When preparing for winter, most people don’t think about stocking up on deicers and ice melt products – but if you are reading this, you are likely to be a snow and ice management contractor and you think differently. Snow contractors know that keeping deicers and ice melt products in stock is vital so they don’t run out mid-winter. However, in the sagging economy, we have now it might be tempting to keep your supplies low to keep down costs and gamble on having a mild winter. We all wish we had that crystal ball to know for sure, but since we don’t, here are some insights to help with decisions on stocking deicers and ice melt products this winter.
Loads of weather services and websites work hard at predicting if we will have a mild or intense winter every year. Heck, even our team here as SISCU did some research and recently wrote a blog on determining how much ice melt you need this winter. However, regardless of what type of winter is predicted, no one really knows for sure so as a snow and ice management contractor, it is always a good idea to stock up your deicers and ice melt products well ahead of time so you are ready to offer reliable snow removal services all winter long – especially in the Mid-Atlantic region where we are located, where winters are notoriously extreme some years and can feel never-ending.
Why buy a large supply of deicers and ice melt products before winter?
The Farmer’s Almanac is warning readers that we will have a “shake, shiver and shovel” winter this year. But even if they weren’t, wise snow contractors are always well stocked with deicers and ice melt products well ahead of the time when snow starts to fly. In fact, as a leading deicer and ice melt supplier, we see our busiest months in late summer and early fall when contractors are ramping up supplies before shortages are possible.
Even if the Almanac is dead wrong and it’s a mild winter, the bottom line is that people still haven’t gotten used to driving in the cold. It is more challenging for drivers to properly modify their driving techniques for hazardous road conditions during a mild winter. As a result, it’s crucial to maintain the roads in an especially clean state during mild winters since even little amounts of snow and ice may be dangerous for drivers who aren’t used to driving in the cold.
Unexpected bad weather may happen. You don’t want to be caught off guard inside an unexpected winter storm, which may happen even in a mild winter. Regardless of whether there is snow covering the ground, it is essential to increase your deicers and ice melt inventory to keep from being caught off guard by winter precipitation.
Why using ice melt products and deicers is vital
Now you have a clear understanding of the importance of stocking deicers and ice melt products. While keeping that in mind, let’s also take a look at the benefits that you will be able to get when you are using ice melt products. Even if you don’t feel like stocking them, it is still a good idea to think about the advantages of utilizing a deicer or ice melt solution for winter safety. Business owners, homeowners, retail customers, government facility visitors, and tenants all value ice melt’s benefits – so you should too.
- Ice melt products improve safety
As previously indicated, ice melt greatly increases pedestrian safety on pathways. Even before a storm starts, it aids in ensuring safe travel for passenger cars as well. By avoiding hazardous circumstances from developing on steep hills, bridges, sharp bends, problematic junctions, and other potentially hazardous routes, deicers and ice melt may considerably “decrease the probability of accidents on roads and highways,” according to Snow & Ice Melt Association (SIMA).
When it comes to the winter season, ensuring safety should be a top priority for you. Ice melt products are in a position to provide much-needed assistance to you with ensuring safety. You will never regret the decision of using deicers and ice melt products.
- Deicers and ice melt usage reduce risk at properties
One of the main benefits of ice melt, particularly for property managers, is risk reduction. It is their duty as a company owner, facility manager, or property manager to maintain safety and reduce the risk of accidents and legal action. As a snow contractor, your customers might be responsible for paying any damages if someone gets hurt on their property due to an icy surface. This is one of the primary reasons property managers hire professional snow contractors. Risk management assistance should be one of the bullet points in your sales presentation to help gain new customers. And this service benefit greatly depends on having not only the equipment but the deicer and ice melt chemicals you need to keep properties free of ice and snow-covered surfaces. Properly applying ice melt to the surfaces around a property will lessen the likelihood of a lawsuit and liability claim for your customers.
As you present the benefits of hiring a professional snow and ice management company, help potential customers imagine the hassle and expense they will have to go through if presented with a slip and fall or hazardous conditions lawsuit. Their cost of signing up for professional snow and ice management services would just be a fraction of the expenses that they would have to bear in a lawsuit – not to mention the bad press they might receive. A good professional snow contractor will have deicers and ice melt products stocked continuously so they can quickly use them whenever they are needed to help customers reduce risk.
- Deicers and ice melt products last long when stored properly
One concern snow and ice contractors might have about stocking deicers and ice melt products is having them lose effectiveness over time. It’s vital to store these products properly of course and proper planning and storage will be required to keep deicers and ice melt products on hand all winter long. To make sure your ice melt isn’t damaged, it’s always best to have them stored in a climate-controlled environment. Outdoor conditions like moisture, sunlight, and humidity can cause a reaction with the ice melt products and make it clump or become ineffective. Basically, moisture activates these products so you need to keep your ice melts safely away from moisture.
It’s best to store deicers in a sealed plastic tote, since they are usually liquids, and crystalized salt and ice melt products are best stored in a bin or at least covered carefully with a waterproof tarp. Then we recommend keeping both deicers and ice melt products in a DRY warehouse, storage shed or basement far from sunlight and extreme temperature variations.
- Ice melt product pricing is best in bulk
As a snow and ice management contractor, you are probably already well aware that bulk pricing is always better than smaller orders. Our customers buy products by the large tote, pallet, or truckload to get the best pricing. And buying early when supply is the greatest will usually be advantageous as well. Whether your business is located in the Mid-Atlantic region like ours, or somewhere else in the country buying is bulk is always the way to go for the best pricing.
If you are looking for a reliable deicer and ice melt supplier, we can help! We are open 24/7 before, during, and after the storm for pick-up at our locations in Ijamsville and Silver Spring, Maryland. In addition, we can ship ice melt products and winter supplies anywhere in the country. Contact our team at Snow & Ice Salt & Chemicals Unlimited anytime for details and pricing.