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S3-118: Golden Horseshoe Industrial Contractors, Binbrook Ontario
662 Plays9 days ago
The guys welcome Graeme Utter of GHI to the show to hear about GHI's snow operations in Ontario.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Episode Theme
00:00:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
Here we go, Snow Jobs Nation, back again bringing you episode 118 of the Snow Jobs Podcast main show powered by Top Gun Backplates. As always, I'm Steve. You know who's here. He is always here. Couldn't do it without him.
00:01:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
The Rick James of Snow Management, Mr. Jeremy Lindstrom. Jay, what's up, bud?
00:01:05
RICK JAMES
Hey Steve, not a lot, just another Sunday recording.
00:01:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's it. Sunday deadline recording. ah This is on me this week.
00:01:12
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:01:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
I apologize. This was a ah ah big, ridiculous youth hockey tournament weekend week. They call it a weekend. Dude, it's ridiculous. This is my first real taste of tournament hockey.
00:01:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah There is no emphasis on school at all.
00:01:25
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:01:29
RICK JAMES
No, it shouldn't be. life Life is about sports.
00:01:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
like
00:01:33
RICK JAMES
Competition.
00:01:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like they want them out of school Thursday, out of school Friday. Like, are you kidding me? This is ridiculous. But yeah, it was a, it was a long weekend schedules, horrible, you know, 6am games, 7am games. Like kidding me.
00:01:48
RICK JAMES
is
00:01:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Not fun.
00:01:49
RICK JAMES
Sounds like my flights usually.
00:01:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
I know, right? But we yeah we just got home a little while ago, and we are doing it, trying to get the trying to get the weekly episode done under the wire. where This seems to be our lives now, right?
00:02:01
RICK JAMES
Not always.
00:02:05
RICK JAMES
We do her. We get her done.
00:02:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
We always get it done. Absolutely, man. ah So how was your week?
00:02:11
RICK JAMES
Pretty good. Pretty good on eventful, to be honest. I sprayed some God's juice. Got some of that down this week. so Started spraying, so that's all good.
00:02:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
Very cool.
00:02:22
RICK JAMES
so That's about it. Honestly, just plugging away on that. Hopefully, it picks up this week a little more and stay on the office. That's the main goal. Stay on the office.
00:02:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Stay out of the office. That's the key.
00:02:33
RICK JAMES
It's supposed be actually pretty nice this week here, too. It's supposed be, think, mid-70s all week. Today, we're at 88.
00:02:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, it was really nice here this week, too.
00:02:43
RICK JAMES
I think we're like 83 today here, so it's really nice.
00:02:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Really?
00:02:46
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:02:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
Wow.
00:02:48
RICK JAMES
Sunny in 83.
00:02:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Look at you.
00:02:49
RICK JAMES
Working my tan.
00:02:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go. You didn't spray any today, right?
00:02:55
RICK JAMES
No, I sprayed yesterday,
00:02:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha. Put the wife beater on and get out there on the road.
00:03:01
RICK JAMES
Oh, God, yeah. You bet. Yep. Yep.
00:03:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man, you're too funny.
00:03:06
RICK JAMES
Once again, I do not wear Crocs. Never owned a pair. and Never even put them on my feet. That's not even a thing for this guy.
00:03:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nice.
00:03:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man.
Guest Introduction: Graham Utter
00:03:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
So today, guys, for your list your listening pleasure, we have Mr. Graham Utter of Golden Horseshoe Industries. All right. That's out of Benbrook, Ontario. well You've heard us mention them before.
00:03:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
GHI, Golden Horseshoe, same guys. They're longtime listeners of the show. We got the ah privilege of meeting them ah last storks ah very briefly.
00:03:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
I think of about 14 seconds, they they literally came up to us in the parking lot and said, hey, guys, it's so good to meet you, and we got to go.
00:03:39
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:03:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah The cops just called and said a bunch of our equipment got stolen, so we got to head back up to Canada. so And off they went. But this year, we actually got to see them and hang out a little bit, and Jeremy was able to circumvent some Canadian shipping on a baby onesie.
00:04:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
So it was it was good to see those guys.
00:04:02
RICK JAMES
ye
00:04:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. We're going to hear from Graham today and hear about how they do snow up there in, in Canada, if you will.
00:04:11
RICK JAMES
Canada.
00:04:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
Canada.
00:04:13
RICK JAMES
Soon to be the 51st.
00:04:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I just learned that it didn't go well.
00:04:16
RICK JAMES
Just kidding. Didn't go well there with their elections.
00:04:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
but Just learn the election didn't go well. I did not know that.
00:04:22
RICK JAMES
I hate when that happens.
00:04:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, boy. Well, yeah, so that's what we got for you today. But before we get to Graham, as always, we're going to hear from Team Top Gun. We're going to come back to a quick Week in Review.
00:04:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
We'll be right back.
Industry Events and Networking
00:05:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right. Thank you, Top Gun. We are back. So, quick weekend review. We don't have much, right? Last week, we dropped the Storks Review Show, Storks 2025 Review with the boys. I don't think that went really well. The guys, all we everybody that we talked to had a great time.
00:05:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Glad we were able to get those boys on with us and talk about their experience.
00:05:29
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:05:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
A couple good ones back to back, right? We had the Glacier Boys, the the new superstars.
00:05:33
RICK JAMES
Yeah, really good.
00:05:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
Have you checked out what that episode is up to yet? It's all almost 20,000.
00:05:41
RICK JAMES
Yeah, I looked at, I was over 19 today.
00:05:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's like 18 something.
00:05:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, really? Oh, I'm shorting it. I think maybe yesterday I saw it at 18. still ah Still got momentum. Still gaining traction.
00:05:53
RICK JAMES
That's good. Yeah.
00:05:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yes, sir.
00:05:55
RICK JAMES
Hopefully the next one comes out quick here.
00:05:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
Absolutely. So, yeah, so we had Storks review last week. um Again, big thanks to Gene and his whole team at Storks Plows putting on a fantastic event. We had a great time there, and that was what the last episode was, just a big review.
00:06:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
And I don't know, I think we we had to get really nitpicky to find anything they could improve on, right? It was just, it was perfect.
00:06:18
RICK JAMES
right. That was really good.
00:06:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
They nailed it.
00:06:21
RICK JAMES
Yeah, and that's June, yeah.
00:06:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
Next up is Syma in June. Yep, 17th to the 20th.
00:06:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
And that's ah that's that's really it I mean, we don't have much on the weekend review right now. We're slow. it may ah We don't have a May event now. May event got moved.
00:06:38
RICK JAMES
No, maybe I moved to, is that September 2, or August?
00:06:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
September or October, one of the one or the other.
00:06:44
RICK JAMES
I don't
00:06:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
The Northeast De-Icing Solutions Demo Day, that got moved from May.
00:06:50
RICK JAMES
know. Oh, yeah.
00:06:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
What's that?
00:06:52
RICK JAMES
I think October 4th had something he was talking maybe.
00:06:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, i think it's I think it's early October.
00:06:54
RICK JAMES
Something like that.
00:06:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah So that got move switched from May to October, which that's probably better. I mean, I like having an event in May to go to, but yeah another excuse to to get out on the road.
00:07:06
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yeah.
00:07:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
But, yep, so that's going to be October now.
00:07:10
RICK JAMES
That was like this week last...
00:07:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
What's up, Bob?
00:07:13
RICK JAMES
Yeah, last year was like, last year, that was like this week.
00:07:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's like this week.
00:07:16
RICK JAMES
I got some memories memories or whatever on my Snapchat the other day that we were there.
00:07:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, yeah.
00:07:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, it was like I think you flew back to North Dakota for like two weeks, the tops after Storks.
00:07:22
RICK JAMES
So,
00:07:26
RICK JAMES
yeah.
00:07:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
I think Storks was a week earlier last year.
00:07:27
RICK JAMES
Yeah. so are Yeah, it earlier last year. So, yep.
00:07:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:07:30
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:07:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
And then we had Northeast de-icing.
00:07:32
RICK JAMES
so
00:07:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
But, yeah, we are in Grand Rapids. That is June 17th to the 20th. ah We are going, at least as of right now, we're going. um
00:07:42
RICK JAMES
yep
00:07:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
And then, yeah, that's pretty much it. You got anything else for the week in review besides the Snow Jobs Nation store?
00:07:48
RICK JAMES
wow
00:07:50
RICK JAMES
No job the store. Everybody should buy something. Get this out of my office.
00:07:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
open and stocked fully everything is in stock currently right all the rest yeah the restocks came in so go get at it boys get get your stuff get all your snow jobs gear all your merch it's all there uh we gotta thank well i gotta to thank you didn't get them yet gotta thank larry right for the pretzels oh man that was something else bro
00:07:57
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yeah. Everything's good.
00:08:12
RICK JAMES
What? Oh, yeah. Yeah. yeah I was going to say, you better mention that. He he sent you pretzels. Stork's pretzels or whatever.
00:08:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
Dude, that was in absolutely incredible. I thought he was kidding. I didn't really think he was going to send it. But Larry Martin from Winterstone at the show.
00:08:29
RICK JAMES
He got on it.
00:08:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
He did. like that I think I had them. when When was I at work?
00:08:33
RICK JAMES
Two days later.
00:08:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, I think it was Tuesday. I think we had them. Or I had them.
00:08:39
RICK JAMES
You had him.
00:08:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
um But yeah, Larry Martin of Winterstone We were talking at the show and he thought it was hysterical That ah but I made such a big deal out of the pretzels and I loved them so much And he mentioned that they were made not far from there And ah yeah, next next thing I know My wife is sending being pictures and video of a box of pretzels that showed up.
00:08:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
So that was good. And I did sample.
00:08:58
RICK JAMES
Are they just salted or they get the cinnamon ones?
00:08:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
They, yeah, they're salted there. You can do whatever you want with them.
00:09:02
RICK JAMES
Okay.
00:09:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
You can add the salt or the cinnamon. So, uh, yeah, they were ah excellent. Excellent. I had a couple. So, um,
00:09:10
RICK JAMES
Yeah, he said he sent him me some, so I sent him a little package too. so
00:09:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
I told them just send yours to me. I'll make sure you get some,
00:09:17
RICK JAMES
Yeah. i I think I still have a box all my stuff that you have from the show.
00:09:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
I do. I do. I didn't get them out this week. I got to actually, I got to see what's going to make it out to North Dakota.
00:09:24
RICK JAMES
I'm not worried about it. I got
00:09:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
So you got to make weight.
00:09:28
RICK JAMES
yeah Yeah.
00:09:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
You got to make weight.
00:09:30
RICK JAMES
You gotta see what's in the box. Don't blame me.
00:09:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
You want me to ship all the glass products?
00:09:33
RICK JAMES
Don't blame me.
00:09:37
RICK JAMES
Oh, yeah. Ship it all.
00:09:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right. I'll give it a shot. don't know. Last time I got any, uh, what were the coffee mugs that came in all destroyed?
00:09:41
RICK JAMES
All right.
00:09:47
RICK JAMES
ah Cage, wasn't it?
00:09:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, yeah.
00:09:48
RICK JAMES
Cage? Yeah. Yeah.
00:09:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
Cage sent a couple coffee mugs that came in in like 14 pieces. it was the thought that counts.
00:09:54
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:09:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, they weren't.
00:09:56
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:09:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
I think UPS is playing soccer again with the packages.
00:10:02
RICK JAMES
Could be.
00:10:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
They're pretty late and they're kicking them around, I think.
00:10:03
RICK JAMES
Yeah,
00:10:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
But yeah, but big thanks to Larry Martin from Winterstone for the pretzels. That was really awesome.
00:10:12
RICK JAMES
yeah that's good.
00:10:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
I thought he was kidding, but he actually is a man of his word and he sent them in. it was ah It was definitely a welcome surprise. So thank you, Larry. um
00:10:21
RICK JAMES
Yeah, I got my plowrite stakes I won. They shipped them up for me. I got them this week.
00:10:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Storks did?
00:10:26
RICK JAMES
Yeah. No, not storks, plowrite did.
00:10:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
The Storks is... Oh, all right. Haley haley shipped them out.
00:10:31
RICK JAMES
Alien. yeah Alien CJ.
00:10:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, they run ah they run a pretty tight shipping ship there.
00:10:34
RICK JAMES
I should
00:10:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
you really You usually get your plow ride order within like a day or two. like It's pretty quick.
00:10:45
RICK JAMES
have thrown one in a different color. but No, I just got orange.
00:10:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
What'd you get, hot pink?
00:10:49
RICK JAMES
I was going to get green for Patsy.
00:10:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right.
00:10:51
RICK JAMES
was to give the Patsy anyway.
00:10:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go. There you go. All right, you got anything else, buddy?
00:10:57
RICK JAMES
I think that's all I got.
00:10:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, boys and girls, then we're going to talk to our partners real quick, and we'll be right back and get into this with Graham. We'll be right back.
Historical Perspective and Industry Evolution
00:12:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, guys, we are back. One thing before we get to Graham that I got to throw out there that I forgot to mention is ah I got to throw a huge thanks for on behalf of me and Jeremy to everybody. I mean, all of our partners.
00:12:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
We put out the call, Muskox, Arctic, Plowrite. We put out the call that we're going to shows, and they send so much merch, so much swag to give to all you guys out there.
00:12:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Did anybody, I mean, what but how many hats did we have?
00:12:41
RICK JAMES
We go all hats.
00:12:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
ton like what eight ten dozen between muskox and arctic they sent and uh uh plowright sent another awesome cooler uh
00:12:47
RICK JAMES
Vertica, our hats.
00:12:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
bunch of the tumblers again tons of swag to give away so you know if you guys are out there and you see you know anybody from muskox or arctic or plow right you know just thank them you know if you got any of that swag just thank them because they always we always ride heavy going to these events with with giveaway stuff from those guys and uh we couldn't do it without them so thank you very much to our partners for always supporting us with that that's really cool but without further ado Let's have them unmute here and let's bring in Mr. Graham Utter. Graham, what's up, buddy?
00:13:26
Graeme Utter
Hey, fellas, how's it going?
00:13:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's going good. How are you?
00:13:28
RICK JAMES
got
00:13:29
Graeme Utter
Fantastic.
00:13:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh man, it's good to see you.
00:13:31
Graeme Utter
for
00:13:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
It was nice to actually spend a couple minutes with you at Storks this year versus a couple seconds the year before.
00:13:39
Graeme Utter
Yeah, it was. It was good to spend the whole day there. Honestly, like that show is phenomenal. You know, just right off the bat, it's worth the price of admission just for all the stuff you walk out of there with.
00:13:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:13:50
Graeme Utter
like it's It's unbelievable.
00:13:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
I said that if you anybody that has actually researched the prices on the giveaway stuff, there was $200 plus dollars of stuff in that bag that you got.
00:14:00
Graeme Utter
Oh, yeah. hundred percent
00:14:01
RICK JAMES
Thank you.
00:14:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
So that was great. Hey, I meant to ask you, did you ever get all that equipment located that was ah that was taken from you the year before?
00:14:10
Graeme Utter
Well, we found one on Marketplace. My wife found it. And so my father-in-law and I, we went up there and because he put his location in the ad. And we went up there and laid down and fucking took it back.
00:14:24
Graeme Utter
And nothing else was there, though.
00:14:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:14:26
Graeme Utter
But actually, right now, and I can't say too much, but ah they left a paper trail of what they did with the trailers. And one of them got pulled over by the cops and inspected by our DOT.
00:14:40
Graeme Utter
And he knew it was stolen. And anyway, the cops are following up on it They know where all of it is now. So they let it go because it was too late.
00:14:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
Did they let it go?
00:14:49
Graeme Utter
By the time the the guy finishes investigation, they'd already let it go. ah But they have addresses and yeah a full paper trail of where it all went.
00:14:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh.
00:14:59
RICK JAMES
Craigslist?
00:14:59
Graeme Utter
Well, it's a matter of time.
00:15:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man.
00:15:04
Graeme Utter
But no, it was, yeah, no, Stork was great.
00:15:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh.
00:15:06
Graeme Utter
a Really, really good show. Glad we got to glad we got to stay. and those panel discussions were awesome. We really, really took away a lot away with those. yeah that was good.
00:15:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
This year was great. Absolutely. was. What was your favorite part of the day? Did you have a favorite?
00:15:22
Graeme Utter
I'd have to be with you on the pretzels, man.
00:15:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Yeah.
00:15:25
RICK JAMES
No, no, no.
00:15:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
See?
00:15:26
Graeme Utter
I had like four.
00:15:27
RICK JAMES
then
00:15:28
Graeme Utter
I've got to be honest.
00:15:31
RICK JAMES
You still get four of
00:15:32
Graeme Utter
They were so good. but but
00:15:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. He said four. Did you have cinnamon or salt?
00:15:35
RICK JAMES
Wow.
00:15:36
Graeme Utter
I had two of each. I just had to make sure, you know.
00:15:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go.
00:15:38
RICK JAMES
Damn.
00:15:39
Graeme Utter
the
00:15:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Did you do that cream cheese frosting on the right?
00:15:40
RICK JAMES
I'm getting hungry.
00:15:42
Graeme Utter
Oh, you're right.
00:15:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Right.
00:15:44
Graeme Utter
Oh, yeah.
00:15:45
Graeme Utter
ah the
00:15:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh That was insane.
00:15:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
guy I mean, not that we want to turn this show into the food network, but man, that was that put it over the top.
00:15:47
RICK JAMES
I missed out on that.
00:15:53
Graeme Utter
yeah yeah i didn't eat as much dinner as i thought i would after that you know worth it i know
00:15:54
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:15:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nope. How could you need dinner? Honestly, i mean, you had all that, all the meat and cheeses and the, and the pretzels, man. And then dinner was like, what, a half an hour later, 45 minutes later, I was still eating pretzels when they called dinner.
00:16:07
Graeme Utter
yeah yeah like i was too
00:16:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Boom.
00:16:12
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:16:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man.
00:16:14
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:16:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, it's good to have you, bro. It was good to see you. As as we said, it was good to be able to spend a little time and not just a couple seconds high and by there in the parking lot. But yeah, Jeremy, why don't you take us away? Let's get into this with Brad.
00:16:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
but i'm so See, I knew I'd do it.
00:16:28
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:16:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Graham. i so I just told him pre-show.
00:16:31
RICK JAMES
yeah thank everybody
00:16:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
I said I had a friend in high school that was Brad Utter, and I'm going to have a tough time not calling you Brad because I got the Utter in my head. So there you go. Take it away with Graham there, Jake.
00:16:42
RICK JAMES
right Hey, Graham, why don't you to tell everybody about the Golden Horseshoe and I guess your father's business too. I think you said you want to talk about a little bit so
00:16:50
Graeme Utter
Yeah, so my dad started in 1978. So what, 47 years, I guess, ah doing snow. yeah He was a farmer, and he had an old international tractor with a front-end loader on it.
00:17:05
Graeme Utter
And his cousin called him up and said, do you want to plow snow? I've got to do all the the district schools. So he said, yeah. And he all he had, he had no cab on it. He had what was called a heat houser. And it was like a canvas around the front of the tractor.
00:17:19
Graeme Utter
And it would go up to you and had a piece of plexiglass as a windshield. And that was how he kept it warm. but but
00:17:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nice.
00:17:26
Graeme Utter
and
00:17:27
RICK JAMES
I
00:17:27
Graeme Utter
So then the next year he built a cab for it and he kind of did fucked around with that for, you know, however many years. And then he took on his first mall contract in 1992.
00:17:41
Graeme Utter
ah My mom was the marketing director there and, you know, the ops guy came up to him and said, yeah, you know, this is coming up for tender. This is what it's worth. And said, okay, why not? Sure. He lost his shirt every year after that.
00:17:52
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:17:54
RICK JAMES
don't know.
00:17:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
What? You mean the price somebody else gave you was not right?
00:17:58
Graeme Utter
and Right. Yeah. So, uh, yeah. And I mean, we had big winners back then we were a hundred, a hundred inch plus for years back then. So he used to, he'd have a rental loader and the way we used to do it was we hired farm tractors, uh, the farmers and their tractors. And, uh, the one guy he had, had a big 400 horse Ford eight wheel tractor.
00:18:22
Graeme Utter
And he built a box for the back of it, like a back drag box. It was 20 feet wide. And that's how they cleared the parking lot. And then everybody kind of started making box scrapers.
00:18:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Wow.
00:18:33
Graeme Utter
And that was how it was done for years. Everybody hired the farmers. And I think we had one wheel loader back then that was rented. And that was about it. it was all done with tractors.
00:18:43
RICK JAMES
They're just pulling stuff.
00:18:43
Graeme Utter
um
00:18:44
RICK JAMES
That's what they're doing.
00:18:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
And they just be at poll boxes.
00:18:45
Graeme Utter
just pull like Yeah, pull it to the outside of the parking lot.
00:18:46
RICK JAMES
Wow.
00:18:49
Graeme Utter
And then you'd push it up with another farm tractor with a loader on it.
00:18:53
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:18:53
Graeme Utter
So...
00:18:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Interesting.
00:18:55
Graeme Utter
it it worked for a long time, um you know, until salt started becoming an issue and, you know, scrape quality was something to worry about, obviously. Right. So we actually just like decommissioned our last box scraper last year.
00:19:09
Graeme Utter
We still had one. Um, but now everything else is, uh, metal classes. Um, yeah. And then, uh, Yeah, as I kind of grew up, I was in his plow truck, you know, on a snow day.
00:19:24
Graeme Utter
He'd come pick me up and I'd ride around with him and basically try and keep him awake while he was driving down the road.
00:19:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. Yep. That is the job of the co-pilot.
00:19:31
Graeme Utter
the
00:19:34
Graeme Utter
Yeah, exactly.
00:19:34
RICK JAMES
Let me go back here for a second.
00:19:35
Graeme Utter
because he used to
00:19:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
What's that,
00:19:38
RICK JAMES
Let me go back for a second. You still have any of those big 4-0 drives out there pushing? There, no.
00:19:42
Graeme Utter
Not the big eight-wheelers, no.
00:19:43
RICK JAMES
yeah Okay.
00:19:44
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:19:45
RICK JAMES
um I don't i didn't know if anybody had an 80-foot metal plus on one those or something.
00:19:49
Graeme Utter
yeah
00:19:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, the mythical 80-foot metal plus.
00:19:53
Graeme Utter
the luck we've had with metal pluses it would probably be broken as well so I don't know
00:19:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh Oh, so we got some fun coming, apparently.
00:19:59
RICK JAMES
what We'll get into that. We'll get into that.
00:20:01
Graeme Utter
oh yeah I will hold nothing back on this
00:20:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
A nice preview.
00:20:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man. So keep going. Tell us more about the about you and your and your father's companies there.
00:20:13
Graeme Utter
Yeah, so anyway, I'd ride around with him. And then once I was probably 13 or 14, he'd put me in a tractor at the mall, dragging a box scraper around and, you know, clearing snow.
00:20:25
Graeme Utter
And then as I got into my teens, I was working for him doing landscaping. And he said to me, you know, you don't want to do this shit. You know, go get a trade, go join a union, make some real money, have a pension, all that shit.
00:20:38
Graeme Utter
So I did. And I went off, I joined the Millwright Union. They put me through my apprenticeship. And as I finished out on that, I was a foreman at a company and I decided, you know what, this is bullshit.
00:20:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sweet.
00:20:50
Graeme Utter
I could do this better than these guys. So I went and started my own industrial company.
00:20:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
sweet
00:20:55
Graeme Utter
And while I was doing that, I had a pickup. I put a plow on it and was working for my dad, you know, not for any significant money or anything, but I had a V blade on it.
00:21:05
Graeme Utter
And I had a welder in the back of the truck. I'd be out plowing or whatever. and every For sure, it would always happen at some point, if you go into a weld somebody's box scraper somewhere in the city, welding them back together in the middle of the storm.
00:21:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, absolutely.
00:21:19
RICK JAMES
That's the deal. you know
00:21:21
Graeme Utter
So I kind of got my name out there a little bit with that. So then once I started expanding, I took and basically took on one of his snow contracts and looked after it myself with all my own equipment.
00:21:33
Graeme Utter
um so which is it's called McMaster Innovation Park. It's owned by the university. And it's about 1.2 million square feet. um So I do that with my 321 and a tractor and we go a sidewalk machine and two of us do it.
00:21:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Two of you.
00:21:52
Graeme Utter
Yep.
00:21:53
RICK JAMES
Jeez. shes
00:21:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Wow. Nice.
00:21:56
Graeme Utter
Yeah. yeah and we If it's a quick storm, we can be in and out of there in about four or five hours.
00:21:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
How long does that take? Okay.
Market Challenges and Strategies
00:22:04
Graeme Utter
And if it's a big farm, me and the guy, Matt, he's been driving there ever since my dad got the contract in 2012, and all we had was a skid steer there.
00:22:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
Wow, you guys are moving.
00:22:14
Graeme Utter
so he's been on it the whole time. And so now he's in a tractor, I'm in a loader, and we can we can hammer it out fast.
00:22:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nice, that's awesome Yeah, absolutely, that's awesome
00:22:21
Graeme Utter
no you know So we're very productive. Yeah.
00:22:25
RICK JAMES
Sounds like it.
00:22:25
Graeme Utter
yeah So yeah then anyway yeah my yeah yeah, that's basically all I do with my company and I manage my dad's operations more or less, hiring people, firing people, you know but all the fun stuff. And yeah, we work together and it works.
00:22:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's awesome, man so what kind of what kind of services does Golden Horseshoe offer?
00:22:45
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:22:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
What do you get into?
00:22:52
Graeme Utter
Well, yeah, when we're not doing snow, we basically do industrial maintenance.
00:22:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:22:56
Graeme Utter
So we look after plants, we do welding, fabricating, anything you want.
00:23:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
Pretty much anything and everything. ah Yeah.
00:23:04
Graeme Utter
Even one of the plants we look after, we ended up doing their snow ones this year too.
00:23:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, geez.
00:23:10
Graeme Utter
So we do whatever.
00:23:11
RICK JAMES
Yes.
00:23:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man. That's great.
00:23:13
Graeme Utter
And then, yeah, my dad does basically just now, does some lawn care.
00:23:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's pretty cool.
00:23:18
Graeme Utter
He's got two crews going. It's all commercial stuff. We don't do anything residential at all. And, you know, he keeps talking retirement, but now he's talking get back in on the hardscapes.
00:23:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
smart
00:23:27
Graeme Utter
So, you know, who knows what's going to happen. ah but
00:23:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
wow yeah that's awesome cool
00:23:31
Graeme Utter
But predominantly, he does snow, and that's that's all he's really wanted to do. so you know, it's been good.
00:23:39
RICK JAMES
Not farming anymore then, obviously.
00:23:39
Graeme Utter
Yeah. No, so he sold the farm 03, and around that time, it was kind of a shitty deal, but he he gave up his mall contracts at that point, and he managed it for another company. managed the first mall he ever got in 92, because they have the contract now. So he did that for a year, and then 04, he went back out and bid back on the malls again and kind of fired back up.
00:24:08
Graeme Utter
But I will say in 03, when he was doing that mall, he was getting paid more then than that mall is going for it now.
00:24:17
RICK JAMES
Oh,
00:24:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, that sounds about right.
00:24:19
Graeme Utter
Yeah. 23 years ago. but but
00:24:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
Dude, we've heard that time and time again.
00:24:23
RICK JAMES
that's horrible.
00:24:25
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:24:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Corporate parks, same thing.
00:24:27
Graeme Utter
It's done by a franchise in our area, a franchise-owned company. And I don't know how they do it, but they do it.
00:24:35
Graeme Utter
but
00:24:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Yeah, we've heard that time and time again.
00:24:36
RICK JAMES
That's funny, Steve. We have a Canadian here talking about snow. no secrets.
00:24:42
Graeme Utter
Oh, ah
00:24:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, well, I mean, this is this is funny.
00:24:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
This is actually funny. Like, it's its very usually very close to the vest. Guarded secrets, Canadian snow. Nobody wants to talk Canadian snow at all. ah you You better watch out, man. The snow mob is going to be coming for you.
00:24:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm
00:24:57
Graeme Utter
oh yeah, they're going to be coming for me now for sure.
00:24:57
RICK JAMES
Yeah, there'll be hit on it for you.
00:25:00
Graeme Utter
I'm going to call them out and all their lowballing bullshit that they're doing.
00:25:01
RICK JAMES
There'll be hit on
00:25:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
pretty sure. Yeah.
00:25:07
Graeme Utter
It's unreal.
00:25:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah It's everywhere, dude.
00:25:08
Graeme Utter
It's unreal.
00:25:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's north and south of the border, man it's just ah It's something that exists in the industry. and it's It's probably always going to be there.
00:25:17
RICK JAMES
It's that funny money up there.
00:25:17
Graeme Utter
Yeah, we've got...
00:25:18
RICK JAMES
It's that Monopoly money they have. It looks like Monopoly money.
00:25:20
Graeme Utter
yeah
00:25:21
RICK JAMES
It doesn't add up.
00:25:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
That is true. Yeah.
00:25:23
Graeme Utter
Yeah, yeah.
00:25:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:25:24
RICK JAMES
Yeah. about
00:25:26
Graeme Utter
Yeah, but no, we've got... like There's a big company up here now that like they're owned by a hedge fund. So they've got so much financial backing, so they just go after everything.
00:25:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:25:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
00:25:37
Graeme Utter
And nobody can touch them, right? like
00:25:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah yep that's the problem they got a lot of financial backing they've they move numbers around on spreadsheets to look profitable even though they're they're taking losses across the board because they're so cheap it's ridiculous yeah no yeah
00:25:39
Graeme Utter
that So, yeah.
00:25:52
Graeme Utter
Yeah. yeah We just stay in our lane and we do what we do. Yeah.
00:25:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
that's it brother that's what i say all the time too and it's it's the same circus different clowns man
00:26:02
Graeme Utter
yeah
00:26:02
RICK JAMES
what
00:26:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah So what what is your bread and butter sites that you go after entirely? You said industrial, but is there a certain type of industrial you want?
00:26:10
Graeme Utter
So everything, like what I focus on is like the property that I have, it's all either like corporate campus, the university he owned, but it's also, <unk> ah they call it an innovation park.
00:26:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:26:23
Graeme Utter
So everybody's in there, it's research development, all kinds of people in there, the Ministry of Environment's in there, um you know, automotive electric development is in there.
00:26:34
Graeme Utter
So it's all kinds of like high end stuff,
00:26:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:26:37
Graeme Utter
which really benefits us when we're trying to sell them on liquids and stuff like that. They like to see and they eat it up. Right. So, um, but yeah, mostly industrial plazas, uh, some retail, um, but we try and, you know, we wanted to try and break into like the Amazon kind of deals, but I think the barrier to entry to that is actually quite high up here.
00:26:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sure.
00:27:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:27:01
Graeme Utter
for So, uh, you know, we'll just, we'll keep doing what we're doing. Um, as my dad maybe fades out or whatever, it retires, I'm just going to increase route density in my area.
00:27:12
Graeme Utter
Cause you know, I've got like this big site where I've got all room for equipment and we've got Brian set up and everything.
00:27:13
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
00:27:17
Graeme Utter
So I think going to build from there and, you know, you can put a couple of trucks on routes out of there because it's about half an hour from my home base. So if we can park everything right there and branch out from there, then that's, it's the most efficient way to do it.
00:27:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:27:31
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:27:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.
00:27:33
Graeme Utter
and
00:27:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
You have like a satellite substation there.
00:27:36
Graeme Utter
basically yeah and uh yeah my dad's thing's always been shopping centers for some fucking reason
00:27:43
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:27:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's what he likes.
00:27:44
Graeme Utter
oh yeah and i mean you know the money's there for them right uh you know they're they're priced accordingly uh other than one they never had any slip and falls really in any of the major malls except the one that's in the downtown
00:27:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:27:59
Graeme Utter
You know, the Walmart there, there's always a slip and fall or five or whatever.
00:28:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:28:03
RICK JAMES
yeah.
00:28:04
Graeme Utter
most Nothing comes of it most of the time. We've got a similar mall, same ownership in a different town north of the city. Never had one. We've had them both since 2012.
00:28:15
Graeme Utter
So it's mostly an area thing.
00:28:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah Yeah. Real Canadians that understand winter ah versus six inch stiletto heel wearing Canadians in the winter.
00:28:22
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:28:26
Graeme Utter
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
00:28:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Yeah, it's the same thing in the U.S.
00:28:28
Graeme Utter
Exactly.
00:28:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's getting same stuff.
00:28:31
Graeme Utter
Yeah. Yeah.
00:28:32
Graeme Utter
But that's, I don't know. That's what we've always done. And this over the, like over the past few years, that we always used farmers, right? So we had the box scrapers and everything we subbed it out.
00:28:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:28:43
Graeme Utter
Those guys couldn't get insurance anymore.
00:28:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
00:28:46
Graeme Utter
they, lot of them pulled out basically. So I think it was four years, three or four years ago, basically had to bite the bullet buy all our own tractors and put our own operators in. And this was like in November. Yeah.
00:29:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
Wow.
00:29:01
Graeme Utter
Uh, so we had a hard time with labor from like probably 2020 to 2024, getting guys, getting good, reliable guys, um, you know, guys you can trust to actually show up who aren't on drugs or whatever else.
00:29:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sure.
00:29:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
sure
00:29:16
RICK JAMES
I hear you?
00:29:17
Graeme Utter
And then this year I kind of took over on the hiring, put ads out marketplace and i hired a bunch of people that were really good. And we had a really solid season in this year. Good guys paid them a lot of money, you know, with the but the last few years and not being a lot of snow, guys aren't coming out for $25, $30 an hour anymore. You're paying guys $40, $50 an hour.
00:29:42
Graeme Utter
So, yeah, Canadians, so $10.
00:29:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
Canadian.
00:29:44
Graeme Utter
Yeah. Yeah.
00:29:45
RICK JAMES
Well, he's from Canada, so...
00:29:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
that's like $7. That's awesome. helps.
00:29:47
Graeme Utter
Yeah. yeah
00:29:49
RICK JAMES
Wow.
00:29:50
Graeme Utter
yeah
00:29:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:29:51
RICK JAMES
Wow.
00:29:51
Graeme Utter
So, we yeah yeah, but this year was a solid year. like We had great operators. Everybody showed up.
00:29:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
that's awesome
00:29:58
Graeme Utter
we had all Pretty much all of our equipment is always brand new. um so you know, guys are happy to come out and run it.
00:30:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
that helps
00:30:05
Graeme Utter
And, yeah, we did away with all the box scrapers, did away with all the truck plows, solid equipment. And, yeah, it was definitely the most productive we've ever been, I think, ever since.
00:30:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Good for you, man.
00:30:16
Graeme Utter
Yeah, so, which is good. It was a busy year, so it was good that, you know, when we got three feet in a week in February, we we hammered it out of the park.
00:30:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, it's great.
00:30:28
RICK JAMES
Well, how much do you guys get a year?
00:30:28
Graeme Utter
so
00:30:30
RICK JAMES
What's your average up there in inches?
00:30:33
Graeme Utter
Yeah, i already did the conversion, don't you worry. Yeah,
00:30:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Thank you.
00:30:35
RICK JAMES
right, there you go.
00:30:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
Thank you very much.
00:30:36
RICK JAMES
Because I'm not that smart to do that.
00:30:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
This is an American show.
00:30:38
RICK JAMES
so
00:30:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man.
00:30:38
Graeme Utter
yes it is. nice I remember where I wrote it down, eh?
00:30:42
RICK JAMES
Oh, boy.
00:30:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh man
00:30:45
Graeme Utter
So our 10 year average is 55 inches.
00:30:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
okay
00:30:50
Graeme Utter
before And this year with the local weather ship, they've got us pegged at 32 inches, but even though we got, ah you know, way more than that in one week.
00:31:02
Graeme Utter
So I think we're talking to true weather about getting, uh, getting the stats from them for this year, because we we obviously need that. Yeah.
00:31:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, absolutely.
00:31:13
RICK JAMES
is what they're saying? You said you had that in a week?
00:31:15
Graeme Utter
Yeah. We had...
00:31:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
I remember they had one beer they had one really big week.
00:31:17
Graeme Utter
Oh,
00:31:19
RICK JAMES
Yeah, no I know.
00:31:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
They were a feat.
00:31:21
RICK JAMES
I i saw you on Instagram working working all time, but I'm like, holy shit.
00:31:21
Graeme Utter
i
00:31:24
Graeme Utter
yeah yeah. We hauled for two and a half weeks after. And like we haven't hauled anything since 2011, 2012. think we were probably around 60. but but
00:31:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
So how much did you actually get this season without the weathermen in interfering?
00:31:34
RICK JAMES
Wow.
00:31:39
Graeme Utter
i think we were probably around sixty
00:31:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:31:43
Graeme Utter
yeah Yeah, 60 to think.
00:31:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha.
00:31:47
Graeme Utter
um Because I mean, we did nothing in November. December, we had a few in January, we were out quite a few times, so you know, two, three inches and then February, yeah, three feet in a week.
00:32:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
And what but we'll just go right into this. Then what are you guys using for weather up there? are you using any paid weather services or is there some like secret Canadian thing?
00:32:07
Graeme Utter
No, no, I figure if I want to pay someone to lie to me, I'll go to the strip club. So
00:32:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, lies.
00:32:14
Graeme Utter
ah yeah
00:32:14
RICK JAMES
ah
00:32:15
Graeme Utter
you know
00:32:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh my goodness.
00:32:15
RICK JAMES
ah
00:32:16
Graeme Utter
the
00:32:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
The doctor.
00:32:26
Graeme Utter
yeah no, it's, I mean, and all our services were pretty wrong most of the year early on.
00:32:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:32:31
Graeme Utter
anchor They in
00:32:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, you got that going for you, which is nice.
00:32:34
RICK JAMES
yeah that I don't believe you.
00:32:35
Graeme Utter
yeah either said nothing was happening, something happened, or they said, oh, we're getting a big one and nothing happened. Like, it was, yeah. Yeah.
00:32:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
i'm I'm shocked i right now. i'm umm I'm shocked to the core.
00:32:47
RICK JAMES
That just doesn't sound correct.
00:32:49
Graeme Utter
that's something ah for
00:32:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man. Well, that's good, man. That's great. You had a solid winner. Solid guys.
00:32:56
Graeme Utter
yeah Yeah, it was probably, performance-wise, was our best winner, for sure.
00:32:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's really cool.
00:32:59
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
00:33:02
Graeme Utter
yeah. we Yeah.
00:33:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Always love checking you out on Instagram. Like I said, you you post quite a bit when you're getting when you're in the shit. So that's a it's always good to see.
00:33:07
Graeme Utter
ah yeah and that
00:33:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
How's that 321 working for you?
00:33:13
Graeme Utter
It's been pretty good. Once got the kinks worked out, like it did i had it on site for a week and then it wouldn't start.
00:33:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right.
00:33:21
Graeme Utter
Wouldn't start. and then You know, the dealer's telling me, well, you got to put your foot on the brake. And I'm like, no, because I haven't done that. I've had it since June. and I've never done that. And he comes out, checks it out.
00:33:32
Graeme Utter
Oh, it started. Okay. Well, it didn't just start for three days. Like, figure it out. Well, there's nothing to know. So left it for another week, run it. It would get cold after you shut it off. Wouldn't start again.
00:33:44
Graeme Utter
so he finally came out after about three, four times. He put a new starter in it and it's been fine. think that that
00:33:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go.
00:33:50
Graeme Utter
But the dealer support on that was, don't not ideal. But, you know, other than that, it's good.
00:33:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. It's all about the dealer.
00:33:58
Graeme Utter
Yeah, yeah. Well, our our local dealer that we use for all the the case agriculture stuff and the skid steers can't sell those.
00:34:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh
00:34:07
Graeme Utter
I had to get it from a different dealer.
00:34:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
e Interesting.
00:34:10
RICK JAMES
Really?
00:34:10
Graeme Utter
Yeah. Yeah, he's a lot of b he's a allowed to sell skids.
00:34:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
All these Canadian rules.
00:34:13
RICK JAMES
thought they were still considered compacts.
00:34:14
Graeme Utter
He's a allowed to sell tractors, everything, but can't sell can sell loaders.
00:34:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Ah, interesting.
00:34:22
Graeme Utter
so
00:34:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
That sounds stupid.
00:34:24
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:34:25
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:34:26
Graeme Utter
Yeah. He's right around the corner from me, so it would be great. but
00:34:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man. Oh, well, I mean, since we're already started there, Jay, do you want to ah want to take him into the Dinesse leasing Jeremy Lindstrom equipment segment?
00:34:40
RICK JAMES
Sure do. All right, Graham.
00:34:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sure do.
00:34:44
RICK JAMES
Let's hear it. don't hear all about your equipment jam up there.
00:34:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
What are you running?
00:34:48
RICK JAMES
we What are you running? What's good? What's bad? What are you looking for?
00:34:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, let us let us have it.
00:34:53
Graeme Utter
Oh, I will tell you all about that. So
00:34:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, this is going to be good.
00:34:59
Graeme Utter
primarily what we've always used is farm tractors because we were farmers.
00:35:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
ye
00:35:05
Graeme Utter
So we always had them. And then when mean we haven't farmed in 20 years, but somehow keep buying farm tractors. And but so the way way we set it up basically, because everybody likes to ask, you know, what we do with them all year.
00:35:18
Graeme Utter
ah we basically put everything on double payments through the winter. So we make six months payments on everything and then it can sit all summer long and not turn over and that's fine. but but
00:35:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
Smart man.
00:35:30
Graeme Utter
Cause it keeps them mint, it keeps the hours off of them. And ah so anyway, so that's how we do it. So we've got, um my dad's got seven farm tractors. hello Half of them have metal plus and half of them have HLA.
00:35:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:35:46
Graeme Utter
And they're all case, obviously. This year, ah the metal pluses all broke.
00:35:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
No.
00:35:54
Graeme Utter
but Like structurally broke.
00:35:57
RICK JAMES
Stretch. Oh, OK.
00:35:59
Graeme Utter
Yeah, so the way they're mounted on the tractor is it's on a subframe, like a belly frame underneath. And yeah, they all broke. One one of them almost broke and we we fixed it before it cracked all the way through, but the other two snapped right off.
00:36:13
Graeme Utter
And one of them took the subframe of the tractor out with it when it came off.
00:36:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh
00:36:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
so So basically they fell off the tractors, but did you blow any lines?
00:36:24
Graeme Utter
One of them was leaking all year. but
00:36:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right. So, I mean, that's pretty good. Like only one.
00:36:28
Graeme Utter
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:36:29
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:36:30
Graeme Utter
seems The A13s like to leak. The 1016s aren't too bad. um But yeah, the one we've been chasing ever since we got it, it's always leaking. So, I don't know.
00:36:41
RICK JAMES
Huh, weird. we
00:36:42
Graeme Utter
It always happens. um And then for sidewalk tractors, we've got Kubotas. We've got 14060. with a blade and a drop solter. And then we've got two of the B2650 or whatever they're called now.
00:36:57
Graeme Utter
I did change the numbers on them, but 26 horse.
00:36:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
yep
00:37:00
Graeme Utter
And they've just got Komodo blades and Bowman drop solters on them. And those things are bulletproof. um
00:37:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
How are those Bowmans?
00:37:08
Graeme Utter
And they're great. The one, the one old one we have, it's PTO driven. It's like a fucking rod box. It's absolutely mangled and it always works.
00:37:19
Graeme Utter
Like it's great.
00:37:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's awesome. no That's awesome.
00:37:21
Graeme Utter
And then, so now we've got hydraulic ones and electric ones and they're obviously they're awesome. Nothing going to go wrong with them. Uh, and then yeah, this year we got a Mahindra.
00:37:33
Graeme Utter
don't know if you've heard of those at all.
00:37:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:37:34
RICK JAMES
No.
00:37:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. Those are Chinese, correct?
00:37:37
Graeme Utter
Indian.
00:37:37
RICK JAMES
Oh, that's a loader, right?
00:37:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
India.
00:37:38
RICK JAMES
Or tractor, right?
00:37:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's right. India. It's cast cast iron frames or something.
00:37:40
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:37:42
Graeme Utter
Yeah. yeah Yeah. It's a little, little baby 26 horse, uh, sidewalk tractor.
00:37:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:37:48
Graeme Utter
It was like 20 grand cheaper than a Kubota.
00:37:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
00:37:52
Graeme Utter
So we thought, okay why not? and Yeah, you get what you pay for
00:37:57
RICK JAMES
I knew that was coming.
00:37:58
Graeme Utter
pay for.
00:37:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:38:00
Graeme Utter
We put an HLA blade on it.
00:38:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:38:02
Graeme Utter
It's great. It's fine. But it's definitely a garden tractor with the cab shoved on top. So like it's got heat and shit, but like underneath, there's like you can see the ground through the controls.
00:38:14
Graeme Utter
but of
00:38:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Not too cold.
00:38:16
Graeme Utter
It's pretty drafty. So it's lower control, and it's
00:38:18
RICK JAMES
least it doesn't get cold up there. At least it doesn't get cold up in Canada.
00:38:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah yeah
00:38:22
Graeme Utter
so And the blade control box breaks off like every other storm.
00:38:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
not too cold
00:38:26
Graeme Utter
It snaps off. So but it's it's not ideal.
00:38:29
RICK JAMES
Oh, gee.
00:38:30
Graeme Utter
But...
00:38:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man.
00:38:32
Graeme Utter
but
00:38:32
RICK JAMES
So we're probably not in the budget.
00:38:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
if you don't If you don't mind, Graham, ah we haven't I don't think we've ever talked about the Bowman spreaders before. ah Can you tell people a little more about them? Because I have heard really good things. I think we saw them at us like we saw him at a Syma, maybe in Hartford.
00:38:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
I think they had a booth. And ah we've heard good things about them. So can you tell guys a little more about what models you have and how they how well they work?
00:38:56
Graeme Utter
Yeah, they're just, ah it's a small side box size. I think they're, what are they, 36 inch wide maybe?
00:39:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go.
00:39:05
Graeme Utter
ah forty i don't if they're anything in centimeters.
00:39:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
I thought you were going have like 137 centimeters.
00:39:09
Graeme Utter
I'm probably the only one, but it makes no sense to me, man.
00:39:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah I love you.
00:39:13
Graeme Utter
Because when we're doing like our industrial work, like we don't use metric bolts anywhere.
00:39:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:39:20
Graeme Utter
Everything's imperial. like Everything's in feet.
00:39:22
RICK JAMES
Really?
00:39:22
Graeme Utter
We don't use them.
00:39:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
you use metric tape measures?
00:39:25
Graeme Utter
No, I don't even own one. It's just, yeah.
00:39:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah There you go.
00:39:30
Graeme Utter
it's just
00:39:30
RICK JAMES
This meter sticks.
00:39:31
Graeme Utter
yeah but
00:39:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's so funny.
00:39:33
Graeme Utter
rulers meter sticks but uh no the bowlands are good like so one we got is pto driven and they work okay but you've got to really dial in your rpms versus how fast you're driving because they don't close up as much as you would want them to um what we've had for ages and never had an issue with it at all and then the two newer ones one's hydraulic
00:39:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh.
00:39:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sure.
00:39:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
00:39:56
Graeme Utter
And it's fine on a Kubota, but the hydraulics don't stay on on those, the rear hydraulics. So you've got to hold the switch while you're running down this down the sidewalk, which is whatever.
00:40:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:40:07
Graeme Utter
It is what it is, but they work great. puts down a nice spread. And then the electric one is awesome. It's just little box panel up on the on the dash. You've got on-off, forward-reverse speed, and they work awesome.
00:40:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's great.
00:40:20
Graeme Utter
I've never had any issues with any of them. I haven't even had to do bearings in them.
00:40:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
Wow. That's awesome.
00:40:25
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:40:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
How long have you had them?
00:40:26
Graeme Utter
yeah Yeah. Oh, the one's so one's got to be 12 years old, probably.
00:40:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
Wow.
00:40:32
RICK JAMES
well
00:40:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay, great.
00:40:33
Graeme Utter
Yeah. Because that that that machine that it was on got stolen at one point, too. So it's like it's an original, and that tractor's been stolen like three times now, and it's we just keep this all there.
00:40:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Does anybody buy their own stuff or they're just fucking pirates up there?
00:40:47
Graeme Utter
It's brutal
Innovations in Equipment
00:40:48
Graeme Utter
out there. It's brutal. The theft is brutal up here. When we had a brand new UTD this year, we thought we'd try that with a Boss V-Blade and a sprayer and started doing brine in a few other spots.
00:40:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, Jesus.
00:41:00
Graeme Utter
And it lasted three weeks and it was stolen. silk
00:41:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah jesus
00:41:03
RICK JAMES
Oh, jeez.
00:41:04
Graeme Utter
ah it's ah yeah
00:41:06
RICK JAMES
GPS them or something so you can get them back or no?
00:41:09
Graeme Utter
It had the Kubota telematics underneath the dash. And they drove it somewhere and ripped the dash out it, ripped it out, put it on the trailer and took it off.
00:41:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
Wow.
00:41:18
RICK JAMES
Oh.
00:41:19
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:41:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
You got put like a dye pack or something in there.
00:41:23
Graeme Utter
I know.
00:41:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
Whenever it leaves the radius of the parking lot, it explodes. You got nothing but red dye all over the place.
00:41:26
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:41:29
Graeme Utter
Well, to be fair, Kubota never told us it had that. I just found out with somebody after that it might.
00:41:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh,
00:41:36
Graeme Utter
And had we known that, you can set up a geofence on the Kubota app so it leaves the property, would shut off. But the dealer never told us that I was even in there. So, you know.
00:41:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
cheese
00:41:48
RICK JAMES
Hide some Apple AirTags around your stuff or something.
00:41:51
Graeme Utter
I know. it's I don't know. that was That was the third one in town that had been stolen that week. And they all had GPSs and they all got ripped out and thrown on the road. You can't beat them. We have the most productive criminals ever up here.
00:42:05
Graeme Utter
but but
00:42:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, mean it sounds like it. They're they're pros. Good for you.
00:42:08
Graeme Utter
Oh, yeah.
00:42:09
Graeme Utter
Yeah. yeah
00:42:09
RICK JAMES
The silver bullet...
00:42:11
RICK JAMES
Silver Bullet had his 1975 dump truck stolen, like Chevy dump truck, was it a couple years ago?
00:42:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
Good for them.
00:42:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, a couple of years.
00:42:17
RICK JAMES
And he had put it out hed put an air tag in it years ago or whatever, and we found it. it was in Aberdeen. We went down and got it. so so
00:42:26
Graeme Utter
Oh, shit.
00:42:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Stole it right back?
00:42:30
RICK JAMES
No, we got it from the cops, but yeah.
00:42:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha.
00:42:32
Graeme Utter
overthink Yeah, I think that's why the cops won't tell us where where our stuff is right now, because it's in the records that I went and stole one back myself, so I just don't think they want any video.
00:42:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
They do not want vigilante justice up there. Yep.
00:42:47
Graeme Utter
Yeah. They wouldn't tell us anything. Whatever it is. what Anyway, getting
00:42:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
fellow
00:42:54
Graeme Utter
getting back to this.
00:42:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
ye
00:42:55
Graeme Utter
Um, yeah, so we have the three sidewalk machines and then we've got, yeah, we run two sidewalk crews with just an OG snow snow Raider each. Uh, and they do all the in town properties.
00:43:09
Graeme Utter
Um, and then we've got left now one plow truck with a salter and my dad's got a plow on his truck. He didn't even put on this year because he didn't really need to. We've got enough iron everywhere.
00:43:22
Graeme Utter
um And then we've got four SV-185s and TR-270 that really only leaves the yard when you get three feet of snow and there's a lot of shit to dig out.
00:43:35
Graeme Utter
but but Because otherwise they are slow and rough and terrible for snow.
00:43:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
How are those 185s?
00:43:42
Graeme Utter
No problems. One of them is an old original mechanical one.
00:43:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
No.
00:43:48
Graeme Utter
And then the other three are all the electronic controls now, the heated seats and all the nice creature comforts.
00:43:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
How many horses are there?
00:43:55
Graeme Utter
but
00:43:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
60? Yeah. sixty
00:43:57
Graeme Utter
It's 60, yeah, around 60, 65, something like that.
00:44:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
00:44:02
Graeme Utter
um I know the, so we've got one TR270 and all that's a 74 horse, I think.
00:44:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:44:08
Graeme Utter
It's turbo and everything. And then we've got two Cat246s and they are the cat's ass, that's for sure.
00:44:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:44:18
Graeme Utter
yeah Cat machine is, yeah. As much as we've always had cases, we love them. As soon as we got a couple cats, they're, yeah, it's a whole different ballgame.
00:44:30
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
00:44:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
And how's their dealer up there? Can they sell everything one stop? You got to go to different places.
00:44:35
Graeme Utter
What's that cat doing?
00:44:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:44:37
Graeme Utter
Yeah, they're not bad. it's They're called Battlefield up here. They're everywhere. um
00:44:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
okay Wow.
00:44:43
Graeme Utter
but was a couple years ago, we were trying to get some 185s and our farm dealer couldn't get them. You could get one out of the States. It was almost $100,000. So they so they called Cat and I think they got us these two cats. I think they were $93,000.
00:44:59
Graeme Utter
ninety three
00:45:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:45:02
Graeme Utter
Yeah. So it's just like, all right, well, I'm not going to pay that much for a case if I can get a cat. And yeah, they're theyre unbelievable machines.
00:45:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:45:08
Graeme Utter
They shift out of power and they they work good. They're comfy. The controls are definitely superior to the case electronic controls. i think they're still trying to kind of figure those out, but ah yeah.
00:45:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
what are you What are you pushing on them?
00:45:25
Graeme Utter
We've got box but like HLA box pushers and a couple of straight blades, just angling straight blades.
00:45:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:45:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:45:33
Graeme Utter
um yeah And then a lot of them, like the one cat, all it does is load salt, unfortunately. that's ah You know, the salt truck drivers like the like the nice machines.
00:45:40
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
00:45:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha.
00:45:43
Graeme Utter
and Once they get that thing on the salt bunker, it's there. but ah
00:45:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
it's
00:45:48
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
00:45:48
Graeme Utter
It doesn't come out. So, and then the best thing we have going for us, and I wanted to talk about these are, uh, they're called the HLA scatter shots and they're a salt bucket that we put on the skid steers and, um, they're half a yard or so.
00:46:06
Graeme Utter
The other half yard, this run off the hydraulics, they've got adjustable valves on them. And, we can consult like entire parking lots with these things. Uh, they do about 40 foot spread.
00:46:18
Graeme Utter
And they're all they're all galvanized.
00:46:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nice.
00:46:21
Graeme Utter
They work awesome. And they come with a price tag of like $4,000. four thousand bucks Canadian.
00:46:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Canadian or U.S.?
00:46:26
RICK JAMES
What?
00:46:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Wow. Wow.
00:46:28
RICK JAMES
Wow.
00:46:29
Graeme Utter
Yeah. Yeah. i think the last one we got was $3,500. They are... um
00:46:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
We're going to have to inquire.
00:46:35
Graeme Utter
they are Amazing. Like anytime we have them at all, like the big, big properties, if salt truck can't get there, guy can hop in the skid steer and be just as productive, just as fast.
00:46:47
Graeme Utter
um And, know, solve the whole parking lot before anybody gets there. um They look great.
00:46:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Jeremy's typing now. I hear him typing away.
00:46:55
Graeme Utter
but
00:46:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
He's looking it up.
00:46:55
RICK JAMES
I'm looking at it. Yeah. Yeah.
00:46:57
Graeme Utter
ah so
00:46:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
Ha ha ha.
00:46:57
Graeme Utter
We have the half yarders because they they were just for skid steers, but they make up to, i think, a three yard with dual spinners on them. And yeah, they're, they are good and they're good bang to their buck.
00:47:05
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:47:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nice. Good to know.
00:47:10
Graeme Utter
Yeah. So.
00:47:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
4,000 Canadian.
00:47:13
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:47:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
How can that be? That'll be like what? $18 U S um but like 2,800, 3000.
00:47:18
Graeme Utter
Yeah. Yeah.
00:47:20
RICK JAMES
don't know.
00:47:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
What would that be?
00:47:22
Graeme Utter
yeah
00:47:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
U S I can't be, that can't be for galvanized.
00:47:23
RICK JAMES
ah thirty two hundred or so
00:47:23
Graeme Utter
yeah
00:47:26
Graeme Utter
yeah
00:47:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Really?
00:47:27
Graeme Utter
yeah Yeah, they're made by Mennonites up here and their stuff is really affordable.
00:47:29
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:47:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
got to look more into that then.
00:47:36
Graeme Utter
but actually the And I actually have one about a couple of years ago off Marketplace and it's made by the company that made them originally.
00:47:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'll have
00:47:44
Graeme Utter
And it's a three point amount on the back of a tractor.
00:47:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
Was that Berlon?
00:47:48
Graeme Utter
No, it's it's the same brand up here.
00:47:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
No.
00:47:50
Graeme Utter
It's Riced or something. It's Menomake Harbor somewhere.
00:47:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, okay. Got you.
00:47:54
Graeme Utter
And yeah, it hooks up on a three-point and you hook it up to the auxiliaries and you've got spin and it'll it will dump back down and you can scoop up, you can back into the pile, lift it up.
00:48:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
Really?
00:48:03
Graeme Utter
Yeah, pretty cool.
00:48:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's very cool.
00:48:06
Graeme Utter
They're very simple. like There's not much to them. It's a hydraulic motor and a spinner and there's a ah there's a hatch to kind of control your flow and then there's a hydraulic valve to control your hydraulic flow and Yeah, they work amazing.
00:48:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm going to have to look more into that. might have to pick one up.
00:48:23
Graeme Utter
I'll send you one. but
00:48:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
Scatter shot. Like it.
00:48:26
RICK JAMES
Scatter shot.
00:48:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
What are you? ah You mentioned you, you push other HLAs. What, what, ah what do you guys got? Pusher wise for HLA.
00:48:33
Graeme Utter
i
00:48:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
You got any the wings or just the boxes?
00:48:36
Graeme Utter
So we've got on these tractors, three of them have, but so the one that I run actually has got an 813 on it. eight thirteen on it around that size. It's the first one we bought when we bought these compact tractors.
00:48:49
Graeme Utter
and So that was five years ago when I was the first one to run them. And haven't had a single problem with it at all. Other than the cutting edges, I thought wore down kind of prematurely.
00:49:01
Graeme Utter
um But then I went to the dealer, bought them, just bought the kit because I didn't know what, like i could I could make it myself, but I didn't have something original to go off of, right?
00:49:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sure.
00:49:10
Graeme Utter
So I bought the first set and it was like a thousand bucks for the whole thing And I thought, okay, well, for four years of pushing, that's all right. but but
00:49:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, not bad.
00:49:21
Graeme Utter
Yeah. It's got the, they call it the edge flex or whatever. It's their live edge or whatever. And it scrapes the same as a metal plus. Like it's not really any different. There's no springs or anything. It really rides on a rubber bushing and yeah, nothing really to break, which is great.
00:49:21
RICK JAMES
Yeah, not bad.
00:49:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
You've had good luck with them.
00:49:42
Graeme Utter
Yeah. Yeah. It's been fine. The only thing, The thing that kind of sucks is that they've got the hydraulic motor for the wing control yeah versus a cylinder.
00:49:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
You the actuators. Yep.
00:49:51
Graeme Utter
So it doesn't hold as well pushing into a pile. But there's no cylinder to bend or snap. When you do hit something, it just opens up. And so it's kind of...
00:50:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, we'll lose the pressure.
00:50:02
Graeme Utter
Yeah, yeah. So honestly, yeah yeah I think we've...
00:50:03
RICK JAMES
Hmm.
00:50:06
Graeme Utter
We're buying metal classes the last couple of years because it seemed to be the best. And then we couldn't get one this year and we bought another HLA and it was nine grand cheaper than the metal class.
00:50:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
Wow.
00:50:17
Graeme Utter
And it was here in two days. And I thought, okay, well, we'll try it out. This is for a 1016 and they are heavy duty.
00:50:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, we saw them.
00:50:26
Graeme Utter
They are heavy duty.
00:50:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
We saw them at where I think equip last year. ah They had an HLA wing and ah it was beefy as hell.
00:50:33
RICK JAMES
Oh, yeah.
00:50:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like, I mean, there was a lot of heavy gauge steel on that thing.
00:50:36
RICK JAMES
That'll be...
00:50:38
Graeme Utter
Yeah. Yeah.
00:50:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
It wasn't no flimsy. You know, this was not going to this was not going to break in half the first time it plowed.
00:50:41
Graeme Utter
yeah
00:50:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's for sure.
00:50:47
Graeme Utter
No, they're built heavy. And like I said, because we run them on tractors, they're on a subframe.
00:50:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh wow.
00:50:52
Graeme Utter
The metal class just has a lift cylinder, pulled it up and down. These are on like a four point ah lifting system. So the lift cylinder actually runs underneath the yeah like the belly frame and it picks it up on a four point lift. So you can lift this thing up on the big ones. The bottom of the plow is about six feet in the air.
00:51:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah wow
00:51:13
Graeme Utter
So you can stack pretty good with them and you really don't need a loader around if you've got one of these. So they yeah they they work really well. They're really happy with them.
00:51:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's awesome.
00:51:23
RICK JAMES
So they say
00:51:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
And they're nine grand cheaper.
00:51:24
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:51:27
RICK JAMES
are you saying you'd go more with HLEs and MetalPlus now? Oh, you thinking or what?
00:51:31
Graeme Utter
of bit 100%. Yeah, 100%.
00:51:33
RICK JAMES
and
00:51:34
Graeme Utter
Because like I said, all our big ones broke this year.
00:51:35
RICK JAMES
it should h yield 100%.
00:51:40
RICK JAMES
HLEs and AMIs have been pretty big in Canada, aren't they?
00:51:43
Graeme Utter
What's that?
00:51:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
What was that, Jay?
00:51:43
RICK JAMES
mean.
00:51:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
You cut in and out of a little bit.
00:51:47
RICK JAMES
I said HLAs and AMIs, they're pretty big up in Canada, right?
00:51:48
Graeme Utter
So HLA.
00:51:51
RICK JAMES
I know made there, but.
00:51:54
Graeme Utter
Well, HLA is made here. As far as I know, with AMI is not as big up here. I feel like that's kind of more of the American like version of it. I know they're kind of the same company.
00:52:06
Graeme Utter
Um, cause we don't really have much AMI up here.
00:52:06
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:52:08
Graeme Utter
Nobody really buys it, but HLA, like it's an hour from here. if you need a part, like you can go get it.
00:52:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah That's awesome.
00:52:16
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:52:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
I think they yeah there might be something new coming, too, from HLA. I think there might have been a couple pictures out here and there, little maybe a prototype or two.
00:52:27
Graeme Utter
Yeah. Yeah. i think they've got some stuff coming down on the pipe.
00:52:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
That'll be nice.
00:52:30
Graeme Utter
Um, Yeah, and then i've got I've got a pusher as well for my 321. It's an HLA Live Edge pusher. but I bought it off the marketplace for like $3,500. And it works awesome.
00:52:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
It does.
00:52:44
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:52:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Who's Live Edge? Is it HLA's own Live Edge? or is it
00:52:47
Graeme Utter
yeah Yeah, it's called Edge Flex or whatever, but yeah.
00:52:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Interesting.
00:52:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha. Yep.
00:52:52
Graeme Utter
Live Edge is such a generic term now.
00:52:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:52:54
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:52:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
I know. well It's a generic term that's copywritten by one company, so can't really use it.
00:52:58
Graeme Utter
yeah Yeah, the mafia is probably going to come after us now, but, you know.
00:53:01
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:53:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Yeah.
00:53:03
Graeme Utter
Oh, well.
00:53:04
RICK JAMES
I know Doyle doyle had HLAs and he liked them.
00:53:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:53:05
Graeme Utter
oh
00:53:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
00:53:08
RICK JAMES
He really liked his HLAs, so.
00:53:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, he sold them, right? I think he moved on from them.
00:53:12
RICK JAMES
Yeah, I think he might have sold them, but yeah, he I know he's...
00:53:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, don't ask any questions. Was that it? Was that those at the one?
00:53:17
RICK JAMES
Yeah, I think that was one. Yeah.
00:53:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
Don't ask me any questions. These are for sale. I don't want to answer any questions about them, though.
00:53:20
Graeme Utter
this
00:53:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
That was funny. Yeah, he always said had good things to say about the HLAs.
00:53:29
Graeme Utter
Yeah, they they work good. They work good. um
00:53:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sweet.
00:53:32
Graeme Utter
<unk> so Yeah, and then, yeah, for the stuff that I run on the properties I do, I've also got a mag that I bought last year. That's our mag.
00:53:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
SR mag. How'd that do?
00:53:45
Graeme Utter
It was a demo from another company that didn't like it. but
00:53:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay. So starting one strike.
00:53:50
Graeme Utter
so Yeah, yeah.
00:53:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, what did you think then?
00:53:53
Graeme Utter
I love it. It's fantastic.
00:53:55
Graeme Utter
um No problems at all. It's... They've got an upgrade to fix the drive belt on them or whatever that was popping off. ah So it's just an extra idler or something.
00:53:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Good.
00:54:06
Graeme Utter
That upgrade broke on me this year once because somebody didn't lock tight the bolt or whatever.
00:54:10
RICK JAMES
Oh.
00:54:12
Graeme Utter
ah lives was covered under warranty, whatever. Other than that, it's been fine. It's got a brine pack on it. because I do 100% liquids where I am. And as opposed to like the brine packs that were in the original ones, which like they kind of work and only put out a lot of material.
00:54:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh
00:54:22
RICK JAMES
oh
00:54:30
Graeme Utter
This thing is sweet. Like it pumps the brine out the ah the nozzle trigger, you can shoot it like 40 feet. It works good.
00:54:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Wow
00:54:40
Graeme Utter
It works really good. So yeah, for that, I think it's about
00:54:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's awesome What are you running on it What's ah your favorite attachment The broom Okay
00:54:49
Graeme Utter
The broom. The broom is very nice. It doesn't hurt so bad when you're going down these old wartime sidewalks.
00:54:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:54:57
RICK JAMES
ah
00:54:57
Graeme Utter
They're all heaved to hell. but but
00:55:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
What's your average width for a sidewalk there in inches?
00:55:04
Graeme Utter
About 60. Yeah.
00:55:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay, so you have wide sidewalks.
00:55:07
Graeme Utter
yeah Yeah, yeah. The cities are more... yeah they're more 48 probably. But everything internally is 60 plus.
00:55:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
And how wide is that broom? That broom is like 50-something inches, if I'm not mistaken, correct?
00:55:21
Graeme Utter
48.
00:55:21
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:55:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
Or...
00:55:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's 48.
00:55:23
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:55:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
It is actually 48.
00:55:25
Graeme Utter
Yeah, it's a little wider.
00:55:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Is the plow 50 something? do you have the V plow?
00:55:28
Graeme Utter
Yeah, I've got the V plow. It's four foot six. a
00:55:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay. So that's the one that's 54.
00:55:34
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:55:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha. Okay.
00:55:36
Graeme Utter
Four foot six or four foot two.
00:55:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
I think it's four foot six.
00:55:39
Graeme Utter
It might be four foot six when it's straight out.
00:55:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:55:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:55:43
Graeme Utter
Yeah, and then when you bring it in, it's about 42. Yeah.
00:55:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah because that's a downside for those SR mags for me around here is we can't get them on the sidewalks here.
00:55:52
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:55:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Their attachments are all too wide for what we got.
00:55:54
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:55:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
So that's unfortunate. I'd like to give them run.
00:55:57
Graeme Utter
Yeah. I'd like to get the blower for it. I definitely had a need for that this year with the amount of snow we got.
00:56:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:56:05
Graeme Utter
But, well, man, the price tag on Boss Attachments.
00:56:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
It would have been stolen. Oh, man.
00:56:09
Graeme Utter
Yeah, probably.
00:56:12
Graeme Utter
See you later. Yeah.
00:56:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
a man
00:56:14
Graeme Utter
Yeah, the price tag on Boss Attachments is a hard pill to swallow, though.
00:56:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
Y'all, God, the the sidewalk machines are are we getting ridiculous in prices, period. I mean, if they aren weren't already, they're just getting worse and worse.
00:56:28
Graeme Utter
yeah
00:56:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's it's pretty bad. Pretty, pretty bad. um So what do you guys do as far as are any more equipment? i mean, that was a lot of equipment.
00:56:37
Graeme Utter
yeah Oh, yeah, we do have a wheel loader, too. always forget about that. It's our biggest piece. We've got a Doosan 220.
00:56:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay. How's that going for you?
00:56:49
Graeme Utter
It's been great. Not a problem. They put new batteries in the first year we had it. And then beyond that, It's been great.
00:56:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sweet.
00:57:00
Graeme Utter
This has got a 14 foot live box on it and that thing works pretty good. not much could go wrong with it.
00:57:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha. Cool. What are you guys, um, what are you guys doing as far as, uh, contract structures up there? Like what's your bread and butter? Are you doing seasonal per push hourly?
00:57:17
Graeme Utter
So we're a hundred percent seasonal.
00:57:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nice.
Transition to Liquid De-icing
00:57:20
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:57:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right. Guaranteed money. Uh,
00:57:21
Graeme Utter
Yep. Guaranteed money, but there's definitely no floors and ceilings going on up here.
00:57:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:57:28
Graeme Utter
I wish there was. um But no, 100% seasonal. A few of them have caps on salting applications.
00:57:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:57:38
Graeme Utter
um and But aside from that, it's just, it's wide open. but but but Because that's just the way it's always been up here.
00:57:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
you couldn't You couldn't sell floors and ceilings, so you got to basically hope that everything works out perfectly for you?
00:57:51
Graeme Utter
And the properties that I do, like, they don't tender them out. Like the the innovation part, they have tendered it out like over 10 years because we have a good relationship with them. So I kind of worked on the contracts with them. Like last year when we moved to Liquids, we kind of sat down said, here's what I want to do Here's what it's going to cost you.
00:58:08
Graeme Utter
What do you think?
00:58:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
I got you.
00:58:09
Graeme Utter
Right? So i I would be able to negotiate that, I think. And especially when we had that meeting, the VP there said, you know, after we do this for the next couple of years, if you know, may need to relook at things because it's not really snowing that much.
00:58:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
I got you.
00:58:24
Graeme Utter
so And then obviously we got hammered all winter long. So I'll probably won't hear that again for a few years. I won't hear that.
00:58:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
For at least a year. you you won't hear it for at least a year.
00:58:31
Graeme Utter
Yeah. Yeah.
00:58:34
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
00:58:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man.
00:58:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
So how the you said you're all liquids. How have the liquids been up there for you? I mean, is it was it a tough transition? did they widely Was it widely accepted? Did they love it?
00:58:45
Graeme Utter
So I'm just all liquids on the properties that I manage because that's what I want to do. on my dad's side, everything else is still doing granular.
00:58:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay. Okay.
00:58:54
Graeme Utter
But the liquids for me, I wanted to do it because on these properties, they've always got these new ideas and things they want to do. So all the parking spots, for the most part, in these like satellite lots are permeable pavers.
00:59:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha.
00:59:12
Graeme Utter
So whenever we were getting ice events or freezing rain or ice pellets or something like that, salt wouldn't do anything. It would just sit on top and all the moisture would just go into the ground. It wouldn't melt anything.
00:59:25
Graeme Utter
So we had spraying.
00:59:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
I got you.
00:59:27
Graeme Utter
So it was two years ago. I tried it. We had a sprayer from a like a garden manufacturer. They'd sell like, or not garden, like a farm manufacturer. And they sell sprayers for tractors, for your orchards and stuff like that. So we kind of rigged it up in the back of the truck with a little boom and electric pumps.
00:59:46
Graeme Utter
And we tried it on the pavers. It worked great. but you'd have to go like, you know, four mile an hour to get enough product down.
00:59:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
and Jesus.
00:59:57
Graeme Utter
So we yeah kept doing it because it was the only way to keep the pavers safe. And then once I kind of talked to Jordan a little bit and looked into liquids more and more, ended up buying the VSI and selling them.
01:00:10
Graeme Utter
I bought the VSI before I even sold them on the contract, but but hoping for the best.
01:00:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Wow.
01:00:16
Graeme Utter
So anyway, bought the VSI and went 100% liquid ah this year there.
01:00:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
01:00:23
Graeme Utter
Still have a salt bunker there for emergencies, but didn't really need to use it. The biggest battle we had getting into liquids was that there's no not really anybody up here that does additives except for one company.
01:00:41
Graeme Utter
It's not really a big thing.
01:00:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
You don't do additives at all. You just do straight brine.
01:00:45
Graeme Utter
No, I do. I use Innovator Magic Minus Zero, but it was hard finding it.
01:00:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, I got you.
01:00:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, okay. I understand.
01:00:52
Graeme Utter
Like I was calling around different companies and stuff and nobody you know had any business up here. They didn't do it. And then I found Innovative and they said, yeah, no problem. Like, here's what you need.
01:01:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
Wow.
01:01:02
Graeme Utter
So it's been great.
01:01:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay. Okay.
01:01:04
Graeme Utter
And I was running it like pretty consistently, always putting an additive in. And then this winter was like, it was cold. Most of the winter I stopped and I just started running straight brine.
01:01:15
Graeme Utter
And it worked fine. It worked just as good.
01:01:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sweet.
01:01:19
Graeme Utter
Yeah. So, you know, when when you're hovering around the freezing mark, yeah, you need the additives to make it work.
01:01:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sure.
01:01:25
Graeme Utter
But when you're cold, yeah, the rind with the VSI, it puts out enough material. It works great.
01:01:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
We've heard that, too. we've We've definitely heard that if it's cold enough, that's where Brian shines on its own and you don't really need it.
01:01:37
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
01:01:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
But, yeah, that's cool, man. And so you went all VSI.
01:01:43
Graeme Utter
yeah
01:01:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
How has it all been for you?
01:01:45
Graeme Utter
It's been great. It's no problem at all.
01:01:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
Good.
01:01:47
Graeme Utter
um Yeah, Jordan's great, man. Anytime you have a question, just you can just message him and he'll answer you. like
01:01:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
He does.
01:01:55
Graeme Utter
Please.
01:01:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's why he's the man.
01:01:57
Graeme Utter
Absolutely.
01:01:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
What, um, do you obviously have your own Ryan maker. Uh, you don't.
01:02:03
Graeme Utter
Actually, I don't.
01:02:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
Where are you getting it from then?
01:02:06
Graeme Utter
I'm buying it from a paving company in Toronto. ah they They have a contract.
01:02:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
01:02:11
Graeme Utter
They do the the highways coming and out of the
01:02:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
01:02:14
Graeme Utter
So they'll sell it to you by the tanker load.
01:02:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
01:02:17
Graeme Utter
oh I had to buy, you know, three tanks and be able to take 10,000 gallons at a time, basically.
01:02:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oof. Have you crunched the numbers to see if it's more beneficial to keep doing it that way or make your own?
01:02:23
Graeme Utter
it like
01:02:28
Graeme Utter
No, it's awful.
01:02:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's the's awful.
Staffing and Payment Practices
01:02:32
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
01:02:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
01:02:33
Graeme Utter
it's
01:02:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
01:02:34
Graeme Utter
No, yeah, it's it's very not not efficient to buy it from somebody else. So that will be next year's thing. That'll be next year's thing.
01:02:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
Dude, I love you. crack me up. Oh, no, it's fucking awful.
01:02:46
Graeme Utter
Yeah, it's terrible.
01:02:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah oh man you're funny you are too funny uh well i mean what how many guys do you put on during a storm between you you and your dad's company okay all right good
01:02:59
Graeme Utter
About to guys. yeah so We've got our steady guys for the summer. They're basically the dedicated sidewalk guys. They're not really operators.
01:03:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
yep
01:03:11
Graeme Utter
They you know they do lawn maintenance and stuff like that. So they run all the snow raiders and they tour around town. And then we've got a few guys that just come back every winter. And you know they're pretty loyal. And then we always get a few new guys each year.
01:03:27
Graeme Utter
so we make it work. But...
01:03:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, that's cool.
01:03:31
Graeme Utter
Yeah, if you guys have their own businesses, that makes it good for paying them. You can pay them through their corp, right? but
01:03:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
Allegedly.
01:03:38
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
01:03:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah Allegedly.
01:03:40
Graeme Utter
A lot guys still like being paid under the table, too. you know it's
01:03:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
What?
01:03:46
Graeme Utter
It's just always been business, right?
01:03:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Go on.
01:03:48
Graeme Utter
Nobody does that.
01:03:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
That must be a Canadian thing. I've never heard of that in the United States.
01:03:51
Graeme Utter
nobody Nobody does that. but nobody does
01:03:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
but Nobody does that. Oh, man. Too funny. So is there a lot of what do you got as far as competition in the area? You got a lot of competition or no?
01:04:02
Graeme Utter
Oh, yeah, there's tons of tons of guys out there, plowing snow, lots of shitbags that don't know what they're doing. Yeah,
01:04:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Using the same equipment that you bought.
01:04:12
Graeme Utter
yeah yeah.
01:04:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
Because they stole it. Really?
01:04:16
Graeme Utter
Yeah, 100%, that's a thing. um be There's a lot of franchise guys around here, like just franchises.
01:04:24
Graeme Utter
And, yeah, and like i don't want I won't drop any names.
01:04:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
really
01:04:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, it's all right.
01:04:28
Graeme Utter
you know, we met guys down at Storks there that are a different franchise and they're great.
01:04:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
01:04:33
Graeme Utter
The way they run their business is phenomenal. Right. And, you know, you talk numbers and they all they there, they're where everybody else is, but like the other franchise owners in this area, they're fucked.
01:04:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha.
01:04:44
Graeme Utter
Like, like I said, they're doing them all that, uh, you know, my dad did for 150 grand in 03. They're doing it for 150 grand 2025. don't know they do it, but,
01:04:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Jesus.
01:04:54
Graeme Utter
so i don't know how they do it but
01:04:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
There's a couple sites around me like that too, though, that they're actually doing it for the same or less than then was going for 20 years ago.
01:05:04
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
01:05:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's insane.
01:05:06
Graeme Utter
Yeah. But, you know, and there's ah there's a few guys doing liquids, a few guys that have also done it and didn't do it proper, and then they swear that that's that's the devil, who never do liquids, ah never go back, sell everything kind of thing.
01:05:21
Graeme Utter
Yeah. But no, there's a lot of there's a lot of competition and you know you've got to be very sharp on your numbers here.
01:05:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
Interesting.
01:05:30
Graeme Utter
um And there's a couple, like there's another big company that they're always seem to be at the same bid meetings as us. And, but we have a good rapport with them. So, you know, when it's one of our contracts coming up, we just kind of say, Hey man, like, you know, what do you think?
01:05:45
Graeme Utter
and they'll say, just let us know where you want our numbers to be. Right. Cause you know, you have a good relationship.
01:05:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's cool. That's cool. That's very un-Canadian of you.
01:05:53
Graeme Utter
I know, right? and We did that this year and then we ended up subbing on a tractor with them on one of their properties too, right? So, you know, exactly.
01:06:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
Plenty of work to go around, man. There's plenty of work to go around. I love when people work together like that.
01:06:06
Graeme Utter
Exactly.
01:06:09
Graeme Utter
Yeah. So it's it's just good to keep good relationships with these guys and, you know, you try and keep the yeah the guys that really lowball everybody, kind of keep them away. But, you know, you do that again.
01:06:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
ye I hear you.
01:06:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man. that's ah i mean so that i mean That's at least good because that's not what we've heard from the Canadians. ah like ah Most of the Canadians you talk to, like fighting cats and dogs, you know tooth and nail in the trenches.
01:06:37
Graeme Utter
Well, a lot of them are for sure. But like, I mean, my dad's been doing this almost 50 years. so but He's, he's a legend in the area. Right. So and think he's, he's earned some respect from but lot of guys around there that, you know, leave us, leave us with what we have.
01:06:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
um
01:06:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
Good.
01:06:53
Graeme Utter
You know, we, we've been doing this for a long time. We've been doing these properties for a long time. You know, we're not coming after your shit. If you want to do, we can, but you know, we, we like where we're
01:07:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
01:07:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
I hear you. I hear you, brother. um Let's
Business Commitment and Client Relationships
01:07:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
see. So Jeremy's frozen up. That's why it's mostly me here the last 10 minutes or so. he's ah
01:07:15
Graeme Utter
It's on that
01:07:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
he's doing the right yeah He's doing the right thing. The internet is, for whatever reason, not cooperating, so he doesn't want to create like 15 different tracks. ah i'm just ah I'm just firing away here at you.
01:07:23
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
01:07:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
um As far as... lessons that you guys have learned like you know you you you learn from your dad he was doing it before you uh but at any point for you or your dad in business what lessons have you learned up till now that you know you think are beneficial to pass on to guys
01:07:44
Graeme Utter
Well, i think I think it's important to be all in on this. you know because my was
01:07:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
you have to yep
01:07:50
Graeme Utter
When I was first starting out my own business, I was planning for my dad. and I was also working ah day shifts in the quarry, subbing for other guys, welding and doing all the industrial work that I was doing. and You're either going half-ass one or half-ass the other. There's no...
01:08:07
Graeme Utter
There's no doing both. So now that so i don't I don't even sub work from anybody am i on the other side of my business anymore, I do all my own stuff.
01:08:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
yep
01:08:16
Graeme Utter
I've got my own customers. So I basically i pick what I've got to do on that day. it's snowing, that's what we're doing. Everything else can take a backseat. We've got backup guys that can do other things that if it needs to be done.
01:08:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
yes sir
01:08:30
Graeme Utter
But you've got to set your priorities straight because if you want to do this... You've got to be all in on it because if you fuck up, then that's it. You're done, right?
01:08:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Absolutely right, brother. Absolutely right. I agree completely. You're all in.
01:08:45
Graeme Utter
So, and by being all in like on the, on these contracts and you, you know, have that relationship with these property managers and they know, they can see that you're passionate about it.
01:08:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Got to be all in.
01:08:55
Graeme Utter
think they have a lot more faith in what you do. And, you know, when you go back to next year and say, you know, we need to increase 10%, ten percent because we're going to do this next year. You know, we want to buy a different plow or we want to go to liquids or, you know, I want to put a different piece of equipment on here.
01:09:09
Graeme Utter
They're receptive to it because, you know, they know that you care and they know that you have their best interests at at heart here, right?
01:09:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
hundred percent 100%. I agree. I agree so much. And I've said this to guys like they've asked, like, why did you never want to grow more than a, so you know, you obviously could have at some point, um but I didn't want to.
01:09:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
And I said, listen, they're buying me as much as they're buying my business. they want They want me. if i'm If I get too big and I'm not the guy anymore, it's just a company name.
01:09:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
I don't want that. You know, I want to be one on one with each.
01:09:41
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
01:09:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
I want to know each of my site owners or my site supervisors, whatever, whoever I'm is my contact point. I want to be on first name basis with them. I want to be on a you know a friendly level with them and be able to do that. So I agree 100 percent.
01:10:00
Graeme Utter
Yeah. It's been... and then Even my dad's always had those relationships too, like with the mall the um like the mall managers and stuff. He'd put in bids and like they could call you and say, hey, you know here's where you are. Here's where the next guy is.
01:10:15
Graeme Utter
And you know they could tell you that. But now, like the last few rebids that we've done, it basically gets sent off to out west and then they send back. This is the one you're going with to the property manager.
01:10:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:10:26
Graeme Utter
So as much as we know the property manager... And he wants us to have it. There's nothing you can do about it. So, it's tough.
01:10:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. Dude, I hear you. It is tough. It's definitely tough, and that that's why that's why I like to keep it where I'm at. I like my niche. now It sounds like you do too, and yeah if you can just dominate what you want to dominate, you're good.
01:10:42
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
01:10:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
You're golden.
01:10:48
Graeme Utter
Yeah. Yeah, exactly. So yeah, my goal is to just like expand my properties kind of in my area and kind of like take over that that whole area.
01:10:59
Graeme Utter
It's the West End of Hamilton, basically, and it's a good spot to be. There's a lot of combination of industrial retail down there. There's a lot of work to be had if we can get it. So think that's going to be my my my area to go to because I don't want trucks driving all over the city.
01:11:14
Graeme Utter
and That's just, it's too much.
01:11:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
I agree. That's when you start having problems.
01:11:18
Graeme Utter
Yeah, exactly. like That's too much of a headache. It's too much fucking around. If you don't 100% trust the guy that's doing it, God knows they get lost. like
01:11:28
Graeme Utter
it's yeah yeah Keep everything
01:11:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
01:11:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
I mean, the only upside by driving trucks all over the place is maybe you spot some of your wayward equipment that's out there.
01:11:34
Graeme Utter
going.
01:11:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah Oh, man.
01:11:36
Graeme Utter
That's true. That's true, man.
01:11:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
So. the one thing I want to hear from your perspective being, you know, up in Canada there, what are the biggest issues facing snow management in Canada?
01:11:52
Graeme Utter
Well, first of all, it's it's theft up here. Theft is brutal.
01:11:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
01:11:55
Graeme Utter
like
01:11:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's number one. That's like top the list.
01:11:58
Graeme Utter
Right now, yeah, man. like there's
01:12:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
01:12:01
Graeme Utter
People are getting stuff ripped off like every week in the wintertime. like there's There's a plow supplier. um done i think they have one locally. I think they have one down Mississauga way whatever. A guy took his salter in for some work, and somebody tried to steal it out of the back of his truck while it was in the parking lot.
01:12:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
broad daylight oh okay oh i got you i got you it truck salter gotcha oh god jesus
01:12:22
Graeme Utter
No at night. They tried to untie it. Luckily, he left about half a yard. Yeah, they got to take it out of the back. Luckily, he left about half a yard in the thing because it died.
01:12:34
Graeme Utter
but But like it's like, come on, man. But between that...
01:12:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
what are they doing with these things i mean are they selling them are they using them is this like a meth thing you know where they need it for money or something they need it for drugs
01:12:47
Graeme Utter
some I think some of it's sold, but honestly, I think a lot of it is guys doing fly-by-night work.
01:12:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha.
01:12:53
Graeme Utter
like The guys are doing equipment with like stolen excavators and stolen trailers.
01:12:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
01:12:57
Graeme Utter
like They're just operating in plain daylight because nothing's going to happen to them if they get caught.
01:13:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Well, that there, if there is no deterrent, you know, there is no deterrent.
01:13:07
Graeme Utter
yeah
01:13:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
Exactly.
01:13:08
Graeme Utter
Yeah, we don't have one. for that That insurance, obviously, is a big thing. We've got a new broker now, and like he saved us, I think, $10,000 on our policy last year when we signed with him.
01:13:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
01:13:21
Graeme Utter
And like, it's a bigger, better policy than we had before.
01:13:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
that's phenomenal.
01:13:25
Graeme Utter
And he's awesome. And I just talked to him the other day and he said he's got like 10 different companies that are riding snow now.
01:13:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Is that is that it just strictly Canadian or is that US2 insurance?
01:13:39
Graeme Utter
No, it depends. I guess like we have Aviva up here and like Desjardins and a yeah.
01:13:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
We don't have that.
01:13:47
Graeme Utter
So I don't think this much crossover. Like I know you,
01:13:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
That sounds a little French for me.
01:13:50
Graeme Utter
yeah Yeah, we don't do it with the internet.
01:13:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
01:13:54
Graeme Utter
like We have State Farm up here. I don't think they're writing
01:13:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, no, if they're right in snow, you don't want them. that It's going to be pretty pricey.
01:14:00
Graeme Utter
snow. No. Yeah, he's got 10 guys writing snow, 10 companies, and he said, yeah, like it's a good time to renew. He said, like, prices are good. Okay, well, yeah.
01:14:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's great. Good for you guys. Well, I mean, I guess slip and falls aren't your number one problem there. It's theft. So, you know, slip and falls are like ah it's in the rear view mirror.
01:14:15
Graeme Utter
Yeah. It used to be slipping off.
01:14:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
So they're not worried about that as much.
01:14:21
Graeme Utter
Yeah, it used to be slip and falls all the time, and now it's just shit getting stolen. Luckily, we've got those view cameras on all our compounds now, so at least we can see when something goes missing.
01:14:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Wow.
01:14:34
Graeme Utter
that the
01:14:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:14:34
Graeme Utter
but but
01:14:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
How's that working out for you?
01:14:36
Graeme Utter
Those things are great.
01:14:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
Good.
01:14:38
Graeme Utter
Those things are great. They saved us one storm this winter. They called 24 hours ahead of time. You're going have snow, and they kept calling for it. Nobody else did. And cheers, it snowed.
01:14:49
Graeme Utter
It was like a two to three inch event in the middle of the day. And yeah, man, they're they're awesome.
01:14:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotta love it. Gotta love the view cameras.
01:14:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's great, man. You know what? Let's let you get a drink. We're going to do the 15 second commercials and we'll be right back in about 45 seconds.
01:15:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, we're back. So we'll keep going with Graham here. i want to know one thing more from you. ah where Where do you see yourself going, GHI, in the next five years?
Expansion Plans and Equipment Theft
01:16:11
Graeme Utter
Well, I think as my dad's probably getting ready to retire, um I think we're going to look at like big expansion ah because I just been kind of, you know, hanging out, doing what I'm doing and it's good.
01:16:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
01:16:23
Graeme Utter
And I'm um also doing the other side of my business too. And as that's kind of, That's kind of steadying out to where I know what we have on the go all the time. I think I can dedicate a little bit more time to building the snow business and going after some bigger stuff. Because I think with doing liquids and a lot of guys have given it up around here, I think we have a we've got kind of a ah leg up on on guys around here because I think property owners are gonna start wanting to see that.
01:16:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:16:52
Graeme Utter
So I think it's a good selling teacher for us. And, you know, I think we're ahead of the game by getting into it the way we are.
01:16:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Cool. What about what's been the most important decision you've made in the last five years to get you to the point yard and you're at now?
01:17:08
Graeme Utter
i think, yeah, trading out trucks for equipment has been the best way.
01:17:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's a big one for most guys.
01:17:14
Graeme Utter
Because when I started doing what I was doing like under my own company, I had one-ton with a plow, and I was running up like a 2005 Snowway electric salter. It was chain-driven.
01:17:27
Graeme Utter
And it was broken and all the time, man. Like... Literally like putting on new chains from like our version of Harbor Freight, basically.
01:17:38
Graeme Utter
Putting on chains in the parking lot, trying to hold these things together. I was just like, man, like this is not it. that's So, you know, no.
01:17:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
01:17:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
this is yet This is not the way.
01:17:49
Graeme Utter
So that's like we said, I was using scatter shots in the parking lots where we were doing granular and now, yeah, now we're doing liquid. But yeah, I'd say get rid of trucks because you know what? Like you got to pay for them all your,
01:18:01
Graeme Utter
you know whether you lease them or not whatever you do, you're paying for them all year, at least the equipment, you set your payment structure how you want it It can sit there. It doesn't lose value like a truck does.
01:18:12
Graeme Utter
And i mean, you're three to four times more productive. So yeah, I think that was the best move we ever did.
01:18:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Let me ask you a question. Are trucks getting stolen up there as much as equipment?
01:18:22
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
01:18:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay. All right.
01:18:24
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
01:18:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
So it's not like a one thing or the other.
01:18:26
Graeme Utter
No, no.
01:18:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
So it's across the board. Just anything that's not nailed down, they're taken.
01:18:30
Graeme Utter
Yeah, you're even if it is, they'll they'll hook up to it. like They pull a door up around around my house here. They stole the ATM out of this fucking shop a couple weeks ago like with a chain and a pickup truck.
01:18:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
Jesus.
01:18:43
Graeme Utter
And I'm like, I thought we were past this like 50 years ago. Like, come on. ah that Yeah.
01:18:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh my god you guys are funny that is that is so funny yeah it's like whatever gta you know grand theft auto just do whatever you want to do
01:18:50
Graeme Utter
doesn't matter what it is. It's wild. It's like living in a simulation up here. but so
01:19:01
Graeme Utter
Seriously. Yeah, it's wild, man.
01:19:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh man you got anything for me or us
01:19:07
Graeme Utter
it's what
01:19:10
Graeme Utter
ah really
Podcast Appreciation and Social Media Presence
01:19:11
Graeme Utter
is. I appreciate what you guys do, man. like I found the the podcast guess a couple years ago and now. I was just like that like, this is what we need because it's always me and my dad talking snow, right? and Nobody around us can fucking stand us. Yeah.
01:19:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
01:19:26
Graeme Utter
yeah
01:19:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
01:19:28
Graeme Utter
So like, it's great. Just, uh, you know, I appreciate what you guys do. And you know, the storm chasing thing, like, i I can't wait to start sending that to some property owners and be like, Hey, you know, I know it's not us, but this is, you know, this is the kind of stuff we do, you know, I hope you, hope you feel like you're getting value for what you pay.
01:19:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
01:19:46
Graeme Utter
And I think, I think they are.
01:19:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, I think I think you just hit the nail on the head.
01:19:49
Graeme Utter
so
01:19:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
I think that's where the real value is to be able to show that the property owners and property managers be able to say, look, this is we're not just there, you know, when it's snowing, look at all the prep and stuff.
01:20:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
This is all this all costs money. you know this is all for you and it all costs money.
01:20:05
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
01:20:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
You only see the four hours or five hours were on your lot. You don't see the 50 or 60 man hours that were paid out the week before, you know, when they're doing all the the pre-storm stuff.
01:20:19
Graeme Utter
Yeah,
01:20:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
So I think this is going to be really good to to knock this home to some people that might otherwise have no clue.
01:20:24
Graeme Utter
yeah for sure. It will be. For sure. It will be.
01:20:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, we appreciate you.
01:20:27
Graeme Utter
ah yeah
01:20:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
I mean, you've always been a huge supporter of us, ah and we you know we just identify with you because you're such a straight shooter. I love it. It cracks me up. Just no no holding back whatsoever.
01:20:38
Graeme Utter
i hold
01:20:42
Graeme Utter
Yeah, some some say I should, but no. That's it? Yeah, yeah.
01:20:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
01:20:47
Graeme Utter
but
01:20:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah It works, man. You go, what works?
01:20:50
Graeme Utter
yeah like
01:20:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
You can never listen. My, my father used to say, you can never get in trouble for telling the truth.
01:20:56
Graeme Utter
what's it
01:20:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
There's as long as it's true, you can't get in trouble.
01:21:01
Graeme Utter
yeah yeah
01:21:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
It's like,
01:21:02
Graeme Utter
Even if you think I'm lying to you right now, you know, it'll it'll come about. Don't worry. You'll see me, right?
01:21:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, exactly. 100%, buddy.
01:21:09
Graeme Utter
that but
01:21:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man. Well, we definitely appreciate you listening. It was good to see at Storks and actually be able to spend a couple of minutes with you guys and not have you have to run out of there to go ah chase down some stolen stuff.
01:21:21
Graeme Utter
Yeah. Yeah. It was a lot less stressful of a weekend. but Nice to get away, actually.
01:21:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. well And how how long the drive is it?
01:21:30
Graeme Utter
Uh, think it stops and stops. about seven hours.
01:21:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, that's not bad.
01:21:33
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
01:21:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay. That's definitely worth it then.
01:21:35
Graeme Utter
um We drive further than snowmobiling in the winter, so it's not bad.
01:21:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
And there you go.
01:21:39
Graeme Utter
Yeah, you guys. Oh, 100%.
01:21:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go, bud. All right, brother. Well, thanks for coming on with us, man. We really appreciate it. We'll have you back. You willing to come back in ah and and join in on some panel group discussions?
01:21:52
Graeme Utter
uh,
01:21:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
Absolutely. All right, cool.
01:21:53
Graeme Utter
um just understand like i said
01:21:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
That'll be good.
01:21:56
Graeme Utter
i can like i could I have a pretty good connection with HLA up here. so If you're looking for vendors and stuff for what you guys are doing.
01:22:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
Cool.
01:22:05
Graeme Utter
um
01:22:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
Tell them to send something down to Storm Academy there.
01:22:09
Graeme Utter
Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Actually, one
01:22:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
that is ah That is a home run for manufacturers, man. i don't know I don't know why any manufacturer wouldn't throw their stuff down there.
01:22:18
Graeme Utter
Yeah, for sure. The one thing I wanted to do was just throw a plug at or our our case dealer here around the corner, O'Neill's Farm Equipment.
01:22:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
sure
01:22:26
Graeme Utter
Casey is the, he's the owner. And like, honest to God, we could call that guy at two in the morning on a Saturday and say like, we're pissing hydraulic fluid over everywhere. Like, can you help me out? And he will get out of bed and go over and grab oil, leave it on his porch for us.
01:22:39
Graeme Utter
Like he's the owner.
01:22:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
And this is the owner. That's a dealer. The dealer.
01:22:44
Graeme Utter
Yeah, yeah. He is a little old man like he was at my wedding. Like, so um yeah.
01:22:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
and That's a great dealer.
01:22:50
Graeme Utter
like yeah
01:22:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
If that guy's getting invites to the wedding, you know, that's a good dealer.
01:22:55
Graeme Utter
Oh, yeah.
01:22:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's how I feel about GT mid Atlantic right now.
01:22:57
Graeme Utter
Yeah.
01:22:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, like
01:22:59
Graeme Utter
Yeah, he takes care of us. Like, I wish I could have gotten my 321 from him because, you know, I'd have fantastic dealer support. But for everything else we have, yeah, he's there. He's the man. So, yeah, shout out to him.
01:23:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
that's awesome. Well, Thank you, Casey. That's great, man. Anybody else you want to ah shout out your social media or anything so guys can give you a follow?
01:23:18
Graeme Utter
Yeah, check us out. It's GHS Industrial Contractors on Facebook and Instagram. That's about it. but but but
01:23:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
There we go. All right, brother. Well, thanks for coming on. We'll definitely have you back soon and ah good luck tracking down your ah your stolen shit up there.
01:23:33
Graeme Utter
Yeah. Oh,
01:23:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
They won't tell. I just think it's hysterical. The cops know where it is and won't tell you. so you You go hijack it back.
01:23:40
Graeme Utter
yeah. yeah it Yeah. Yeah, we're not allowed to know. We're not privy. Yeah.
01:23:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
That is classic. Oh, my God. Things are different in Canada.
01:23:49
Graeme Utter
Yep.
01:23:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah But all right, Graham. Well, thanks so much. We're going to wrap it there. That's going to do it, gang. Episode 118. 118 of the Snow Jobs podcast main show in the books.
01:24:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
As always, thank Graham for coming on, giving us the time. We appreciate it, getting it done under the wire here. and We're right up again right up against it on another Saturday. And, i you know, it was great having him. he's ah He's definitely an original, and we love hearing from him. So we'll definitely have him back. But that is it, guys and gals. Everybody be safe out there. Have a great week.
01:24:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Keep pushing.