Plow manufacturer integrates its TRACE edge technology into Western, Fisher, and SnowEx product lines.

Plow manufacturing parent company, Douglas Dynamics, has integrated its new TRACE edge technology, a terrain-response advanced cutting-edge system, into its Western, Fisher, and SnowEx product lines. The patent-pending, terrain-response advanced cutting edge system is made up of independent 2-foot sections that move vertically, oscillate, and trip to accommodate contours and obstacles in the plowable surface. In addition, a ¾-inch cutting edge with carbide inserts provides durability for heavy-duty commercial applications. Self-leveling side plates also keep the TRACE edge in contact with the surface. By working together, the manufacturers says the sections remove more snow, which reduces the amount of ice melting material needed on pavement surfaces. In addition, two greasing locations allow the operator to keep the components well lubricated for maximum performance. The new cutting edge technology offers professional snow and ice managers peak snow removal performance on their most challenging jobs, said Andy McArdle, Director of Marketing – CSI at Douglas Dynamics.   “And in an industry where you have no time to waste, the ease of attachment, operation and the best-in-class dealer network will help operators get more jobs done faster,” McArdle added.

Here’s how the technology addition breaks down into each company’s individual product offering.

WESTERN The Western Pile Driver lineup of pusher plows — available in 8-, 10-, 12-, 14-, and 16-foot widths — come with three heights and a common carrier attachment system making them compatible with skid loaders, wheel loaders, tractors, and backhoe loaders.

FISHER Fisher Engineering's new line of Storm Boxx pusher plows feature the patent-pending TRACE edge technology. Independent 2-foot sections move vertically, oscillate, and trip to contour to the plowable surface. The Storm Boxx lineup of pusher plows come in 8-, 10-, 12-, 14-, and 16-foot widths. A common carrier attachment system makes them compatible with skid loaders, wheel loaders, tractors, and backhoe loaders.

SNOWEX SnowEx upgraded its line of Power Pusher plows with the TRACE edge technology. This patent-pending system is made up of independent 2-foot sections that raise more than 1.5 inches and trip up to 30 degrees to accommodate contours and obstacles in the plowable surface. The SnowEx Power Pusher is available in 8-foot and 10-foot widths while a common carrier attachment system makes them compatible with skid loaders, wheel loaders, tractors, and backhoe loaders.

During its recently completed 2021-22 term, the high court shielded small businesses from several harmful outcomes in five major wins for Main Street.

While several recent U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings generated headlines and national discussion, other decisions handed down by the justices didn’t make national news, but were important in protecting small businesses, according to the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

Small businesses had a successful term at the Supreme Court, said Karen Harned, Executive Director of NFIB’s Small Business Legal Center. The NFIB was the lead plaintiff in one case -- NFIB v. OSHA -- and filed amicus briefs in the other four.

“The courts are fundamentally the last line of defense for small businesses regarding government overreach, burdensome regulations, and costly mandates,” Harned said in a statement. “The cases decided this term will benefit small businesses across various industries.”

The cases the high court ruled in favor of small businesses included:

CLICK HERE to read a breakdown of these five rulings and how they may impact your business.

Chicago's Rafael Diaz named a "Who's Who" among Illinois' Hispanic business community.

Diaz Group CEO and co-founder Rafael Diaz, a 2021 Leadership Award recipient, has been named to Hispanic publication Negocios Now's 2022 list of “50 Powerful Hispanics in Illinois." The prestigious list includes entrepreneurs from a variety of industries, including professional services, investment, construction, manufacturing, food and restaurant, and others.

According to the publication, Diaz is among good company on this year's power list. “It is an honor for us to feature in our pages this extraordinary group of entrepreneurs who have managed to grow their companies with ingenuity and much sacrifice,” said Clemente Nicado, publisher of Negocios Now. The list will appear in a special edition of Negocios Now -- which reaches more than 250,000 print readers -- dedicated to the Who’s Who in Hispanic Business Gala, which will take place July 15.

The publication seeks to inspire other Hispanic entrepreneurs who struggle every day to persevere while overcoming obstacles. “When we talk about power, it is not only measured by the money that is made, but by the strength of entrepreneurs to overcome difficulties to get ahead," Nicado said in a statement. "In this sense, we can say with no mistake that our entire business community is powerful.” Via a LinkedIn post, Diaz commented: "Thank you team for allowing me to be the leader of such a great organization. Every learning experience pushes us further into new markets and ventures, we fail forward every time and become stronger from being humble and students always." At 2021's Executive Summit, Snow Magazine and the Accredited Snow Contractors Association (ASCA) honored Diaz with a Leadership Award for his commitment to his company, the professional snow and ice industry, and the community he lives and works in. For more about Rafael Diaz, check out his 2021 Leadership Profile HERE.

Meteorological projections forecast the possibility of a third consecutive La Niña winter. What will this mean for your snow and ice ops?

I came across a news item the other day about a “triple-dip” La Niña phenomenon, which frankly, with the heat wave that settled in throughout the Midwest this week, sounded like a cool delicacy I could order from the local frozen custard stand.

Meteorological projections, according to a recent CBC.ca news article (CLICK HERE to read it in its entirety), forecast the possibility of a third consecutive La Niña winter for Western Canada. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), there is a 70% chance for La Niña to continue through the summer and a 50%-to-60% chance it will continue to the end of 2022 and into another winter.

And as you probably remember, during La Niña years, the jet stream over North America shifts further north, which causes changes in temperatures, storm tracks and precipitation, especially in the winter months.

I reached out to Thermodynamic Solutions (TDS) Meteorologist and Snow Magazine contributor Joseph Cooper for a little insight to learn what this potential “triple” threat means for Winter 2022-23 and the professional snow and ice management industry.

It is rare to spend three winters in a La Niña patter, Cooper says, and therefore it’s difficult to predict at this point with any certainty what it could mean weatherwise.

“It’s kind of hard to tell how it could impact snowfall markets given that we don't have a reliable sample size,” he says. “It looks like winter of 1975-1976 and winter of 2000-2001 are the only two on record [with the triple La Niña pattern].

“If you look at the overall temperatures from the two years (see image), it suggests well-below-average temperatures across the Central and Eastern US,” he adds. “Breaking these down into each year, both analogs are very similar with the colder temperatures.”

Precipitation wise, most places are near average, but the combined analogs are a bit drier into the Tennessee Valley/Deep South, Cooper says. The 1979-77 winter, individually, was very dry across much of the US with the 2000-2001 winter being near normal regarding precipitation anomalies.

“With this being said, I have seen some new data just this morning that suggests we could quickly phase out of La Nina and into El Niño late fall and through the winter,” he adds. “So, we may not make it full through the ‘triple dip.’”

Mike Zawacki is editor of Snow Magazine.

Equipment finance executives provide their latest outlook on business conditions, including a slight bump in economic confidence.

Confidence among executives in the equipment finance market remain relatively unchanged from May, with executives reporting major concerns related to interest rates, uncertainties related to Fed action or inaction, as well as the continuing war in Ukraine as weighing heavily on the economy. However, when asked to assess their business conditions over the next four months, 11.1% of respondents -- a wide cross-section of industry executives from banks, independents, and captive equipment finance companies -- believe business conditions will improve over the next four months, an increase from 6.9% in May. 55.6% believe business conditions will remain the same over the next four months, down from 62.1% the previous month. 33.3% believe business conditions will worsen, an increase from 31% in May. Here are some other findings you might find interesting:

Mike Zawacki is editor of Snow Magazine.