February 2015 — Property Management Quarterly —
Page 19
in snow and ice management ser-
vices. Similar to the commercial
real estate’s Real Property Admin-
istrator or Certified Property Man-
ager certifications, the training is
rigorous and is followed by testing
through an outside third-party facil-
ity. CSPs are professionals who not
only get the job done, but also have
invested the time and effort required
to successfully achieve the designa-
tion, and maintain the credentials by
meeting annual continuing educa-
tion requirements.
The benefits of working with a
contractor who is affiliated with
snow removal industry groups is
that it allows a property manager
another means to truly qualify the
company he seeks to hire. Although
pricing is always a key consideration,
qualities associated with a profes-
sional organization are equally sig-
nificant. A contractor’s safety, liability,
and risk management training and
education, as well as expertise and
competence, are invaluable aspects
that show the level of sophistication
within an organization. It is through
training and education that contrac-
tors remain current on the latest
and greatest equipment, technology,
trends, laws and improvements. Fur-
thermore, having a knowledgeable
contractor partner can make all the
difference in the event of legal action
from a claim or incident involving
snow removal.
The early bird trends.
Early signing
and commitment in snow removal
is a newer trend. There is so much
that goes into snow and ice removal
operations that contractors are now
spending the time to educate their
clients to the importance of early
decision-making. The newly edu-
cated client no longer waits until
late summer/early fall to shop snow
services. Contractors must forecast
for the future winter season, which
requires purchasing equipment, labor
planning, and chemical and materi-
als ordering. Furthermore, contrac-
tors who purchase early are better
equipped to plan their operations
and guarantee the most competitive
pricing from their vendors, ultimately
passing on the savings to their client.
Owners and property managers who
commit early are guaranteed better
resources and pricing.
Some of the aforementioned trends
in the snow and ice industry have
brought about improvements that
not only benefit the snow and ice
contractors, but property managers
and building owners as well. And it
is through the collaborated efforts
of the snow and ice management
contractors, manufacturers and sup-
pliers of snow removal products,
goods, services and equipment,
trade industry groups and our cli-
ents that we are all clearing the way
to a better future.
s
Snow removal contracts are changing to seasonal-based formats with fixed costs for the entire season.
