Post from our producer of Project Sno Fighter

Hero. It's a word that's been on my mind as of late. We are seeing heros on TV right now as Japan
struggles to stand tall once again. I've been hearing and using the word a lot recently as I work with
Veterans from WWII for a documentary film. It's also a word that I've been playing with in relation to
SnoFighters.
I find myself struck with a truth about the snow and ice management industry that people don't often
notice. The truth is that without snow contractors, life as we know it could come to a halt. Thanks to
Project SnoFighter I am in a unique position to listen closely to how dedicated contractors view
themselves and their work. I see passion and excitement but then I also find a seemingly patriotic
notion of duty. Each of the contractors I have encountered view their work as a public service. The
safety of their region both physically and economically is in their hands.
With the word HERO in the forefront of my thoughts I feel as if I'm left to the philosopher’s task of
evaluating its meaning. In its most common form we leave the word HERO to soldiers, fire fighters,
police officers, and doctors who are out there “saving lives” everyday. Yes, they get paid for their job
but their risk and sacrifices are high. They are indeed heros.
It seems to me however, that SnoFighters are quietly and without notice clearing the way for safety and
in many ways saving lives preventatively. Imagine if a lot went unplowed at an office complex or a big
box store where an employee goes into labor. There will be broadcast news spots all day gushing about
how the EMT's did a great job delivering the WalMart baby. The EMT's will be heros for the day. The
odds of anybody noticing the snowy lot are slim but if one did, the contractor would be vilified.
Conversely, if the snow contractor had the lot black and wet, it seems to me that he would just go
unnoticed. I find this a shame since the snow contractor's diligence and care equally contributed to the
positive outcome of our fictitious situation.
So, with my new enlightenment regarding heros and heroism, I say thank you to all of the diligent,
thoughtful public servants that are to all too many people merely the plow guys. Your hard work and
care may go unnoticed by many but to me, you are all heros. It is my sincere hope that Pro-Tech's
Project SnoFighter film will show the world the greatness of your industry.


Joshua C. Pies is an award winning filmmaker and Executive Producer at C47 Film Associates. He is
Producer and Director for Pro-Tech Manufacturing's Project SnoFighter which will premier at SIMA
2011 in Chicago, IL.

Project Sno Fighter Update

Here's a recent press release that went out regarding our documentary.  Our producer, Josh Pies, has recently been visiting the participants in their home towns and getting some great footage!  Last weekend he was in Quebec visiting Paul Vanderzon and I believe he's looking to jet out to Fargo this week to visit Nick Staloch.
We're still on target to deliver the video at this year's SIMA Show.  Stayed tuned for more updates.

Pro-Tech Sponsors Sno Fighter Documentary

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Pro-Tech Manufacturing and Distribution is sponsoring a new documentary titled “Project Sno Fighter,” which will highlight the lives and jobs of snow removal contractors. Filming is scheduled to take place through March 2011, and the documentary will debut at the Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA) Symposium held this year in Schaumburg, Ill.

“Project Sno Fighter” will feature five snow removal contactors located throughout the U.S. and Canada. “We want to show what happens behind the scenes, as well as the long, hard hours of battling a winter storm,” said Mike Holihan, director of marketing for Pro-Tech. “The film is intended to pay homage to all contractors, both large and small, who often go unnoticed and underappreciated.”

Participants selected for the documentary include Kyle Stevens of Stonewood and Waters Landscape Craftsmen in Rush, N.Y.; Mike Merrill of North Country Snow and Ice Management in Glens Falls, N.Y.; Collin Corso of Terra Lawns Landscaping in Newburyport, Mass.; Nicholas Staloch of Smithco Inc in Fargo, N.D.; and Paul Vanderzon of Amengagements Paysagers Vanderzon Inc in St. Bruno, Quebec. To participate in the film, the contractors underwent an application process and were carefully chosen based on their abilities to depict a diverse and accurate picture of the snow and ice management industry.

All attendees of the SIMA Symposium are invited to attend the documentary’s debut, which will take place at the welcoming reception on Wednesday, June 22^nd, 2011, from 8 to 10 p.m. Following the Symposium, the documentary will be available for viewing on Pro-Tech’s website at www.protechcorp.com.

Founded in 1991, Pro-Tech is the inventor of the original Sno Pusher and the industry leader in commercial-duty containment plows. Pro-Tech takes pride in its proven value, offering a combination of low price, high quality and ready availability to the market. For more information, contact Pro-Tech Manufacturing and Distribution, 711 West Avenue, Rochester, NY 14611, call 888-PUSH-SNO, e-mail sales@protechcorp.com, or visit www.protechcorp.com

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The Value of Rubber Edges

- Below is an article we wrote for the Construction Equipment Guide highlighting the benefits of rubber edge Sno Pushers.  There are a lot of options these days when it comes to selecting a containment plow, but the rubber edge pusher is still the majority pushers purchased and used in the US every year.
http://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/Rubber-Edged-Containment-Plows-Take-on-Wet-Heavy-Snow/15506/

-  Right now there is snow in 49 out of the 50 states.  The lone state without snow?  Not Hawaii, but Florida.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/weather/01/12/snow.states.irpt/index.html?hpt=C1

Happy plowing,

Mike Holihan
Director of Marketing

Project Sno Fighter participants announced!

Pro-Tech is proud to announce the participants for our upcoming documentary. The title of the documentary is "Project Sno Fighter" The contractors will be documenting the rest of their winter season; filming everything from what they do before a storm, during a storm, after a storm, in company meetings, and even a peek at their personal lives.  The documentary is slated to be released at this year's SIMA Symposium in June.

The participants are:

Mike Merrill

North Country Snow and Ice Management 

Glens Falls, NY

Collin Corso

Terra Lawns Landscaping

http://www.youtube.com/user/ctc1111

Newburyport, MA

Paul Vanderzon

Amenagements Paysagers Vanderzon Inc

St. Bruno, QC, Canada

http://www.youtube.com/user/vdzonpaul

Nicholas Staloch

Smithco Inc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFPngX86k1I

Fargo, ND 

Kyle Stevens

Stonewood and Waters

Rush, NY 

Stay posted to this blog as we update our video progress throughout the rest of the winter season!

Making Adjustments to you Sno Pusher

RUBBER

The heavy-duty rubber cutting edge on every Sno Pusher is both reversible and adjustable. On the SPL and SPB models this rubber is 1 ½” x 10” thick and on the SPS models the rubber is 1” x 6”.

To ensure several years of service perform periodic inspections and adjustments following these simple guidelines:

IMPORTANT: A warm piece of rubber is much easier to adjust than one that is cold. It is highly recommended that your machine be placed in a warm place whenever making adjustments.

1.Always begin by placing the Sno Pusher on a smooth, flat surface when making any adjustments. Then place a ¼ inch object under the wear shoes to raise the Sno Pusher a ¼ inch above the level surface.

2.Loosen all bolts fastening the rubber to the Sno Pusher. It is NOT necessary to completely remove the bolts.

3.Using a large mallet or pry bar, adjust the rubber so that the rear, bottom edge just touches the ground.

4.Once rubber is properly positioned begin tightening the bolts. Starting in the center, work toward the side plates tightening the bolts enough to create a substantial bow in the 4” flatstock hold down.

IMPORTANT: We recommend using a ¾” impact gun to ensure proper bolt torque (120 ft-lb).

WEAR SHOES

Need new shoes? Every Sno Pusher is equipped with two High-carbon Alloy Wear Shoes that are bolted-on and replaceable to provide seasons of use by offering superior protection against wear and tear.

When replacement is required, follow these guidelines:

IMPORTANT: Wear shoes are very heavy; please use caution during the removal and installation.

1.Raise your Sno Pusher off the ground and secure the unit under the lower rear receptacle posts and the side plate reinforcement angles using dunnage or jack standards.

2.Loosen all six bolts fastening the wear shoe to the unit and carefully remove.

3.Position new wear shoe on left side and right side.

4.Install bolts, washers and locking nuts. Tighten bolts slightly, just enough to ensure that they won’t fall off.

5.Lower unit on level surface and torque bolts (120 ft-lb) securely into place.

Be sure to always use Pro-Tech replacement parts. 

We're thankful for...

our customers, of course!  With Thanksgiving tomorrow, we wanted to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday and let you know that we are very thankful for your business.  As the landscape of the snow removal industry changes and shifts, we are thankful to have customers that tell us how their business is changing and how we can improve to provide the right product, at the right price, delivered when needed.  We are always open and available to all of our customers and we do not take any of you for granted.  

Before this gets too mushy, we'll end this post here.

Happy Thanksgiving and pray for snow!

Your friends at Pro-Tech

If you are still up in the air on whether or not you need more Sno Pushers this season, you are not alone.  It seems contracts are closing later every year and we have made adjustments in our business to accommodate requests for new pushers later into the season without waiting on heavy lead times.  Our manufacturing department pumps out pushers 12 months a year so we still have strong inventories on most Sno Pusher models.  Our shipping department has really stepped up this year... not only are we still offering free freight on pushers but we are lining up trucks and shipping out orders in record time this year.  We have also spend all year setting up a record amount of new dealers across North America and they still have a lot of inventory.  All of this means that you don't have to worry about long lead times when ordering our Sno Pushers and you are still getting the benefit of paying at our sale price with free freight.

Our next ad in Snow Business magazine reflects this effort.  Check out a sneak peek below.  Let us know whether or not you agree with the idea that contracts are closing later and equipment purchases are being pushed out as a result.

'Til next time,
Mike Holihan
Director of Marketing