by Colleen Suo

PROVIDENCE, RI — The Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA) hosted the 19th year of the Annual Snow and Ice Symposium in Providence, RI on June 22-24. At least two major manufacturers used this important venue to unveil their latest in snow management equipment.

SnowWolf continues to lead the pack in innovation with their new QuattroPlow™ and UltraPusherTE™. Mark Holman, director and manager of SnowWolf’s parent company, WolfDesign was on hand June 23, along with an enthusiastic staff, to demonstrate the action of the attachments and to answer any questions.

The QuattroPlow allows the operator to utilize four distinct plowing functions with no additional electronic harnesses or controllers in your machine. In one attachment, you have the benefit of a hydraulic angle snow pusher; angle plow, back drag containment and a wide angle plow with wings.

The operator can easily shift from angle plowing to straight plowing to high capacity pushing to back dragging in seconds, without ever leaving the driver compartment. The wide angle plow with wings function extends your plow by 23-inches on each end. The wings can be operated independently as well.

The UltraPusherTE is available in five sizes, ranging from seven to 11-feet. This innovative snow pusher integrates cushioned side plates, which provide up to 10-inches of lateral flex on an angle strike. The strutless side plates (eliminating snow buildup) also float for easy maneuvering on curbs. Holman states this pusher “has excellent snow rolling action”. To learn more about SnowWolf’s product line, visit www.snowwolfplows.com .

Also on June 23, Case CE took the opportunity to showcase its new line of heavy and light duty sectional snow pushers. These attachments are compatible with current and older model wheel loaders, skid steers, compact track loaders and backhoes using universal mounting options.

According to Bill Elverman, a Case brand representative, the vast dealer network of Case CE was not aware of the new attachments until the unveiling at the 19^th Annual Snow and Ice Symposium.

The Hardox 450 steel cutting edge, in conjunction with the sectional design, scrape cleanly and efficiently down to the pavement on the first pass, which translates into less salt used — up to 50 percent in some cases.

Operators will find they are using less fuel and saving on labor since the clean first pass will eliminate the need for followup plowing.

Obstacles such as manhole covers, curbs and markers, or other stationary objects become invisible under heavy snow cover. The possibility of employee injury and equipment damage increases under these conditions. The CASE Sectional Snow Pusher’s unique engineering design allows the pusher to ‘trip’ over obstacles up to 9 inches high and the mechanical side panels will ‘glide’ over objects reducing property damage claims.

In case of damage to the cutting edge, each section is easily replaced as needed — instead of replacing the entire length. If more severe damage occurs to any individual section, it too can be easily replaced and is available as a CASE replacement part.

The CASE Sectional Snow Pusher is available in three light duty sizes (8, 10.5 and 13-feet) and three heavy duty sizes (11.5, 14 and 17-feet).

Among some of the other manufacturers exhibiting during trade show hours was Kage Innovation. A fairly new manufacturer, they hold five patents on their innovative Kage® SnowFire and SnowStorm System attachments.

The SnowFire System is designed for use with skid steers, agricultural tractors, telehandlers and compact loaders, while the SnowStorm System is for backhoes, tractors, telehandlers and wheel loaders. Both incorporate a blade and a box, which can be used independently or as a unit allowing the operator to switch effortlessly between angle plowing and pushing.

The blade is mounted in the traditional way to your equipment. The box is quickly and easily attached/detached to or from the blade in a single motion during the snow removal process without the operator leaving the cab.

To learn more about the Kage systems and see a demonstration video, visit www.kageinnovation.com .

BOSS Snowplow also took advantage of the 19^th Annual Snow and Ice Symposium to exhibit their newest snow removal attachments. The BOSS EXT features expandable wings that extend the plows cutting surface from eight to ten-feet with the touch of a button. With four trip springs and a plowing width of 84-inches (at a 30 degree angle) the BOSS EXT was designed for 3/4 and one ton trucks.

Also featured was the XT V-Plow for mid-sized UTV and ATV use. At 5.5-feet, it is the perfect compact package with V-plow versatility and a 30-inch lift height. The new V-Plow is fully hydraulic with no winches, pulleys or handles and has a low profile undercarriage design for better ground clearance. Visit www.bossplow.com for more information.

Aside from the many manufacturers and distributors of equipment and attachments, there was a large assortment of peripheral suppliers and manufacturers on hand from salt and deicers (with an emphasis on green materials) to GPS providers and managers to fabric structure manufacturers and distributors.

Hardly a newcomer to the sectional snow pusher market, Arctic Snow and Ice Control were on hand showcasing their Arctic sectional Sno-Pusher™. As a premier snow and ice management provider in the Midwest since 1978, they manufacture the attachments they use. Their sectional Sno-Plow™ was first introduced in 2006 at the Louisville, KY SIMA show.

During the three day symposium there were numerous breakout sessions and workshops covering an array of important and pertinent subjects relating to the ice management industry. The pre-conference workshops on Wednesday covered the topics of sustainable salt use, best practices for equipment safety and maintenance and the pros and cons of servicing parking decks.

Concurrent seminar sessions throughout the event covered a plethora of topics giving the attendees an opportunity to attend presentations specific to their companies needs. Some of the covered topics included risk management, training programs, business growth, GPS and other technology — how to best use them, safety issues, ice management and environmental issues just to name a few.

Many current issues and concerns as well as cutting edge technology and equipment were showcased and discussed at this year’s Snow and Ice Symposium allowing all in attendance to glean the information most helpful to improve their individual business concerns and needs.