JULY 2020
I N SI DE
p8 8 Ways to Manage Difficult Workplace Discussions in 2020
p24 Three Rivers, Pittsburgh PA Industry Exemplar of Enduring Success
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J U LY 2 0 2 0 N O R T H A M E R I C AN SWEEPER 3
JuLY 2020 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 7
CONTENTS
Introducing...
The Starfire S-4c Simply Adding to a Time-Proven Sweeper. Choose the S-4c for the following enhancements:
F E AT U R E S 8 8 Ways to Manage Difficult Workplace
Discussions in 2020 16 Mind over Matter: Creating Resilience
through Positive Thinking 18 Street Sweeping Broom: Strip Brooms
• • • •
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22 Three Rivers, Pittsburgh PA - Industry Exemplar
of Enduring Success 30 Index of Advertisers/Classifieds CEO & PUBLISHER Gideon W. Smith
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Melissa Kennelly
SENIOR EDITOR Katherine Nolan
EDITORIAL MANAGER Heidi Karpinich
ADVERTISING Tracy Rodean
CIRCULATION Noah Aiden
Phoenix Global Media Inc. P.O. Box 235, Stockton New Jersey 08559 866-418-4400 phone 973-532-0319 fax sales@nasweeper.com North American Sweeper Magazine is published by Phoenix Global Media Inc. Copyright 2020 by Phoenix Global Media Inc. All rights reserved.
SUBSCRIPTIONS $15.00 per year, or by eligible request. POSTMASTER: Please send changes to North American Sweeper Magazine P.O. Box 235, Stockton New Jersey 08559
Opinions expressed in editorial submissions contributed to North American Sweeper Magazine are those of the individual authors exclusively and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of North American Sweeper Magazine, its staff, its advertisers, or its readership. North American Sweeper Magazine assumes no liability or responsibility toward independently contributed editorial submissions or any typographical errors, mistakes, misprints, or missing information within advertising copy.
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6 NO R TH AMERIC AN S WE E P E R JU LY 2020
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BUSINESS CORNER
8 WAYS
I N D U S T RY N E W S
to
MANAGE
A S S O C I AT I O N I N S I D E R
DIFFICULT WORKPLACE INDEX S P O T L I G H TDISCUSSIONS IN 2020 Even in the best of times, problems in any business are inevitable. In the unique case of 2020, the challenges for small to medium-sized service companies across the business sector seem to be multiplying daily. So, as in all other industries, power sweeping businesses need owners and managers who are equipped with the necessary leadership skills to communicate with employees, customers, vendors, lenders, contractors, and others in difficult business discussions.
Below are some recommended ways for addressing
On the other hand, managing professional leadership
typical problems that are sure to arise for entrepreneurs.
composure, rationality, and compassion when
Using these simple approaches to work with people on
confronting workplace problems can help employees,
sensitive issues involving your business can help you
customers, vendors, investors, and others around you
collaborate with them to determine the best mutual
remain clearer-headed, feel less emotionally triggered,
solutions.
and feel more inclined to stay engaged in the process. Your top talent, best customers, preferred vendors,
WHY IS GREATER CARE IN MANAGING CONVERSATIONS SO IMPORTANT NOW?
contractors, and others are more likely to be inspired to
When people feel that a business’s management is
pull together with you and become an even more integral
disinterested in their perspective, they are much more
part of your company’s successful operation when you
likely to reject or disengage from opportunities to
demonstrate good leadership skills during challenging
collaborate to find mutually acceptable solutions.
times.
8 NO R TH AMERIC AN S WE E P E R JU LY 2020
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This means managing difficult communications in a way
When tensions are running high, difficult conversations
that generates the kind of trust that comes from people
with everyone from contractors, to clients, to lenders, to
seeing that you are looking out for the future of the
investors become more likely, if not inevitable. While the
company and their best interests.
types of, and parties to difficult business discussions are
FREQUENT PROBLEMS IN WORKPLACES
countless, there is a single 8-step strategy you can apply to
There are, of course, far too many common workplace
navigate such thorny interactions:
issues to list here. Arguably, most of the roughest conversations an employer will inevitably have are probably
TIPS FOR MANAGING DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS AT WORK
going to be with workers regarding performance issues, or
Facing difficult problems is not pleasant for anyone.
with unhappy customers, or possibly with worried lenders
However, there is a comprehensive approach you can take
during financial stress periods.
to manage uncomfortable meetings. This straightforward
During start-up phases, probationary employment stages,
plan can help you minimize the uncertainty and stress for
periods of leveraging growth, or in unpredictable periods
everyone involved and help everyone feel more amenable
of broader economic downturns, such as this year (2020),
to working together toward the most practical solutions.
issues can become pervasive and extreme throughout a
Here are eight basic tips for managing difficult conversations with anyone involved with your business —
business. Just some examples of difficult issues your business may need to be dealing with this year include:
workers, clients, partners, suppliers, or others whom you may have to deal with regarding some problem in some area of your business:
4 STAFFING CUT-BACKS 4 CANCELING VACATIONS 4 POOR PERFORMANCE 4 RAISING PRICES 4 SWITCHING VENDOR 4 REDUCING PAYMENT AMOUNTS 4 BUSINESS LOSING MONEY
4 PERSONALITY CLASHES 4 BAD ATTITUDES 4 TERMINATION FOR CAUSE 4 SLOW PAYMENT 4 DISCONTINUING SERVICE TO DIFFICULT CUSTOMER
4 POSTPONING RAISES
4 EXTERNAL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
4 CHANGING JOB ROLES
4 SAFETY VIOLATIONS
4 WORKPLACE BIASES
4 ANGRY CUSTOMER
4 SERVICE DEFICIENCIES
4 EMPLOYEE DISPUTE
4 UNRELIABILITY, INCONSISTENCY
4 COUNTLESS OTHERS
1.
SEE THE OPPORTUNITY IN A CHALLENGING SITUATION.
Problems inherently contain opportunity. Challenging issues are veritable natural developers of creative potential. Better ways are born of the struggle for solutions. There are lots of great clichés around this point because it’s such a well-proven, time-tested feature of leadership reality. First, of course, appropriately handled resolution of issues fixes a problem. That means the way of doing things has been improved from that point forward. The business will function better as a whole, and key lessons have been learned about avoiding similar issues going forward. Plus, participants in devising the solution have proven their abilities to succeed in such difficult challenges in the future. Generally, the more people bringing their creative problem-solving abilities to bear on a problem, the better. When an issue is impacting the smooth running of your power sweeping business, layout your own best ideas for continued on page 10
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BUSINESS CORNER
I N D...preparing U S T R Y N Ean W Sagenda for the
meeting and practicing what you’ll say can make all the difference...
2.
THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY DURING THE MEETING IN ADVANCE.
Whatever the issue, whomever the parties to the discussion of it may be, preparing an agenda for the meeting and practicing what you’ll say can make all the difference between success and failure of your purpose for the discussion. So, prepare your comments, the solutions you have in mind, the questions you need to
A S S O C I AT I O N I N S I D E R
ask, the commitments you need to give and receive, the solutions, then ask for ideas from employees, vendors, industry experts, even from friends or relatives who may have some new perspectives. Collaborating successfully to solve an important issue
objectives and goal you need to set for the meeting. Take notes with a list of talking points going into the meeting, to allow you the freedom to manage the discussion with greater leadership confidence. You’ll
also leads to an opportunity for the people involved to
have a clear direction, boundaries, and endpoint for the
share a victory over the problem. So, despite all intuitive
conversation.
SPOTLIGHT
perceptions to the contrary, difficulties between people
INDEX
Send out an invite to the individual or group with
can strengthen their bonds and enhance working
whom you need to meet, stating the specific topic of
relationships.
the discussion accurately and neutrally. If it’s about poor
1 0 NORTH AMERIC AN S WE E P E R JU LY 2020
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performance, for example, you might state that it’s a performance meeting. If it’s about a need for a vendor
4.
CLARIFY THE SPECIFIC TOPIC TO BE DISCUSSED AT YOUR MEETING.
rate reduction, you could call it a meeting about product
Announce before the meeting, if advisable, and again
or service costs. If it’s about a quarterly loss, you could
at the start of the discussion specifically what the topic
state that it’s about profit margins.
will be. If the meeting is about a particular problem
3.
with a specific product or service you’re receiving
Like most people, business owners don’t enjoy awkward
discussion is simply to work with the meeting invitee(s)
conversations about difficult subjects. But, those
to come up with a lasting solution to their or your
encounters are inevitable in the life of an entrepreneur.
problem.
DON’T IGNORE THE PROBLEM OR PUT OFF HAVING AN UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATION.
from a provider, or if it’s about a specific error a service employee is making, explain clearly that your plan for the
Avoiding dealing with serious business issues prolongs
Having a narrowly defined purpose for the discussion
the dread and may even worsen the problem at hand —
also helps attendees restrict themselves to the facts, vs.
which can make it even harder to face. So, when a serious
meandering through opinions and general talk about
problem comes to your attention, arrange a time to meet
peripheral matters loosely to do with the topic.
with the interested parties, and just lay out the issue and
Being clear on expectations for their part in a difficult
propose your best solution(s). Maybe an unhappy employee has been less productive
continued on page 12
lately. Maybe a customer is upset with a serious mistake your staff made. Maybe you need to approach a vender about a service problem, or you need to tell a lender that you’re going to be late with payments due to the economic impact on your business. The employee, the customer, the vendor, the lender will all be easier to deal with if you have not allowed the situation to go on for a prolonged period. People tend to feel like they’ve been treated unfairly by a business manager who lets his/her problem with them, or their problem with him/her go unaddressed for a long time. If they have needed to correct their actions, they may feel they should have been told sooner. If you need to correct your actions, they may feel you should have explained yourself more promptly. So, before the problem grows to negatively affect areas of your business’s operations or important business relationships, stop procrastinating. Take time to think through what you’ll need to say, determine what the best solution you can offer is, and sit down with the other party to work it out.
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J U LY 2 0 2 0 N O RT H A M E RI C A N SWEEPER 11
BUSINESS CORNER
I N D U S T RY N E W S prepare themselves and manage their emotions while
6.
working on solutions to controversial issues.
There’s an abundance of great information on how to
meeting can also help people mentally and emotionally
Often, people will wander away from the central point
LEARN FORMAL CONFLICT MANAGEMENT METHODS.
communicate in business. Learning higher business
of a meeting, or begin picking on the details of the
communications skills can help you avoid seeming
argument or use a meeting to vent their laundry list of
insensitive to others’ positions, or condescending, or
complaints about the company, their problems, etc.
impatient. Advanced skills development can help you
Discussions can drift so far afield from the original intent
ASSO I ATprepared I O N ItoNshift S I your D Eapproach, R stay flexible, beCbetter
that much time is spent and nothing gets accomplished.
and employ other helpful tactics from a range of
So, when meeting participants begin side-tracking with
advanced conflict resolution techniques. There are strategies for giving
comments that don’t pertain
parties to a conflict room to
to the specified point of the discussion, politely guide the
S Pback O TtoL the I Gcentral H T purpose. talk
5.
SET AND CLEARLY EXPLAIN THE GOAL OF THE MEETING.
Just talking about the issue, of course, is of little help without some actionable decisions made and some clear assignments of
Just talking about the INDEX issue, of course, is of little help without some
reposition, helping them save face, reframing complaints as helpful input toward solutions, helping people
actionable decisions
visualize a negative outcome
made and some clear
and a positive outcome of the
assignments of tasks to implement solutions.
effort to settle on a mutually beneficial solution. These and an abundance of other
tasks to implement solutions.
professional-level soft skills
Don’t allow your meeting to
that cannot be covered in
become a mere exercise in expressing complaints. Go in
detail here are very useful for leaders of growing power
with a constructive plan.
sweeping companies.
Along with stating the topic at the beginning of the
In the meantime, keep in mind that your success in a
meeting, also state what you have in mind as a goal
difficult discussion means that all parties have become
for the discussion. Keep the meeting participants
motivated to agree on a mutually satisfactory solution.
focused on collaborating to create a simplified plan for
So, above all, focus on understanding their desires and
implementing specific solutions. Assign roles and tasks
interests, in terms of the effect(s) of the problem and
and timelines for implementation.
solution(s).
each attendee or with the group, to review and confirm
7.
that solutions have been fully implemented and are
Often, even when the nature of a problem in business (or
working as expected. That is the process for a successful
in personal life) seems very clear, it turns out that there
meeting about a business problem.
is an unexpected number of other perspectives on it. In
Before leaving the meeting, schedule follow-ups with
ALLOW EVERYONE TO TALK, AND LISTEN CAREFULLY TO EACH PERSON.
continued on page 14
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J U LY 2 0 2 0 N O RT H A M E RI C A N SWEEPER 13
BUSINESS CORNER
said, to demonstrate to people that you care about what
Follow-up with the parties to if appropriate, t I Nthe D Udiscussion, S T RY N E W S o check the status of actions they agreed to do
they’re saying. This simple approach can go a long way to helping people stay calm and maintain a collaborative mood, even in discussing the most difficult of business issues. Your success in setting the tone for a polite and calm conversation, and showing genuine caring for others involved can help diffuse anger and lead to much more
such cases, arriving at a solution that is mutually beneficial
desirable outcomes of meetings about controversial issues.
for everyone affected requires hearing everyone out.
8.
Listening is the best way to understand a problem from various angles. So, make listening to a priority in your
A S S O C I AT I O N I N S I D E R
FOLLOW THROUGH TO ENSURE THAT YOU AND OTHERS KEEP COMMITMENTS MADE.
What should happen after a difficult business meeting?
difficult discussion. Hear what each person involved
Follow-up with the parties to the discussion, if
has to contribute to the discussion, and be respectful of
appropriate, to check the status of actions they agreed
everyone’s ideas and concerns. Make sure you convey that
to do and to report your progress on action items you
SPOTLIGHT you have heard each contribution to the discussion after each person speaks and that you understand it. Signal with a word, or a few words of acknowledgment, or a nod, etc., that you understand what the speaker has
INDEX
agreed to handle. Continue to track progress until the implementation of agreed solutions is complete. Meet again as necessary to modify originally agreed solutions. Modify timelines as necessary to make sense of workloads and coordination with service deadline for everyone involved. Remember to thank people for their contributions to successful outcomes. YOUR FUTURE IN MANAGING DIFFICULT DISCUSSIONS
Mark Powell: Used Sales Manager
After Hours Phone: 336-689-4879 / Fax: 336-869-9979 www.cesrefuse.com
TOLL FREE 800-239-7796
When the time inevitably arrives for you to deal with a difficult discussion with someone internally or externally involved with your business operations, your plan should be to seek to engage everyone involved in approaching the situation with a collaborative spirit, finding win-win solutions, and maintaining company’s critical business relationships. Your best strategy for achieving the above in a difficult discussion is to prepare in advance. Study the tips above, to help you keep the discussion on track, help people remain calm and feel heard, and to inspire participants to work together with you in good faith through the
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J U LY 2 0 2 0 N O RT H A M E RI C A N SWEEPER 15 1/17/12 11:36 AM
MIND
over MATTER:
Creating Resilience through Positive Thinking
I
n the Oscar-nominated film Shawshank Redemption,
cardiovascular disease (Mayo Clinic, 2020). People who
main character Andy is sentenced to life in prison for a
see things positively are also more likely to make healthy
crime he did not commit. Andy befriends another inmate
lifestyle choices, and they are more resilient in stressful
named Red, and together they make the most out of
situations (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2020).
life behind bars. Red observes Andy with curiosity and
There is also evidence linking a positive mindset to
admiration; he notices that although his situation is dire,
business success. In a study of almost 200 self-made
Andy never really accepts that he is in prison. Red says,
millionaires, 79% of the group believed they would be
“Andy [wore] his freedom like an invisibility coat…he never
successful before they actually “made it.” Additionally,
really developed a prison mentality. His eyes never got
71% of the millionaires had a habit of finding things to be
that dull look.” After twenty years of unjust captivity, Andy
grateful for in life (Corley, 2018). These success stories are
is eventually able to escape from prison and start a new
not just miraculous, self-fulfilling prophecies. Numerous
life.
studies have shown that thinking positively fosters other
We’ve all heard sayings about the transformative power
traits crucial to succeeding in business, such as creativity,
of the mind. Henry Ford famously said, “Whether you think
willingness to collaborate with others, and the ability to
you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” Siddhartha
tolerate risk and failure.
Gautama, better known as Buddha, taught this principle
How can we as business leaders foster a positive mindset
to his followers: “The mind is everything. What you think,
among our employees and within ourselves? Here are a few
you become.” In a time when there is so much to feel
expert tips for creating more positive thinking habits (Mayo
down about, even hopeless, can we really change our
Clinic, 2020):
circumstances by changing the way we think
4 Check yourself. Learning to think positively requires
There is ample evidence from the medical community
breaking habits of negative thinking. Set reminders for
about the ties between positive thinking and physical
yourself throughout the day to notice your thoughts and
wellness. Positive thinking yields many different health
make adjustments if needed. If you do a daily meeting
benefits, including longer lifespan, decreased rates of
or check-in with your team, start your meeting by
depression, a stronger immune system, and lower risk of
encouraging the group to notice their thoughts; if they are
1 6 NORTH AMERIC AN S WE E P E R JU LY 2020
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bogged down with something negative, suggest they find
had to cope with new sources of stress and worry. Political
something positive in their life to be grateful for.
unrest, economic recession, and an ongoing public health
4Bring humor into your life. Even in difficult times, smiling
crisis have made life in America drastically different than just
and laughing are crucial to improving our mood and coping
a few months ago, and many feel worried about the future.
with stress. Make time for yourself to enjoy a movie or show that
The challenges ahead are very real,
makes you laugh. Share a funny
Just as a positive
story with your team. Don’t be
mindset is good for our
afraid to laugh at yourself—
but we cannot underestimate how our mindset can help us through these difficult times.
bodies, the inverse is also
Sources Corley, Tom. 25 July 2018. Author mistakes sets a good example for true: exercise is who studies millionaires: Here’s your employees. why most successful people are a mood-booster. 4Create active habits. Just as a upbeat and positive. CNBC Money. positive mindset is good for our Available at https://www.cnbc. bodies, the inverse is also true: exercise is a mood-booster. com/2018/07/24/tom-corley-why-most-successful-people-areupbeat-and-positive.html. Make sure you are giving yourself time to exercise—around Johns Hopkins Medicine. 2020. The power of positive thinking. 30 minutes a day is ideal. When possible, have “walking Available at https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellnessmeetings” with team members rather than always sitting at and-prevention/the-power-of-positive-thinking. your desk. For company events or team-building exercises, The Mayo Clinic. 21 Jan 2020. Positive thinking: Stop negative consider holding activities outside that give people a self-talk to reduce stress. Available at https://www.mayoclinic. chance to move. org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/positivethinking/art-20043950. In both our personal and professional lives, many of us have finding humor in your own
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J U LY 2 0 2 0 N O RT H A M E RI C A N SWEEPER 17
ADVERTORIAL
STREET SWEEPING BROOM: Strip Brooms The strip broom was designed as an alternative to the traditional tube broom. With interchangeable rows of bristle, the strip broom provides efficient sweeping, simple storage, ease of disposal, and simplified broom changeovers.
T
he tube broom has been the staple in the
guard, simply sliding the old strip of bristle out and a
sweeping industry for decades. The only problem
new one in its place on the existing mandrel. The fiber
is, they’re bulky and very heavy, which makes them
guards then get re-bolted and you’re ready to start
expensive to transport, difficult to change and even
sweeping again.
more complicated to dispose of. The strip broom was
The mandrels for most sweepers are set up to take 18
designed to address all of these issues and keep your
strips to build a complete broom, although there are
sweeper doing what it does best: sweep.
a few sweeper configurations that take 13 strips. The
HOW THE STRIP BROOM WORKS
strips create a sweep point with a high concentration
While the bristle in the strip broom may be the same
of the material to achieve the digging and flicking
as tube brooms, the way a strip broom is made is
necessary to remove heavy debris.
completely different. The strip broom bristle gets fused
CENTER SWEEP MANDREL VS SPIRAL MANDREL
with individual strips that are the full length of the
There are two style mandrels for different sweeping
broom. The strips are then easily slid into channels that
applications. The first is the Center Sweep Mandrel. The
are welded horizontally on the mandrel which bolts on
center sweep core is designed for municipal sweepers
to the sweeper.
and directs debris into the middle of the sweeping path
When the strips reach the end of their life, they can
resulting in less streaking and improved debris pickup.
be replaced by undoing the bolts that secure the fiber
It also allows collected debris to settle evenly in the
1 8 NORTH AMERIC AN S WE E P E R JU LY 2020
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sweeper hopper; eliminating elevator wear and the need
...businesses today are
for frequent adjustments caused by debris collecting to one side. The second style mandrel is the Spiral Sweep Mandrel. The spiral core is designed for road construction
continually looking at creative ways to efficiently purchase and ship the brooms they use.
sweepers that push debris off the road. There are different size mandrels to fit the different sweeper models. BRISTLE TYPE
brings the aggressive sweep and flicking agility of the
The standard bristle for the strip broom is the same
polypropylene bristle together with the digging action of
polypropylene bristle used in tube brooms and wafer
the wire.
brooms. However, not all bristle is created equal. Different
SHIP MORE EFFICIENTLY
manufactures use different formulas that impact the wear
Transportation accounts for a large percentage of an
and performance of the broom.
overall broom cost, and businesses today are continually
Strip brooms are also available in a poly/wire mix for the
looking at creative ways to efficiently purchase and ship
sweeping jobs that require a more aggressive sweep. In
the brooms they use.
this case, crimped wire is combined with the standard
Typically, only one tube broom can be shipped per pallet.
polypropylene bristle to make a combo strip broom that
For larger quantities, half or full truckloads are often
continued on page 20
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J U LY 2 0 2 0 N O RT H A M E RI C A N SWEEPER 19
ADVERTORIAL
needed to transport tube brooms.
disposing of each individual tube broom is
Alternatively, the versatility of the strip
significant due to the size of the broom.
broom allows the strips to be packed
All of these things considered, the overall
in flat boxes, with each box holding
cost of running a tube broom cannot
18 strips to make up a whole broom.
compare to that of a strip broom. A strip
Fifteen boxes of these strips can be
broom will allow for more production and
shipped on a single pallet.
overall efficiency than that of a standard
Example:
tube broom.
15 standard tube brooms = 15 pallets
Since developing the strip broom several
15 strip brooms = 1 pallet
years ago, Keystone has successfully helped
60 standard tube brooms = 1 full truck
contractors convert their sweepers to poly and combo strip
60 strip brooms = 4 pallets
brooms. Contact us to learn more about how you can convert
DON’T FORGET TO RECYCLE
The poly strip broom is 100% recyclable. Each strip can be placed in a recycling container once removed from the mandrel. A typical mandrel can last up to two years before needing to be replaced. On the contrary, the tube broom cannot be recycled and needs to go to the landfill. The costs associated with
your sweeper. Mike Santos, Sales and Marketing Manager at Keystone Plastics, Inc. m.santos@kpbrush.com Link to video – https://youtu.be/19blaeweWdY Resources page on website – https://www.kpbrush.com/ resources/
Replacement Brooms You Can Rely On.
Quality. Performance. On-Time Delivery Keystone Plastics has been manufacturing the industry’s leading replacement brooms for street sweeping and road construction since 1954. At Keystone we believe in reliable quality and strive to make the heaviest, longest lasting brooms in the industry. We also believe the only good broom is the one that arrives to you as promised. Contact us to find a distributor near you.
Visit kpbrush.com | Call 1-800-635-5238 2 0 NORTH AMERIC AN S WE E P E R JU LY 2020
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J U LY 2 0 2 0 N O RT H A M E RI C A N SWEEPER 21
IN THE NEWS
A S S O C I AT I O N I N S I D E R
INDEX SPOTLIGHT OAKMONT CAPITAL SERVICES PARTNERS WITH YANMAR TO BRING FINANCING TO NORTH AMERICAN DEALER NETWORK WEST CHESTER, PA June 2020 – Oakmont Capital
for YANMAR America’s Compact Equipment Division.
Services is excited to partner with YANMAR to bring
“At YANMAR, we’re committed to offering a variety of
equipment financing to its North American dealer
financing options for our dealers, and with Oakmont on
network. As a direct, independent lender, Oakmont
board, we are eager to see what Elise and her team will
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strengthens our resolve to provide exceptional customer
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About YANMAR
dealers,” said Elise Linn, CLFP and Business
YANMAR America Corporation, located in
Development Officer with Oakmont
Adairsville, GA, is the regional headquarters
Capital Services. “Within Oakmont, we’ve
of YANMAR Co., Ltd., a global company
assembled a knowledgeable team that
based in Osaka, Japan. YANMAR Co., Ltd.
will provide a smooth funding process for
was established in 1912, and in 1933 became
both dealers and customers. Our expert
the world’s first manufacturer to develop a
financing professionals understand the
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equipment, as well as gas engine-based energy systems.
YANMAR North America, headquartered in Adairsville,
Visit yanmar.com/us
GA, manufactures and supplies compact construction
About Oakmont Capital Services
equipment, compact utility tractors, branded industrial
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exciting for all involved,” said Jeff Pate, Division Manager
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2 2 NORTH AMERIC AN S WE E P E R JU LY 2020
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J U LY 2 0 2 0 N O RT H A M E RI C A N SWEEPER 23
INDEX
SPOTLIGHT
Three Rivers, Pittsburgh PA
mplar e x E Industry
of Enduring Success
y Exemplar r t s u d n I
The Three Rivers Power Sweep’s company has achieved exceptional success under its owner Leroy Stotler, a mechanical engineer turned entrepreneur. Stotler’s company has won numerous municipal contracts and has built a broad client base across the commercial and construction / industrial segment of the company’s operational area in the Pennsylvania power sweeping market over the past 13 years.
F
or his most recent extraordinary industry achievement, Stotler’s Three Rivers Power Sweep, Inc. has proven its remarkably robust capacity for *business continuity during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. THE STARTING POINT OF THREE RIVERS
The company originated as Delo’s Cleaning. The owner had one truck (an old DMC). It had no tank, so it had to be shoveled out. Then, Leroy’s mother Kathy, and her sister Linda bought the business. They named it Three Rivers. The two women jumped right into the rugged male-dominated industry, starting by doing snow plowing and parking lot sweeping. They then spun the commercial sweeping business off that. Leroy started working around the company when he was only about 12 years old. He would help his uncle making pallets and help his mom and aunt in their power
sweeping business. Later, he went off to college, became a Mechanical Engineer. He then spent about 18 years helping software companies design software for analyzing structural and thermal elements and computing fluid dynamics. Leroy explains for the layman that this is a foundational design area with applications in a vast range of things from plastic bottles to airplanes. Eventually, in 2007, his mom and aunt decided they were ready to exit from the company. Leroy decided to buy them out of the business. He put together a business plan, went to a bank, got a loan, and bought Three Rivers. At that time, the company had 3 or 4 trucks and 6 employees. Today, Stotler’s company has about 16 trucks and 17 employees. There are 2 office employees, 2 full-time mechanics, and a full-time day porter, 12 power sweeping truck drivers. Plus Leroy, who says he serves as the third person in the office. continued on page 26
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SPOTLIGHT
INDEX
could potentially compromise service quality, “I think I’d rather have it a little slow coming back. If it hit too fast, we would probably have difficulty hiring and training fast enough (to meet skyrocketing demand).” THREE RIVERS AMAZING ENDURANCE THROUGH CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
13 YEARS OF STRONG GROWTH
Leroy looks back at his changing roles throughout the history of his company’s growth, “There was a time when I did a lot of the driving. I think a lot of power sweeping company owners probably struggle with the idea of getting out of the truck.” He said that in his case, he would work full-time in the office, then go home, and then go right back out in the truck. Working 20hour days, eventually, he realized he had to make the decision consciously to stop doing that. Proven by the company’s robust growth, he certainly did have an excellent sense of how he needed to reorganize his work time. He explained that to grow the business, the first thing he did (in around 2009) was to acquire a small vendor who was looking to get out of the business. That company he bought had two trucks at the time. From that point forward, Leroy recalls, “Our growth has been both organic and deliberate. We were aggressive about going out to get clients, whether for parking lot sweeping and portering, or other commercial accounts. But, we did invest in some equipment for construction site work.” He upgraded to a waterless Elgin Eagle, and then just continued to upgrade and add equipment to service the company’s growing construction and industrial sweeping revenue channel. Leroy mentioned that the company has just purchased a new Elgin Green Badger. He estimates that as the pandemic ultimately wanes, he expects business to continue growing steadily, as in the past. He noted that he is glad, of course, to see business now starting to return to more normal levels, but that in his company’s case, he can look at it as actually a benefit to have workloads returning to the normal volume at a rate that is easier for his team to absorb, vs. having everything coming back all at once. Leroy commented that a rapid major influx of new business
2 6 NORTH AMERIC AN S WE E P E R JU LY 2020
Now in late June of 2020, while the business sector is still floundering from national and international economies spiraling into a shocking global decline, Leroy says, “At this point, we’re just trying to get back where we were.” He sums up the current situation, “The good news is that we were considered an essential business. The bad news is that we dropped a huge amount of business in just a 3- to 4-week period. But, we’ve now added about 8 new properties as well as some additional industrial sweeping.” He said that a lot of the new business the company has acquired over recent weeks, including a couple of grocery store chains, were switching vendors and his company was fortunate to be the one who picked up the work. Leroy clarified that he had lost 30 to 45 percent of his business within just those few weeks, including losing his largest client. So, the pandemic has had an extreme impact on this metro Pittsburg power sweeping business. Still, seeing through the lens of the classic ever-positive entrepreneurial outlook, Leroy emphasizes, “But, we’re lucky to have more stuff coming online.” He further evaluates the positives for Three Rivers during the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 global health and during other such circumstances that may ever arise. He explains that it has been his policy to refurbish trucks after they’ve taken some wear, instead of always eagerly financing new ones. “We’ll do a conversion of a chassis to a new sweeper system, to have full capacity. We keep everything as fresh as possible. Last year we added two new vehicles. But, we try to do it conservatively and smartly, so we don’t have ourselves hanging out there too much.” He goes on to complete the layout of his strategy for maintaining business continuity through an economic crisis like the one resulting from the pandemic. “We didn’t’ have to lay anyone off. We were running lean anyway, so everyone was working lots of overtime. It was a hit for the hours they were getting, but we were able to keep everyone working at least 3 days a week.”
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THREE RIVERS POWER SWEEP, INC. BUSINESS MODEL
Leroy estimates that today Three Rivers’ business volume consists of probably around 60 to 70 percent retail shopping centers and office buildings, office complexes, and other commercial power sweeping. He said the remaining 30 to 40 percent is construction and industrial service. Three Rivers services PNC Park & Heinz Field for all sporting events or concerts at the premier Pittsburg venue. The company also offers portering service. Additionally, they subcontract snow plowing, asphalt repair, storm drain repair, replacement, and repair of handicap signs in parking lots. “We will dabble in all those things if it makes sense for the customer. They’ll call us if they’ve been doing business with us for 10 or 15 years. Leroy notes, “It’s easier for our customers who prefer to have work done through us because they already know and trust us when we can connect them with other services they need. And, there’s a trend among big-box retailers to want to have a one-call provider.” Leroy explained that his company also works with quite a few national vendors, and he commented on the issues some power sweeping businesses have with those relationships, “I think the struggles some sweeping companies have with them happen when they end up getting all of a big-box retailer’s locations for a flat price. The majority of the time the prices are not realistic, nor
...the pandemic has had an extreme impact on this metro Pittsburg power sweeping business...“But, we’re lucky to have more stuff coming online.” is the scope of work that is agreed upon. You can choose to take it, negotiate, or walk away.” He noted that there are other practical challenges in working with the national vendors. For example, he mentioned that currently, his team’s drivers are required to check-in and out properly for each service delivery in one of four apps, and it’s not an intuitive process on those platforms. We asked about the company’s work in event services. Leroy explained that they don’t concentrate a lot of their sales and marketing efforts on acquiring events services accounts, “But, since we’ve been doing it for 20 years, we kind of naturally get some of that work, when there are street fairs or other large events in the area.” continued on page 28
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Leroy explained that the majority of new service work right now is from the referral business. His team is doing phone calls, and some work was already set before for customers to call in July. Asked about his projections for the future, he observed, “Projections have proven futile at this point. We were on a steady growth path in commercial work before this (the pandemic). I think that will all come back. Again, overall, I think it’s kind of a good thing that it’s returning a little slowly because deluge would be hard to manage.” He mentioned that the company recently bought another Tennant 800 and that work demanding that equipment is growing. ADVICE FOR POWER SWEEPING INDUSTRY NEWCOMERS FROM INDUSTRY EXPERT LEROY STOTLER, THREE RIVERS
...the camera takes periodic pictures, the system performs evaluations and identifies any rough driving. TECHNOLOGY AT THREE RIVERS
Everyone on the Three Rivers team uses a smartphone, either their own or one supplied by the company. Leroy points out that since most drivers don’t want to carry two phones if they want to use their phones, the company helps them get the apps installed. They also help the drivers get acclimated to the GPS tracking. The company recently upgraded its GPS tracking with inward and outward-facing cameras in 15 vehicles. Leroy commented that there’s naturally always a big concern about distracted driving and sleepy driving. The state-of-the-art version of the technology utilized by Three Rivers works with AI (artificial intelligence), which tracks the driver’s eyes, so that if the eyes droop, or if the driver looks downward, etc., the camera detects the movement and records any noteworthy occurrences. The monitoring, information transferring, and storage are all in the cloud. Leroy explained that the camera takes periodic pictures, the system performs evaluations and identifies any rough driving. It will announce distracted driving to the driver, right inside the truck cab. The system then saves the information about the incident to a safety folder for review. MARKETING, BRANDING, AND SALES AT THREE RIVERS
All Three Rivers trucks have the company name, address, and website printed on the exteriors. The field service employees are all are given safety-green tee shirts and hoodies, with the company logo displayed.
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POWER SWEEP, INC., PITTSBURGH, PA
“There’s a knee-jerk reaction to someone offering you a contract with multiple locations, like seven stores, for example. Make sure you know what the cost is before you take the contract,” Leroy recommended. “Make sure you’re doing it in a profitable way, or you’ll get buried by the cost. The fuel and maintenance expenses will not stop.” He further emphasized that one of the main challenges and is the most important thing to get right, is having good staff, “There has to be somebody else doing the work. The priority has to be keeping the staff working and as happy as you can, realistically.” Leroy continued, “Having decent equipment that is well maintained also helps drivers feel safe and lets them know you care about the equipment and the company, and that helps them take pride in their work.” THE MARK OF SUPERIOR LEADERSHIP
The owner of Three Rivers enterprise exemplifies what growing up in the industry and developing an exceptional depth of understanding of residential, commercial, industrial, and large events power sweeping services means in terms of building clientele and overcoming the costs and other challenges in marketing to, and servicing such diverse local power sweeping service market segments like these. Just the number of professional power sweeping industry associations that the business owner maintains is another strong indicator of a service provider that fully appreciates the need for building resources that can help advance his team’s and his industry knowledge, specialized service skills proficiencies, safety management efficiency, and power sweeping enterprise management success. We’ll add a final observation here about the stunning degree of economic sustainability (*business continuity) demonstrated by Leroy Stotler’s Three Rivers Power Sweep, Inc. over these
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bizarre months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company’s business performance stands out as a beacon of the very soundest advice for the industry at this time, along with the other identifiers of Leroy Stotler as a leading industry expert in how to operate an economically sustainable power sweeping company. All vendors in the industry, small and large, can do well to follow the Three Rivers’ example in prioritization of spending controls, equipment upgrades, service quality, employee satisfaction, and flexibility practicality in service channel diversification. Leroy Stotler and his team have well proven that Three Rivers functions by a truly exceptional formula for maintaining service levels and preserving profitability through even the most extreme of unforeseeable and uncontrollable external economic challenges. *business continuity (formal business accounting term referring to either a strategic or organic capacity for sustaining a business, whether with or without modifications to its existing model) during internal or external emergencies that are of nature and magnitude that would otherwise be reasonably predicted to impact its business performance so severely as to cause the entity to fail to continue operating.
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