Transcript
The SnowJobs Podcast: Here we go snow jobs nation. We are back again bringing you episode 178 of the snow jobs podcast main show powered by top come back blades the best show in snow as always I'm Steve You know who's with me
The SnowJobs Podcast: He is one of the baddest motherfuckers of all time Jeremy Lindstrom in the house. What is up brother?
RICK JAMES: Steve-O, not a lot, huh? Just recording on this.
The SnowJobs Podcast: How we doing happy 4th of July
RICK JAMES: Yeah, happy 4th of July. It was a good time. How are you? How'd you do work?
The SnowJobs Podcast: No. Yeah, it worked. I worked. it was a lot of fireworks.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: lock
RICK JAMES: lot of fireworks in the big city, huh?
The SnowJobs Podcast: It was like a war zone, dude.
RICK JAMES: Huh.
The SnowJobs Podcast: It sounded like Beirut. a
RICK JAMES: Huh?
The SnowJobs Podcast: they only They only lit about 20 buildings on fire with fireworks.
RICK JAMES: Oh,
The SnowJobs Podcast: it was no big deal. It was the usual.
RICK JAMES: easy. Easy.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, normal. A normal fourth. No, it was good, man.
RICK JAMES: normal normal Saturday.
The SnowJobs Podcast: It was good. Yep. How about ah North Dakota there? Fireworks legal out there? Did you guys burn up half the state?
RICK JAMES: No, they're legal. Yeah, we just we just set everything up and yeah, there's never never really have many issues. But yeah, there's it looks like yeah, Beirut going off here. But for them, the biggest part of, ah you know, fireworks around here is everybody picking the garbage up. Otherwise, there's usually not never really that many issues. So
The SnowJobs Podcast: Nice. All right. Yeah.
RICK JAMES: Not supposed to light them off in town, but everybody does, so. Oh,
The SnowJobs Podcast: Well, they were completely illegal in New York until about, know, maybe five years ago. And now you can buy everything but the class one stuff like the big mortars and stuff legally here. But, i you know, with Pennsylvania being right there, everything's legal in Pennsylvania.
RICK JAMES: OK.
The SnowJobs Podcast: It's not far to get the get the real good stuff.
RICK JAMES: Yeah. Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, man. Well, yeah I'm glad you had a good 4th of July. I hope everybody out there had a great 4th of July weekend with the family, got to do some celebrating. Happy 250th birthday, America. And as we said, happy 4th of July to everybody out there in Snow Jobs Nation.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And we hope everybody had a good, happy, and safe fourth. Hopefully you guys got to relax a little bit. It's back to work now, Monday. So we're coming off a holiday weekend.
The SnowJobs Podcast: We're kicking around an idea what to do, get everybody back on track. And um we didn't want to try and hook up with with a regular scheduled guest coming off a holiday weekend. That would be a little much to ask.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So We figured we'd give you guys something that a lot of people have been asking for in the last three and a half years. And that is for Jeremy and I to basically interview ourselves and you know hear our origins, asking basically the same questions that we ask of every guest on here.
RICK JAMES: is
The SnowJobs Podcast: So that's what we're going to do. It should be fun. And now we'll we'll deep dive into both of our backgrounds in the snow industry for you guys. And it should be ah interesting and a lot of fun. But before we do that, we're going to hear from Team Top Gun, as always. and we'll come back to a quick week review.
The SnowJobs Podcast: All right, gang, we're back. Thanks to Team Top Gun, as always. Quick week in review. Storm Chasing Season 2 continues. Episode 4, which is EMI out of Pennsylvania. That dropped on Friday going into the holiday weekend. So if you haven't already done so, check it out.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And that's on YouTube on the Storm Chasing YouTube channel. uh storm field day is next up on the event list that's going to be the 29th and 30th of july out in mankato minnesota tickets are on sale currently uh on the storm equipment website and i believe they're cutting off the registration date i believe i saw that somewhere so if you haven't gotten your tickets yet for storm day you better get them all right get them quick all right sean you hear me get your ticket uh he's going i'm gonna make sure he goes
RICK JAMES: think Yeah, I think it's this week or something. Yeah.
RICK JAMES: He's not going.
RICK JAMES: he's not He's not going.
The SnowJobs Podcast: ah
RICK JAMES: He said he wasn't going.
The SnowJobs Podcast: We got a new event to announce, actually. We were asked to announce an event August 18th in Story City, Iowa, is the snow removal workshop at the EBY showroom hosted by the Iowa Professional Lawn Care Association. If you're interested in this event, you can register for the event at iowalawncare.org. It's $25 for members, $50 for non-members.
The SnowJobs Podcast: September 16th and 17th is the Pennsylvania two-day swing. 16th is Storks Plow School, Plow Tech School, which will take you through all things Douglas with Dynamics, how to fix what's broken, and give yourself a good leg up without having to go into the dealer.
RICK JAMES: Thank you.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And if you're in Pennsylvania for storks, take the hour and 15-minute ride to Scranton, Pennsylvania, and hit S&S Snow and Ice Solutions 6th Annual Snow Show. That'll be on Thursday the 17th. And that'll be also the the big Pennsylvania unveiling of the Phantom. They'll have the Phantom there, and they'll have the new Storm boxes made by Arctic arctic Snow and Ice Products.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So that'll be they'll be pretty good day. I hear they're going big this year. Tony's going big, so... We will see you out there.
RICK JAMES: More bigger mushrooms or what?
The SnowJobs Podcast: Bigger mushrooms, much bigger mushrooms this year. ah October 1st in Uxbridge, Massachusetts is the third annual Northeast De-Icing Solutions De-Icing Day. All right, that's the Morton Wallace concert.
RICK JAMES: Morton Wallace, Laney Spalding.
The SnowJobs Podcast: more
RICK JAMES: And then I think free semi O'Brien giveaways and stuff. I don't know
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, hey, there we go. A semi-load of brine. Love it. Bring your own bring your own semi.
RICK JAMES: don't know. I don't know. pat I i could' ah could have heard Patty wrong, but I thought that's what he said.
The SnowJobs Podcast: BYOS. Bring your own semi. Oh, shit.
RICK JAMES: And salt. No mite supply to water.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Too funny.
RICK JAMES: it
The SnowJobs Podcast: Snowjobsnationstore.com is your place to get all Snowjobs apparel.
RICK JAMES: Oh.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, what happened?
RICK JAMES: Well, August 13th, we got Putsy's little thing at Valley Green in Moorhead.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, shout it out. There you go. I forgot that. i didn't put that on the list.
RICK JAMES: Yeah, we're going to one-day, like, Phantom event there, too. I think it'll be TurboTog. Phantom's going be there. It sounds like we might have some Wolf Loaders there. And, yeah, just a little thing and in Moorhead at Valley Green's shop, August 13th.
RICK JAMES: And Phantom, another Phantom reveal party, I think, or day kind of thing. So I'll get more.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So, I mean, you may you may as well go to that in August. I mean, the whole North America passes through Fargo-Moorhead on vacation in August anyway. So you're out there.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: You might as well stop in.
RICK JAMES: Yep. It's a tourist destination for sure.
The SnowJobs Podcast: and thing
RICK JAMES: i think Kyle, I'll have to get a date too.
The SnowJobs Podcast: um
RICK JAMES: I know k Kyle Martin's having like a phantom day too, like early August.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Really? All right.
RICK JAMES: ah
The SnowJobs Podcast: Didn't hear about that.
RICK JAMES: We'll get some dates on that too. So.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Sounds good. All Well, if you're going to these events, head on over to snowjobsnationstore.com and get your Snow Jobs apparel to wear loud and proud at all these events you guys are going to that we're announcing for you.
The SnowJobs Podcast: All right. Do we we'll pick a winner next week from the June sales there?
RICK JAMES: Yeah, there wasn't many.
The SnowJobs Podcast: and
RICK JAMES: So we had so much in June.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah. wow I can't believe how many people spent $75 to $90 and did not go over
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Like, come on. We said spend $100, you get entered in the contest. Like, why would you stop $75 or $90?
RICK JAMES: I think it's like, i think it's between like two people. it's like I think it's like robert I think Robert and then somebody else I think is off.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I was seeing the orders come in and I'm like, why would you stop at $75? Like, come on, get something else for the extra 25 and win that $300 suitcase. Like, I can't believe how many people stopped it at 75 to 90 bucks. Like you were right there.
The SnowJobs Podcast: oh well, uh, the new snow jobs patch hats are in, uh, they are very, very good looking. Oh, check them out and get everything else. What we still got tumblers and stuff.
RICK JAMES: Yeah. Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Nice. All right, cool. Anything else?
RICK JAMES: Not at the moment, no, I don't think so.
The SnowJobs Podcast: All right, gang, listen, the the reviews have been coming in. The five-star reviews, we really appreciate them. If you haven't already done so, hit Apple Podcasts for five stars. Hit Spotify for five stars. Keep dropping those reviews. Keep dropping those questions. All that stuff helps us keep bringing you what you want.
The SnowJobs Podcast: All right, so thanks in advance for that. Got anything else before we hit the commercials?
RICK JAMES: No, we're good.
The SnowJobs Podcast: all right, let's hear from our partners and we'll be right back. We'll get into it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: all right guys we are back so we'll welcome each other back to the show jeremy welcome how are you
RICK JAMES: Steven, how's it going? 97. 97.
The SnowJobs Podcast: ah so dude we're gonna get into each other's history in snow here so how did how long has it been for you how when did you first get involved in the snow industry
RICK JAMES: ninety seven
The SnowJobs Podcast: Did 97.
RICK JAMES: ninety seven
The SnowJobs Podcast: ninety seven All right. So you're wow. Oh, seven, 1727. So you're coming up on 30. And did you always love snow or was it something you fell into by accident?
RICK JAMES: I don't know. It's just, I don't know if i love snow. I just loved equipment. So I just started, i mean, back, back then I was watching, was sitting in my apartment and watching guys do a horseshit job of clearing, clearing. And I was like, these guys really suck. I can run that equipment way better. So I, so that's, that's kind of, I called the, I just looked in the, I don't know how I found them, but I just found the guy and,
RICK JAMES: I see you need help. Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: so it came from a it came from deep down you know very typical fiber of jeremy lindstrom that i'm the fucking best operator out there and i will crush all competition so
RICK JAMES: Hey, if you don't confidence, what what else do you got?
The SnowJobs Podcast: So if you were looking out your window watching them combine, you would have been like, I can combine better than those guys.
RICK JAMES: I
RICK JAMES: already do that. So I do that too. so
The SnowJobs Podcast: That's great. And did you, when you were, when you started pushing snow, you know you're in the machines, which that's your first love is machines. But did you love pushing snow or what what did you get out of it?
RICK JAMES: I don't know loved it, but it was it was just fun, you know, obviously just just ah push, just running equipment, you know long hours and just, you know, getting shit done, you know, be proud of your work when you get done, clean a lot, make sure it looks good.
RICK JAMES: So, I mean, back then we didn't have any of the great stuff we have now, know, we were pushing the buckets. So,
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, I bet. Yeah, back in the, yeah, 97, shit, yeah, it was snow buckets. well I wonder, if were Pro-Techs even out yet?
RICK JAMES: yeah, they were out. ah Well, i don't think they were all them, but they were all, I don't know, a few years later we got a couple of those. But back then, yeah, we had buckets with like ah like extensions on the buckets made them wider, you know, so bigger buckets.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, yeah. Yep, the wings, the bucket wings, yep. shit i remember that back then it was all truck plows for me like i i started at i guess the first time i ever got to actually plow anything i was probably like 14 and we had a we have a large horse farm in the family that my grandfather used to run and uh on that farm you got i don't know eight buildings with parking lots and you got probably a mile of roadway all intertwined so somebody had to plow all that and i used to i used to race my grandfather for either the truck or the tractor you know whatever at some point we had an old trojan loader like typical farm loader like the thing leaked oil from everywhere it was horribly slow and inefficient but it started every time even leaking oil just kept putting oil in it me ah because you couldn't you couldn't fix those trojans they uh they you had to take the whole back end apart to uh to fix the main seal on the engine so the mechanics just kept telling you hey just keep checking the oil it'll be fine you can't kill this thing
RICK JAMES: Oh yeah. Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: But, yeah, I used to race my grandfather to to get there so I could have it all cleared by the time he woke up and he'd be all mad that he didn't get to go out and play.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: But there would be a lot less damage if I did it. um he He was notorious for destroying stuff. So... ah
RICK JAMES: Because you're in the fucking best?
The SnowJobs Podcast: No, I was not the best at all.
RICK JAMES: Oh, yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I was not even close. But, you know, that was a nice place to learn how to do stuff because you learn from failure with nobody watching, basically. Like, oh, you know what? I should have angled the other way on that one.
The SnowJobs Podcast: or i should So it got to it got some good practice, and I decided I really liked it. And then where did I go to next? I started plowing one of the guys in, think it was 99, right?
The SnowJobs Podcast: 98 or 99, one of my friends had a company right out of high school, landscape company, and he took on one of these giant Toll Brothers housing developments that he was responsible for the roadways and the driveways, and he hated doing the driveways. It was too inefficient to do with the truck, so he knew I had a quad with a plow on it, so he called me and offered me a stupid amount of money to come out and plow driveways, and I i had like 60 driveways I would do with the the quad and the plow on it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: made some good money plowing snow and you know uh i would get my shit done long before they would and i'd take off like that say bring the trailer back get my stuff and drop me off i'm done your driveways are done and i always kind of knew i wanted to do my own thing though uh at some point And then I plowed one, think one year for a brand new brand new distribution center that opened in town, massive place, like 2 million square feet between the two buildings. And it was a huge contract when the first year it opened, it was ridiculous amounts of equipment and, uh,
The SnowJobs Podcast: I don't remember if it was protex or, or prototype artics that they had the first year, but no, it had to be protex. I remember hitting a manhole cover and almost putting myself through the windshield of the loader.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Uh, one of those raised manhole covers, but I did that for a year and, uh, I think I kind of after that, I got on the job with on my a job and i kind of fell off a little bit other than taking care of the stuff for the family property.
The SnowJobs Podcast: um
RICK JAMES: Thank you.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And then, yeah, it was just ah fell into it by accident. I started having to my father's office building. he had the guy that had been doing it for years and years came from like a 30 minutes away to plow the thing. And one, one storm, he didn't get there and they couldn't open. So it you know, my father called me and said, can you get over here and get this done?
The SnowJobs Podcast: And ah I went over there, got it done. And I just, you know, why don't I just do Why are you paying somebody else to do it? You could, you know, I'll start a company and you can pay me. And um that worked.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And before you knew it, I had, a couple of the the surrounding offices that it also took notice of, Hey, these guys, even if it stops snowing at 5.00 AM, that parking lot's black pavement by seven.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And then they started saying, Hey, who are you using? He says, Oh, my son has a company. And, uh, I was able to, cause I did honestly, I fell into it by accident. I honestly really didn't give a shit if I got more customers at that point.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So I just gave, i gave very good pricing for that, you know, for that,
RICK JAMES: Oh, you were chucking the truck?
The SnowJobs Podcast: I was chucking the truck point and I gave no I mean I gave very good pricing like I was I was always high priced like i I always went because I didn't care if I got them or not so I'm like if I'm gonna do them I'm gonna make a lot of money on it so I priced accordingly and I got a couple of them and it just kind of within two years I was adding a second truck and I had to get a couple friends to help out and just kind i think we went like that from 2010 to
RICK JAMES: yeah
RICK JAMES: Oh, okay.
The SnowJobs Podcast: ten
The SnowJobs Podcast: 2010 we formed the llc we formed the s corp and all hands landscaping snow management was officially born and we were off to the races and then in fifth 16 i think 16 we started with our first 16 or 17 we started with our first machine and um that was a tractor actually little plow and then uh we went the uh the deness leasing arctic route in 18 and we were off to the races after that we were adding skids and loaders every year and we were all arctics all the time yep yep so um when did you so how long did you work for that original company before glacier
RICK JAMES: Nice.
RICK JAMES: i like years. as i Like a A year into it, the one guy that was there kind of left, so I was put in charge of it. So i ended up running that for, i had a full-time job. I would just, you know, do that on the side and stuff, you know, whenever it snowed.
RICK JAMES: it wasn't a big company. We probably had, don't know, we had three. When I ended we probably had like 10 pieces maybe. and But whatever but maybe some like that, but yeah, it was a smaller company But we did a lot of like schools and strip malls and banks and stuff like that nothing Nothing huge but took a lot of time with the equipment we had so it was like I said I ran around that and it was pretty fun, you know good experience and got to learn the ropes and let me do he just he pretty much
RICK JAMES: So I this mind, dude, she want to do because he'd be gone all the time at the lake or whatever else winter. So, yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: so every So after a year, your're you're ah your ridiculous attention to detail ah was evident, and they put you in charge after just a year.
RICK JAMES: So.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I'm the fucking best.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Gotcha.
RICK JAMES: Well, I had something to with the other guy. The other guy left too that was kind of in charge, but he was, he was a good guy, but always wanted to do more than him. You know, he was, he was a full-time guy, so he had to kind do that on the side and do his, know, work for him.
RICK JAMES: It was construction company.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Gotcha.
RICK JAMES: So, but yeah, I don't know. It was, know, I just,
The SnowJobs Podcast: And did you grow the company in that 10 years? Did it get bigger or it stayed the same basically?
RICK JAMES: No, I pretty much stayed. I had nothing to do with the contracts or anything. It was just, yeah, it was pretty much stayed stay the same. we We gained a couple of accounts here or there, but nothing nothing huge.
RICK JAMES: So
The SnowJobs Podcast: How did it, how did, and how did Glacier come about?
RICK JAMES: i think don I knew Don, knew Don I always told him you know, if you make me a full-time year-round job, I'll be there in a minute.
The SnowJobs Podcast: When did you make that move?
RICK JAMES: And that's what he did. yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Nice.
RICK JAMES: So when I jumped jumped ship and that didn't go over very well at all. He was, the other guy was not happy at all.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Well, I mean.
RICK JAMES: But I left him, I left him. I had a good team there. I left him my, you know, my second guy, you know, my guy had trained underneath me and he ran it for many years after me before he moved out. So he did a great job. So I left him in good hands. So
The SnowJobs Podcast: And that was that was part time for you, right?
RICK JAMES: yeah, it was just part time. So
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, so, yeah, they got to understand that when you got a full-time gig coming in.
RICK JAMES: Nah, he didn't understand.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Ah, that's, I would understand that.
RICK JAMES: He's he's one of those guys. He's a hothead, but he he's a he's a good guy. We get along nowadays when I see him. But, yeah, but he was he didn't want to talk to me. Oh, yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Really?
RICK JAMES: oh Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: You got to understand that if you know if you're getting something that somebody else can't offer you. you know I would understand that if that happened.
RICK JAMES: yeah
The SnowJobs Podcast: It has happened, actually, for for some of my younger guys when they move on. you know They get a full-time gig, and it's something they want to do. You you wish them well. you know
RICK JAMES: yeah
The SnowJobs Podcast: And they usually come back.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: If it's snowing at night and they're not working, they'll usually give you a call beforehand and say, hey, you know you won't you won need me this storm. Yes, always. So i I don't know if I've ever asked you this question. So when you made the move, how big was Glacier at the time?
RICK JAMES: We weren't that, that i mean, We're a good sized company, but nothing like we are now. We're probably a third of the size.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Okay.
RICK JAMES: so
The SnowJobs Podcast: So you guys you guys have gotten considerably bigger since you went.
RICK JAMES: Yeah, definitely definite definitely blew up, or not blew up, but you know we gained a lot.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Got you.
RICK JAMES: so Got more subs, got more equipment. Just kept kept growing yearto- year to year, just get more and more accounts. and People are seeing them seeing what we can do, and they liked our the work we did.
RICK JAMES: So, yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Did Fargo grow as well as Glacier grew?
RICK JAMES: Oh yeah. Fargo blew up. Fargo's yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Fargo blew up.
RICK JAMES: It's just been blowing up. So yeah, definitely. It's still growing. You know, and it's, I mean, we don't have the big industrial sites I wish we had, but you know, definitely it's, I mean, it's, it's growing.
RICK JAMES: Oh, a lot.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So, yeah, I mean, that that's that's that's a big key to success, being in place, ready to go at the right time when the when a boom happens and being able to capitalize and being all that you guys have all that equipment and stuff that yeah you can pretty much handle whatever comes your way now.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Cool.
RICK JAMES: Yeah, I mean, I was, Don was great. He let me take control when I got there and was just kind of rolled with it, you know, from there, so.
The SnowJobs Podcast: was your I mean, obviously, as you grew, as Glacier grew when you were there, who was responsible for recruiting? Did that fall on both of you, or was that mostly you? or
RICK JAMES: Pretty much me, honestly. i've Yeah, I don't remember Don really bringing, Anybody in, to be honest, you
The SnowJobs Podcast: Just trolling college bars, looking for drunk college kids that can run equipment? Yeah.
RICK JAMES: know. Me? Just a lot of lot of buddies buddies, buddies, buddies, you know how that goes. And just lot of ads on Facebook, Instagram, Craigslist, whatever.
The SnowJobs Podcast: yeah
The SnowJobs Podcast: What is the most annoying question that people ask you when their perspective coming to work for Glacier?
RICK JAMES: How much I get paid. It's the first fucking, the first question they ask you, I don't even want to deal with them'm like, I'm like, what's that?
The SnowJobs Podcast: Automatic hang up.
RICK JAMES: What's, you know, I mean, that that's all you're worried about. I mean, I know it pays a big part of it, but to me, it's just not something the first question you ask somebody, what are you, what are you gonna pay me? I'm like, what are you worth?
RICK JAMES: Can you do anything?
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, it's a good point. Were you guys, was Glacier always Arctic before you got there or were was that after?
RICK JAMES: ah We got there. We had, like i said, Glacier, we got the number three Arctic LD that they made. It was a serial number on it. But ah yeah, they had some Arctic's, not a lot.
RICK JAMES: Then they had Protex Avalanches. you know, and then just, yeah, just a lot of verning blades back then.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah.
RICK JAMES: And we had we had a bunch of cages and stuff that where we got into some cages for a while. And, but yeah, I mean, yeah, a little bit of everything.
The SnowJobs Podcast: little everything
RICK JAMES: And I just, you know, I kept pushing arctics Arctic, the Arctic, the Arctic. And, you know, the other plows, the other plows were great.
The SnowJobs Podcast: that's a big that's a big fleet to standardize that's a big fleet standardize oh that's right you do
RICK JAMES: Yeah. Oh, definitely, because we do a, ah you know, lot of our subcontractors, we we supply the plows with them, you know. Yeah, so we just, we buy all the plows and they just have to, you know, ah you know cover anything they break or they're cutting edges.
RICK JAMES: So that's, huh?
The SnowJobs Podcast: plows don't break break
RICK JAMES: Yeah, I've seen a few of them pretzels. So, yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: ah shit how long how long would you say once once you guys made the decision to standardize and go with artyx how long do you think it took to standardize the whole fleet you didn't you didn't do it all at once it had to have been a process that's too much money
RICK JAMES: Oh, it's been, no, no, no. It's it's just a process where, you know, by, don't know, three to 10 every year, you know, or something like that, you know, just, just kind of add, I'd always find deals or, you know, or just say, just, just go say, hey um I'd worked a salesman over and they're in the area they give me a good price and I'd just grab them or, you know, whatever, just like everybody else.
The SnowJobs Podcast: when you got there, how many loaders was Glacier running? Do you remember?
RICK JAMES: Uh, let's see. We're probably just running in-house, not counting subs. Uh, probably like 12 to 14, I think was. Uh, in-house we have 44, I is.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Okay. And now you're how many?
RICK JAMES: 44. So, so.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Wow, that's crazy. And how long, like 12 to 14 when you got there, how long did it take before you got, how how quickly did you guys grow 44? Okay.
RICK JAMES: o it's been take you know we grow a few loaders every year but i would say one of our biggest jumps was probably back in maybe we we grew probably another you know we think we had like 10 that year or something so but you know it's yeah every year we'd we'd always you know grab a couple more compact loaders and then we'd
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, wow. That's a big jump.
RICK JAMES: get a good deal on some other lower. We don't really ever sell anything. We we have sold some of our older lowers, but if we sell them, it seems like we always sell them to some one of our subs, you know so they always stay in the fleet.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
RICK JAMES: so
The SnowJobs Podcast: No, that's a good good policy. I like it. How many guys are you running now but with subs and everything on a storm, if you call everybody in between Glacier and Subs?
RICK JAMES: I'd say we're still close to around 150 pieces and guys and you know a lot of subs.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Okay, that's a lot of dudes.
RICK JAMES: or vendor partners, whatever want to call them. they're I mean, they're all they're all definitely do their part, that's for sure.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
RICK JAMES: so
The SnowJobs Podcast: Very cool. Very cool. um I mean, obviously, you guys are Glacier. um are there a lot of Are there a lot of commercial snow companies in Fargo that are Glacier's size, or you guys are by far the biggest?
RICK JAMES: ah There's a lot of companies and commercial ah snow guys here, but yeah, we're by far the biggest. don't even know who and the second fleet would be.
RICK JAMES: not you know they would they be there would They'd be quite a ways down from us, which, whatever.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah.
RICK JAMES: so not saying they did They do good work and stuff.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Does that help you guys?
RICK JAMES: on we just Our bigger fleet. so
The SnowJobs Podcast: Does that help you guys? You think when there's new construction, new commercial buildings going up in Fargo that you guys are, you know, like, don't know, the name everybody knows type deal? Do you think you get a leg up on people or not really?
RICK JAMES: oh I don't really think so because we don't do like, see, I think a lot of the guys get the leg up that are the landscapers and stuff because they'll get the landscaping and they already got their foot in the door. So, I mean, we'll we'll get some accounts that, you know, know us and stuff like that.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep. True.
RICK JAMES: But and a lot of these guys, you know, we didn't get a shot on because, you know, we didn't get a landscaping or ah stuff like that that they can they can jump in, which is, you know, who we don't really, we do a little bit of that, but not, nothing like of these guys do.
RICK JAMES: So,
The SnowJobs Podcast: Were you guys already blowing snow when you got there? Or or is that something they added with you?
RICK JAMES: No, we did. We started that a few years after I got there. we I found that snow blast. we We were trying to figure out something to save clients money. You know, trying to save clients money and be be different. We always seemed like we were ahead of everybody in town, you know, just kind of ahead of ahead of the game.
RICK JAMES: We kind of prided ourselves on being the first to try something or whatever. So...
The SnowJobs Podcast: Very cool. And you guys are, we've we've talked about this on the show, but as far as your contracts and stuff, you guys are big T&M guys.
RICK JAMES: Do a lot of T&M. We do a lot of seasonals now. um Yeah, that's pretty much our main ones. I mean, we have like some stuff that are per inch, but I'd say T&M and seasonals are mostly mostly what we do around here.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Very cool. And you are now, you are now using a contracted weather service, correct? Correct.
RICK JAMES: Yeah, we're using a...
The SnowJobs Podcast: How did Nick do? How did Nick do last year with the pros?
RICK JAMES: He did great. nick Nick did pretty good. I didn't have too many problems with him. I mean, not that I...
The SnowJobs Podcast: And you also have true weather, correct?
RICK JAMES: have
The SnowJobs Podcast: For certain sites.
RICK JAMES: I also have True Weather with Mark. Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah.
RICK JAMES: Yep, for larry Amazon stuff.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And they did they did good for you too, right?
RICK JAMES: ye Yep, yep. I mean, I like contracted weather. shift Number one, I know those guys personally, so that helps. But I like to just text them on the side and say – I want you to get, I mean, I get the weather forecast.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, exactly. I do the same thing.
RICK JAMES: You do the same thing.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, I do.
RICK JAMES: You do the same thing. i mean, anybody can the same thing because they have, i mean, the text line, but I, it's, I just want to somehow know if there's anything there. Not that they're not telling us anything, but I just like to hound them or whatever you want want say, you know, I'm like, what the fuck's happening here?
The SnowJobs Podcast: I do the same exact thing. I'll text Nick and say, dude, I don't care. I don't like this forecast for this reason. Give me your gut. Do you agree? Disagree? And he'll he'll either say, no, dude, that's what you get. Or he'll be like, ah. And as soon as he does the, ah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I'll be like, all right, give me your gut. And then I will text ah Dr. Shanaburger. And I'll say, if it's a big storm coming over or something that's like kind of a coin flip, I'll just, Mark, what do you got?
The SnowJobs Podcast: You know, what what's your gut telling you? And he'll he'll be like, you know give me five minutes. He'll look at it. And he'll shoot me what he thinks.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And usually Mark and Nick, yeah don't they they read things the same way because what they send is usually in lockstep. So, you know, true weather, they they were – They were good this last year. lot of lot of storms. They were very good.
The SnowJobs Podcast: um When I asked Mark for his gut on stuff, he he gave accurate stuff. And then same thing with Nick, man.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: They they killed it. The weather pros absolutely crushed it this year. i I don't know if they got anything wrong, honestly. I'm trying to remember. There might have been one that they were off on. where I mean, everybody was off on the totals, but as far as when they were calling for snow, I think every time they called for snow, we got it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: It was just, ah oh, you're going to get three, and we got six. It was that that whole... But everybody was off on the totals this year, so... It took them a while to catch up, I think. They were seeing like what normally should be 2-4, and it was over overproducing.
The SnowJobs Podcast: um
RICK JAMES: It
The SnowJobs Podcast: The first half of the winter, everything overproduced what they were saying.
RICK JAMES: seems like we always get the dreaded dry slot here. So yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, you guys have had a couple tough years in a row. But, I mean, i see i remember a couple years ago when we started this, three and a half years ago, we thought we started this podcast in the winter.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And the only way I was able to start a snow podcast in the middle of winter is because I wasn't doing shit. And you guys were kidding me every freaking night.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And that's where we got the idea to do it.
RICK JAMES: You're working a lot.
The SnowJobs Podcast: you because That phone was ringing every night with the with the Glacier chat.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
RICK JAMES: Yeah. It was definitely a good year that year. and We haven't really had anything close to that, obviously, since it was two really bad years. Last year was, I'd say, slightly below average, but, you know, close to average. So it wasn't terrible. wasn't great. But, you know, we made it through. so
The SnowJobs Podcast: I think that year was we got nine inches in early December, and then we had nothing until February twenty eighth and then we got 30 inches.
RICK JAMES: Yep. You had nothing. Yeah. Maybe you got hammered.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, we got 30 inches in 14 days, so we were good after that.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, but it gave us time to get this started and get it off the ground because, I mean, you were busy as hell, so I was like, yeah, I got i got nothing to do.
RICK JAMES: That was a fun year.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I'm going to
RICK JAMES: Yeah, that was definitely a fun year. We were using a snowcat that year and everything. We were just giving her.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yup. Getting after it.
RICK JAMES: So, yeah, that was a
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, but you guys you guys have, I mean, this has got to be, it's got to be your year.
RICK JAMES: so I've heard nothing. I've heard we're talking about some super El Nino or something like a dry, really dry. winter A dry. I don't know.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I thought Super El Nino meant crazy weather.
RICK JAMES: ah know I don't know.
The SnowJobs Podcast: i know I know that's what somebody said, that it should be a dry slot winner, but um i I believe I just saw a post Rob made the other day where he was looking at a freaking hurricane bearing down on his apartment in Florida, and he's like, Super El Nino in full effect.
RICK JAMES: don't know.
The SnowJobs Podcast: The crazy, crazy weather is going to begin for the next nine months. I'm like, oh, here we go.
RICK JAMES: I've heard it's going to be a dry winter. Everybody's saying, get your seasonals, get your seasonals, because it could be a bad winter. But ah who the fuck knows?
The SnowJobs Podcast: Well, get your seasonals. Just get caps and floors so you're covered either way.
RICK JAMES: Got to get caps and floors. I've been preaching out preaching that.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Gotta do it. I just talked to, i was in the car for eight and a half hours today, and ah i I talked to a guy for about an hour and 45 minutes just going over.
The SnowJobs Podcast: He wants to put caps and floors in. i just went over how we do it and how we play ours out and plan it out and what information we give, and and hopefully that helps. But, yeah, I mean, I don't know why everybody's not doing caps and floors yet.
The SnowJobs Podcast: it's
RICK JAMES: You got to, yeah, like a,
The SnowJobs Podcast: You can structure it so that you both win every time.
RICK JAMES: yeah. I mean, i i don't know. lot of lot of the floors that that I've seen are too freaking high. I mean, you're taking a lot of risk that I've seen.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Or, or you know that that floor is never going to be touched in your market.
RICK JAMES: i'm talking about my market. my it's It's been touched in my market.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Well, you guys, who knows? I mean, we don't, we don't have the deviation.
RICK JAMES: Yeah. Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: That's the nice thing about my little slot here, wherever the hell we are. Like I said, you look at our climatology the last 25 years, you're, you're, I think four winters out of the last 25 that we haven't been between 36 and 44 inches.
RICK JAMES: Mm-hmm. Hmm.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So it's a pretty good, and and three out of those four were over.
RICK JAMES: Hmm.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Only one was under. So, I mean, 20 inches is a ridiculously bad winter for us. But if your cap is 19 or below, your or your floor, rather, is 19 or below, then you're not you're not too worried about it.
RICK JAMES: Right.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Just structure them properly, and you guys will be fine.
RICK JAMES: Yeah, definitely. Definitely got to that. And, you know, a bit early.
The SnowJobs Podcast: and that's i mean we're we we keep ours we're 70 seasonal and 30 per push um we we like that ratio that ratio works for us it works for our monthly bills and and and overhead and it also works for you know being able to have the the per push accounts be free free and clear profit just above all else um that's we We kind of went 50-50 for, i think we were 50-50 for two or three years, and then we started getting into the equipment.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And then you needed more guaranteed money. So we pushed it to 70% seasonals to pay for the machines, to make sure the machines were going to be paid for, not just for the winter, but for 12 months out of the year, because I didn't want to steal green money to pay for white.
RICK JAMES: Right.
The SnowJobs Podcast: you know So that's how we did it.
RICK JAMES: and I know you're kind of staying steady, but are you going add any more pieces or anything you think or what?
The SnowJobs Podcast: um i would doubt we might change some pieces but i don't i don't know that we're gonna get any bigger i actually i kind of unless unless a contract falls into our lap that my guys are salivating over doing because i am i am going to be doing less and less i am going to be
RICK JAMES: That's what I meant. Like,
The SnowJobs Podcast: um it's i'm retiring from the a job and that'll be done before going into this winter and i'm doing that almost out of necessity because i'm going to be full-time dad and uh i'm not going to miss any of my kids games and both of them are playing for two different programs and they travel their asses off and i only have one wife so somebody's got to take the other one and uh
RICK JAMES: I thought you had two wives.
The SnowJobs Podcast: no one wife one wife i don't need two headaches
RICK JAMES: Oh. ah
The SnowJobs Podcast: ah ah but no, ah but I'm going to be, I'm to be concentrating on making sure that, the you know, my kids see way too much of me and get tired of me. And so if I have a contract that falls into our lap and Ed or Danny or Mark is like, dude, we want this, we can knock it out of the park and the money is where we want it to be. That's the only way I could see us basically expanding.
The SnowJobs Podcast: um
RICK JAMES: Oh,
The SnowJobs Podcast: But yeah we're right now we're streamlining. We are we are going through our properties. you know we We've already done it, actually. But we've gone through our properties one by one after the banger winner we had last year. And we said, hey, what made us the most money with as little expenditure as possible? And believe it or not, it was the smaller properties.
The SnowJobs Podcast: It was the small, you know, acre and a half to two acres that we're doing on routes.
RICK JAMES: oh yeah. Yep. Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: We're not marrying three machines and nine guys for seven hours at one site. You're still making good money on those properties, but you're spending a lot more to make that money.
The SnowJobs Podcast: you know i mean three machines a truck sidewalk machines all that labor all that fuel if i can do basically the same or more profit margin with one 321 that's doing six other properties on a route you know why would i not do that for say a hundred thousand dollars in equipment when you know i need 250 000 in equipment to do the bigger site make the same profit margin um So that's what we we streamlined a little bit.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And ah I could see us changing over if Big Daddy from if Big Daddy John Stark has his way. He's going to I got to lock my lot because he's going to come take the skid steers.
The SnowJobs Podcast: He's still mad that I he's still mad that I have a 19 in my fleet.
RICK JAMES: Oh, yeah. Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And it's a great machine. It's never failed us. I want to keep it. It's only got, you know, maybe it's it's approaching like a thousand hours now.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And that was the very first machine I think we got from Arctic. It was in 19. We got it in 18.
RICK JAMES: move
The SnowJobs Podcast: And, um you know, it's kind of sentimental. That was our first piece that changed our business, that piece. And it's made um it's made us a shit ton of money. And I don't you know, I don't want to get rid of that original plow and I don't want to get rid of that original skid. And I know um keep a emotion out of business and sentimentality out of business. But I can kind of I can afford to keep it if I want to.
RICK JAMES: Right.
The SnowJobs Podcast: You know, but we'll see.
RICK JAMES: That's good.
The SnowJobs Podcast: We'll see. It's just going through. It goes through snow tires too much. Snow tires are not made to hold up more than with our unfrozen pavement.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: We're getting maybe two seasons out of a set of snow tires. We've had the snow wolf ones. Those were the best traction wise. um But now we're just buying like knockoff, you know, whatever they are, blizzards or whatever, because they were only getting two seasons out of them.
RICK JAMES: Yeah. Yeah.
RICK JAMES: Right.
The SnowJobs Podcast: But, yeah, we might we might trade some skids out um and go with maybe replace two skids with a compact loader um or three three skids with two compact loaders.
The SnowJobs Podcast: um You know, we're still checking out the – we're still and doing our due diligence with the wolves to see how they work out.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And, you know, you can always – I can always call the nest and get another 3-2-1 if I want.
RICK JAMES: For sure.
The SnowJobs Podcast: um But, yeah, but, yeah, it's – I think we're, I think honestly, I'm probably where I'm going to stay. I don't think my guys are good where they're at.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: They can do their shit blindfolded. They have a good time doing it. And honestly, they do so much for me. I don't want to kill them. You know, I don't want to, you know,
RICK JAMES: Yep. but You're making decent money and you don't you know you know what you got, so why why stress yourself you don't have to? You're doing what you need to do.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah. No, I mean, like you said, I'm at the, I'm, I'm, I'm 50. So, I mean, I'm, I'm looking for, to do other things. to yeah It's, ah it's, I missed a lot of time doing stuff with my wife, doing stuff with my kids while I was building and trying shit working full-time job having the full-time business and then adding a full what became a full-time podcast you know certain certain things go by the wayside and i'm not gonna let that happen anymore so i'm eliminating the one thing i'm i'm kind of stepping back and letting the boys handle the other thing and uh you know i'm gonna be full steam ahead with the podcast and uh i'm gonna be full steam ahead uh with dad time yes sir
RICK JAMES: Yep.
RICK JAMES: Perfect. Sounds was great.
The SnowJobs Podcast: um And I mean, there's, there's always, there's not a lot of, we don't, we're, we're developed here. There's not a lot of new properties that are going to come in. There's not a lot new buildings that are coming in. There's, they're building an apartment complex. Now that they asked us to look at the plans and give them a ballpark of how much it would be. And i don't want any part of it. Like I just, I'm looking at it with the location and looking how they, again, designed by somebody in Florida,
The SnowJobs Podcast: No place to stack snow right on Main Street.
RICK JAMES: yeah
The SnowJobs Podcast: Like there's no good place. You're going to have to haul that parking lot every time.
RICK JAMES: You know what you want and that's that's good. You know what you need.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yes, sir.
RICK JAMES: so that A lot of guys want to be in that position and that's what you're in. so that's
The SnowJobs Podcast: I listened to my guys.
RICK JAMES: That's all good.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I mean, my guys are, I would put them up against anybody. If, if Ed and Danny and, uh, and Mark and Eric, if they came and said, Hey, we got a no brainer, you know, let's, we're going to take, we want to take this, like, let's make this happen.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Then I'll go to work and I'll start doing numbers and, and doing what we do. But um at this point, it's we're in demand. It's a nice place to be in. um We can kind of pick and choose what we want to take and what we don't, and we stay in our core little area. And staying in that core area keeps things very simple, lot less moving parts, and you're making a lot more money.
RICK JAMES: Mm-hmm.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So I'm glad I never stepped outside that. I was tempted a couple times to kind of expand in the last 10 years and kind of blow it up. And I just always... I never wanted to, I was always of the mentality, no matter what I was doing, don't bite off more than you can knock out of the park.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Like if there's any doubt in your mind that on your worst day, you can't get this done. Don't take it because it only takes one of those failures to absolutely ruin your fucking reputation forever.
RICK JAMES: Right.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And I know some of these guys, will they'll fail and then they'll reorganize ah you know under a different name with now their wife is the CEO and on the bank statements and shit for the loans.
The SnowJobs Podcast: But that's not my style. It never has been. I want to i want a guaranteed win. you know I don't want to take a chance and and have a rep ruined because... you know what's the old saying build a thousand bridges you're you're not a bridge builder but i'm not gonna i'm not gonna complete that statement but guys that know it know what i'm talking about
RICK JAMES: this
The SnowJobs Podcast: but did you guys were you guys doing uh were you guys you guys weren't the liquids wasn't even around yet when you started at glacier cause you've been there what 20 years
RICK JAMES: No. Yeah, pretty close, yeah. yep
The SnowJobs Podcast: So no liquids.
RICK JAMES: No liquids.
The SnowJobs Podcast: were you Were you always using treated salt or were you?
RICK JAMES: Yeah, we were always, well, yeah, that's kind of separated us from everybody else. was were using salts, you know, like a It wasn't always a treated, we've always been using this ice slicer.
RICK JAMES: It's not a treated salt, but it's just a hot salt we get out
The SnowJobs Podcast: Naturally hotter salt.
RICK JAMES: Yeah. And it's, a we've always been using that. So I kind of, you know, everybody around here is using salt and sand forever and ever. And that's what everybody liked about us.
RICK JAMES: didn't have any sand. It was all straight salt.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep. Hmm.
RICK JAMES: So that's, we kind of changed the industry around him. I don't, mean, we changed this whole town, how people push snow. I mean, people never push snow. We pushed at a flake of snow, as you know.
The SnowJobs Podcast: yep
RICK JAMES: know what Everybody was like two inch two inches or whatever. now Now everybody in town's out at a flake of snow. Everybody's got artics. Everybody's – I mean, it was like you know just a copycat thing, which is whatever.
RICK JAMES: you know That's the way –
The SnowJobs Podcast: I wish I could say we did the same here. um Yeah, we have two very distinct camps. We do have guys, um the younger dudes that want to do it how we do it and, you know, are taking the lead and they're listening and they're doing, you know, they're doing their own thing, but they're taking the, you know, they're taking their lead from how we do stuff with their pricing, with their equipment. You know, I get calls every couple of days from the local guys. And then there's the other camp.
The SnowJobs Podcast: where they are going to let 10 inches accumulate if it's a 10-inch storm before they even touched a lot. So it's a stark contrast. You really can get what you what you pay for around here. Like, if you don't give a shit about your customers slipping and falling...
The SnowJobs Podcast: you can get a cheap guy that'll do it for $2,000 an acre for a seasonal. um You know, with we have one literally across the street from one of our sites that we, the guys laugh because the guys have pushed six times on a 10 inch storm and the lot across street, the shopping center hasn't been touched.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And it's nothing but hard pack at that point. And I mean, the owner of the, the owner of the center has got to be okay with it. He knows what he's getting.
RICK JAMES: Yeah, i don't I don't understand a lot of places in this town that people, i mean, our lots are like, you know, pristine, perfect, and there's some really high traffic places that are complete garbage.
RICK JAMES: I'm like, how do you get away with that? It's like, it's, I just don't, I don't understand it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I don't know how you allow it here in New York with the liability with the way New York is.
RICK JAMES: like,
The SnowJobs Podcast: i mean, you're talking about the most frivolous lawsuit state in the 50 and they're looking to hang people. People are taking dives like it's their job. I mean, sometimes it is their job actually to take dives, but I don't know how as a contractor that you're either stupid where you don't understand your own liability Or you think that piece of paper saying you're not liable if a slip fall happens is going to protect you in court?
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: It's not.
RICK JAMES: No.
The SnowJobs Podcast: It's not going to protect you. Not here. So I don't know how they let 10 inches build up and and the owner's okay with it. The color, the contractor's okay with it. I don't, I don't understand, but yeah, you can hear there's two, the the younger guys, there are a lot of younger guys in the area that are definitely interested in doing it the right way. They're interested in getting paid the right way.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And, and they're, they're growing. They're doing really well this last winter.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: A couple of them. um One, I got to have on Johnny Fratelli. Um, He's uh he's doing it really Well and he's picking he'll call all the time pick my brain hey i got this site possible uh what would you put in here um You know what am i not thinking about can you help me out and just take a look You know, those are the guys you don't mind helping because if they're pricing it right, they're doing they're doing their job for all the contractors in the area, keeping it right.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And then, you know, hopefully these low ballers after last winter, i think you got a lot less low ballers out there, especially from what the property managers are sending our way.
RICK JAMES: here
The SnowJobs Podcast: Like, you know, hey, this list, they all failed blank check. Like, just tell me what it's going to cost.
RICK JAMES: Yeah, that'd be great if it stayed up like that.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I mean, i don't think you're going to have the consistency that we had last year where we're going to be pushing 21 times. But I think the way Rob's talking, this sets up for our nor'easters that, okay, we might only we might have 60 inches and it may come in three storms.
The SnowJobs Podcast: You know, I mean, who knows? It's going to be interesting.
RICK JAMES: We just don't get the storms here that we used to. We don't, we just, as you know, we just get these little clippers, nonstop clippers and dustings and it's, yeah, we don't get those lake effects here.
The SnowJobs Podcast: guys are tough the moisture you you lack the moisture
RICK JAMES: We don't have any lakes to affect.
The SnowJobs Podcast: so if you if you get answers i know i know you know you you'd have to you'd have to ask but where do you see glacier going in the next five years you see ah a rapid expansion you see it staying basically status quo where do you see it going
RICK JAMES: No, I i see us getting larger, honestly. So I think we're going to expense see some more expansion here. um wouldn't say huge amount, but think there's some things coming down the pipe here that we could probably get our hands on and take. I don't know if we're going expand.
RICK JAMES: I don't, if you want to put, you know, acres or how many feet we're going to be pushing it might, might not be a lot more.
The SnowJobs Podcast: now
RICK JAMES: Cause we might be losing some bigger concept are going nationals and going for pennies on the dollar. So I'm like, I'm like, yeah, good.
The SnowJobs Podcast: okay bye bye yeah
RICK JAMES: Goodbye. I'm, I mean, ah i the guys in the offices are kind of worrying about that.
The SnowJobs Podcast: ye
RICK JAMES: I'm like, well, I just don't understand why we were worrying about something that we're not going to make money on it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: yeah
RICK JAMES: Just to say we have more square footage, that doesn't make sense to me. I really get...
The SnowJobs Podcast: If you got accounts that are going to nationals, you just let them go.
RICK JAMES: ah really get
RICK JAMES: Yeah, we have plenty of nationals in this town. We work with quite a few of them, and a lot of them aren't that bad for us. You know up here, you know, they usually leave us alone a little bit.
The SnowJobs Podcast: That's good. Good for you.
RICK JAMES: But it's – I just – if they want to go that cheap, have somebody – you know, somebody wants them because it's a certain site, like, go for it. mean, the liability of those sites and how much equipment that takes, I'd really put that someplace else and make more money.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, man. I hear you. What do you, i mean, we've talked about this on the show at times, but we'll get it on the record. what what it for your For your point of view, what are the biggest issues facing the snow management industry today?
RICK JAMES: Oh, it's definitely, a that's like we always say, insurance is crazy.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Mm-hmm.
RICK JAMES: um
RICK JAMES: employees and Employees are hard to come by, you know? I mean, you you say it gets better.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Has it gotten any better for employees in the last two years? Because I've seen it get better here.
RICK JAMES: I mean, I'm i'm not saying our employment's bad. i usually find enough guys, but... to find enough, because always hire at least double the guys I need or try to.
RICK JAMES: It's just my guys are, you know, it's different out here because a lot of these guys run equipment and stuff, but a lot of my guys are college kids and stuff like that, and they all go home on weekends or Christmas break.
RICK JAMES: That's when I usually get screwed. youre not know That's where I'm usually trying to find guys, and that's every time it snows, you know, is when it's on a holiday or a weekend.
The SnowJobs Podcast: ah got you.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I got
RICK JAMES: And I can't blame these guys. you know They're going home or whatever back home. But it's like, you know It's just consistency of trying to keep the same guys in the same equipment.
RICK JAMES: but in us That's part of my job. I've got to adapt and train guys. I've got to just get it done one way or another. and i I think I'm pretty good at that. I always seem to figure it out and get it done.
The SnowJobs Podcast: You always seem to get asses in seats.
RICK JAMES: i mean, my guys, my my core guys, they'll bust ass for me. you know they'll They do whatever I ask, and I can't stress that enough how great they are.
RICK JAMES: If I lose them, I'm pretty much fucked.
The SnowJobs Podcast: ah I mean, I think that's anybody. You lose your core guys and you're pretty much fucked. I think that would literally be anybody. Want hit some commercials?
RICK JAMES: Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: All let's hit some commercials.
The SnowJobs Podcast: All right, we're back. What else, brother? What else?
RICK JAMES: You know, I don't know.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I got a question for you.
RICK JAMES: It's, yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So we're both 50. We both turned 50 in the last year. How long do you see yourself in this industry doing what you're doing?
RICK JAMES: die here.
The SnowJobs Podcast: At what age do you see yourself dying? Because I've already lived longer than I thought.
RICK JAMES: Hopefully this year.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Jesus.
RICK JAMES: Same. Hopefully this is it. Hopefully the end of this podcast is it's over.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, don't say that. That's not funny.
RICK JAMES: Hopefully lightning strikes me or something. Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: That's not funny. oh shit.
RICK JAMES: I think it is. I don't know. It's, I don't, I don't, I don't you know, I think about that here and there, but I don't know what else I, I'm just an antsy guy.
RICK JAMES: I like to be out and about. If it's a, there's a storm using in it, whether it's winter storm or if I'm out chasing a, or looking at, you know, a tornado or something, you know, this.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So 85 years old, look for that rascal with the plow on the front.
RICK JAMES: Fuck God. I hope I'm not alive then. ah
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh,
RICK JAMES: Shit, that doesn't even sound fun.
The SnowJobs Podcast: What's your funniest plowing story of all time?
RICK JAMES: Oh, dude. I think I've told all my stories about it. I've told all these stories before, but everybody talks about all the people I pick up and tell them, so I don't know.
The SnowJobs Podcast: That's true.
RICK JAMES: everybody wants to hear them again. So, um, I don't know. I was just thinking earlier, we're talking about like the beginning. i remember like, think this is like one in the first or first couple of years at Glacier.
RICK JAMES: We're pushing a, pushing an apartment complex. It's not really a funny story, but it's, it's a story and, you know, pushing down an aisle of garages. The loader's backing up, pushing down, backing up. you know some Somebody's feeding them.
RICK JAMES: And there's this minivan. I was driving through and watching minivan. And there're they timed the loader. So as soon as the loader was going backwards, they pulled out behind them.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, that old gag.
RICK JAMES: So the the loader the loader slid into them. And ah then, of course, they're all... Then they have, then the cops came, so they have people coming out of the apartment saying they were in the van when the when that guy hit it, you know, because they all on day i want to, you know, like, that's not, you know, just fucking people.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh,
RICK JAMES: They're stupid. But, I mean, nobody nobody got hurt, but it was like, I watched this happen.
The SnowJobs Podcast: that is fun.
RICK JAMES: you You just, you know, the cop just kind of laughed and was like, yeah, this isn't the first time it's happened like that, so.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, I've often thought of getting front and rear facing cameras for the trucks and the machines.
RICK JAMES: I would love to have on all the payloaders.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah.
RICK JAMES: Honestly, just to see what the guy, because like I've said a hundred times, it's I'm tired of being blamed for shit that we didn't do. I'm not saying we don't hit stuff once in a while or whatever, but for stuff that you don't do that they always say you do.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I found an inexpensive one. i gotta I have it. I just don't have it in my head right now what the name of it is, but it's a it's got a front and rear one, wireless, so you don't have to wire them together.
The SnowJobs Podcast: They talk to each other, hardwired to the battery, but no externals. I was thinking of getting one and just giving it a shot and seeing if it if it would hold up, because you know how these things are, man.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Most of them don't hold up, you know?
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: it's a it's ah It's a shame, but most of the shit today does not hold up, especially to snow. You know, you're lucky if you can get it to hold up in normal driving conditions.
RICK JAMES: Right. Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: no what else you What else you got for me?
RICK JAMES: No, it's been a.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Anything you want to know that you don't already know?
RICK JAMES: For you. think I know everything about you, but I mean, what you, mean, we already kind discussed this. You're kind of on your tail end down. So how long do you plan on doing this?
The SnowJobs Podcast: Um, I love doing snow.
RICK JAMES: Doing the old snow game.
The SnowJobs Podcast: It just, like I said, all hands only helps me. Um, this show helps a lot of people. So I don't, I think that, uh, in order to, I'll, I'll let the, all I'll let all hands go as long as the guys want to do it.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: But as soon as soon as the boys, you know the main core boys, like you said, as soon as they tell me, yeah, we've had enough and we're looking to you know go sleigh riding with our kids in the winter and stuff like that, then ah i'm good with ah I'm good with wrapping it up um and then just ah focusing on what we got going and helping as many people in the industry as possible and keep pushing forward.
RICK JAMES: Mm-hmm.
The SnowJobs Podcast: bringing more and more stuff to the table for everybody um i so i don't see myself stopping the snow industry at all i love it i love what we do i love you know the game and uh i just see maybe my role changing a little bit and not you know maybe go out and and actually plow with people during storms instead of my my own stuff you know
RICK JAMES: Yeah. mean
RICK JAMES: Yeah, I like that. That'd be fun to do. i mean, just do this and then do that.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, just go.
RICK JAMES: You get the best of both worlds and not as much stress.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, exactly. like Just snow mercenaries. Like, hey, who needs who needs a hand?
RICK JAMES: Yeah. I mean, this is...
The SnowJobs Podcast: We're available.
RICK JAMES: ah you know it's
The SnowJobs Podcast: Fly in and do some snow jobs pushing there.
RICK JAMES: it's so
RICK JAMES: i mean this job is personally is it's a lot of stress. I mean, it's people don't I mean, I'm on call 24 seven from October through May, you know, May here.
The SnowJobs Podcast: It is.
RICK JAMES: And as I mean, you're just there's a lot of nice. You don't sleep. Nobody, you know, everybody's everybody sees the days doesn't snow they don't see the nights that you're out there checking lots or trying to find people to fill seats that you might need you know it's it's it's a i'm not looking for any pity party i'm just saying it's it's a lot of lot of stuff a lot of people don't think about i mean the guys in the industry definitely know what it's about but you know a lot of people outside the industry you know they see you push snow you know what 20 times 30 times a year and they think that's all you do so
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, no, it's, but I mean, hopefully we're shedding light on that for people outside the industry. And we're just, ah you know, we're rewarding the guys that are on, that are in the industry already because they deserve to be acknowledged for what they do and what they give up and their families as well, what their families give up.
The SnowJobs Podcast: You know, you basically give up a regular scheduled broadcast with your father, son, husband for five months.
RICK JAMES: is
The SnowJobs Podcast: of the year where you don't know ah you know my wife all the time she'll ask hey um you know next thursday uh it's literally sunday next thursday not this coming one the following one uh can we do this this this uh i can tell i can tell you in like seven days when the five-day forecast is out you know i can't tell you 12 days
RICK JAMES: Yeah, don't know.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
RICK JAMES: We'll ask Nick and Rob and Mark, are are can I go on vacation? I don't know. I mean, that's what sucks.
The SnowJobs Podcast: oh
RICK JAMES: I i get that ah every time from, you know, if if people want to do something, go somewhere. do I'm like, I want to say yes because I want to do it, but I i can't.
RICK JAMES: like That's what sucks, but that's the game you're in. so And that gets old after a while too.
The SnowJobs Podcast: yep 100 so let i'm going down the list here uh equipment i run i think everybody knows i'm all case uh sidewalk machines all vent track ssvs uh we have gotten rid of our last 3400 uh that is up in maine now representing arty outdoor um pushers are all arctic uh we have
RICK JAMES: Mm-hmm.
The SnowJobs Podcast: a mishmash of ld8s ld10s ld power angle 13s ld13s uh razorbacks uh snow wings so we got a little everything with uh in the arctic family there pretty much everything they make plow wise in the ld family razorback we have um anti-icing granular all granular using magic as we've said but magic wasn't so magical last year so if turbo todd can get it done i'm hoping to switch to at least uh put turbo melt in the in the playbook and see how it stacks up next to the not so magical magic yeah yep
RICK JAMES: That'd be great. i think it'd be great for you, honestly. So that stuff works pretty good.
The SnowJobs Podcast: uh contracted weather service yes uh weather pros and we've had them since they started um Also have True Weather.
The SnowJobs Podcast: They've been great, too. Mark's been great. um i don't They're great when they're calling a storm. I don't like their.01 to 1-inch. That kind of throw it. That's an unnecessary text. I get they want to put out a lot of information, but that's the only thing. Other than that, their their actual forecasts have been very good.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I don't like the automated texts, but I understand why they do them.
RICK JAMES: I do.
The SnowJobs Podcast: But I like when they when they make their forecast, that's, you know, that's when they shine.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: um
RICK JAMES: I like giving that text.
The SnowJobs Podcast: i yeah I guess I like getting the text twice a day, but it's. if I don't know. i Like I said, it's it's kind of – I could do without that. But like I said, there their forecast, when they make their call, their call is is good.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Their call is legit, and they've they've been on. And that was a busy winter for us last year. That was not an easy winter. And I don't care. I'm not one of these guys that's going to call and yell, hey, you told me I was getting two inches. I got three and a half.
The SnowJobs Podcast: You know, there are guys out there that do that. I know their names, actually, because the weather guys it drives them so fucking crazy. Like, dude, we called snow. we We said you got snow coming.
The SnowJobs Podcast: What fucking difference does it make if you get two or three? You're pushing it till it's done.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: um And yeah, they like I said, I didn't care last year that the first half of the winter, everybody was underselling every storm that came. You know, by the fourth or fifth one, we just assumed it was going to be double what everybody called for.
RICK JAMES: you know
The SnowJobs Podcast: plan accordingly and push till it's done um what else is there a lot of competition for snow in my area there is but not how we do it
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Um, I don't think anybody in our area and like I We've had the local guys on here before right like lj and um, you know, luke luke Yeah, no luke and and fits like they'll tell you how we do snow like as far as companies that do white glove like we do it There's very few if any um, and I don't think we're in competition with anybody.
RICK JAMES: Yep. They all seem good.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I honestly competition would be if If I had people bidding what I'm bidding and, you know, and they're picking them over me, if I've been awarded bids being 20% higher than other people.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So I don't see that we have any competition as far as that goes. I'm only in competition with us, with ourselves.
RICK JAMES: Right.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Like, can we get it done?
RICK JAMES: That's great. All
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah. um You know, and yeah I'm always like the younger guys in the area, a couple of them like, well, ah we're not going to bid on this because you, you know, that's in your wheelhouse. No, by all means, bid on it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Just be in the right wheelhouse, you know, like just that's your zone.
RICK JAMES: right.
The SnowJobs Podcast: No, we don't have a zone. We're not the mob. you know we just we we just take uh we take contracts in our tight little area but i encourage the guys no absolutely get your pricing in and you know if you want to know what it should be at take a look at this and you we'll help them um how have we grown in the last five uh we grew steady um both in complexes and equipment last year we really didn't We didn't purchase any equipment um because we didn't take on any new sites last year, did we? No.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I don't think we took on a single new site last year. None of it made sense. um We took on a new site mid-year the year before. That was a failure on somebody else, and we took that over for premium rate, and we kept that.
The SnowJobs Podcast: ah So that would be the only new site, but it wasn't totally new. um and where do i see us going in the next five years i see all hands wrapping it up honestly i i think my guys are getting older we're you know we're not kids anymore and the kids the next generation of kids I see them moving on and doing other things like Brandon and the Ninjas. Those guys are great. And, you know, they always have a home with us, when you know, as long as they want because they've done phenomenal work. But they're all kids that have, you know, this is...
The SnowJobs Podcast: I wouldn't say this is a year-round profession for most of these guys in this area. Like, snow, i think why we're so good is my guys love doing snow, and they really they love doing snow, and that's why they're so good at it.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Most people around here do snow because they want to keep the green. And we don't give a shit about the green.
RICK JAMES: Mm-hmm.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I don't want the green at all. um But yeah, i honestly see all hands probably wrapping up in the next five years because by then I'll be 55 and I'm going to be moved on to another venture and the next stage.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And we'll see. Snow jobs is only growing every day. It's only getting bigger and bigger. And we'll see what happens with that. But, you know,
RICK JAMES: do this full time.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I mean, it almost is, honestly. It's not going to...
RICK JAMES: I mean, it it is like ah it is like another job for sure, but we need the greenbacks to make it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: It's definitely getting there. If it's not already... Yeah, I mean, but that's that's coming to I mean that that's, you know, you're you grow your income as you grow your audience and the audience continues to grow. They continue to want more from us. So it's become, you know, it's become a full time job. And i would see, you know, you look at our last eight months, we've put out more episodes in the last eight months than we've ever put out in an eight month period by far.
The SnowJobs Podcast: you know, you got a lot of specials now. um You know, you have the the cutting edge episodes by boss. ah You got the dustings episodes by storm. um You got the the Arctic Army roll call episodes by Arctic.
The SnowJobs Podcast: You know, every OEM seems to want their own special. And that's awesome because it's adding it's adding education.
RICK JAMES: That's awesome.
The SnowJobs Podcast: It's adding content for the guys out there that are ravenous for anything snow jobs. You know, the the fucking pain in my ass that DMs all the time saying, hey,
The SnowJobs Podcast: uh you know what'd be great five episodes a week okay yeah uh no 100
RICK JAMES: No. It's a great industry. a lot of great people in it. So we just hopefully we can, mean, we'll keep doing what we're doing and give, you know, give a lot of insight.
The SnowJobs Podcast: yeah we're gonna keep rolling
RICK JAMES: And yeah, just, ah we just want to thank everybody out there for listening to us, to be honest.
The SnowJobs Podcast: 100% man sky's the limit I can't believe you know our listenership is still growing I figured we would have plateaued probably a year ago but it it is still going up and there seem to be
RICK JAMES: No. as
RICK JAMES: no It's going up. It's going to continue to grow. We we keep putting on good stuff, everybody says, so that's that's all that matters.
The SnowJobs Podcast: absolutely
RICK JAMES: and it's Like I say, we're just trying to help the industry, and i think that's what we're doing. i mean, everybody just keep sending your DMs if you got questions on anything. i mean, that's we're here to try to make the industry better and educate people.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And neither one of us pretends to know it all, but I guarantee you, we know somebody that does know it and we'll put them on with it.
RICK JAMES: 100%. whatever
RICK JAMES: ye
The SnowJobs Podcast: You know we'll put them on to answer your question.
RICK JAMES: hundred percent
The SnowJobs Podcast: So that's what it's great.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: That's what's great about. Like Jeremy said, this industry is collaborative. At least it is now. Thanks to, I think the show, um, kind of lighting a fire under everybody and telling everybody you don't have to keep shit a secret, you know, share and let's all get better together.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So, uh, yeah, we're going to keep banging that drum because it's, it's working for a lot of guys and a lot of guys are very happy and they've, they've told us what the show has been able to do for them Not necessarily me and Jeremy, but you know, the people we have on the show and, uh, we're gonna keep gonna keep going and the biggest issues for me in snow management industry um the nationals the the the no snow national model the broker model is broken um we cannot afford to let somebody else take 40 to 60 percent of the profit off the top of the contract uh just to cover an administrative fee where they sent out a couple emails made a couple phone calls Got some some major chain to sign a contract.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Not a lot of work involved with that. And not 40 to 60%. And there's less and less margin now than ever ah to be had. So like that no longer works. And if you guys are still taking jobs from nationals,
The SnowJobs Podcast: and knowing full well they're taking 40 to 60 percent of your money uh you know that's you're gonna have to live with that that's on you i mean a normal broker in any in any industry normal brokerage fee eight to fifteen percent that's acceptable 40 to 60 is not assuming no liability having no skin in the game i will never understand that shit and it's you're you're now taking that contract and it's under your insurance, which is also hard to get. So now when you are not being paid well enough to service that contract well enough, you are now liable for everything that happens.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And they're taking 40 to 60% of your money and they have no skin in the game and no liability. So that would be my biggest issues facing snow management. Although I'm very happy that I keep hearing that I've, you know, me and Jeremy have made their jobs harder and harder to find contractors to take their first offers.
RICK JAMES: Mm-hmm.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So good for us. um
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Funny plowing stories. ah don't believe I, I don't know that I have any funny plowing stories.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Trying to think. Not, no. No, I really don't. I don't think, I don't think I have any. Not that I can think of offhand, so.
The SnowJobs Podcast: But, yeah, I think we covered everything, right? All right, cool, bud.
RICK JAMES: I think so for another good one. So yeah, everybody just reach out.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Sounds good.
RICK JAMES: You got any questions? We always try to put stuff out on our socials and yeah, any questions? i love the shows that at we yeah answer the questions of the people. So, or try to, or get somebody that can.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Absolutely.
The SnowJobs Podcast: We do have some webinars. We do have some web meetings coming up. We'll get those out as soon as we schedule them. We'll get them out to you guys. We've had a couple requests for web meetings, so we're going to get a couple of those done in the next month. So as soon as me and Jay figure out ah what works for us, we will get it out, and then everybody can sign up for them.
The SnowJobs Podcast: um
The SnowJobs Podcast: Anything else, bud?
RICK JAMES: don't think so, buddy.
The SnowJobs Podcast: All right, let's call it then.
RICK JAMES: All right.
The SnowJobs Podcast: All right, gang, that'll do it. Episode 178 of the Snow Jaws podcast main show is in the books. Again, happy 4th of July weekend to all. Hope you had a great weekend with your families. hope you Hopefully you didn't overindulge. Hope everybody was safe and partied responsibly.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Everybody have a great week. All right, be safe out there. Keep pushing.
