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SALT LAKE CITY — Ryan Brown, president and owner of Aeroscape Property Maintenance and Landscape, scans the lot behind his building, where dozens of snow removal trucks are parked in a neat line.
“Let's just say this sight isn't making us any money," he said. "So it's not a sight that we love.”
Brown has about 35 trucks parked at the lot in Midvale and 30 more staged throughout the Salt Lake Valley. His company is one of many that provide private snow removal. “We do snow removal on retail and industrial clients, which is our primary clientele," he said. "And we do a lot of work for HOA’s and apartment communities.”
Other than during a valley snowstorm in December, these trucks and their drivers have been idle. “I started this company about 15 years ago, and all throughout my years of doing this I've never experienced a year such as this,” he said.
In Bluffdale, Leroy Larsen is feeling the same thing. He owns Scenic View Landscaping, and his 15 trucks are parked. Bags of snow melt are piled on pallets and a giant pile of road salt sits waiting to be used. He agrees with Brown that it’s been a terrible year.
“I’ve been doing this 30 years and I can't think of a year that's been like this,” Larsen said.
Larsen figures about 30 percent of his annual revenues come from snow removal jobs; Brown said it’s about 40 percent for his company. So, the lack of white stuff has taken a significant bite out of the businesses.
“In fact it's been physically and mentally challenging,” Brown said. “As a business owner, the biggest thing you don't want to do is see what you worked your whole life for potentially be in jeopardy.”
Let's just say this sight isn't making us any money. So, it's not a sight that we love.
–Ryan Brown
Both companies do landscape design and maintenance during the spring and summer months, and with the current warm spell, both are getting an early start on projects that would normally start in March or April.
Brown’s company has a number of year-round contracts with clients, doing landscaping in the spring and summer, and snow removal in the winter. “So a lot of our (clients) that we had in place last year contacted us about two weeks ago, and said considering the conditions the way they are, let's get back at it," Brown said. "So we mobilized our construction crews and, as of last week, they’re out landscaping and (doing) pipe installation, top soil, bringing in plant material and the nursery stock.”
Larsen is also getting an early start. “A lot earlier than normal,” he said. “A lot of our maintenance projects, we're out there doing clean up and getting ready for spring start-up stuff.”
Without any snow to remove, both companies are operating with reduced staff, and that lost revenue has also put them on hold in terms of replacing equipment, which is under constant wear and tear.
There’s still plenty of winter left — three or four good storms will put both companies in good shape.
So it goes for businesses that heavily rely on Mother Nature. “We were talking the other day about what other things can we do in the wintertime besides snowplowing, something we've got to start thinking about,” Larsen said.
Brown and Larsen are avid weather watchers.
“I think all of us have on our smartphones about five different apps, and hoping one of the apps says that snow is coming," Brown said.
