The analysis and the process start well before August – while most are enjoying thirty degree summer days by the poolside, we are planning for winter!
Winter’s agitations come from the more common day realities: awaking at six in the morning to prepare for the already stressful day ahead, looking out of the window and seeing ten centimeters of snow on the driveway, bundling up for the -20° with windchill, realizing that you haven’t yet put on snow tires, and a commute that takes four times as long as it should. Most people hate it – but it’s where we thrive.
When you get to work, you can rest assured that your site is looking clean and safe!
Garden City has been servicing condos and commercial properties since 2001. Having grown from a single condo development, we achieved many milestones and learned many lessons along the way. Today, we are a stronger company for the simple reason that we are committed to never making the same mistake twice.
And the biggest lesson of all has been the importance of preparation – it is fundamental in everything we do. The logistical challenges of managing and operation is one that doesn’t get a lot of consideration from people outside the industry. The fleet, equipment, and staff necessary to handle the amount of snow and ice that we experience each winter requires a lengthy and careful preparation process. Equipment alone can take months to order. Once it lands in our shop, there are numerous considerations that still need to be addressed, installing plows, salters, GPS systems, safety lights and beacons, and reverse cameras. Matching the correct piece of equipment to the site, also plays a big part of the routing. These additional considerations can often add on several additional weeks and as such, we typically start making these arrangements in August in order to be prepared for mid-November.
We have staff for a dedicated 24-hour dispatch in our office to monitor the efficiency of our routes in order to ensure all items are checked and the site is completed. Routing and staff training, are tasks that take direction and detailed instruction, while considering site requirements completion deadlines.
Part of our success in the snow and ice business is due in part to “our commitment to our clients through our commitment to our equipment.” We have a very rigorous maintenance schedule and a very thorough program to ensure that our equipment is the best, the most reliable, and the safest on the road. Lacking proper preparation and lacking the foresight of such, is a road that we have been down in our earlier years and a lesson from which we have learned an incredible amount.
We are a large and successful provider because we are prepared; and therefore, experience little downtime, putting us in a much better standing ahead of our competition. Each and every year we add to our fleet, while maintaining a very strong emphasis on the maintenance of our existing machinery and vehicles.
