North American Sweeper - April 2023

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.

YOU CAN’T OUTRUN A BEAR

URBAN LIFE SOLUTIONS

A Nationwide Canadian Street-Sweeping Company

The need for quality street sweeping service is as great in Canada as it is in the US. But the climate, terrain, and economics of the Great White North make the profile of the average successful Canadian street-sweeping company a bit different. Like most things that vary from nation to nation, American and Canadian street sweepers are more similar than they are different. But this makes the differences stand out even more.

Urban Life Solutions (ULS) is a nationwide Canadian street-sweeping company. But because of Canada’s size, ruggedness, and cold climate, they have a slightly different focus. This difference begins to show in the fact that they refer to their service type as “outdoor service.” When we go over what they do, this will begin to make more sense.

UNITING CANADA’S LEADING OUTDOOR SERVICE PROVIDERS

What makes ULS unique is the fact that they have brought together the leading Canadian outdoor service providers giving its customers access to the full spectrum of outdoor services under one roof.

As a result, Government Agencies, Municipalities, and Commercial Portfolio Holders can benefit from a host of services all of which offer the same accountability, dedication to quality work, and great customer service. This gives ULS the power to offer competitive pricing,

flexibility, and accountability through a single, nationally trusted name.

With a focus on supporting the growth of the organizations they serve, ULS has united a crack team of best-in-class Canadian outdoor service providers. So, let’s

With a focus on supporting the growth of the organizations they serve, ULS has united a crack team of best-in-class Canadian outdoor service providers.

take a look at the needs each of the service providers cater to and learn what ULS is all about.

ULS BRAND AFFILIATES

What you get when you work with ULS is something of a Swiss Army knife of complete outdoor solutions. What makes them great is enabling you to make one call, visit one site, and deal with one tight-knit management group for the full spectrum of quality outdoor solutions. So, let’s look under the hood.

UNITED LIFE SOLUTIONS

Specializing in landscape design and construction, lawn care, snow, and ice control, and more, ULS makes up the core of its affiliated services - offering consolidation and management for all of its industryleading partners.

CITY WIDE

City Wide is a leader in roadside solutions with service

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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.

areas in Calgary, Edmonton, Alberta, Red Deer, and beyond. It’s an absolutely massive service area, and CW delivers on-demand service and scheduling. When it comes to comprehensive outdoor service, you never know when towing will be needed, and that’s where CW comes into the mix.

P MUNRO

Like ULS, P Munro offers snow and ice management and a list of landscaping services. They cover service areas that ULS does not, and in areas where their coverage does overlap, P Munro avoids being redundant by adding heavy equipment rentals and hardscaping maintenance. P Munro reaches more than 35 cities and serves a wide range of organization types.

JOHN SWEEPING

In case you were beginning to think actual street sweeping was being glossed over, well, in comes

John Sweeping. They have been a leader in Canadian street sweeping services for years with water trucks, sweeper trucks, dump trucks, ploughs, and the expert crews needed to put them to professional use.

GRASS CHOPPER LANDSCAPING

For top-quality landscaping services across a range

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When it comes to comprehensive outdoor service, you never know when towing will be needed, and that’s where CW comes into the mix.

of categories, Canadians have called on Grass Chopper Landscaping for more than 20 years. They have coverage areas and speciality services that no one else in the ULS group offers. When you call ULS with a landscaping need that only GCL can cover, that’s who shows up.

FOREST RIDGE LANDSCAPING

Yet another landscaping arm on the ULS octopus, Forest Ridge Landscaping add even more capabilities to this list of services. FRL has been in business for more than 22 years, serving Canadians primarily inside the Greater Toronto Area. FRL is one of the very few full-service landscaping companies in Canada that provide all of their services all year long.

WHY ULS LEADS THE PACK

With all these competent, professional, and experienced companies under one collective roof, you might be asking why ULS gets to play captain. The reason is simple. They have exhibited superior delegation, management, and organizational capabilities. You can bet that they didn’t just get first crack at the captain’s chair handed to them. They earned it.

In reality, ULS pulled well ahead of the pack when it came to organizing and coordinating all of these disparate services. Their unique value proposition is the ability to take everything that their partners are each best at and get them to work together in a way that amounts to superior end results for clients.

As far as their partners are concerned, they will tell you that they love the arrangement. We spoke to one team leader who told us, “With this set-up, we don’t need to worry about anything but doing great customer service, cleaning up lots, delivering great landscaping, and leaving the site knowing we did a great job.”

When you take an expert like that and force him to do all the pencil pushing as well, the service suffers. At the end of the day liberating their fellow outdoor service professionals from having to engage in disruptive managerial processes is what ULS is all about.

Sources https://urbanlifesolutions.com/

COMMERCIAL CREDIT GROUP INC. CLOSES

$397,080,000 TERM ABS (CCGR TRUST 2023-1)

SPOTLIGHT INDEX

Charlotte-based equipment finance company closes sixteenth asset-backed security transaction.

CHARLOTTE, NC (March 20, 2023) – Commercial Credit Group Inc. (CCG)® , an independent commercial equipment finance company, today announced that it has finalized a $397,080,000 term asset-backed security (ABS) transaction. The securitization was placed with a diversified group of fixed income investors from 34 unique institutions. BofA Securities, Inc. served as Structuring Agent and Lead Bookrunner for the placement. The securitization is comprised of four classes of notes which carry the following ratings:

Class A-1 A-1+ (sf) F1+ (sf) $114,500,000

Class A-2 AAA (sf) AAA (sf) $240,360,000

Class B AA (sf) AA (sf) $19,010,000

Class C A (sf) A (sf) $23,210,000

“

CCG is pleased to have completed its sixteenth term ABS transaction since 2011. We are appreciative of the continued support from the institutional ABS investor community which is reflected in the high levels of oversubscription on the transaction.” stated Paul Bottiglio, CCG’s SVP and CFO. “This transaction further diversifies our funding sources helping us to more efficiently meet the financing needs of our middle market customers.”

The securitization pool is supported by CCG’s finance contract originations in the construction, fleet transportation, manufacturing, and waste equipment industries.

About Commercial Credit Group Inc.:

Commercial Credit Group Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Commercial Credit, Inc., is an independent commercial finance company that provides equipment loans and leases to small and mid-sized businesses in the construction, fleet transportation, machine tool and manufacturing and waste industries.

www.commercialcreditgroup.com.

Contact Information: Julie Murphy 704-944-2771

jmurphy@commercialcreditgroup.com

ELGIN SWEEPER UNVEILS ELECTRIC SWEEPER AT CONEXPO

ELGIN, Illinois – Elgin Sweeper is making a big splash at CONEXPO as it unveils the all-Electric Broom Bear – a first of its kind truck-mounted sweeper utilizing an all-electric chassis. As the leading manufacturer of street sweepers, Elgin has a range of sweepers including single-engine, hybrid and more to fit customers’ specific needs for various applications. The newest configuration of the Broom Bear as fully electric is Elgin’s latest innovation offering uncompromised performance.

“Customers won’t want to miss the Electric Broom Bear at CONEXPO,” said Tim Letts, Product Manager, Elgin Sweeper. “We’re excited to debut it at this iconic show. The Electric Broom Bear accomplishes the same workload and delivers the performance the Broom Bear is popular for.” With electric vehicles becoming a reality to meet ZEV targets and stricter emissions standards, the Electric Broom Bear delivers another option for customers to achieve their sweeping and sustainability goals.

“We’ve taken today’s modern propulsion system and incorporated it with Elgin’s 100+ year history of sweeper innovations,” said Letts. “We’re using modern technology to meet the modern demands and sustainability goals of our customers.”

In addition to all the benefits of an electric vehicle including noise reduction and lower maintenance costs, the Electric Broom Bear has plenty of energy onboard, so customers can sweep and run their regular routes without worrying about getting home. It has enough energy for a full workload and some leftover for operators’ peace-ofmind.

“We’ve engineered the Electric Broom Bear to meet customer sweeping demands and then some,” said Ron Schmidt, VP Technology Development, Elgin Sweeper. “Customers have come to expect a certain level of

performance, and with the Electric Broom Bear, they’re going to get the Elgin sweeper they’ve come to know.”

The charging port on the Electric Broom Bear is a standard SAE J1772 CCS, compatible with both level 2 or level 3 chargers. Level 2 AC charging will enable overnight charging while Level 3 DC-DC charging will enable fast charging, if needed.

Developed specifically for vocational use, the electric chassis is from Battle Motors, formerly Crane Carrier Company, which has a 75 year history of providing heavy duty trucks and has an extensive and highly trained dealer network for service and support. The additional weight of the electric chassis was taken into consideration when developing the Electric Broom Bear, and customers can

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rest at ease knowing the payload capacity is the same as a standard Broom Bear. As with all of its diesel and CNG truck-mounted sweepers, Elgin customers will be able to choose electric chassis from other major chassis OEMs when they meet the performance and aftermarket support needs of its customers.

The Electric Broom Bear joins the Broom Bear family, which includes the single-engine Broom Bear and Hybrid Broom Bear; both of which are available with either a diesel or CNG engine. As part of the Broom Bear family, the Electric Broom Bear will deliver the same durability and ease of service customers have come to expect from Elgin’s line of sweepers. It will also pick up the same debris, have the same loading rate and share the many features of the Broom Bear product line. “It’s an exciting time for Elgin,” said Letts. “The Electric Broom Bear joins the diesel, CNG, and plug-in Hybrid portfolio and we’re excited for customers to check it out.”

CONEXPO attendees can view the Electric Broom Bear at Booth S61148 inside the South Hall. To request a demo of the Electric Broom Bear or make an order, visit ElginSweeper.com.

About Elgin Sweeper Company:

With more than 100 years of experience, Elgin Sweeper offers municipalities, contractors and industries the most sweeper options in the world, using the latest sweeping technologies — mechanical, pure vacuum, regenerative air, alternative fuel and waterless dust control. Elgin Sweeper is a subsidiary of Federal Signal Corporation’s Environmental Solutions Group. For more information, visit www.ElginSweeper.com.

About Federal Signal

Federal Signal Corporation (NYSE: FSS) builds and delivers equipment of unmatched quality that moves material, cleans infrastructure and protects the communities where we work and live. For more information on Federal Signal, visit www.FederalSignal.com.

SCHWARZE UNVEILED ITS 100% ELECTRIC M6 AVALANCHE EV SWEEPER

SPOTLIGHT INDEX

Huntsville, AL, March 22, 2023 – Schwarze Industries, a leading manufacturer of commercial and industrial sweepers, unveiled its 100% electric M6 Avalanche EV prototype sweeper at the CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023 in Las Vegas, NV.

production. Governments worldwide are implementing EV policies such as tax credits and subsidies that can further reduce purchase costs. These incentives could make electric sweepers much more attractive than traditional diesel models.

Another development for electric sweepers is improved efficiency via faster charging times and longer operating ranges. As battery technology continues to improve, manufacturers are finding ways to increase the range per charge and shorten charging times. New technologies such as solid-state batteries are being developed, which promise even better performance than existing models – meaning faster charging times and greater range per charge for drivers of these vehicles.

It’s clear that electric sweepers present a great opportunity for the sweeping industry going forward - with their superior efficiency and zero emissions offering significant benefits for both operators and the environment alike. Unsurprisingly, many companies are beginning to explore the possibilities electric sweepers offer to reduce operating costs and environmental impact. As companies continue embracing this new technology in increasing numbers, it looks like we are on our way to seeing an industry revolutionized by electrification!

The most apparent expected advancement is a decrease in the cost of electric sweeper machines. Whereas current models are still relatively expensive due to battery costs, the prices are projected to go down substantially with advances in battery technology and increased

As electric vehicles become the norm, electric street sweepers are bound to take over traditional diesel machines that burn fossil fuels. In the near future, electric street sweepers will be less expensive and more efficient, and Schwarze is excited and promises to be at the forefront of this journey.

To stay informed about the development of sweeper electrification and Schwarze’s sustainability commitments, please visit http://www.schwarze.com/ electric

If you’ve missed us at CONEXPO, come see the Schwarze M6 Avalanche EV May 2-4, 2023, at the ACTExpo in Anaheim, CA.

About Schwarze Industries LLC: Schwarze Industries (ISO 9001:2015) is an Alamo Group (ALG:NYSE) company and the premier manufacturer of parking lot, airport, street sweepers, and asphalt maintenance equipment.

KENDRICK EQUIPMENT LTD.

ADDED TO

SCHWARZE TRUSTED DEALER NETWORK

Huntsville, AL, April 4, 2023 – Schwarze Industries LLC, is proud to welcome and announce the addition of our newest dealer, Kendrick Equipment to our Schwarze Trusted Dealer Network. Effective immediately, Kendrick will be providing Sales, Service, and Parts for Schwarze products in the province of British Columbia and Yukon Territory.

Kendrick will be responsible for supporting the Schwarze branded products in the areas of new whole good sales, parts, warranty, factory-trained service, and reconditioned units.  Schwarze is focused on Quality, Performance, Public Safety, Value, and Customer Support.  Having the right dedicated dealer is crucial to delivering

the exceptional support our customers expect. We are pleased to have Kendrick Equipment as a trusted dealer.

For more information:

Kendrick Equipment Ltd.

19214 94 Avenue, Surrey, BC, V4N 4E3 | Phone: 866-744-9921

www.kendrickequipment.com

Schwarze Industries LLC

1055 Jordan Road, Huntsville, AL 35811 | (800) 879-7933

www.schwarze.com

ASSOCIA TION INSIDER

THINGS EVERY BUSINESS OWNER SHOULD THINK ABOUT

Of the many general business ownership principles, the most fundamental go beyond recognizable core philosophic management tenants to the very heart of the business owner. The first principle of business success is understanding what it takes to succeed in a business. The few top questions you should ask yourself as an entrepreneur may surprise you. Hint: They’re more about how you’re thinking about your business, its future, and your future than about the actions you need to do each day in managing your business.

SPOTLIGHT INDEX

quite an understatement to say there are lots of moving parts in business ownership. So, naturally, most entrepreneurs still have a lot left to learn...

1. What Else Do I Need to Learn?

What don’t you know about what you need to do to achieve your version of success in your business? What more do you need to learn in order to do everything

you need to do to accomplish your goals? What else should I obtain through school or self-education to be as prepared as I need to be for leadership success? What don’t I know about my industry, management, financing, contracting, strategic planning, my target market, the competition, supply chains, etc.? These are all bedrock questions for aspiring entrepreneurs. It’s quite an understatement to say there are lots of moving parts in business ownership. So, naturally, most entrepreneurs still have a lot left to learn through the

It’s

3

early years (and the latter ones too). To get up and stay up to speed, do the basics:

Ask questions and listen carefully to people, any people — friends, family, employees, peers, experts, and anyone else who offers information or an idea.

Read books, magazines, and reports on everything from the history of your industry, advanced sales, generating capital, employer branding, IT for scaling, etc., etc. Especially, digest stories of small business growth and struggles toward success. Watch Ted Talks, YouTube videos on business risk-taking, financial planning, technology, etc.

Joining an industry peer group can offer amazing benefits of knowledge and support. Also, join your city’s

Chamber of Commerce, local organizations for business owners, civic committees, etc. Meet with your local SBA agent to learn about financial, educational, and networking resources in your area. Ask your customers what they like about your services and what they suggest for further improvement.

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an industry peer group can offer amazing benefits of knowledge and support.

toward your ultimate business success starts with determining the size of your dream.

2. What Would My Success Look Like to Me?

Each business owner has his or her particular vision of success for his or her own company and personal life. It’s a matter of individual perspective on what a good life is. The proverbial first step of the thousand-mile journey

ASSOCIA TION INSIDER

Throughout the United States and the world, there are millions of successful small business owners enjoying their lives during and after achieving their kind of success. Their dream may have been for a lively little mom-and-pop store with steady Main Street foot traffic. Or, they may have been driven to make their product or service regional, national, or global.

SPOTLIGHT INDEX

For many with either size of dream, the joy may be in the striving. The notion of someday retiring may never occur to them. Their business is their recreation. Others may see their entrepreneurial careers as a means to an end that features toes in the sand on a distant beach or watching the vegetables grow in their backyard garden.  What do you want in life? A simple, quiet life or a grand

Throughout the United States and the world, there are millions of successful small business owners enjoying their lives during and after achieving their kind of success.

entrepreneurial adventure? Use your answer to that self-inquiry to set a course for your business.

3. How Should I Refine My Strategic Plan?

Countless goals and great ideas are born and die without follow-through. By far, the most effective way to develop and realize an idea is strategic planning. But, what does a good plan look like? An effective strategic plan is realistic about the merits and limits of your product(s) and/or service(s), your operational constraints, your team’s skills and bandwidth, your funding options, the market, the larger economy, your current level of business skills, and other considerations.

Your strategic plan should specify your goals for the next year and the next 3 to 5 years. The plan should provide a guide through the steps you plan to take and

the resources you plan to use to reach your ultimate 1-year, 3-year, 5-year goal, etc. It should also provide a plan for obtaining the necessary funding to meet your set benchmarks, and it should feature metrics for tracking your progress in key areas of operational performance. Look at any of the many lists of key performance indicators online to develop your own list of applicable KPIs for your business.

Of course, you’ll want to apply standard success measures like Sales Closing Rates, Customer Acquisition Costs, Production Cycle Time, etc. But, also be sure to include metrics for average customer experience ratings, employee engagement ratings, process improvement initiatives completed, and other more obscure management performance measures necessary for sustained business success.

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The

To execute your strategic plan, remember the value of timely decisionmaking. Face challenging decisions. Weigh the pros and cons. Seek input from trusted others. Then, take the calculated risks you need to take to move forward.

THE BIG PICTURE

The kind of self-examination recommended here makes personal development the foundation for building your business success. Assign yourself daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly self-development tasks to enable you with the advanced organizational management knowledge and skills you need to become your market’s foremost authority in your field. That should be a primary goal of the leader in every company — whether you’re operating on Main Street, Manhattan, or in the Cloud. The more you know, the greater your potential to realize whatever vision of business success yours may be and to live a fully satisfying life.

Model 600® COMDEX

Model 500x® High Side Dump

Model 435® COMDEX

Mid-Sized Street Sweeper

Model 210® COMDEX ® Parking Lot Sweeper

kind of self-examination recommended here makes personal development the foundation for building your business success.

WE CAN CREATE A RENTAL PROGRAM TO ALIGN WITH SWEEPING CONTRACTS YOU HAVE WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS

This article is part of a regular series from North American Power Sweeping Association (NAPSA). NAPSA seeks to elevate and inform the sweeping industry through educational articles, business tips, and best practices. This article explains the vital role power sweepers play in decreasing water pollution. For more resources, visit https://www.powersweeping.org/.

ASSOCIA TION INSIDER

Waste Water Responsibility

COSTLY CONSEQUENCES

SPOTLIGHT INDEX

Urban stormwater runoff contains a toxic array of pollutants and fine materials that taint our water supplies. With much of the country either emerging from a snow-laden winter or headed into a waterlogged spring, the threat of increased water pollution persists. What responsibility, if any, does the power sweeping community have in preserving or enhancing water quality?

POLLUTANTS – THE PROBLEM

Urban stormwater runoff carries heavy metals (e.g., zinc, lead, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) that bind onto sediments. Lawn fertilizer, pet waste, and yard clippings contribute decaying solids; large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus can also cause toxic algae blooms that damage the ecosystem. Sediment from fine materials causes clogs and blockages in sewage systems and reduces water depth in retention ponds and drainage basins. All of these issues compromise our clean water and harm our ecosystems.

Estimated costs to remove phosphorus and nitrogen from drinking water exceed $4.3B annually. Taxpayers foot the bill to clean up waterways through high municipal water bills and costly bottled and filtered water. For example, in a 2-year period, Ohio spent more than $13 million treating drinking water from a lake affected by algae blooms. Restoration costs for the Great Miami Watershed in Ohio for nitrogen and phosphorus exceeded $2.4 million over three years.

Homeowners also see declines in property value when pollution negatively affects boating and fishing in their area. For example, in 2015 a persistent algae bloom in Ohio cost the state about $47 million in lost local tourism revenue. A bloom on the Maine coast cost $2.5 million in soft shell clam harvests and $460,000 in mussel harvests. New England waterfront property values declined an average of $61,000.

There are also adverse health costs to contaminating waters. Emergency room visits in Florida resulting from adverse health effects of toxic algae blooms cost Sarasota County an estimated $130,000 annually.

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POWER SWEEPER ACTION

Power sweepers obviously cannot remove all the rainwater that absorbs chemical pollutants. However, they can use equipment that removes gravel, sand, silt, clay, and fine lawn clippings, debris which not only creates blockages but also carries toxic chemicals. The Minnesota Department of Transportation notes that removal of coarse sediment (e.g., gravel and sand) leaves fine sediment (e.g., fine sand and silt) to be washed into storm drains and waterways. Therefore, they recommend deployment of high-efficiency machinery that can remove both coarse and fine sediments.

INDUSTR Y NEWS

waterways, power sweepers are decreasing the need to spend taxpayer money on cleanup. Contractors who use high-efficiency machinery provide a better value that will appeal to government officials, and taxpayers will realize the benefits.

Sources

Kansas State University. 17 November, 2008. Freshwater pollution costs US at least $4.3 billion a year. Science Daily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2008/11/081112124418.htm

ASSOCIA TION INSIDER

The cost to clean contaminated water is high, but the power sweeping community offers a relatively low-cost option to help keep waterways clean. By physically removing contaminants before they can pollute

SPOTLIGHT INDEX

United States Environmental Protection Agency. May 2015. A compilation of cost data associated with the impacts and control of nutrient pollution. US EPA Office of Water. https:// www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-04/documents/nutrienteconomics-report-2015.pdf