Dreams of a white Christmas may be over now, but area businesses relying on a steady fall of the white stuff have been left high and dry since autumn. Adding to the winter woes is the fact that last winter also left snow lovers out in the cold.
Our pre-season sales depend on what went on in the previous winter, said Duane Leach, owner of All Seasons in Scotia, a snow blower sales store.
`The whole year 2006 never budged out of the 40’s and 50’s degrees; it was amazing to see so much rain and no snow. I’ll be glad to see the year end.`
Leach, who has been in the snow removal equipment sales business for 40 years, said the non-wintry conditions are among the worst he can recall.
`We’ve had some bad years as far as lack of snow, but this is one of the really bad slumps,` said Leach. `In 1974, there was no snow and no gas, and that was a terrible combination. We’ve gone through some low snow years, but this is a real doozy.`
Leach has had to slash his inventory, but he still straddles the fine line between cutting his losses and having enough equipment in stock should Mother Nature decide to turn things around.
`We still have to stay in business, but we need to stick our necks out stocking snow blowers, and it backfires sometimes,` said Leach. `You have to stay positive and hope for the best. But I can say, it would take a lot of snow now in order to shake people loose.`
At Emerich Toro Power Sales in Charlton, pre-Christmas sales account for 75 percent of their total.
`In a decent winter, we sell about 500 snow blowers,` said owner Kevin Emerich. `That obviously didn’t happen this year.`
Snow removal businesses are also seeing a lack of activity, but since their contracts are set in place prior to the winter months, their loss isn’t a complete financial fiasco. Still, after warm winters in previous years, clients are looking to cut a deal for this year’s service.
`We have re-negotiated our contracts this year, but people always have to be ready for winter conditions,` said Max Stafford, owner of AAA Pump Sales and Service in Schenectady, which also supplies snow removal, shoveling and salting services. `Senior citizens especially have to have a contractor ready to dig them out.`
Stafford said he has stocked far less rock salt to sprinkle on icy walkways, but the salt is easily available on an as-needed basis, and his regular staff of two could quickly be augmented with a third person should a blizzard hit. But for now, his emergency snow removal service has melted into nonexistence, and so he is leaning on his other business offerings to stay busy.
`We also do sump pumps, and we’re relying on them right now for business,` said Stafford.
The lack of snow has also hit suppliers of winter recreation equipment.
Snowmobilers need a good coating of snow for their sport; on grassy land, they turn instead to ATV’s.
At Phibbs’ Power Sports in Colonie, once a factory-authorized dealer of Arctic Cat snowmobiles, they’re not even stocking the Cats any longer. `We have Yamahas, but snowmobile sales have been flat the last three years,` said Jeff Blair, a sales rep at the sports store. `This global warming is affecting snowmobile sales nationwide. People are very reluctant to buy anything.`
Just as school kids are hoping to wake up to a snow day from school, people in business relying on a good old-fashioned winter wonderland are keeping their fingers crossed, waiting for those flurries to fly. `What we need is for a good Northeaster to be predicted and everyone to rush in for snow equipment,` said Emerich.
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