Landscape and Irrigation is read by decision makers throughout the landscape and irrigation markets — including contractors, landscape architects, professional grounds managers, and irrigation and water mgmt companies and reaches the entire spetrum.
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www.landscapeirrigation.com Landscape and Irrigation October 2016 21 LANDSCAPE AND TURF MAINTENANCE ultimately net a substantial increase in overall profits. So why are many contractors reluctant to adopt this essential tool? Some will tell you salt is cheap or that liquids equipment is too costly. Others will suggest that it won't work in their region, or that their customers won't go for it. In reality, fear of change is the primary obstacle. It's time to park the misperceptions and follow these steps to anti-icing success. Tap into training resources As with any profession, staying abreast of innovation in technology is necessary for the long-term viability of a business. Anti-icing technologies have been around for decades and their value has been validated thoroughly. Most data originates in the municipal sector, but private industry associations and leading manufacturers now offer value-added educational training on liquid applications tailored to the commercial market. All the commercial contractor has to do is take advantage of these resources. Educate the customer to get their "buy-in" A good starting point for discussing anti-icing with a property owner is simply to cover the benefits. Here are a few tips for approaching the subject with the goal of getting their "buy-in" for using liquids on their properties: ■ Assess the property with the customer, identifying priority target areas and concerns. ■ Understand the customer's motivations and prioritize their ■ BY PAM BUCKLEY It's a question that continues to present itself more and more frequently for snow and ice management contractors: Should I add anti-icing services to my operation? Anti-icing is more than an essential tool — it represents a dramatic shift in snow and ice control as a whole. Anti-icing takes a preventative approach to tackling this difficult task, in contrast to traditional deicing, a reactive process that relies on breaking up and removing ice once it has already bonded to the pavement. Similar to preventive medicine, anti-icing relies on staying ahead of the storm and preventing iced conditions from occurring in the first place. By spraying a light application of salt brine directly to bare pavement surfaces in the days or hours before a storm, this bottom-up process inhibits ice from bonding to the pavement — much like a greased frying pan keeps food from sticking. Done correctly, anti-icing provides improved traction and optimally safe conditions between when a storm begins and plowing commences. This preventive strategy has been proven to require one-fourth the salt and one-tenth the overall cost of traditional deicing. Because brine is applied with greater precision and utilizes significantly less salt, there is also less resulting damage to customer properties. The cost benefits derived from reductions in salt use, post-storm cleanup, overtime and property damage The Path to Liquid Success Anti-icing for improved traction, safety and profits PHOTO PROVIDED BY SNOWEX LIQUID SOLUTIONS