North American Sweeper Magazine - July 2020

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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JuLY 2020 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 7

CONTENTS

Introducing...

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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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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.

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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

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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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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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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.

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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

Capital Services can offer YANMAR dealers and their

bring to our financing program. This partnership further

customers low rates via virtual financing facilitated by a

strengthens our resolve to provide exceptional customer

team of dedicated professionals.

experience.”

“Oakmont is thrilled to partner with YANMAR to bring our equipment finance services to their

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

practical small diesel engine. Today, YANMAR

YANMAR product line and the equipment

is a recognized leader in the design and

financing process, and we’re eager to help

manufacturing of advanced performance

finance equipment sales under this new

diesel engines and diesel-powered

partnership.”

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

Oakmont Capital Services, LLC, headquartered in

and marine diesel engines, diesel generators, micro

West Chester, PA, with an office in Albany, MN, is a fast,

cogeneration and gas heat pump energy system

affordable, reputable solution to financing. Founded

solutions. Their dealer network extends throughout the

in 1998 by Managing Members Joe Leonard, CLFP and

United States and Canada.

Megan Zoba, Oakmont Capital Services (OCS) is a direct,

“Partnering with Oakmont Capital Services to provide

independent lender, providing commercial equipment

financing options to our dealer network and end users is

financing and working capital throughout all 50 states.

exciting for all involved,” said Jeff Pate, Division Manager

For more information, visit www.oakmontfinance.com.

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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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J U LY 2 0 2 0 N O RT H A M E RI C A N SWEEPER 25

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.

2 8 NORTH AMERIC AN S WE E P E R JU LY 2020

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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