The Snow Plowing Season
Text by Karl H. Kazaks Photos by Tom Wallace What’s a Mow Monster to do come winter? Why, push snow of course! Mike Alderman, Jr., established Mow Monsters as a lawn care service in 2013, three years after returning home to Pulaski County. In seven years, the lawn care business has grown from one yard to 90 accounts. This past summer his team of eight employees were mowing 150 acres a week. His snow clearing business has similarly grown. At first, he was pushing and clearing residential driveways as a way to keep some of his employees working during the winter months and to provide a service to the community. 42
NRV MAGAZINE
The snow plowing side of the business has expanded, and today Alderman also takes care of commercial accounts – banks, big retail stores, auto supply stores, churches, apartment offices, medical centers. Alderman uses two snow plows, both made by Snow-Way. An 8’2” wide hinged plow is attached to Mow Monsters’ 2004 F150 pick-up truck. A 9’ 6” wide v-plow, new last year, can be affixed to the company’s 2014 RAM 2500. During mowing months, each truck is used to haul a trailer full of lawn care equipment necessary to outfit a 4-man team.
The hinged plow is a straight plow with flaps at either side which – via a remote control operated from the cab of the truck – can be moved forward to corral snow and prevent it from windrowing off the edge of the plow. The v-plow is also operable with remote control. Both trucks also have on their rear a salt spreader controlled from inside the truck. To protect the trucks from the ill effects of salt, Alderman sprays the bottom of each one with a lubricant which helps repel the salt. Mike takes pride in how his team pays attention to detail. “Customer
January/February 2021
