For plowing companies, January is the time of year when they make most of their money, but with sunny skies and warmer temps, those Metro Detroit companies are hurting.
Business owner Larry Donohue says it’s been a very quiet winter.
“I mean, it’s crazy,” said Donohue. “This is the slowest January I’ve ever had. So already, you know, I’m having to rethink purchasing equipment in the spring.”
Equipment for his snow removal company, called Donohue Outdoor Services, plows many commercial businesses after any snowfall.
“We’re mainly in your parking lots,” Donohue said. “We do some residential customers, but mainly we’re in your parking lots all night.”
But with the mild winter, the money isn’t coming in. Donohue wishes he had set up a different type of payment method with his customers to plan for months like this, something he has yet to have to do in his 20 years of business.
“I declined a couple of seasonal contracts where those really help you here where you’d have one set price for the whole year,” Donohue said. “And I just wish I would have maybe taken a couple more of those.”
It’s a lot of sitting around playing the waiting game, hoping the forecast will change for these snow removal companies.
“Most of us are just sitting back, and I see some guys out trying to do some landscaping still, but myself, we don’t schedule any landscaping or even tree removal at this time of year because we are usually so busy.”
But busy is the opposite word to describe Donohue’s situation.
“I can only clean my barn so many times,” Donohue said. “We’ve already gone through the equipment for next year. So trying to get outside and enjoy myself.”
Donohue says it’s still early.
You never know what the next couple of months can bring, so fingers crossed for at least some snowy action for his sake and all of the other businesses that rely on the snow.