Will Your Snow Contractor Have Salt When You Need It This Winter?
Most property managers don’t think about road salt in August.
Snow contractors do.
As we prepare for the upcoming winter season, the road salt market is experiencing significant supply pressure. For commercial property owners and managers, this raises an important question:
When winter arrives, will your snow contractor actually have the salt needed to service your property?
Buying Salt Has Changed
In a typical year, snow contractors can purchase salt before and throughout the winter as material is needed. When supplies tighten, that becomes much more difficult.
Contractors may be required to reserve material months in advance, make significant deposits, commit to specific quantities and accept delivery requirements before the season even begins.
At New Horizon Property Management, we believe preparing for winter means more than getting our plows and equipment ready. It means securing the materials our customers will depend on.
We’re Preparing Now
New Horizon typically uses approximately 2,000 tons of road salt during a winter season.
We maintain approximately 1,000 tons of on-site salt storage capacity, allowing us to stockpile material rather than relying entirely on just-in-time deliveries during winter storms.
We are also making substantial preseason purchasing commitments to secure additional salt for the upcoming season.
That’s intentional.
When a major winter event hits Michigan, we don’t want our customers’ service to depend entirely on whether a supplier can get us another truckload of salt.
Why This Matters When Choosing a Snow Contractor
When evaluating a commercial snow and ice management company, property managers typically ask about equipment, pricing, response times and staffing.
This year, we recommend asking another question:
“How are you securing your salt supply for this winter?”
A contractor can have plenty of trucks and employees, but if deicing material isn’t available, maintaining safe parking lots, loading areas and walkways becomes much more difficult.
Ask prospective contractors:
- How much salt do you typically use each winter?
- How much can you store at your facility?
- Have you secured or reserved your preseason supply?
- What happens if regional suppliers run short during the winter?
- How will a major salt-market disruption affect my service and pricing?
Those questions may be particularly important during a winter when supply is constrained.
Reliability Starts Before the First Snowfall
Commercial snow management isn’t something that begins when the forecast calls for snow.
It begins months earlier.
Material purchasing, equipment preparation, route planning, staffing and preseason customer planning all contribute to reliable winter service.
At New Horizon Property Management, we’re making those preparations now so we’re ready when our customers need us.
Reliable Service. Guaranteed Quality. Every Season.
