Ruppert Landscape Appoints Kang President & COO
Jessica Schwartz
Hitting The Road: Brine, Beets & Other Thanksgiving Treats
Chances are, there will be a lot of talk of brine this week. And while most conversations will focus on brining the turkey, landscapers in snow management think of brine a little differently. Increasingly used as a pre-treatment for roadways ahead of a winter weather event, brine is a solution of water and salt with a third ingredient thrown in to help the brine stick to the road surface. What that third ingredient is has become an interesting—and sometimes humorous—reflection of the geographic area in which it is used. In a search for cost effective and eco-friendly alternatives, brine recipes have come to involve all sorts of byproducts from the food industry, some of which may be gracing tables on Thursday. Reports of brine recipes since 2014 have included wine-making byproduct in Argentina; cheese byproducts in Wisconsin; potatoes in Tennessee; pickle juice in New Jersey; molasses in Maine and New Hampshire; and beet juice in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, and North Dakota. So far, it seems, beet juice has had the most “sticking” power over the years. In Washington, D.C., this year’s District Snow Team consists of 882 employees, a 296-vehicle fleet (including 120 heavy plows, 100 light plows, and 46 100% biodiesel plows), 42,000 tons of salt, 86,000 gallons of brine and… 10,500 gallons of raw beet juice. (According to a 2015 article in the Washington Post, the recipe involves 23% salt, 62% water, and 15% beet juice. The 2014/15 winter required 25,000 gallons of beet juice, a budget item ...
Hitting The Road: Brine, Beets & Other Thanksgiving Treats
Chances are, there will be a lot of talk of brine this week. And while most conversations will focus on brining the turkey, landscapers in snow management think of brine a little differently. Increasingly used as a pre-treatment for roadways ahead of a winter weather event, brine is a solution of water and salt with a third ingredient thrown in to help the brine stick to the road surface. What that third ingredient is has become an interesting—and sometimes humorous—reflection of the geographic area in which it is used. In a search for cost effective and eco-friendly alternatives, brine recipes have come to involve all sorts of byproducts from the food industry, some of which may be gracing tables on Thursday. Reports of brine recipes since 2014 have included wine-making byproduct in Argentina; cheese byproducts in Wisconsin; potatoes in Tennessee; pickle juice in New Jersey; molasses in Maine and New Hampshire; and beet juice in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, and North Dakota. So far, it seems, beet juice has had the most “sticking” power over the years. In Washington, D.C., this year’s District Snow Team consists of 882 employees, a 296-vehicle fleet (including 120 heavy plows, 100 light plows, and 46 100% biodiesel plows), 42,000 tons of salt, 86,000 gallons of brine and… 10,500 gallons of raw beet juice. (According to a 2015 article in the Washington Post, the recipe involves 23% salt, 62% water, and 15% beet juice. The 2014/15 winter required 25,000 gallons of beet juice, a budget item ...
Get Equipped: Snow & Ice Management At GIE+EXPO
Want a sneak peek at some of the newest Snow & Ice Management equipment that will be on display at GIE+EXPO next week, October 20-22, in Louisville, KY? See below! Check out more GIE+EXPO exhibitors and products here, and in Spreaders, Sprayers & Seed and Small Engine & Handheld Equipment! Single-Motor, High-Flow Snow Blowers From John Deere Compatible with the John Deere compact track loaders, compact wheel loaders, and skid steers, the SB72D, SB78D and SB84D Snow Blowers incorporate features such as hydraulically operated poly-lined chutes and deflectors, reinforced wrappers, adjustable skid shoes, and two auger options for improved performance and durability. This introduction expanded the company’s lineup of attachments to include additional versatile solutions that increase the value and capabilities of compact machines. The new two-stage hydraulic snow blowers are ideal for clearing snow from roadways, parking lots, driveways, and sidewalks, and they move snow up to 45’ from the machine. In addition to the standard smooth auger, the D-Series Snow Blowers are now also available with a serrated auger option that is designed to cut through the toughest of snow conditions. No case drain connection is required on standard and high-flow models, and the direct-drive motors at the auger and impeller provide reliable performance while requiring fewer parts than previous models. The D-Series models feature a 36″ high-volume intake shroud, maximizing snow-clearing productivity. The hydraulically activated, poly-lined chutes and deflectors enable easy snow placement from in-cab controls, making it stress-free for the operator to maneuver and remove snow. ...
Get Equipped: Snow & Ice Management At GIE+EXPO
Want a sneak peek at some of the newest Snow & Ice Management equipment that will be on display at GIE+EXPO next week, October 20-22, in Louisville, KY? See below! Check out more GIE+EXPO exhibitors and products here, and in Spreaders, Sprayers & Seed and Small Engine & Handheld Equipment! Single-Motor, High-Flow Snow Blowers From John Deere Compatible with the John Deere compact track loaders, compact wheel loaders, and skid steers, the SB72D, SB78D and SB84D Snow Blowers incorporate features such as hydraulically operated poly-lined chutes and deflectors, reinforced wrappers, adjustable skid shoes, and two auger options for improved performance and durability. This introduction expanded the company’s lineup of attachments to include additional versatile solutions that increase the value and capabilities of compact machines. The new two-stage hydraulic snow blowers are ideal for clearing snow from roadways, parking lots, driveways, and sidewalks, and they move snow up to 45’ from the machine. In addition to the standard smooth auger, the D-Series Snow Blowers are now also available with a serrated auger option that is designed to cut through the toughest of snow conditions. No case drain connection is required on standard and high-flow models, and the direct-drive motors at the auger and impeller provide reliable performance while requiring fewer parts than previous models. The D-Series models feature a 36″ high-volume intake shroud, maximizing snow-clearing productivity. The hydraulically activated, poly-lined chutes and deflectors enable easy snow placement from in-cab controls, making it stress-free for the operator to maneuver and remove snow. ...
Get Equipped: Deicing Products
Take a look at this assortment of deicing products that can improve and add value to your professional snow and ice management services. Quad Boom From High Country Spray Systems The Quad-Boom from High Country Spray Systems is a new four-width spray path boom specially designed for anti-icing and deicing work. Capable widths are 8′, 12′, 20′, and 40′ with in-cab controller. Features include: Ability to work easily in close quarters, or cover large areas with a single pass; Save time covering a 40′ wide path in a single pass; Save money by getting big truck coverage with your 3/4 ton to two ton truck, and not give up your small area and close quarters ability; Available on all production models including 205, 305, and 450 gallon systems; Part of a new Airport Edition sprayer line coming soon from High Country Spray Systems. Turf Storm From Scag The heavy duty construction of the new Turf Storm stand-on spreader-sprayer means years of dependable service and worry-free productivity. Important structural components are made of stainless steel to resist the effects of consistent exposure to commonly used, highly corrosive chemicals. Right sized dry and liquid capacities include a 220-pound hopper and dual 30-gallon liquid tanks (60 gallons total) with drain valves for easy draining and cleaning. Spraying widths up to 10′ help get the job done. Stable machine balance ensures sure footing while eliminating the need for locking front casters, and a spacious operator platform (with extra-large operator comfort cushion) paired with ...
Get Equipped: Deicing Products
Take a look at this assortment of deicing products that can improve and add value to your professional snow and ice management services. Quad Boom From High Country Spray Systems The Quad-Boom from High Country Spray Systems is a new four-width spray path boom specially designed for anti-icing and deicing work. Capable widths are 8′, 12′, 20′, and 40′ with in-cab controller. Features include: Ability to work easily in close quarters, or cover large areas with a single pass; Save time covering a 40′ wide path in a single pass; Save money by getting big truck coverage with your 3/4 ton to two ton truck, and not give up your small area and close quarters ability; Available on all production models including 205, 305, and 450 gallon systems; Part of a new Airport Edition sprayer line coming soon from High Country Spray Systems. Turf Storm From Scag The heavy duty construction of the new Turf Storm stand-on spreader-sprayer means years of dependable service and worry-free productivity. Important structural components are made of stainless steel to resist the effects of consistent exposure to commonly used, highly corrosive chemicals. Right sized dry and liquid capacities include a 220-pound hopper and dual 30-gallon liquid tanks (60 gallons total) with drain valves for easy draining and cleaning. Spraying widths up to 10′ help get the job done. Stable machine balance ensures sure footing while eliminating the need for locking front casters, and a spacious operator platform (with extra-large operator comfort cushion) paired with ...
Get Equipped: Snowplows & Attachments
Take a look at this assortment of snowplows and attachments that can improve and add value to your professional snow and ice management services. SK-R 6 Box Plow From BOSS Snowplow The SK-R 6 joins the SK-R 8 and SK-R 10 to expand BOSS’ line of SK Box Plows for tractors, skid steers, and other compact vehicle equipment. SK Box Plows from BOSS are designed to put the full force and maneuverability of compact vehicle equipment into getting the pavement back to black. The floating edge and pivot system keep the cutting edge in contact with the pavement regardless of the contour. The new SK-R 6 features a reversible 1” rubber cutting edge designed for quieter plowing operation and better protection to sensitive surfaces. The SK-R 6 joins the five other models in the SK Box Plow line; it features a 79” width, four vertical ribs, and two horizontal pans. SG Snowplow From Steel Green Don’t let your fertilizer spreader/sprayer sit unused all winter long. The SG Snowplow attaches to Steel Green Manufacturing spreader-sprayer machines and enables contractors to utilize this equipment for snow plowing. The SG Snowplow is compatible with Steel Green models SG46 and SG52. Steel Green purchased the rights to manufacture the Z-Plow™ and is producing a snowplow attachment to transform its zero-turn spreader/sprayer into a sidewalk snow-removing machine with up to 350 pounds of salt-spreading capacity. The SG Snowplow is made with all stainless-steel construction and resists corrosion from salt and liquid deicer. It features a poly plow blade, ...
The Curious Case Of The Less than Two-Inch Snowfall
Does this sound familiar? Doug Delano, owner of Level Green Landscaping in Maryland, outlines his firm’s snowfall tracking procedures and practices with snow manager Greg Stacho. When the weather forecast calls for snow — even less than two inches — we snap into action the day before. Planning is everything. While some of our customers sign contracts stating they don’t need our services unless it shows at least two inches, others have more pressing needs. “Many of our clients have what we call ‘minimal tolerance,’” Stacho says. “As long as flakes are falling from the sky, they want us there, even if it amounts to just half an inch.” Please Stand By If the forecast calls for an inch and a half of snow starting at 3 a.m., we want our snow removal crews to be rested, not waiting up all night for the phone to ring. So crew members are told to get some rest, and are given a start time to report in the morning. “We need crews to come in,” Stacho says. “We can’t wait until we know if there’ll be two inches.” We contact our minimal tolerance customers the night before, too, to inform them of our plan for their property. “We don’t want to bother them at 2 a.m.” Stacho says. “All that is done by 9 p.m. the night before.” High Tech Weather Tracking On alert from the day before that snow is coming, Stacho checks the weather forecast at about 1:00 a.m. Years ...
