwise, Storm Academy is fun. How about you? How was your week?
00:05:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
What shirt is that you're wearing?
00:05:52
RICK JAMES
What's going on out there?
00:05:55
RICK JAMES
Wynwood?
00:05:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Is that Wynwood? That's Wynwood?
00:05:56
RICK JAMES
Wynwood. Yeah.
00:05:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Did you finally get the boxes that were lost in the mail for all these months?
00:06:02
RICK JAMES
No, I got this last summer. if He sent me one box, or not one box, an envelope.
00:06:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
all right. All right.
00:06:09
RICK JAMES
but
00:06:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
So you got it pre-promise. Pre-promise of more stuff.
00:06:11
RICK JAMES
he was actually He was actually supposed to be coming. he was supposed to be were recording this on Saturday, and he was supposed to be coming through tonight and then hang stay over with me. But he sent a snap this morning and said he's staying one more night and or one more day in Montana, I guess, or something.
00:06:26
RICK JAMES
So i don't know.
00:06:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
What's he doing? Snow cross tracks again.
00:06:30
RICK JAMES
No, he's just out there. I think his sister or somebody lives out there. He's visiting for a couple weeks.
00:06:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right.
00:06:34
RICK JAMES
He's been he's been out there for a couple weeks, but I don't He might be opening up a division out there. I know he wants to move out there. so
00:06:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right. Well, there we go. We got Wynwood another yet another mention on the show.
00:06:46
RICK JAMES
Yeah, Christian.
00:06:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go. Call them out. Still have no hat. No, nothing.
00:06:52
RICK JAMES
he said he had a little box stuff.
00:06:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
We'll keep calling you out. Yeah. We'll keep giving you the mentions you want.
00:06:54
RICK JAMES
He said he had little box stuff over me.
00:06:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:06:56
RICK JAMES
and i haven't got a box of stuff from him.
00:06:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
I ain't got shit, but yet he still wants his mentions on the show. God forbid we forget him one time. Oh, my Lord.
00:07:06
RICK JAMES
Even Toby. Toby, his dog.
00:07:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
Still paid for dinner, if I remember correctly. I mean, be you i'd I'd be happy with that.
00:07:14
RICK JAMES
Yeah, we did, didn't we? That was a fun night. That was fun day.
00:07:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah We still got called out because we forgot to mention he
Weather Patterns and Forecasts
00:07:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
was at dinner with us. My goodness.
00:07:20
RICK JAMES
Oh, I've heard all about it. yeah
00:07:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm sure. ah Yeah, no, it's ah it's been a week, man. we've ah We finally had a week with no snow, no saltings we had to do, no no nothing. It was great.
00:07:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
just i think we're i i think we're done.
00:07:34
RICK JAMES
You think it's all... You think you're done?
00:07:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, I think we're done. I think ah we had a couple flakes the other night, but the road stayed dry. It didn't last very long. Called Nick and said, ah my wife says it's snowing.
00:07:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
What you got? What's on the radar? He's like, and I don't got nothing on the radar. Anything that's coming ain't going to be long. I'm like, okay, good enough. But it's been super windy here.
00:07:56
RICK JAMES
You see their new... Did you see Nick and Rob's new ruler thing? I'm still waiting for mine in the mail.
00:08:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yes. Yeah, they're going to be misused like crazy. ah Those rulers are going to be used to measure everything but snow.
00:08:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
They'll be getting pictures of things they don't want to give pictures of with those rulers. ah
00:08:15
RICK JAMES
I love it.
00:08:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, shit. You can't do that with snow, guys. These guys are crazy. ah But, yeah, I think we're done. i mean, we were we were in the high 40s to low fifty s most of this week. We had a bunch of rain.
00:08:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
um I don't see anything on the ah ah long term. I mean, they said we could get a couple more blasts of cold, but... yeah if we I don't see one of those normal early spring nor'easters coming up the coast this year. The pattern hasn't done it all year. i don't know why it would change now.
00:08:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
you know I mean,
00:08:47
RICK JAMES
don't know. I was all jacked up to to try one of these Nor'easters everybody talks about. I guess that's not happening.
00:08:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah i mean the the weathermen have a pretty good beat on it, I think, right?
00:08:59
RICK JAMES
Always, yeah.
00:09:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, they're they're never wrong, right?
00:09:00
RICK JAMES
They're on the ball.
00:09:04
RICK JAMES
Kind of like God. they don't They're not wrong.
00:09:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
00:09:05
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:09:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
the The weathermen. Yeah, they're great. Oh, sorry.
00:09:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sorry, doctor. ah ah ah Oh, shit, man. Yeah, so nothing really going on. We're getting a chance to ah break down some stuff and ah just get everything retooled.
00:09:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
And the kiss of death, why I know we're getting no more snow.
00:09:29
RICK JAMES
empire
00:09:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Got the Razorback. um Also got a prototype from somebody else um that I can't talk about till next week.
00:09:34
RICK JAMES
Snow wing.
00:09:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
But ah that is the kiss of death.
00:09:40
RICK JAMES
ah
00:09:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
I need snow. I need big snow to use it. And ah yeah, we're that's the kiss of death that we're not getting any from the rest of the year.
00:09:47
RICK JAMES
You got the snow wing too, didn't you?
00:09:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
I don't even have any piles left. What?
00:09:50
RICK JAMES
You got a snow wing too, didn't you?
00:09:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
um We did get a snow wing.
00:09:53
RICK JAMES
Oh.
00:09:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, the the care package from Arctic was was very nice. it was cut like, what the hell did you buy?
00:09:59
RICK JAMES
chris
00:10:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm like, nothing. Just unload the truck, dude.
00:10:02
RICK JAMES
but I got a... Arctic's supposed to bring me an angle plow too this week, not a Razorback, but just to... true I don't know.
00:10:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, their new LD angle.
00:10:14
RICK JAMES
Yeah, but I don't think it's...
00:10:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
The redesigned one.
00:10:17
RICK JAMES
We'll see if some... you know I told him there's a chance of snow, so if there is, we'll put it to work. If not, we'll ah shine it up.
00:10:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
Do you know what they redesigned on that LD 13? Cause we have an LD 13 power angle and nothing's, that thing works great.
00:10:26
RICK JAMES
I don't know.
00:10:31
RICK JAMES
Yeah, we got hds but I don't know. Luke, Blake never told me what they did different or what, but yeah.
00:10:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Huh? We should have asked them. We just had them on. Probably would have been a good time to ask.
00:10:40
RICK JAMES
We did ask him if anything new was coming.
00:10:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:10:42
RICK JAMES
He told us nothing.
00:10:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
No, they were tight lipped.
00:10:44
RICK JAMES
Secret.
00:10:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
They were tight lipped.
00:10:46
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:10:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
They didn't want to give away any, any of the cookies.
00:10:47
RICK JAMES
Oh, well.
00:10:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh shit.
00:10:51
RICK JAMES
um I'm sure he'll tell me.
00:10:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, well. Yep.
00:10:53
RICK JAMES
If not, we'll just hook it up and find out.
00:10:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Absolutely. 10-4, brother.
00:10:55
RICK JAMES
So, no.
00:10:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right. Well, what are we doing today,
Interview with Tommy Youngquist
00:11:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
man? Today we have Tommy Youngquist. Tough Tommy. Twin City erosion control out of Hastings, Minnesota. All right. He's going to tell us what Twin City does for snow operations.
00:11:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
um He's been on the phone with us, right? what Where were we? What event were we when he called? ah Was it Sima? Were we at the barbecue place in Pittsburgh?
00:11:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
I think he called you.
00:11:21
RICK JAMES
I think so. i might have been, yeah.
00:11:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
like Yeah, I think so.
00:11:23
RICK JAMES
was complaining about something.
00:11:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
He's a funny dude, man. So I'm looking forward to this. That was that was a funny conversation just to listen to. So, yeah, we're going to hear from Tommy. And he's a good dude. he does ah He's popped up in a couple of our episodes, right?
00:11:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like guys have mentioned.
00:11:38
RICK JAMES
Part-time Tommy?
00:11:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
like they ah
00:11:39
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:11:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
well He also trucks liquids all over the place, right? didn' Was it curbside?
00:11:46
RICK JAMES
Yeah, yeah no I'm not sure. We'll find out. But yeah, he' he he's got a couple of semis and trailers and he'll he'll haul liquid wherever you want it. So.
00:11:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
I think it was curbside said that they, yeah that he trucks liquids for him. So I think, yeah, he got a mention in that one too. So yeah, he's everywhere.
00:12:04
RICK JAMES
Gotcha. Gotcha.
00:12:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
So it's about time we got him on, talk to him and hear what they're doing for snow. But before we do that, guys, as always, let's hear from team top gun. We'll come back to a quick week review. We got a couple of things we got to throw out there to guys and we'll get into this.
00:12:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, gang, we're back. So quick weekend review. As we've said on numerous episodes leading up to this, April 26th, Saturday, April 26th is Stork Snow Alliance Day.
00:13:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's the date for this year. They will have a welcome party the 25th. That's the night before, obviously, Friday night for all you guys that are slow. All right. ah It's sponsored by Case Construction Equipment. So it's going to be a good time.
00:13:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Get in there, network before the event on Saturday. Should be a great time. We went last year. We had a blast. ah I think Jeremy and I are doing a live broadcast again from Storks in front of a live studio audience, which was fun to do last year.
00:13:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Tickets are about...
00:13:30
RICK JAMES
That was one
00:13:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
It was fun, right? Yeah, we had a good time.
00:13:33
RICK JAMES
fun. Talk to rick rick Rick beforehand, see what else I can spill the beans on. so
00:13:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yes, yes. We will have to talk to Snow Power Riggs, see what secrets we can drop. ah
00:13:43
RICK JAMES
Hell yeah.
00:13:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
Tickets are about two-thirds sold already. they're ah They're running out.
00:13:47
RICK JAMES
Really?
00:13:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right. so And it's a firm number, guys. So if you're going or you think you're going, get your tickets now. ah This is where Saturday the 8th, and this is dropping Monday the 10th.
00:14:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Get them. If they're still available, get them quick. All right. It's a great day. Definitely worth going to. I think last year was 13 or 17 states represented and Canada.
00:14:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
So it's not just a local Pennsylvania thing.
00:14:14
RICK JAMES
Canada State yet or is it a province?
00:14:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
51st, I think they said. or I don't know.
00:14:18
RICK JAMES
We'll just call it a state.
00:14:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
I don't watch the news. I don't watch the news.
00:14:23
RICK JAMES
We'll call it a state.
00:14:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
Have the tariffs taken effect?
00:14:24
RICK JAMES
I like it should.
00:14:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
i don't even know. What's a metal plus now after the tariffs?
00:14:27
RICK JAMES
and They they um they they'd tear off the shit out of us.
00:14:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
$65,000 for $830,000, $13,000? eight thirty thirteen ah Yeah.
00:14:33
RICK JAMES
Why don't we give it back to them?
00:14:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
all Tariff on everything. whatever i Dude, I don't even understand that crap.
00:14:39
RICK JAMES
I do.
00:14:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
All I know is it just makes it more it makes everything more expensive.
00:14:41
RICK JAMES
i do
00:14:45
RICK JAMES
Yeah, they did it to us.
00:14:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
But yeah, get your tickets for stores. What's up, Bob?
00:14:47
RICK JAMES
there is
00:14:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go.
00:14:48
RICK JAMES
They did it to us. Fair is fair.
00:14:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go. Councilman Lindstrom. He's throwing down the hammer.
00:14:53
RICK JAMES
Yeah, I'll go.
00:14:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Senator Lindstrom.
00:14:55
RICK JAMES
Let's go.
00:14:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go. it's Senator Lindstrom doing it. ah What else we got?
00:15:00
RICK JAMES
Yeah, I won't be back.
00:15:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
So, yeah, get the Storks tickets, guys, if you're going. And if you are going, we'll see you there. ah For the women in snow out there who may be going to Storks, Jillian Burns and Val Lezak's Influential Encounters Group, they're having an event close to Storks in Pennsylvania on April 24th.
00:15:07
RICK JAMES
Well,
00:15:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
So that's Thursday night. ah Tickets and information can be found on influentialencounters.com. All right. So check out what they got going on. Ladies, if you're interested, that's a great organization.
00:15:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
I know Darcy went to their event, loved it, had a great time, couldn't say enough about it. So, you know, we'll help them out, get the word out for them.
00:15:38
RICK JAMES
and having ah They're having a women's thing in snow on Wednesday, this coming Wednesday and at Storm Academy.
00:15:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah What else? What do you
00:15:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
Where?
00:15:46
RICK JAMES
Storm Academy?
00:15:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, are they really? Oh, cool.
00:15:48
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:15:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Is that that group influential encounters?
00:15:48
RICK JAMES
So I think... Yeah. Oh, I don't know.
00:15:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, that's sweet.
00:15:52
RICK JAMES
I thought so. I think that's what Darcy said. i was She said they're having a...
00:15:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, cool. Well, I mean, Darcy's involved with them, so that would make sense. Cool. That's awesome. Great. Yeah. I didn't even know about that one.
00:16:01
RICK JAMES
Women. think it's just women in snow or something like that.
00:16:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
I guess.
00:16:04
RICK JAMES
Storm Academy Day on Wednesday.
00:16:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:16:05
RICK JAMES
So...
00:16:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's cool. That's awesome. Good for them.
00:16:10
RICK JAMES
and there is a
00:16:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Uh,
00:16:11
RICK JAMES
it is March Madness, you know. it's We have 20% off on everything in our store for March Madness. So let's...
00:16:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
you're You're throwing another discount out there?
00:16:18
RICK JAMES
ah
00:16:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Stop! I'm discounting everything.
00:16:22
RICK JAMES
I'm trying to empty this office so we can get some new stuff.
00:16:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Get the new stuff anyway.
00:16:26
RICK JAMES
Let's go. Start buying, people.
00:16:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Fill up the office.
00:16:29
RICK JAMES
Let's go.
00:16:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
Tell him you need and tell don you need a new office.
00:16:29
RICK JAMES
You're going see me... Yeah.
00:16:33
RICK JAMES
Yeah. um Yeah, just tell them everybody needs to get their apparel because it's going to be cool. Cool nights yet to come. So get your get your apparel 20% off.
00:16:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
well
00:16:43
RICK JAMES
March Madness. Let's go.
00:16:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Get your apparel for another reason. I I've heard, I've heard from a birdie that at one of the big snow shows last year, that it really annoyed the powers that be to see so many guys wearing snow job stuff.
00:16:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
That was a, so buy, buy, buy snow jobs gear, wear it to the big show.
00:16:58
RICK JAMES
oh
00:17:04
RICK JAMES
What's the big show?
00:17:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
We're all about, we're all about pissing people off, but ah yeah.
00:17:08
RICK JAMES
Big show. It's not a big show.
00:17:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
What else? What else we got? um after Storks next up after Storks snow Alliance in April, we will have Northeast, the icing solutions demo day up in Massachusetts. That's in May. They have not set a firm date in May yet.
00:17:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
We'll keep you posted on that one. We had a great time last year. We both went good time.
00:17:27
RICK JAMES
Patty Sam was doing that again.
00:17:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Yeah. He actually asked us what our availability is in May. And I actually have not gotten back to him about it yet. So, uh,
00:17:36
RICK JAMES
Obviously buying steak supper the night before again.
00:17:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
I don't know. I would hope. I would hope so. but Oh, man. Maybe for longest distance traveled. That would be probably Fargo.
00:17:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
I think we got that one locked.
00:17:52
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:17:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
um What else? Dropped two trailers last week for storm chasing.
00:17:57
RICK JAMES
Saw that.
00:17:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
That was awesome.
00:17:58
RICK JAMES
Yeah, it was good.
00:17:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yes.
00:17:59
RICK JAMES
Yeah, everybody needs a...
00:17:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Storm looks good. Storm chasing with the snow jobs looking good.
00:18:05
RICK JAMES
guys got to subscribe to the Instagram page and to the YouTube page when when that comes out.
00:18:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:18:11
RICK JAMES
So.
00:18:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. Storm Chasing Snow Jobs underscore snow jobs on Instagram. ah What else? We got a LinkedIn page. I think they said we do, too. And yeah, the YouTube channel.
00:18:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
So that's where the main shows, the main episodes of the Storm Chasing with the Snow Jobs will be dropping when they come out. And they are right around the corner. Full episodes will be here before we know it. So ah definitely you.
00:18:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
I mean, they've listened to they're on the Snow Jobs social.
00:18:38
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:18:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
So they'll they'll know.
00:18:40
RICK JAMES
Share everything too, guys. Keep sharing stuff.
00:18:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Let everybody know.
00:18:43
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:18:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
Let everybody know.
00:18:44
RICK JAMES
Subscribe to our are Instagram page and everything and get all the updates there too, so.
00:18:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's it. Also like, and subscribe wherever you listen to the show. More people that know about it, the better our listener score actually just jumped up again on listen notes.com. So still ranked in the top 2%, but our listener score
00:19:00
RICK JAMES
Cool.
00:19:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
is ah is up. So that's ah that's a big deal. that's That's tough to move that needle. So that's nice. um Jeremy already covered snowjobsnationstore.com.
00:19:10
RICK JAMES
Cool.
00:19:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
So that's it, bud. You got anything else I missed?
00:19:16
RICK JAMES
i don't think so.
00:19:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right. Well, let's hear from our partners real quick. And when we come back, we'll get into it with Tommy.
00:20:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, we're back, gang. So let's do it. Let's get into this.
Twin City Erosion Control Overview
00:20:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Welcome in, Tommy. You can unmute, join the show. Tommy Youngquist. How we doing, buddy?
00:20:36
Tommy
Good evening,
00:20:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, very official.
00:20:38
RICK JAMES
Tommy.
00:20:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
I like it. Good evening, sir. How are you?
00:20:43
Tommy
Pretty good.
00:20:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
Good.
00:20:44
Tommy
Saturday night here, sitting.
00:20:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
Watching high school hockey or no?
00:20:47
Tommy
Hanging out.
00:20:47
RICK JAMES
It's been
00:20:49
Tommy
Yeah, it's an absolute blowout. Don't have to worry about
00:20:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Is it? There you go. All right.
00:20:55
RICK JAMES
few years.
00:20:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nice.
00:20:56
RICK JAMES
um
00:20:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
very cool so you how did you and jeremy meet because you guys know each other okay
00:21:02
Tommy
it. When was that? Well, my next door neighbor used to work with on the farm there.
00:21:05
RICK JAMES
it's spin you Yeah. His, uh, his next door neighbor worked for my brother-in-law or he's related to my brother-in-law out here uh, up like where I live in, you know, West of town here.
00:21:18
Tommy
yeah
00:21:21
RICK JAMES
So he'd come out and farm somehow he knew Tommy and he told Tommy about me. And think that's how it happened. Right.
00:21:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nice.
00:21:27
Tommy
i think so.
00:21:28
RICK JAMES
I mean, and he gave him, gave my number, to whatever.
00:21:28
Tommy
think so.
00:21:30
RICK JAMES
So Tommy called me one day about something about snow. And then we ended up talking about, all snow stuff and then trucking stuff where he's, he does, he's got a tanker too.
00:21:42
RICK JAMES
So he hauls calcium chloride. And then, you know, obviously in the winter he does brine and everything like that too. So I guess I go.
00:21:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
Very cool. So how long have you guys known each other? How many years?
00:21:54
RICK JAMES
oh but
00:21:54
Tommy
oh
00:21:55
RICK JAMES
Eight years, 10. Oh, been a while.
00:21:57
Tommy
eight years, ten years.
00:21:57
RICK JAMES
Has it?
00:21:58
Tommy
of Yeah, we started right out of college.
00:21:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
Cool. Very cool. All right, Jay. Well, since you guys are our old buddies here, one take them away. Let's go.
00:22:07
RICK JAMES
Hey, Tommy, won don't you tell everybody about your company and when you got started and what you're all about?
00:22:15
Tommy
I went to tech school here in Rosemount and landscape design stuff. And, um, We got going right after that. always tried to pause snow and landscape and stuff. and It seemed like a good fit.
00:22:34
Tommy
And then when i started dating my wife now, we started Twin City Erosion Control as a woman-owned business. And for a few years there, we were going after some commercial summer work and tried to use that as our and selling point.
00:22:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
00:22:53
Tommy
but she has a full-time job, so it's hard to get her to commit 100% to that when she has her own job.
00:22:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:23:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha.
00:23:02
Tommy
So then we just, da um it yeah, it did for a while.
00:23:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Did it work?
00:23:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
Good.
00:23:06
Tommy
Yeah, I mean, I think if we were to, you know, put our head down and really dive into it, I think it'd be a lot better, but we're busy enough the way it is.
00:23:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
Very cool.
00:23:17
Tommy
We did a lot of residential plowing, you know, to get started and
00:23:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
00:23:22
Tommy
stuff like that and then word of mouth and then we just started after the commercial stuff and learned some tricks of the trade and here we are.
00:23:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
And how long?
00:23:33
Tommy
Probably not doing it right still but we're doing that
00:23:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
what What year did you guys start?
00:23:36
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:23:39
Tommy
it. but the would 2005-ish and then 2010 is when we made Twin City Erosion Control.
00:23:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:23:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha. So you guys do what, like, Jeremy does with spraying the ah spraying the gravel roads and stuff, or is that different?
00:23:56
Tommy
Yeah, a couple a couple years ago we started with my one truck, kind of dabbling in a little bit here and there, some farms and some private stuff.
Chloride Application Market Challenges
00:24:09
Tommy
Some of that, I mean, Jeremy knows some of that bidding when you get to the but county work and the bigger stuff is, the problem I have is the supplier that I have to get it from also applies it. So they kind of corner of the market.
00:24:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
it's tough to beat. It's tough to beat.
00:24:28
Tommy
and
00:24:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:24:29
Tommy
yeah
00:24:30
RICK JAMES
He does a lot of trucking for it.
00:24:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:24:31
RICK JAMES
did a lot of ah hauling too for it.
00:24:33
Tommy
Yeah, we do we do a lot of trucking. we truck lot for them in the spring and summer. We haul fertilizer in the spring and then we jump into chloride hauling and we keep their trucks spraying, you know.
00:24:46
Tommy
They call us the third party haulers.
00:24:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go. So that's what was just going to ask you.
00:24:50
Tommy
We do some grading and seeding and stuff like that in summer. Yeah, I mean, we used to do a lot, but
00:24:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
You do any do any hydro seating or just regular seating?
00:24:58
Tommy
i we We used to do a lot of hydro seating actually.
00:25:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha.
00:25:05
Tommy
now we, you know, if the if the phone rings for that, we'll take it and look at it, but I don't know.
00:25:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm hmm.
00:25:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
is sod big out there or not so much? Like it used to be, we, we had a big hydro seeding boom where maybe 10 years, it was popular. And now everybody wants sod.
00:25:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Nobody can wait for the grass to come up. They don't want to deal with it.
00:25:27
Tommy
Yeah, you know, I think the new construction, there's a lot of sod for the requirements and stuff. um The hydro scene that we always did was commercially like along the roads.
00:25:37
Tommy
There's some on that aspect of it or a stockpile here or there that they had to control.
00:25:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:25:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha.
00:25:44
Tommy
But we could do some residential yards and we were pretty competitive with that because we're so such a small contractor. The big kind contractors with never wanted to dabble on the residential side.
00:25:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
00:26:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha. So you, you guys are in Hastings. You're out of Hastings, Minnesota.
00:26:04
Tommy
Yeah, that's east side of the metro there.
00:26:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay, so what what's your market like as far as your annual snow and like what what types of storms are you guys getting out there?
00:26:07
Tommy
very um I think they're saying around 50 inches, 52 inches something. You know, it's... um in you know it's It's pretty well right across the board and what it is all over the place here in the cities.
00:26:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha.
00:26:28
Tommy
um Maybe 20 some self events, something like that, you know, on average.
00:26:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:26:36
RICK JAMES
but Well, I don't know if he, since it's fresh in his mind, just had this big snow there in the city. How was that?
00:26:43
Tommy
Yeah.
00:26:43
RICK JAMES
What'd you guys get? What'd you have beforehand? you didn't have much beforehand all winter, did you? And then you've, I mean, yeah, it's had a bad winter last winter and then this winter wasn't great either.
00:26:50
Tommy
Yeah, I think we were, I want to say we were at like 18, 19 inches before, and then we tacked on on the East Metro, we tacked on about 11 or so concrete snow.
00:27:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
Concrete, baby.
00:27:06
Tommy
Yeah.
00:27:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go.
00:27:06
RICK JAMES
um
00:27:07
Tommy
Sideways blowing. mean, i was it was intense.
00:27:12
RICK JAMES
Yeah, it blew pretty hard, didn't it? Didn't you guys like 45-mile win?
00:27:14
Tommy
Oh, yeah. Yeah, we had 40, 50 mile an hour winds there for a few hours. Yeah.
00:27:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
Wow. That's not fun.
00:27:22
Tommy
No.
00:27:23
RICK JAMES
So you had 11. Was it 11 across the board or what around the all around the cities or what?
00:27:27
Tommy
It was, you know, they said the east side of St. Paul towards the border of Wisconsin was, you know, 10 to 11. I think we got a little more on the Wisconsin side there, but I don't know.
00:27:42
Tommy
I think it just drifted so bad, too. and
00:27:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, I bet.
00:27:45
Tommy
I think officially we had 10 and a half or 11 in Cottage Grove.
00:27:49
RICK JAMES
Did it start off as rain for you guys? kind I know i was talking to arc Arctic Steve and he was helping some guys plow it started off as rain.
00:27:52
Tommy
Oh, yeah.
00:27:55
Tommy
Yeah, Arctic Steve.
00:27:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm going to see.
00:27:56
RICK JAMES
can't remember at. probably it started off as rain so and he was ah
00:28:03
Tommy
Yeah.
00:28:03
RICK JAMES
ah ah can't remember where he was
00:28:07
Tommy
It hit, it was raining up for a while and then about eight o'clock it switched to sleep and by nine o'clock it was full of fudge snowing for me.
00:28:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
Wow.
00:28:16
Tommy
So it was a long stint, long, long couple days.
00:28:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
Those are fun.
00:28:19
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:28:22
Tommy
We got her.
00:28:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
I bet.
00:28:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Wow. So what what types of sites do you guys service?
Service Locations and Equipment Preferences
00:28:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Twin City.
00:28:29
Tommy
Currently we're doing a lot of industrial 24-hour
00:28:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:28:35
Tommy
production plants or trucking logistical buildings and stuff like that. So they run a lot of three shifts, zero tolerance, kind of do what you need to do to get it done more or less.
00:28:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Very cool. You have a
00:28:52
Tommy
couple of small medicals, nothing crazy.
00:28:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
you have any idea how many square feet of pavement you do in total?
00:28:59
Tommy
You know, i think between my three three big ones, we're probably at about 3 million, just over.
00:29:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay. Big sites.
00:29:09
Tommy
And then there might be, you know, maybe 3.5 million total, something like that.
00:29:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha. Nice.
00:29:16
RICK JAMES
Nice.
00:29:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
Very cool.
00:29:18
Tommy
Yeah. Works out pretty good.
00:29:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
What else got,
00:29:20
RICK JAMES
What do you,
00:29:24
RICK JAMES
so in this ah last last event you had, and i talked I've been talking to Tommy, obviously, the last couple of days, but, and i Arctic Steve was talking about all the people in the cities. Did you have trouble finding guys? Like, so since you guys had such a low snow year, once again, saw like a lot of guys down there were looking for, were really short on help.
00:29:44
RICK JAMES
How was your guys' help?
00:29:47
Tommy
You know, we have a, sometimes we have a pretty good handle on help. But yes, with the lack of snow and consistency, some of these guys are off, you know, finding other part-time jobs and things like that.
00:30:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:30:02
Tommy
or or they just, you know, go on vacation and don't care.
00:30:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. I was going to say, yeah, vacation's big.
00:30:07
Tommy
you know, I have a, yeah.
00:30:07
RICK JAMES
Don't answer the phone. Don't answer calls, texts, just
00:30:11
Tommy
Yeah, right, right.
00:30:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, I mean, shit, if it hasn't sh if it hasn't snowed all year, you're not going to put life on hold. as ah We've gotten five events all year. We haven't worked in five, six weeks.
00:30:21
Tommy
Right.
00:30:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's March.
00:30:22
Tommy
Yeah.
00:30:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
We're done. We're done. We're going to go on vacation, hon. Thanks.
00:30:26
Tommy
The thing is, i got a i got ah group of really good people um that are dedicated when it snows for the most part.
00:30:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's the key.
00:30:35
Tommy
A couple guys take layoff and come help me. One guy's tailor. He's a pole shed builder, so he can you know help me whenever. And then I got a good buddy, Mitch. He's another lawn and snow contractor.
00:30:52
Tommy
And he's always kind of my right-hand man and we help each other out. So that really helps.
00:30:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's awesome. Yeah.
00:30:58
Tommy
Yeah.
00:30:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
Relationships are key. That's great.
00:31:00
Tommy
Yeah.
00:31:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
I need a pole barn guy. need to, I need to find a pole barn guy out here.
00:31:03
Tommy
Oh yeah. He just, he just fell off. He fell 19 feet and broke his wrist.
00:31:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
Whoa.
00:31:09
Tommy
So he, all he did was break his wrist right on the frozen ground.
00:31:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Better play the lottery.
00:31:15
Tommy
But yeah, he helped this last big storm. He went, uh, What did he do, 20 some hours straight and then he came back for another 10 or 12 or something like that?
00:31:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Wow.
00:31:27
RICK JAMES
Is that the guy in the dozer?
00:31:29
Tommy
No, no, that's part-time Fezzy.
00:31:31
RICK JAMES
Wow.
00:31:33
RICK JAMES
No.
00:31:33
Tommy
Fez only works when it's convenient for him.
00:31:38
Tommy
he he's a farmer and um let yeah, that's part-time.
00:31:39
RICK JAMES
I thought that's what worked for you. i thought that was you, Tommy.
00:31:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
Everybody's got a fez.
00:31:45
Tommy
Part-time Tommy in the summer, okay?
00:31:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
Part time time.
00:31:47
RICK JAMES
Okay.
00:31:47
Tommy
In the wintertime, I'm dedicated every day.
00:31:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, I hear
00:31:50
Tommy
but And the summer is a little bit bit different.
00:31:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
you. i hear you Oh, Jeremy, we're, we're there. We're, we're ready for the Jeremy Lindstrom, the Ness leasing equipment segment.
00:32:01
RICK JAMES
Let's do it.
00:32:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
Tommy, this is Jeremy's favorite part of the shows. Take them through everything you got. What do you use? What do you got?
00:32:13
RICK JAMES
What do you got? What do you got, Tommy? Equipment wise, want to know all your equipment.
00:32:16
Tommy
Well, let's see, I own I own three loaders. So I got one compact cat 908 that I bought used.
00:32:29
Tommy
I got a 344 John Deere with a metal plus and a 624L John Deere with a metal plus.
00:32:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
So you like the metal pluses.
00:32:38
Tommy
And then I rent, yeah, and then I rent two Volvo wheel loaders from my dealer. An L60 an One of them has 17 power angle and the other one has a 14 foot. art
00:32:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
How do you like the Volvos? we haven't We haven't had too many guys that have used them.
00:32:58
Tommy
um they're They're actually really fuel efficient for what they are.
00:33:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay, good to know.
00:33:03
RICK JAMES
Oh, here they are.
00:33:04
Tommy
um Yeah,
00:33:05
RICK JAMES
They
00:33:07
Tommy
they're they're nice, they're compact, they got a lot of power. um I think being that they're rentals, you know, they don't have snow tires or anything. So the they slide around quite a bit more, but you know, they really do the job.
00:33:20
Tommy
they are.
00:33:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha.
00:33:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
What else you got?
00:33:23
Tommy
They're not cheap, though.
00:33:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
No, they're definitely not cheap.
00:33:25
RICK JAMES
are.
00:33:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nothing's cheap these days.
00:33:28
Tommy
I got a couple John Deere skid loaders, a couple sidewalk machines, you know, but x the little gas ones.
00:33:37
RICK JAMES
thirty 3730 lines or whatever they are set.
00:33:40
Tommy
Yeah, i got one of them, then I got a 1025R, and they both have all the attachments for the front, and one runs a liquid tank, and then the other one has a drop spreader. And we got F, well, I have everything.
00:33:51
RICK JAMES
You got brooms on them or blowers or blades or what?
00:33:55
Tommy
I have the blades, the brooms and the blowers.
00:33:58
RICK JAMES
Gotcha.
00:33:58
Tommy
They're all ah change.
00:33:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Got a vroom vroom.
00:34:01
Tommy
Not yet, but I should, but I and just had to completely rebuild my MB broom.
00:34:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Not yet.
00:34:08
Tommy
So I should have just upped and got a room broom after seeing the bill.
00:34:12
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:34:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
I can't even imagine. I can't even the imagine.
00:34:16
Tommy
Hopefully it'll make it another year, you know, we'll see.
00:34:19
RICK JAMES
It won't.
00:34:21
Tommy
Right, right.
00:34:23
RICK JAMES
It's a broom. It's a broom. It won't.
00:34:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, you had them, right, Jeremy?
00:34:26
Tommy
I got a...
00:34:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Emmys?
00:34:27
RICK JAMES
we yeah yeah we We got some MBs. It's the same thing. MBs and the deer ones are just throwaways. They just don't.
00:34:35
Tommy
Yeah, i mean, we've had pretty good luck with them, but you get a couple of ramrods in there that don't know how to go up and down the curbs, and they just completely destroy them in a heartbeat.
00:34:35
RICK JAMES
i don't they just don't
00:34:43
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:34:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
yep I gotcha
00:34:45
RICK JAMES
yeah Everything breaks. don't know. I just, yeah, obviously I'm a proponent for the Vroombrin just because, I know Tom number one, but he he built his off of watching Putz's crew destroy his for over how many years.
00:34:53
Tommy
yeah
00:34:59
RICK JAMES
So he found all the weak weak points.
00:35:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
00:35:01
RICK JAMES
Yep. um so
00:35:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
Better mousetrap.
00:35:05
Tommy
I just demoed i demoed a 15, what was it? A 1585 front mount and it came with a hydraulic broom on it. And the one snow event I had for that, yeah, something like that.
00:35:16
RICK JAMES
It's Cantora.
00:35:20
Tommy
They're black, I don't remember.
00:35:22
RICK JAMES
Yep. Cantora. I think it is a new one.
00:35:24
Tommy
But they don't reverse, you know. but that was my biggest thing.
00:35:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh.
00:35:28
Tommy
ah talking to the salesman, i'm like, you put a hydraulic groove on here, let's reverse it. And he goes, well, just get out and switch the hoses every time. I'm like, really?
00:35:35
RICK JAMES
don't
00:35:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
shit ben
00:35:36
Tommy
Come on, Mike.
00:35:40
RICK JAMES
know.
00:35:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
You come switch the hoses.
00:35:41
RICK JAMES
Tom's has reverse one. Groomroom doesn't reverse the yet either. he's He's thinking about it, but yeah, he's he his doesn't reverse either.
00:35:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
You got to reverse.
00:35:47
RICK JAMES
so
00:35:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
I mean, especially if it's hydraulic. why
00:35:49
RICK JAMES
only one I know that reverses is the Ventrac ones. They always reverse.
00:35:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Ventrac reverses.
00:35:53
Tommy
and chair
00:35:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. ah I'm pretty sure the DSR mags do too.
00:35:59
RICK JAMES
Do they?
00:35:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm pretty sure they do.
00:36:02
Tommy
I would like to try on track, but.
00:36:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
They're good. What do like the tractor one? 4520.
00:36:09
Tommy
Yeah, yeah, I get one.
00:36:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
They're good. It's just like Jeremy says, the cabs, ah because of that center articulation, the cabs don't seal crazy well.
00:36:12
Tommy
yeah
00:36:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
So they're a little drafty at times.
00:36:20
Tommy
Same with these little John Deere's, you know, they put these aftermarket cabs on there and they they're good for a while. The heater burns your left leg and freezes your right leg.
00:36:27
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:36:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
they start.
00:36:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Yep. Yeah. We know the drill.
00:36:35
Tommy
We got a couple of trucks. um We got an F750 hook lift, you know, roll off truck. So we run a big V-box spreader and then we also have a 2,300 gallon de-icing tank for it.
00:36:48
Tommy
So we can slip back and forth with that.
00:36:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nice.
00:36:52
Tommy
And then the 550, F550 has a 1,000-gallon VSI hydraulic sprayer. And it has the new special edition snow power, F14 on there.
00:37:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nice.
00:37:06
RICK JAMES
The black one.
00:37:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, and this was your first year with that.
00:37:08
Tommy
Black one.
00:37:10
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:37:10
Tommy
Yeah. I just, I literally just got at the end of January. Yeah, I ordered it.
00:37:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay. So how how, what did you, did you get to use it during this big storm? What'd you think?
00:37:20
Tommy
Uh, yeah. No, it actually worked really, really good. I had a two-wheel drive the whole time, and that thing could just push.
00:37:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nice.
00:37:27
Tommy
It was pretty amazing.
00:37:29
RICK JAMES
That was a scrape.
00:37:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's awesome.
00:37:29
Tommy
Yep. It scraped really good. Yep.
00:37:33
RICK JAMES
Good.
00:37:33
Tommy
I don't know.
00:37:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Very cool.
00:37:35
Tommy
I think I sent you some Snapcats of it when we were scraping it.
00:37:38
RICK JAMES
Yeah, he
00:37:39
Tommy
I mean, it was was peeling up. Like, yeah.
00:37:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's great to hear. So would you say you're more liquids, Tommy, or you're more granular?
00:37:44
Tommy
No, was...
00:37:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
or this It's situational.
00:37:49
Tommy
Um,
Snow Management Approaches
00:37:50
Tommy
it's situational. We, we try to pre-treat as much as we can. and then we will post-treat. Um, if I have enough help, I guess you could say.
00:38:02
Tommy
i do, I, I kind of go back and forth because I like running the treated rock salt too. My customers really like to see something down on the ground and it's such, that's a hard sell to get them to realize that you don't need to see it.
00:38:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:38:16
Tommy
So.
00:38:16
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
00:38:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
You're right.
00:38:19
Tommy
But yeah, no, we we try to run more and more liquids every year. and i don't know what we're up to this year, but I would think it's a fair amount.
00:38:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
You make your own. You have a brine maker.
00:38:32
Tommy
We have a brine maker in the shop at North Tech Irrigation down in St. Paul Park. I put all my poly tanks down there. So I have like 20, don't know, maybe almost 30,000 gallons of storage in this building.
00:38:47
Tommy
And then we put my... my brine maker in there the first year, but it was the one, what's that one called that you have Jeremy?
00:38:57
RICK JAMES
Veritech?
00:38:58
Tommy
Yeah, it was one of them and they just thought that they wanted to get a new VSI.
00:38:59
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:39:03
Tommy
So they put mine out and then they bought one of those.
00:39:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha.
00:39:08
Tommy
works pretty good. It's nice. I can get in there whenever I need to to load up.
00:39:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
You got a thousand gallon VSI unit on a 550, you said?
00:39:13
Tommy
hey
00:39:17
Tommy
Yeah.
00:39:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
How's that handle it?
00:39:18
Tommy
A
00:39:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Is it okay? Yeah. All right.
00:39:21
Tommy
ah little sketchy.
00:39:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah i was good
00:39:22
Tommy
It's a little sketchy.
00:39:23
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:39:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah ah
00:39:24
Tommy
Yeah.
00:39:24
RICK JAMES
ah
00:39:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
00:39:26
Tommy
yeah yeah Well, we had to put a new set of leaf springs in the truck already because we did break them last year.
00:39:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
all right Answer my question. Yeah, that's i was wondering. I'm like, man I don't know. and That's the first time I've heard a thousand on a 550. Like normally the most you hear is like a 750 going on a 550.
00:39:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
So.
00:39:42
Tommy
Right.
00:39:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like.
00:39:43
Tommy
Yeah, we I'll usually probably load it like nine hours.
00:39:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
shit.
00:39:44
RICK JAMES
Well, it's 1,000. He only fills it to 750.
00:39:48
Tommy
Oh, yeah.
00:39:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:39:48
Tommy
Just ask ask the DOS.
00:39:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
The slosh effect.
00:39:49
RICK JAMES
Yeah. what I'm...
00:39:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nice.
00:39:50
Tommy
I'm not going that far. It's okay.
00:39:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
a
00:39:54
RICK JAMES
but ah
00:39:55
Tommy
Yeah.
00:39:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah shit yeah slosh effect
00:39:58
Tommy
Yeah.
00:39:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
nice
00:40:01
Tommy
No, we got one of them.
00:40:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
So how
00:40:02
RICK JAMES
run
00:40:03
Tommy
We got a snow gear and we got all that. Those fancy, silly attachments.
00:40:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
really you had one of those?
00:40:08
Tommy
Yeah. Yeah.
00:40:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
How did it work?
00:40:10
Tommy
Yeah. I love it.
00:40:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:40:12
Tommy
We threw it on that 908 this year and you just put that somehow the guy figured out Chris had to he figured out how to put it in creeper gear and so him and Mitch went around and they augured out underneath them trailers it was great
00:40:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's great. And that for guys that don't know the snow, it's like, it's just basically a big auger that, you know, on a plow that moves the snow right out into the open underneath the kingpins. Right.
00:40:38
Tommy
because we had I had I had a short iron plow for years an 18 footer so I had that on my pickup all the time but
00:40:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, that's pretty cool.
00:40:48
Tommy
I'd always try to be a hotshot with it and go around the concrete ballards and in and out of things while I'd always, I'd want to wing in and then it would wing out and I wasn't paying attention.
00:40:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm hmm.
00:40:57
Tommy
And then I'd break the cylinder.
00:40:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:41:00
Tommy
So then that kind of went to the weeds. And then this fall, actually, Mitch, my buddy, he took it and put it on one of his trucks. He's been using the crap out of it. So pretty good.
00:41:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Very cool.
00:41:12
Tommy
Yeah.
00:41:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
I've never met anybody that had a snogger.
00:41:13
RICK JAMES
The short iron?
00:41:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
I've seen it, but...
00:41:15
Tommy
Yeah. It's a, It's a the 18-footer. I think I got it in like 2017.
00:41:21
RICK JAMES
ah Oh, I think I saw any weeds when I was at your shop this fall.
00:41:24
Tommy
You saw it. Yeah.
00:41:25
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:41:27
Tommy
We dug it out of the weeds.
00:41:27
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yeah.
00:41:29
Tommy
Then I got a big snowblower.
00:41:29
RICK JAMES
I didn't see the snogger.
00:41:30
Tommy
Oh,
00:41:31
RICK JAMES
I didn't see the snogger.
00:41:34
Tommy
it was sitting there.
00:41:35
RICK JAMES
Was it?
00:41:35
Tommy
It's bright yellow, man.
00:41:36
RICK JAMES
Oh.
00:41:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
i've never so I've never met anybody that actually had one.
00:41:37
RICK JAMES
Oh.
00:41:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
I've seen the advertisements for it. I've never met anybody that has one.
00:41:42
Tommy
and
00:41:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's awesome.
00:41:43
Tommy
Yeah, we got a and then we got a truck brush. for our one big site there in Wisconsin.
00:41:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, you do?
00:41:48
Tommy
and Yeah, it was a requirement to buy. you had to have it purchased in order to get the contract.
00:41:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
And now is that, if you don't mind me asking, is that TNM above the contract to do the trucks or is it, it's included?
00:41:58
Tommy
Nope. Nope.
00:42:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
hope.
00:42:00
Tommy
Yeah. But here's the deal. The first year, that 100-inch winter, we swept six trailers. Last year, zero trailers.
00:42:11
Tommy
This year, zero trailers. I swept more trailers with it last year in Iowa when I went down to Iowa and when they had the big blizzard. And I swept trailers for two days down there.
00:42:23
Tommy
Yeah.
00:42:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, shit.
00:42:25
RICK JAMES
Hmm. It's a good investment, then.
00:42:28
Tommy
Yeah. And I got one of those big snowblowers too. Wild, what is Wildcat? and
00:42:34
RICK JAMES
Wildcats. Wildcats. Same as a snowblast.
00:42:35
Tommy
Yeah.
00:42:36
RICK JAMES
Yeah, so it's a it's it's an early version of the snowblast.
00:42:37
Tommy
Yeah. Got a big Cummins on it.
00:42:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nice. You got lots of toys.
00:42:41
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:42:41
Tommy
Yeah. I got too much.
00:42:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
Too many toys?
00:42:44
Tommy
Yeah.
00:42:44
RICK JAMES
Did he use that this year? Did he use a bowler at all?
00:42:46
Tommy
No, no.
00:42:48
RICK JAMES
Why didn't he bring that the other day and bowl that stuff? Well, he hasn't
00:42:54
Tommy
It's kind of one of those things where for where we're situated up in Wisconsin there, we got to have the hall the snow has to be hollow within 24 hours.
00:43:05
RICK JAMES
You could have blew it in the trucks when I saw your piles.
00:43:05
Tommy
And
00:43:08
RICK JAMES
You could have cut the pile and blew it in the trucks down the pile.
00:43:10
Tommy
we could have probably, yeah. Yeah, maybe next time.
00:43:13
RICK JAMES
oh Maybe have to come and give you some pointers on that.
00:43:17
Tommy
You probably gotta come show me how to run it, don't you think?
00:43:19
RICK JAMES
Probably. Probably.
00:43:21
Tommy
Make us all look bad.
00:43:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
that's That's the master right there.
00:43:25
RICK JAMES
ah
00:43:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Snowblower extraordinaire.
00:43:27
RICK JAMES
run you
Tire Choices for Snow Equipment
00:43:28
RICK JAMES
run liquids on your sidewalk machines too or just granular?
00:43:31
Tommy
Yeah, we have one cameon on the 1025R that we put down. we usually run like a ninety ten headwaters or we run just straight behind them.
00:43:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha. What you said you you prefer to put down treated salt if you can. What treated salt you using?
00:43:51
Tommy
um We use Skyline Salt at Iowa.
00:43:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:43:55
Tommy
you So he gets it railed in up here in the cities.
00:43:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha.
00:43:58
Tommy
And then he treats it with his machine with the Magic Minus Zero product, innovative product.
00:44:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:44:06
Tommy
And he puts a green dye. So it's like a almost like an olive green maybe.
00:44:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:44:11
Tommy
So it's really nice. i I've had really good luck with it. um Beginning of the year, we'll take like 25 ton white and 25 ton of treated mix it.
00:44:22
Tommy
And then when we get down to the middle winter, we'll take all treated when we order.
00:44:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm hmm.
00:44:28
Tommy
So.
00:44:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
Very cool. Very cool.
00:44:31
RICK JAMES
You running snow tires on stuff? I think you said you're running some snow tires right on your stuff or what?
00:44:35
Tommy
Yeah, we run snow tires on and all the loaders that I own. you So we got Sure-ish Alliance ones on the 344 and the 908.
00:44:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm hmm.
00:44:49
Tommy
And then the Nokian are on the 624. six twenty four
00:44:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
any difference between the Nokia and the Alliance that you run in both that you can see?
00:44:57
Tommy
No, I don't think so.
00:44:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:45:00
Tommy
mean, that that
00:45:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
Price tag.
00:45:01
RICK JAMES
Pretty much the same pattern. Yeah. Nice.
00:45:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
Price tag. That's about it.
00:45:05
Tommy
yeah that 624 that's
00:45:06
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:45:10
Tommy
the other day when that heavy snow went through, that thing would, you just keep hitting the diff lock and just keep pushing of the 1222 metal plus on the front. Never miss a beat.
00:45:21
Tommy
It was nice.
00:45:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nice.
00:45:23
RICK JAMES
nice
00:45:24
Tommy
But I'm not much for taking pictures because I'm not smart enough to remember to do that.
00:45:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's awesome.
00:45:30
Tommy
I'm not like Mitchell and I don't have a media team.
00:45:34
RICK JAMES
but
00:45:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Do you have a fake plane, though?
00:45:36
Tommy
Poor Mitchell.
00:45:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah yeah
00:45:38
Tommy
Poor Mitchell.
00:45:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
a Poor Mitchell.
00:45:41
Tommy
I'm sure he'll be calling me now.
00:45:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:45:41
RICK JAMES
Fuck Mitchell.
00:45:44
Tommy
He'll be calling me.
00:45:44
RICK JAMES
He doesn't listen.
00:45:44
Tommy
Why did you do that?
00:45:45
RICK JAMES
Don't worry.
00:45:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
he know listen
00:45:46
RICK JAMES
He doesn't listen anyway.
00:45:46
Tommy
Yeah.
00:45:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:45:49
RICK JAMES
He doesn't.
00:45:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Aaron pay aarons tells him to listen for him.
00:45:49
Tommy
yeah
00:45:53
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:45:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Let me know if I need to respond to anything.
00:45:53
RICK JAMES
Aaron will tell him to listen.
00:45:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh,
00:45:55
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:45:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:45:57
RICK JAMES
You run any subcontractors, Tommy?
00:45:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh
00:46:00
Tommy
ah Just Mitch. Mitch Hagen.
00:46:02
RICK JAMES
Oh, yeah.
00:46:02
Tommy
Hagen's total lawn. He's got a few few trucks out there. um Then he has his sidewalk machine and then he has my snow raider with him.
00:46:15
Tommy
So, yeah, he just kind of...
00:46:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
Tommy, you meant, sorry, go ahead.
00:46:18
Tommy
Go ahead.
00:46:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
go No, I was going to say, you you mentioned Wisconsin up there.
00:46:19
Tommy
Oh, he just fills in wherever.
00:46:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
You mentioned Wisconsin.
00:46:22
Tommy
Yep.
00:46:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
Are you guys close to the border there? I'm not familiar with the with where it actually is.
00:46:25
Tommy
ye Yeah, I'm like... Actually, I can... I can hear the boats on the St. Croix River from my house.
00:46:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
okay. So you're real close.
00:46:32
Tommy
We're like street three miles, three miles from the river. And then I got one site over there in Hudson that we take care of.
00:46:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha. Okay.
00:46:40
Tommy
And then the rest of the stuff is right in Cottage Grove.
00:46:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
I got you. That squares that away for me.
00:46:43
Tommy
we kind of got to divide and conquer.
00:46:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Absolutely. Absolutely.
00:46:48
Tommy
We don't like to travel too far, you know, just because we don't want our service to dwindle down.
00:46:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Amen, brother. And I'm right with you on the pictures. I mean, we've had our busiest event wise winter in years, and this is probably the least amount of photo and video we've gotten. It's just ah you forget, like, just get it done.
00:47:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm not fucking I had to tell the kids a couple storms like, hey, listen, just make sure you take every every hour, stop and take five to ten pictures and a couple of video clips just just so we have something in the bank.
00:47:19
Tommy
If we're bored and Mitch isn't doing anything, he'll grab his drone and start flying a drone around me while I'm trying to plow and he makes some goofy TikToks and stuff.
00:47:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's cool.
00:47:29
RICK JAMES
I haven't seen those. Where are those at?
00:47:33
Tommy
Oh, we got them on TikToks. The Tiki Taki.
00:47:35
RICK JAMES
Do you? I'll have to go look.
00:47:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:47:37
Tommy
Yeah.
00:47:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, shit.
00:47:39
Tommy
You got to go follow me on there.
00:47:39
RICK JAMES
Underneath it. I think I do. On erosion control? ah Which one? are
00:47:44
Tommy
Probably. i don't remember what it is.
00:47:45
RICK JAMES
Big Tommy.
00:47:46
Tommy
Big Tommy. Yeah. 651.
00:47:48
RICK JAMES
Big Tommy?
00:47:48
Tommy
Yeah.
00:47:50
RICK JAMES
Yeah. six Big Tommy. Yeah. Are you using a weather service?
00:47:54
Tommy
ah So then.
00:47:55
RICK JAMES
um I'm sorry. Go ahead.
00:47:56
Tommy
oh I use a rock.
00:47:56
RICK JAMES
move to What are you doing?
00:47:58
Tommy
Pretty much.
00:47:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Weather Rock, there it is.
00:47:59
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:48:00
Tommy
I.
00:48:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
It works every time.
00:48:03
Tommy
um You know, that there's a Facebook group for the contractors, Snow Pro one. Jeremy Harris just does a really good job on that.
00:48:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, yes, yes, they do.
00:48:10
Tommy
So I really like kind of watching everything going on in there. Other than that, z oh yeah
00:48:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's a great resource. That's a great resource for you guys to have.
00:48:23
Tommy
I'm usually the first one out and last one in. So, i you know, and we we tried a paying one with Bono's weather last year, and that seemed to work pretty good. But at the end of the day, we're going to be out there no matter what, the whole duration.
00:48:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yes, sir.
00:48:38
Tommy
i mean, if we had like a if our contracts were set up where we had a one inch or two inch trigger, then I could see maybe utilizing a service, but we just, we're zero tolerance.
00:48:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:48:53
RICK JAMES
any Any cameras or anything you're running?
00:48:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
I hear you.
00:48:56
Tommy
No, they won't let me, the ones, hopefully next year.
00:48:56
RICK JAMES
Like you or anything?
00:49:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
Interesting. They won't let you. Wow. That's the first time. Actually, is it the first time we've heard that? I know the ones top secret site, they won't let any cameras, videos, or or pictures be taken, but, uh,
00:49:06
RICK JAMES
No, we have
00:49:13
RICK JAMES
There's a lot of like, even like medical facilities that don't want you to use them because of HIPAA and all that stuff, which doesn't make sense. I mean, I mean, you're not, I mean, i don't know.
00:49:23
RICK JAMES
i just don't understand. like It's there for there for safety, safety reason and all.
00:49:24
Tommy
They got something goofy at my right my one site, my worst brain de-icer with the VSI, and it's the VSI, like, wireless one, you know, so I got to use my phone.
00:49:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
Uh-huh. Yeah, the Bluetooth. Yep.
00:49:40
Tommy
The closer I get to the building, the more the rate controller just goes crazy. The farther away I am, yeah, they must have something in there because then our two-way, we got Kenwood um two-way radios,
00:49:45
RICK JAMES
We got a blocker.
00:49:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
Blocker.
00:49:54
Tommy
in the two big loaders there. You get close to the building, you can't hear anything. So...
00:50:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
I know ah we have a huge distribution center. It's a gap distribution center in town ah here. We don't do it for snow, but I know the fire department, they had to put a repeater on the roof to overcome the blockers that they have ah inside the building because once they would enter into that building, their radios would cease to work.
00:50:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
So they had to put a special coded repeater to to get communications inside the building because the blockers. It's becoming more and more you know more and more normal. ah it's It's like what they're doing now in these large distribution centers.
00:50:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
I don't know why. it to keep their employees from having like Wi-Fi and stuff? or
00:50:37
RICK JAMES
i don't know if keep them off their phones, maybe.
00:50:38
Tommy
I don't
00:50:39
RICK JAMES
So they're, you know, not if they're paying attention to what they're doing instead of, uh, tick talking.
00:50:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Maybe.
00:50:43
Tommy
know. They're running a forklift and they got their headphones on. It's probably not good.
00:50:48
RICK JAMES
So.
00:50:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, true. Very true.
00:50:50
RICK JAMES
Well, unless you're good.
00:50:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh Unless you're Jeremy.
00:50:55
RICK JAMES
You can multitask.
00:50:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Oh, shoot. You want to hit some commercials and we'll keep going with Tommy. All right, let's hit some commercial.
00:51:01
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:51:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
we'll be back in oh less than a minute.
00:51:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, we're back. As always, thanks to our partners. They keep us going. the They're great. they're They're all sending swag, I guess, for the show season, the giveaway.
00:52:08
RICK JAMES
Oh yeah, that's good.
00:52:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Yeah, getting ready, gearing up. Next month starts off busy spring, summer, fall.
00:52:16
RICK JAMES
That's good. It's got to always get to see the new and greatest and keep the snow talk year round is what we want to do.
00:52:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
Busier every year.
00:52:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's it, bud.
00:52:22
RICK JAMES
So keep everybody educated.
00:52:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's it. Keep it snowing all year round, except in Minnesota. We can't win. We can't win there. That's two years in a row. What does that do, Tommy? Like when you you go off a hundred inch winner and you guys are like begging for it to stop basically. And then you go into two winners that are like, what what have they been sub 20, sub 30?
00:52:42
Tommy
Yeah, last last year we had officially 29 and a half. So,
00:52:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
And so your average is about 50.
00:52:48
RICK JAMES
How did you get that?
00:52:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
and So you've been below average now by a large margin two years in a row.
00:52:51
Tommy
yep.
00:52:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
What is that? Like, what do you experience? Like, what are you seeing as far as trends in the snow industry in Minnesota?
00:53:01
Tommy
know, I haven't, it was a little bit harder bidding some new stuff this fall.
00:53:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:53:07
Tommy
um I think my pricing was a little out of whack because These guys are thinking they're gonna get stuff, you know, little to nothing because quote unquote doesn't snow.
00:53:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:53:17
Tommy
But um just like everybody else, we all have our fixed costs and I'm not gonna give my service away, so.
00:53:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
Absolutely, bud. Amen.
00:53:25
Tommy
All
00:53:25
RICK JAMES
right
00:53:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
And you shouldn't. And it's still Minnesota. Like, I mean, it's not like
Business Challenges in Inconsistent Snowfall
00:53:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
it's never going to snow there again.
00:53:30
Tommy
right.
00:53:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
I mean, it's just the it.
00:53:32
RICK JAMES
That's why they call stuff fat that's why that's how you get averages. You have low years and you have a height. you know i'll tell you that you know That's how you get your average. A lot of people forget about that. It's not going to be.
00:53:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. and I mean, technically, I think next year we should be shut down. We should have a very, like, barely hit our cap. You know, I don't know. We'll see.
00:53:53
Tommy
Nice to get around that 50 inches again here soon and kind of put everything back on schedule, but.
00:53:53
RICK JAMES
yeah We've been a
00:54:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
It can't possibly go a third year.
00:54:00
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:54:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
I mean, it can't possibly. You guys got to be right back in the saddle next year.
00:54:07
Tommy
It's just getting boring when you walk out of your house and then you see grass and then, you know, now it s snows. And then today it was 55 degrees and the grass was all back showing, so.
00:54:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
And that was that was the other thing we've heard. like It's not that it just hasn't been snowing. It's been unseasonably warm up there. Has has it been pretty warm
00:54:25
Tommy
Last year, yeah, last year was a lot warmer than this year. We had a couple weeks of sub, we sub zero.
00:54:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
okay
00:54:33
Tommy
Couple days um of no school because it was so cold. Our kids are soft.
00:54:38
RICK JAMES
Yeah, we had cold spell here too.
00:54:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
Kids are soft.
00:54:41
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:54:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
but They've gotten...
00:54:42
Tommy
Our kids are soft.
00:54:43
RICK JAMES
you're talking that You're talking to Steve.
00:54:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
well
00:54:45
RICK JAMES
It's a blow 32 there. They get out of school in New York, so.
00:54:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
No! Nonsense. No.
00:54:51
Tommy
Yeah, my sister lives out by DC and if they get an inch of snow, they cancel school.
00:54:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, yeah. They don't plows down there. That far south, they don't have plows.
00:54:57
Tommy
Yeah.
00:54:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
They gotta wait for it to melt.
00:55:00
Tommy
ah clip
00:55:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, it's a whole different ballgame. Once you get like trying to think where like you have the DOTs, obviously, in the Northeast, they're all mainstream. Everybody's equipped for bear when it comes to snow. But once you get south of like Jersey, Delaware, like the the amount of plows the state, the state DOTs have dwindles to to next to nothing.
00:55:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
but Like, I think Virginia, ah Virginia's weight really low. They don't get a lot of snow there, though. They did, though, this year, right, Jeremy? Like twice they got hit?
00:55:33
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yeah, they got hit couple times this year. So I think that one time I was there, they had like 10 inches. So that was a good time.
00:55:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:55:40
RICK JAMES
Do that again. No, it's just it's just, you know, the the snow here last couple of years, like in Fargo and in the cities, it's just been, i mean, just kind of depressing for guys that always get snow.
00:55:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
Hear it.
00:55:52
RICK JAMES
And it's, we're not getting the snow. Granted, come, I always say come March 15th, let's just be done. But not that that ever happens, but... Because he always you don't get snow, and then all of a sudden you'll get snow in middle of April after you get everything cleaned up or putting shit away or whatever.
00:56:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:56:07
RICK JAMES
it's like It never fails this way it always is. But it's just depressing. You've got your crew all set up, and just like everybody else, your crew's all set up, and then nothing happens forever. And then it's when something does happen, you're scrambling, trying to fill everything, trying to you know get everybody back in the...
00:56:25
RICK JAMES
what there's you know what they're good at and what they're doing. It just takes a little time and effort, but it seemed like we always get through it.
00:56:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Those are the storms where you find out who you're paying way too little for as available as they are for you. If they'll come out after like a month and a half, when you get that mid April, late April snow, and you're like, shit, these guys haven't worked in a month. And you start calling people and you get yeses to that.
00:56:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
you You owe, if you got to pay them a little more. That's a.
00:56:50
Tommy
I did, you know, we used to try to fill my skid loader all the time with a cage plow and just try to get somebody in there. And the last couple of years, I was like,
00:56:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
No.
00:57:00
Tommy
It's so hard to find somebody that wants to run a skateboarder. Especially when we got those loaders sitting there.
00:57:04
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:57:05
Tommy
you know
00:57:06
RICK JAMES
Yeah, when they see a loader compared to skid, they're going to want to jump in a loader over a skid.
00:57:10
Tommy
Right. And that's why I bought that little 908 this year just for that. Yeah.
00:57:15
RICK JAMES
How's that been working for you? I know we talked about it earlier this fall. but
00:57:19
Tommy
yeah It's been okay. Every time we go out there's usually like hydraulic hose that blows. It's got a rusty fitting.
00:57:26
RICK JAMES
we you call out you so you got you you call it ah You call Brandon on that then or what?
00:57:27
Tommy
It was a snow only machine.
00:57:31
RICK JAMES
Because it's an
00:57:32
Tommy
No, no.
00:57:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, it's an LADC loader.
00:57:34
RICK JAMES
ah
00:57:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:57:35
RICK JAMES
Yeah, I'd tell Brandon, you got to maintain those things a little better, buddy.
00:57:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh,
00:57:38
Tommy
and
00:57:39
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:57:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
come on. ah That's funny.
00:57:42
Tommy
Yeah. It's a good conversation piece when we go out.
00:57:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
Absolutely.
00:57:47
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:57:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Brandon's great. Love Brandon. We got it. We got to get him back on too. We haven't talked to him in a little bit.
00:57:54
Tommy
I just talked to him yesterday.
00:57:54
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:57:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, we got to get him back on.
00:57:56
Tommy
Well, some cutting edges.
00:57:56
RICK JAMES
no
00:57:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
So Tommy, how many guys you are you running during a
Crew Management During Snow Events
00:58:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
storm? What do you guys got on?
00:58:03
Tommy
ah Eight to ten, roughly, for equipment operators.
00:58:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
okay
00:58:07
Tommy
And then I've been utilizing Mike Conway.
00:58:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay, I've seen his name in the group.
00:58:11
Tommy
He's one of my buddies. Yeah. And he supplies me with shovelers. So he sends out two different shovel crews. And that's been working just phenomenal.
00:58:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
Very cool.
00:58:24
Tommy
I don't know how he can keep it all straight, but it works.
00:58:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Love it
00:58:28
RICK JAMES
No, that's great. Shovel guys are hard to come by and they're gold, you know, you guys need them.
00:58:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
are
00:58:33
RICK JAMES
So.
00:58:34
Tommy
right
00:58:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
it. Good ones are real hard to come by.
00:58:38
Tommy
yep no we Like I said, we got our our core group of guys. you know um Robbie and Taylor kind of take those scouts and stuff and I don't to babysit them. and then Me and Max and Mitch and other guys will fill in Cottage Grove.
00:58:55
Tommy
it works out pretty good. Weekend storms are usually the best, obviously.
00:58:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, yeah.
00:58:59
RICK JAMES
Yeah, always.
00:59:00
Tommy
get but
00:59:02
RICK JAMES
What do you...
00:59:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Give me Saturday nights and the Sundays any day, any time.
00:59:02
Tommy
we yeah Oh, man. Yep. I don't even care if it was a holiday. That'd be the best time to plow.
00:59:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Absolutely.
00:59:11
RICK JAMES
Yeah. What do you got for competition around there? you got a lot of competition, Tommy? Tell me.
00:59:16
Tommy
Yeah, I mean, it's, a there's there's some guys coming out of the woodwork. um There's some bigger companies that are still sniffing around a couple of my my sites.
00:59:29
Tommy
But my one big one in Cottage Grove, this my 18th year there. And usually it's a three or five year contract.
00:59:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nice.
00:59:40
Tommy
So we've we've been doing okay.
00:59:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:59:44
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:59:44
Tommy
The other stuff is every couple of years. so
00:59:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
You guys mostly seasonals per push hourly. What are you guys doing?
00:59:51
Tommy
yeah We got two of them are set up on contracts and one's a per push. And then we got a little bit of hourly mixed in there. A lot of the extra services are all hourly.
01:00:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
one of the big sites that you have is a per push.
01:00:04
RICK JAMES
yeah
01:00:08
Tommy
ah Yeah. yeah
01:00:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
Do they have, they give you any like, uh, like stipend or something for having the equipment there or you don't, you rode the equipment and you keep it there.
01:00:14
Tommy
No. No. i I keep it there on site and it the it works. It's not great, but it works.
01:00:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay. Does it totally like this kind of winter where you're way below average and last winter, is that like a total kick to the nuts to absorb that or yeah.
01:00:30
Tommy
Yeah, a little bit until we get until we get these bigger, you know, if we can get a four-inch or
01:00:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
01:00:36
Tommy
or a little bit bigger than we could usually come out ahead.
01:00:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha. So an 11-incher helps.
01:00:40
Tommy
And then, you know, there's all the extra work.
01:00:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
An 11-incher helps.
01:00:43
Tommy
Oh, yeah. yeah
01:00:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you
01:00:45
Tommy
Well, just like today, it was 55 degrees, and I'm out there cleaning around curbs, and they they finally didn't have a production day today,
Contracts and Equipment Rentals
01:00:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's great.
01:00:54
Tommy
so there was no cars in the parking lot.
01:00:56
Tommy
So I was out there doing it myself because I'm a little greedy like that.
01:01:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go. Amen. What else you got, Jay?
01:01:05
RICK JAMES
What do you...
01:01:08
RICK JAMES
I have one here for you. said Oh, we talked about your contracts already, but is it true a lot of guys around the cities are still a lot of T&Ms? that I've heard a lot of guys around there T&Ms.
01:01:20
Tommy
No, I don't know. I've heard of a lot of the big companies will, when they sub you on, will take know take you as hourly, but I don't know what their contract looks like.
01:01:33
RICK JAMES
Nicholas Matsakis, Yeah.
01:01:33
Tommy
um We got one big one by us, Up North Plastics. I did that maybe five, six years ago, and he's like, I don't want to see a contract unless it's hourly.
01:01:45
Tommy
So I gave him my hourly rates, and he said I was really, really happy.
01:01:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
What's he been paying then?
01:01:53
Tommy
Yeah, I don't know. There's four, i mean, there's four or five old wheel loaders there and like three three older skid loaders and the guy leaves them there year round. So whoever plows it, you know obviously has it in there.
01:02:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha.
01:02:06
RICK JAMES
yeah
01:02:06
Tommy
but
01:02:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, the old... I've seen those lots you drive by and there's three Trojan loaders on the site. They haven't made those since the early Oh, shit.
01:02:14
RICK JAMES
there
01:02:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh shit
01:02:16
RICK JAMES
That's what Matt Muller said. The guys that got the they got their MSP, whatever, they brought in all that old equipment last year whatever, or whoever it was.
01:02:25
Tommy
I
01:02:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Antiques. Gotta love it. What
01:02:29
Tommy
haven't stuck to him lately. must be busy.
01:02:33
RICK JAMES
You hauling for a lot of guys around there yet?
01:02:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
do you think?
01:02:34
RICK JAMES
lot of Brian for.
01:02:37
Tommy
ah Yeah, we move a lot for curbside. i don't, you know, i'm being that it's March now, I don't know if they'll have us fill their tanks one more time yet or what they got going.
01:02:49
Tommy
If they're busy, then they'll call and we'll put a truck and trailer on with them for a day and
01:02:50
RICK JAMES
Gotcha.
01:02:55
Tommy
fill everything.
01:02:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha. What you think, Jay? Five and five, or you got something else?
01:03:01
RICK JAMES
Yeah, no, I was going to get to that here.
Company Growth Plans and Client Relations
01:03:03
RICK JAMES
Where do you want to see yourself from five years, Tommy, your company?
01:03:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
Do it.
01:03:06
RICK JAMES
Where do you want to see yourself go or?
01:03:09
Tommy
Well, I'd like to, I mean, the kind of the plan is to somehow find one or two really dedicated employees and put them on year-round and like a business development, I guess, and
01:03:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
01:03:25
Tommy
Kind of hit the market a little bit more, you know, than what we have been. We've been kind of consistent for the last four or five years. So it'd be nice to grow a little bit more.
01:03:37
RICK JAMES
Gotcha.
01:03:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
Cool.
01:03:38
Tommy
I'd like to add another loader or two see what we can do.
01:03:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Very cool.
01:03:43
RICK JAMES
What's your wife think about that?
01:03:46
Tommy
As far as she knows, we just rent them.
01:03:49
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:03:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
01:03:50
Tommy
We're still pretty good. Yeah.
01:03:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's great.
01:03:54
Tommy
Yeah.
01:03:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Hopefully does she doesn't listen to the show.
01:03:55
Tommy
They got my stickers all over them, so we just rent them.
01:03:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go. Yeah, no, they'll let us put stickers on.
01:03:59
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:04:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's all good.
01:04:02
Tommy
why Why do they stay here year round?
01:04:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
They told me you're going to rent them again next winter, right? You might as well just hang on to him Let them sit there. We'll come get them if we need them.
01:04:11
Tommy
This was the bulldozer I bought for pushing up the snow dump. She's like, oh, why is the dozer still here? It's 90 degrees. was like, oh, just case I need it next year.
01:04:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, shit. That's great. She thinks you're in them. but so Oh, man.
01:04:28
RICK JAMES
oh
01:04:28
Tommy
No, she's a good egg. she she She gets it now.
01:04:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's awesome.
01:04:31
Tommy
so
01:04:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Very cool. That's important, man. That's very important. um So the last five years, to get to the point you're at now, what do you think has been your best decision?
01:04:43
RICK JAMES
Besides meeting me.
01:04:44
Tommy
Always answering.
01:04:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
jeez.
01:04:47
Tommy
That can hinder it too, I guess.
01:04:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
Did I get in there? Yeah.
01:04:50
Tommy
um You know, I've always been tried and true of answering your cell phone no matter what. And when i when I go to bid properties, one thing that i've I think I feel as though I've been successful with is I'm the person you're calling.
01:05:07
Tommy
I'm the go-to person. If you guys have an issue site while we're you know bidding it or whatever we're doing there, you call me and you always get me on the phone.
01:05:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's it.
01:05:19
Tommy
You don't have to call a recording and have somebody call you back and stuff like that.
01:05:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:05:25
Tommy
i know The bigger companies, you almost have to do that.
01:05:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
01:05:30
Tommy
But, you know, I kind of like that personal feel, I guess.
01:05:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
I agree. I agree on the same way. 100%. You're building personal relationships with your customers.
01:05:40
Tommy
i I think that's helped a lot. Keep the current customers that I have and kind of get the ball rolling and some of the other ones coming up, so.
01:05:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
It definitely does. people People will definitely either jump ship or fire ah company before they fire somebody they have a personal relationship with that they consider maybe even a friend, you know, because you do such good work and you always answer the phone when they call need something.
01:06:03
Tommy
yeah
01:06:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
You're always there. ah that Like I said, that that goes a long way. I agree with you 100% on that. I think that's definitely the way to do it.
01:06:15
Tommy
and If you're willing to talk with them about the contract, not just, you know, they might send you an RFP and then you might want to change something on it and then I'll change it and I'll email it back and then I'll call and say, hey,
01:06:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's awesome.
01:06:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, absolutely.
01:06:29
Tommy
This is why and don't agree with your RFP. And then once you get to talk and you get down to that personal level with them, I just, I feel it really helps.
01:06:36
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
01:06:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
I agree completely, Tommy.
01:06:39
Tommy
All
01:06:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's absolutely true. As long as you can help them understand, because they they may not even know why we don't like something in their ah RFP that they got off the internet or some property manager wrote up for them.
01:06:48
Tommy
right.
01:06:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
They might have no clue. But if as long as you can explain it and educate them, this is why this is bad. This is why this, the way this is written by your property management company or whatever is designed to screw us one of 30 different ways.
01:07:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like, we're not going to just assume all liability on a snow site from November to April, you know, no matter whether it's snow related or not. You know, some of these things, the way they're written, like if somebody falls on a step on a completely dry day with no snow, two weeks in either direction, if I sign this, technically I'm liable for that too.
01:07:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
like um You know, and then they understood. So I get that. I agree completely with you.
01:07:31
Tommy
I just went through that here the other day because when we had that 11-inch snow come in, they're running three shifts here in Cottage Grove, and these guys will park in the same, you know, creatures of habit, right?
01:07:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Educate them, talk to them.
01:07:31
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
01:07:42
Tommy
they They park in their same stalls no matter what.
01:07:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sure. Yeah.
01:07:46
Tommy
and They don't care. They want to park closest to the building. Well, a lady got out, and it was hard packed, and it was ice because I couldn't even get to the parking stall.
01:07:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
01:07:56
Tommy
And she fell and she went in and said she fell and this and that. And the guy immediately took a picture of her shoes and said, there's a foot of snow that came down and the last 24 hours and you walk in with penny loafers on.
01:08:10
Tommy
You know?
01:08:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
son it's It's amazing. you'll You'll get it. At least they weren't stilettos.
01:08:15
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:08:16
Tommy
Right?
01:08:16
RICK JAMES
Well, it's nice you had your back though. oh
01:08:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
01:08:19
Tommy
Yeah. No. He said there's nothing that that Tom could have done there. So um You guys have to prepare. And over half the lot was already clean, dry, blacktop.
01:08:31
Tommy
They could have parked out there and walked an extra 100 feet and they would have been fine.
01:08:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
and
01:08:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
And that's where the personal relationship aspect comes in.
01:08:36
Tommy
So.
01:08:39
Tommy
Exactly. No. No.
01:08:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. I love it. I love it. I agree completely.
01:08:43
Tommy
I've never talked to the big, big guy. He's the one that was calling the other day, finally. And he goes, I've seen you out here. And I finally you get to listen to you now and hear your side of the story and We got to go to lunch next week.
01:08:56
Tommy
Let's go lunch next week. As soon as everything settles up. So there must be more on the horizon.
01:09:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Very cool.
01:09:02
Tommy
Good horizon, right?
01:09:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
Very cool.
01:09:04
RICK JAMES
Good for you. Good for you.
01:09:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
Good for you, dude.
01:09:05
Tommy
Yeah.
01:09:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
Love it. Love it.
01:09:08
Tommy
So in summertime, I guess we'll just do a little more
Humor and Camaraderie in the Industry
01:09:11
Tommy
trucking. and If Jeremy ever hires me. But I'm...
01:09:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
Trucking for Jesus.
01:09:16
RICK JAMES
I can't. The guy rips me off constantly.
01:09:19
Tommy
yeah
01:09:20
RICK JAMES
and he Anything I want from Tommy rips me off. We bought tankers together and apparently baly the tanker went up $20,000 in what, a year and a half? And I'd buy it from him because I wanted a twin.
01:09:29
Tommy
Hey, supply and demand, okay?
01:09:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
Supply and demand.
01:09:33
RICK JAMES
Just a super friend. Super good friend he is Fuck.
01:09:38
Tommy
I took care. I gave you a discount.
01:09:39
RICK JAMES
Just... You did not give me a discount.
01:09:41
Tommy
I delivered it hey I delivered it.
01:09:43
RICK JAMES
That's not a discount. That's not a discount.
01:09:46
Tommy
I went and I loaded it with chloride and I delivered it for you. What have you done for me?
01:09:52
RICK JAMES
Because we bought the chloride. And you had to bring it here.
01:09:54
Tommy
Yeah, I know.
01:09:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
but he loaded it for free.
01:09:56
Tommy
I know.
01:09:58
RICK JAMES
oh he loaded
01:09:58
Tommy
Yeah.
01:10:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Oh you guys are too much.
01:10:01
RICK JAMES
You don't know part-time Tommy. He sat in his truck.
01:10:03
Tommy
and thanks
01:10:04
RICK JAMES
Somebody else loaded
01:10:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's funny hell. Tommy, I got one more for you.
01:10:10
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:10:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
If you don't mind, what, what do you feel in your neck of the woods?
01:10:12
Tommy
yeah
01:10:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
What are the biggest issues facing the snow management industry right now?
01:10:20
Tommy
um I would say contractors over promising would be my I think we have a
01:10:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
okay
01:10:32
Tommy
a little bit of problem with people just taking everything that they can bid on. And it just seems like then we get these big snows like we just had and everybody's struggling. i think that that should probably change a little bit, but.
01:10:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
01:10:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, i I know what you're saying. The guys that literally have no, they have no prayer, even on a two-inch storm, to service everything adequately that they they bid on low and get.
01:11:00
Tommy
Right.
01:11:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, I get you. That's definitely an issue. You got anything else, Jay?
01:11:05
Tommy
I mean,
01:11:08
RICK JAMES
No, think I mean, he's got, got more to say there, Tommy, about that?
01:11:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Go ahead, Tommy. What else? I'm sorry, I think we cut you off there the lag.
01:11:12
Tommy
that's just my two my two cents on how, you know, you can go up and down the cities and try to bid everything. you know, let's say you work for one management company, you know, on the residential side and you're doing these HOAs.
01:11:27
Tommy
it's It's hard to get across the cities in a snowstorm. You know, it's hard to get anywhere.
01:11:32
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yeah.
01:11:35
Tommy
So. I just think if you limit and find your your core area and start working it, hopefully it works out.
01:11:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Amen.
01:11:42
Tommy
and
01:11:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
Got any funny plowing stories?
01:11:48
Tommy
You know, I thought about that. um
01:11:52
Tommy
I had one guy one time in a salt truck. I had one of those Chevy Kodiaks, so it had a fall on the front.
01:11:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay. Yep.
01:12:02
Tommy
And he was out of sight. It was a trucking terminal, and East Clown and Salton. All of a sudden, I get a call in the morning. yeah we can't move this semi-trailer because somebody wiped up all the glad hands off the front of the trailer.
01:12:17
Tommy
I'm like, oh, I didn't hear anything about it. Ran up there and looked, and there's black paint, and all the glad hands are gone, and the front skin of the whole van trailer is all racked.
01:12:30
Tommy
I called my guy. I'm like, did you hit something? No. didn't hit nothing. He goes, I'm at home. i go, yeah, I know you're at home already. But did you hit anything? No, I didn't hit nothing.
01:12:41
Tommy
So I went into the shop, saw the truck, and the whole passenger side of the tailgate spreader that I had at the time, it had a box, the chain and everything in there, was just completely mangled, pushed up.
01:12:54
Tommy
Fine. Now I know you hit something, you know.
01:12:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
was It was like that.
01:12:59
Tommy
I mean, that's not the thing. Yeah.
01:13:02
RICK JAMES
Yeah, always.
01:13:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
01:13:04
Tommy
I brought the wheel loader home a couple of years ago and was going to build a sledding hill in my backyard for the girls. And I buried that and had to have a big rig tow truck come and pull it out, winch it out. Oh,
01:13:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man. Anytime you use equipment for the kids, it always seems to go sideways.
01:13:20
Tommy
yeah.
01:13:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
I've... ah
01:13:24
RICK JAMES
Backfire.
01:13:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, I've blown lines on the excavator trying to freaking dig footings for their play area.
01:13:25
RICK JAMES
Backfire.
01:13:26
Tommy
um yeah
01:13:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, my God. Yeah. ah Anytime.
01:13:33
Tommy
Built a sledding hill a couple years ago with the track machine and it got little steep and shot my middle kid right out onto the driveway.
01:13:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
but
01:13:40
Tommy
She landed right on the gravel. little too fast.
01:13:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Full send. Full send.
01:13:47
Tommy
Yeah.
01:13:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's great. That's great. What else you got, Jay? Anything else before let him go?
01:13:54
RICK JAMES
I don't think so. That's another a good one with Tommy. so
01:14:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
Got anything for us, Tommy?
01:14:02
Tommy
No, I appreciate everything you guys are doing. I think it's great.
01:14:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
No, no problem at all
01:14:06
Tommy
I think it's fun to watch and see how it's grown.
01:14:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
all. We appreciate you coming on, giving us time.
01:14:12
RICK JAMES
He actually listens to the show every week.
01:14:12
Tommy
friend
01:14:13
RICK JAMES
Because
01:14:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, definitely does. He definitely does.
01:14:17
RICK JAMES
he always calls him and gives me crap.
01:14:17
Tommy
like try.
01:14:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
I've seen a couple of pictures.
01:14:18
Tommy
i try.
01:14:19
RICK JAMES
He always calls and gives me crap. So
01:14:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
What he give you crap about?
01:14:24
Tommy
Well, the problem with Jeremy is you got to call or text him and be like, hey, do you have a minute for a guy like me or are you busy?
01:14:26
RICK JAMES
Tommy.
01:14:31
RICK JAMES
Oh, God.
01:14:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
Do
01:14:33
RICK JAMES
You're so...
01:14:35
Tommy
Yeah, most of the time it's like, oh, hey, yeah, I'm hanging out with my crew, so I can't.
01:14:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
you have the secret phone number?
01:14:42
Tommy
Him and Mitchell, no, him and Mitchell are probably on a group call together.
01:14:47
RICK JAMES
No, I hurt Mitchell's feelings today again um on our Snapchat group, so...
01:14:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
You did?
01:14:53
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:14:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
You beat on on Mitchell.
01:14:54
RICK JAMES
I just told i just told him the normal. He didn't like it. well,
01:14:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh. Better be careful, man. He's not going to let you fly in the fake plane anymore.
01:15:05
RICK JAMES
he never let me to begin with. so
01:15:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's great. Oh, my God. It's so funny.
01:15:11
Tommy
Oh yeah, thanks for having me on. ah
01:15:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
but
01:15:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Anytime Jeremy starts talking about Mitchell, it's great.
01:15:23
RICK JAMES
so
01:15:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's great. Oh, man.
01:15:28
RICK JAMES
You know what i say about Mitchell?
01:15:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
ye that that I mean, why hasn't that t-shirt been made yet? Honestly, that sounds like we should have a shirt.
01:15:35
RICK JAMES
don't know. I don't know.
01:15:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
F dollar sign pound sign K Mitchell.
01:15:45
RICK JAMES
He's not that important.
01:15:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
I love Mitchell.
01:15:49
RICK JAMES
Well, I'm well aware.
01:15:49
Tommy
He is great.
01:15:50
RICK JAMES
you Yeah, he's...
01:15:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
I do. I like Mitchell. I like Mitchell.
01:15:54
RICK JAMES
Who said I don't like Mitchell?
01:15:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
He's a good dude.
01:15:55
RICK JAMES
I just like giving him crap.
01:15:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
You do.
01:15:56
RICK JAMES
Mitchell knows that.
01:15:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
You definitely do.
01:15:57
RICK JAMES
Yeah,
01:15:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
You definitely do. And he just takes it from me He doesn't really give it back to you. It's like, not really.
01:16:02
RICK JAMES
yeah he does. He gives it back. It's fine. I can take it.
01:16:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
What does he what does he fire back at you? Actually, he's going to get mad that we're spending two minutes talking about him.
01:16:07
RICK JAMES
right
01:16:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
He always gets mad.
01:16:09
RICK JAMES
Yeah, let's not talk about him.
01:16:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'll
01:16:10
RICK JAMES
I don't want to give him any money air time.
01:16:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
send you a bill.
01:16:15
Tommy
send you a bill for it.
01:16:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
up
01:16:17
Tommy
You guys use my name.
01:16:17
RICK JAMES
Yeah, he will. he's
01:16:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, Tommy, you're so right.
01:16:19
RICK JAMES
yeah That's Mitchell.
01:16:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Especially after this winter, he's trying to bill anything he can get his hands on.
01:16:25
RICK JAMES
We'll just bleep out his name.
01:16:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man, that's really funny. Well, we appreciate you coming on, Tommy. Thank you very much, man.
01:16:33
Tommy
Yeah, no, thank you very much.
01:16:34
RICK JAMES
Yeah, thanks Tommy.
01:16:35
Tommy
It was fun.
01:16:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
No problem. Are we going to see it all this summer? are you going any shows this summer? are you going to be able to get away? or
01:16:41
Tommy
Well, yeah, um i was thinking about actually signing up for that Storks one.
01:16:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
Storks is a good day.
01:16:46
Tommy
And then we'll probably try to get out to the SEMA one. Yeah.
01:16:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Grand Rapids.
01:16:55
Tommy
yeah
01:16:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Storks is a good day. And now with the the event the night before, that should be that should be a little bit better for for guys to get out there. They're not just coming for you know an eight or nine hour day. a Although last year, I mean, that went from what, Jeremy?
01:17:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
8 a.m. m start. And i think I don't think we left there till 9 p.m., 9.30.
01:17:09
RICK JAMES
It was a long day. was long day.
01:17:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
nine thirty It was a good day, though.
01:17:13
RICK JAMES
It was long day. Yeah, it was long.
01:17:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
I mean, it was long.
01:17:15
RICK JAMES
It was a good day.
01:17:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
It was exhausting, but it was a great
01:17:16
RICK JAMES
No, it was good. It just, it just, it just, I mean, yeah, once I had that fight and then I was, um you know, I did not get beat up.
01:17:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, you got beat up by an older guy. I'm just kidding.
01:17:26
RICK JAMES
I did not.
01:17:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm just kidding.
01:17:28
Tommy
I storm I was down at the storm one and that was that was a really good one.
01:17:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
Storm was great. Storm Day was a great day.
01:17:34
Tommy
Yeah.
01:17:34
RICK JAMES
Storm was good. I think i heard the yeah I heard they might have set their date. so i don't think it's public yet.
01:17:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, yeah? I didn't get the date yet. Did not hear the date yet.
01:17:45
RICK JAMES
I just heard it the other day when I was down there. i don't know when they're going announce it. but yeah
01:17:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, I mean, not all of us get to go to Storm Academy every week, you know?
01:17:49
RICK JAMES
so
01:17:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
We're not cool enough for that.
01:17:52
RICK JAMES
I don't either. i just ah Dude, I wasn't even invited. I just and do what I do. Just go.
01:17:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
You don't need to be invited. That's how cool you are. You know you just show up.
01:18:01
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:18:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
it's like Oh, my God.
01:18:02
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:18:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's Jeremy Lindstrom. Red carpet. Roll.
01:18:04
RICK JAMES
God, I wish people actually did that.
01:18:05
Tommy
Did you ever hear that, Steve, did you ever hear that um Jordan and Dave helped me build the first brine tank, the brine maker?
01:18:06
RICK JAMES
Okay.
01:18:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
No.
01:18:16
Tommy
Yeah. So I bought a 305 from Jordan and Dave back when it was Smith Lawn and Landscape.
01:18:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yup.
01:18:24
Tommy
And I still have the controller that goes on my center console, the rate controller.
01:18:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Wow.
01:18:30
Tommy
Well, do you,
01:18:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
That that's a, that's a while now. When, when, when was that? I mean, that's good.
01:18:34
Tommy
I was trying to think of what year it was, but I'll have to ask Jordan. But it was crazy. Yeah, they came right up to my shop and helped me build it.
01:18:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
I still have a, I still, that's awesome. Well, I mean, that's the kind of guys they are. That's pretty cool. We, we actually have a VSI hydro seaters.
01:18:48
Tommy
Oh.
01:18:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's how far back we go with them.
01:18:51
Tommy
Nice. Oh.
01:18:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
So, yeah, we
01:18:55
Tommy
There's a few around the cities that I've seen. So, guys are still using them.
01:18:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
do. We love them. we We love them. We wish we could actually if ah we've kind of down, like I told you, we've kind of downgraded on the hydro seating just because so many customers now are calling for sod. It's and it's so easy. the The company we use, they even bring their own people in to lay it like they're doing thousands of. scribe I think they did.
01:19:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
12 or 13,000 square feet last year on a job. They were out of there in two hours with three guys. It was like, holy crap. why um Why would I bring my guys here? They're going to be four times slower.
01:19:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
like This just makes more sense. So, but yeah, the VSI Hydro Seaters, they're very good.
01:19:33
RICK JAMES
Tom Thanks
01:19:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
I mean, they work. Never had a problem with them, that's for sure.
01:19:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, well, well, I think if you don't got anything else for us, Tommy will ah we kill it there.
01:19:48
Tommy
Oh, thanks again, fellas.
01:19:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
No problem. No problem.
01:19:51
RICK JAMES
thanks tommy
01:19:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
We appreciate you, brother.
01:19:53
Tommy
See you.
01:19:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
And look forward to seeing you soon. So, all right, boys and girls, that is going to do it for episode 110 of the Snow Jobs podcast. As always, you know, we've got to thank Tommy for giving us the time. All the best to Twin City Erosion Control.
01:20:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, that's it, guys. We are out. Everybody have a great week. All right, be safe out there. If you're getting any s snow, keep pushing.