Slow snow season slowing business for Metro Detroit snow removal companies, contractors
(CBS DETROIT) - For Franco and Dewey Santoro, their Detroit Snow Removal company has come a long way in the last 10 years.
"We started 10 years ago, and with one truck. we have blossomed with over 80 pieces of equipment," Franco says.
But just like winters in Michigan, finding work is just as unpredictable as the weather.
"The weather is turning out to be terrible for businesses," Franco says.
Not only is business down significantly compared to last year, but 80 full-time winter contractors who work for Detroit Snow Removal are constantly looking up when they'll be able to get their next gig.
"It starts to create a lot of worries for employees when things start to slow down," Franco says.
Because when work slows down, so does the money that comes in to pay for the thousands of dollars worth of commercial equipment.
"All of this equipment sits at the moment. Each plow is one individual working, and there is upwards of 50 snowplows here," Franco says.
And the more that equipment sits still, the more repairs both Franco and Dewey Santoro will have to make.
"Just like employees need to work, the equipment needs to work too. The longer it sits without it being used, the more susceptible it is to needing a repair," Dewey says.
"We need our help and our team. We need our equipment, too. So without one or the other, it puts us in a tight spot," Dewey says.
Franco says he is doing whatever it takes to maintain its steady flow of jobs for contractors within the Detroit Snow Removal team.
Franco adds that he is now looking ahead to mid-January. In a month, he expects to experience heavier snowfall than currently slated for December.