Equal parts bulldozer and loader, Case has unleashed the Minotaur DL55 compact dozer loader. But does this new piece of hardware make sense for your snow ops?
There’s a monster roaming the equipment yard, and it may be one snow and ice management contractors shouldn’t fear. Case has uncaged the Minotaur DL55 compact dozer loader, a first of its kind hybrid of a bulldozer and compact loader the heavy-equipment manufacturer says is equipped with 21 patents and field tested for more than 10,000 hours. And while Greek legend describes the Minotaur as a half man-half bull mythical beast, Case’s engineering gods seem to have been conjuring a jobsite creature packed with both power and ample amounts of operating finesse and versatility. Here are some of the Minotaur's key features Case is touting:
In addition, Case has populated its website with a ton of Minotaur product specs and performance videos, including an 11-part concept-to-dealership series. You can get a deeper look at the Minotaur and form your own opinion HERE and HERE. So, does the Minotaur make sense for the average snow and ice management contractor? Well, contractors engaged in construction or landscaping in the warmer months will have the opportunity to release the Minotaur from its labyrinth. Case has nearly 30 of its own attachments contractors can draw from for any number of tasks, including brooms, buckets and blades for winter snow and ice management. And combined with the nearly endless number of non-Case attachments on the market, this adds ample amounts of versatility and potential. However, if you’re a snow only operation, the Minotaur’s power may be tempting, but it’s anticipated price tag may not make budgetary sense for equipment that’ll be idle during the warmer months of the year. Regardless, the Minotaur is worth checking out either online or in person at your local dealer. And it’ll be interesting to see how competitors react and how soon they’ll be bringing their own monsters to market.
Mike Zawacki is editor of Snow Magazine.
Contributing editor and State of Salt columnist Rob English shares some of the trends he’s observing that may impact snow and ice management professionals.
The economy may have you struggling to stay afloat, but there is no need to drown in red ink. Three keys to surviving inflationary business conditions you can employ today.
The state of the economy may feel dire at times, especially if you are a small business owner. However, business writer, consultant, and speaker Gene Marks says there is no need to panic. The barbarians have not breached the gate and Rome is not about to fall, he says metaphorically. So, there is no need to come to dire conclusions. And while these economic conditions my persist for the near future, there are a few steps you can take to keep yourself in black ink. “If you’re running a business, then you need to be operating with the mindset that prices are going to continue to go 6% to 10% over the next 12 months,” Marks says. “You have to prepare yourself for that and take steps to protect yourself." Marks offers three successful strategies he is seeing companies doing to navigate around inflation.
Raise Your Prices. Strategically. “You’d be crazy not to raise prices, particularly when you haven’t been able to do that over the last 15 years. What’s different now from [the inflation] of the late 1970s and early 80’s is business owners today have a lot more data. I’ve seen my clients raise prices, but they’re doing it very strategically. They’re not doing [increase of] 10 percent across the board. Instead, they’re digging into their accounting and customer relations management systems to target certain customers, certain product lines, certain regions … They’re really looking at this data. So, for some [clients], they’re bumping up prices a few percent points, and for other, not at all.” Double Down On Communication. “I see a lot of clients leveraging their data for communicating, as well. They’re really segmenting their data and doubling down on communicating with their customers just to let them know about price increase and when it will impact them. They’re staying very close to customers so that they are well aware of what’s going on. And it works. It really keeps the relationships going well.” Employ “Shrink-flation.” “I see my smarter clients practicing shrink-flation. It’s when you sell something for the same price, but you sell just a little bit less of it. This is going on all over the place. For example, your roll of paper towels may have a few less sheets, or there are a few less garbage bags in the box, or a hotel makes you request for maid service, it’s not just given. In other words, you can provide the same products or services, but just a little less and you keep the price the same … and it keeps the margins up.”
Equipment maker launches a new line of branded attachments specifically for is compact track loader and skid-steer lines.
The move increases Orion's presence and portfolio in the Atlantic region.
In M&A news, Sauers Snow & Ice Management announced this week it has been sold to New York-based Orion Group, a commercial facility services company backed by private equity money. The transaction closed June 16. The company serves the commercial sector throughout eastern Pennsylvania, southern and central New Jersey, and northern Delaware. In addition to specializing in snow plowing and snow and ice management, the company providing commercial landscape maintenance services in the summertime. The Sauers family -- siblings Stephanie, Mike, and Joe -- are no strangers to Snow Magazine readers. Located in Warminster, Pa., the company’s snow and ice management operation makes an annual presence on The Top 100 list, they have contributed their insights to educational discussions and editorial content in the magazine, and company President Stephanie Sauers is a past recipient of The Leadership Award. Likewise, Sauers played a key role in the grassroots effort to get the Accredited Snow Contractors Association’s model legislation passed into law in Pennsylvania.
Both Stephanie and Mike will remain on as president and director of sales, respectively. Joe is transitioning out of the company's daily operations to pursue other business interests.
Located in New York, New York, Orion Group (Orion) is a commercial facility services company actively partnering with family-owned service providers. Orion is building national platforms in several field services sectors by investing in businesses with strong teams and cultures, and by creating growth opportunities. Orion is backed by Alpine Investors, an investment firm that focuses on partnering with and developing exceptional people to grow businesses. Alpine has been an investor in field services for more than a decade. "The business and cultural fit were important as well as giving Orion a major presence in the east," says Doug Smith, senior managing director M&A at General Equity, an M&A advisor that brokered the deal for Sauers.