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emi landscape prepares for the snow season in the Lehigh Valley

As a commercial property manager, you know how much time you spend trying to make sure your properties are hazard-free and accessible during winter months. With so much on your plate, it can be hard for you to do all the preparation alone. 

When you choose emi landscape as your snow contractor, our preparation process will give you time to focus on keeping your employees productive and safe during the holiday season. You don’t need to stress about the snow pile-up in the parking lot or walkways covered in ice. Our dependable fleet will be there for you around the clock efficiently removing snow and melting ice from your property.

How emi Prepares Commercial Properties for Snow Services 


Preparation is key to the success of your properties. At emi, we plan all year long before we get a chance to even see snow. When we get closer to the colder months, each property goes through an assessment and preparation phase that consists of:
   

  • Staking —Stakes or posts are strategically placed around the boundaries of your property to identify to operators the snow removal perimeters. These stakes help to avoid any potential damage or hazards while plowing.
  • Snow Equipment Transfer & Staging — Oftentimes our snow equipment is staged on-site for you so that snow services can begin immediately when our crews arrive.
  • Filing Satellite Salt Bins: We ensure that salt bins are filled prior to the season start and replenished frequently. A proper covering prevents precipitation from bonding and aids in the removal of remaining snow or ice. 
  • Brine Silos Transfer & Staging — Our brine ice melt solution is mixed with a magnesium-based additive to keep walkways safe. These silos are stored at specific sites and can hold up to 5,000 gallons of brine!  

Company-Wide Snow Process Training 

At emi, we don’t just get through storms, we plan on them. 

We kick start the winter by providing several company-wide training seminars that educate our entire staff on how to provide first-rate snow and ice removal services. 

Important topics we discuss to prepare for the snow season are: 

Preparation & Communication

Not only is communication with our clients important, but it’s also important to have internal communication throughout all departments. By establishing our pre and post-storm procedures we provide reliable results in unpredictable weather.

Equipment Management 

The best way to prevent service interruptions from equipment failure is to ensure crews are qualified to operate our snow machinery. Our crews complete industry-approved certifications and detailed demonstrations so that they can become highly skilled snow operators (more information detailed below). 

Weather Monitoring

At emi, one of our best assets is our ability to assess the forecast and its severity. By utilizing our select weather radar systems, we stay one step ahead for our clients to provide timely and reliable service. We utilize Weatherworks for precipitation warnings and their team gives us a detailed orientation to the program in one of our classes. 

Our snow meetings are an effective way to get everyone on the same page and solidify our communication throughout all departments. We walk away from these lessons feeling like we’re ready for anything Mother Nature throws our way!


SIMA Certifications for All Team Members

Ok, we get it. It doesn’t snow every day in Lehigh Valley. We have to keep ourselves busy in the times that the snow isn’t falling and we can’t perform landscaping work. 

At emi, we don’t fly into the risk of danger, we play it safe. To avoid any accidents, our snow crews are provided with a multi-step training process. We’re proud to regularly partner with SIMA, a non-profit trade association that focuses on training and best practices related to snow plowing, ice management, and business management.  Through their guidance, we have set up a series of certifications that our team members can receive.

All new team members can test for the ASM (Advanced Snow Manager) certification from SIMA (Snow & Ice Management Association).  This gives them a baseline understanding of how to perform many aspects of snow removal.  Once they have passed all 4 sections of the ASM, they move on to the Liquids in Snow Removal certificate.  The purpose of this certification is to provide training on the proper use of brine applications.  Finally, the holy grail of snow certifications, the CSP (Certified Snow Professional), prepares them to perform safety duties, assess risks and evaluate hazards. (In fact, with the CSP they can essentially run a snow removal business themselves!) 

Let It Snow ❄️❄️❄️❄️ !!!!