Steve Wheatcroft is an entrepreneur with many years of experience leading in snow, as well as starting and growing new companies and initiatives. He currently serves as CEO of ULS, a large landscaping design, construction and maintenance company that specializes in snow and ice management. He also is the founder of Spectrum Equipment, which provides end-to-end equipment management solutions, including sales and rentals of heavy equipment and snow attachments. He also helped create the Western Ca...
Jul 16, 2020•51 min
John Janes speaks upon his role at Caterpillar and how he has built a foundation of partnership with the snow and ice industry. He also describes how his military experience molded his journey into developing his work ethic and establishing the rules of leadership that guides him to this day.
Jun 11, 2020•49 min
Cory Wise joins us for a conversation in leadership that centers around his unique situation of leading a snow and ice company in a market that is traditionally a low-snow market. He talks about the strategy and approach his company uses as well as how that dynamic taught him a lot about leadership and snow and ice management.
May 15, 2020•43 min
In this episode, we continue our conversation with Michael Merrill, CEO of North Country Snow and Ice Management in Glens Falls, NY and WinterPlanning.com. In the final part of our talk, Merrill gives his take on the job market as a whole as well in the snow and ice industry. He also touches upon immigration, autonomous equipment and what the future holds for snow and ice labor.
Apr 23, 2020•37 min
In this episode, we’re speaking with Michael Merrill, CEO of North Country Snow and Ice Management in Glens Falls, NY and WinterPlanning.com. In the first part of our conversation, we hear his take on snow and ice labor through his professional journey and insight. We also learn why he views himself as a “reluctant” consultant, and why we should take into account the concerning shift in the concept of labor.
Apr 09, 2020•37 min
In our latest installment, we’re speaking with smart building expert Sean Hartnett of Microsoft. We learn the definition of a “smart” building, how technology has assisted snow and ice contractors to become better predictors and how it is changing the industry in the long term.
Mar 26, 2020•31 min
In our latest installment, we’re speaking with parking expert Carl Schneeman, Director of Operations for Walker Consultants. We learn about the mutual relationship between the details of parking design and the science of snow and ice removal, what the challenges are and the impact it will have in the future.
Mar 12, 2020•44 min
In our latest installment, we’re speaking with Kris Wagner, VP of Marketing at Left Hand Robotics. We learn about the role autonomous robots play in snow removal, how it has evolved and where it will take the snow and ice industry in the future.
Feb 27, 2020•28 min
In our latest installment, we’re speaking with John Janes of Caterpillar, Inc. He’ll discuss how equipment innovations are currently shaping the snow and ice industry and what’s ahead in the future.
Feb 13, 2020•38 min
In our latest installment of the Future of Work in Snow and Ice, sponsored by Caterpillar, Shannon Kenny, Vice President of Operations, Exterior Services for SMS Assist talks about how the facilities management industry views the impact of winter weather, what role does technology play and where it will all lead in the future. We also speak with David Wescott, CEO of Transblue, LLC about how his company uses weather analytics to better serve his customers and how business intelligence will play ...
Jan 30, 2020•37 min
In our first installment of The Future of Snow and Ice — sponsored by Caterpillar, Inc. —WeatherWorks CEO Frank Lombardo talks about the evolution of weather forecasting over the next 5 to 10 years and how it will affect snow and ice professionals going forward.
Jan 16, 2020•33 min
As part of our leadership series, we’re speaking with David Lammers, founder of Garden Grove Commercial Grounds & Snow Management in Waterdown, Ontario, Canada. We discuss the importance of vision, the special bond of working alongside his brother Paul and how the industry should be proactive when it comes to salt procurement.
Dec 19, 2019•44 min
As part of our leadership series, we’re speaking with Phill Sexton, founder and CEO of WIT Advisers. We’ll discuss the Sustainable Winter Management (SWiM) program, how he “cut his teeth” in the snow and ice industry and how we should take a new approach to salt.
Nov 21, 2019•48 min
As part of our leadership series, we’ll speak with Jeff Tovar, Owner of Tovar Snow Professionals in East Dundee, Illinois. Tovar is an original SIMA board member as well as author of “Success Leaves Clues: Tips that worked for me.”. We’ll learn about Tovar’s transition from veterinarian student/football player to snow warrior/businessman. Plus, we talk about where the snow and ice industry is going and how the Tovar Way led to a chance meeting with Richard Branson.
Oct 17, 2019•45 min
As part of our leadership series, we'll talk to Carl Bolm, founder of BSR Services out of St. Louis, Missouri. Bolm, who is also SIMA board chair, discusses his beginnings in the snow and ice industry, the issues it's facing, entrepreneurship and the importance of diversification.
Sep 19, 2019•42 min
As part of our leadership series, we’ll speak with Debora Babin Katz, Vice President of TrucBrush Corporation. Katz is a SIMA board member as well as contributor to Snow Business magazine. We’ll learn about Katz’s journey as an entrepreneur, her work with TrucBrush and what it takes to have grit in this industry to succeed.
Aug 16, 2019•42 min
As part of our leadership series, we’re speaking with Jonathan Crandall, owner of JC Grounds, located in Danvers, Massachusetts. Crandall is also a SIMA board member. In this episode, we delve into his leadership style in the area of personal development, how major life changes forged his personal resolve and learn how he invests in people as well as his business.
Jul 18, 2019•39 min
