Snow Alliance
Who We Are
Snow Alliance is an industry game changer focused on driving growth through education and connection. We believe we are better together. Sharing our stories, our experiences, and our expertise sharpens our individual capacities and strengthens the snow and ice industry.
We host strategic events that bring together leaders in the snow and ice industry to learn, connect and grow together. Our events focus on real pain points and problems associated with running a snow and ice business with finding solutions that work. We bring together manufacturers and industry experts to deepen understanding and influence changes that impact our industry.
What We Do
Snow Alliance hosts an annual SPRING CONFERENCE geared toward helping industry leaders in the snow and ice business.
Conferences Include:
- Teaching from an expert on a pertinent topic
- A panel discussion with industry experts (both contractors and manufacturers of the equipment) where you will have a chance to ask questions and give feedback
- A delicious dinner
- Networking with others in the industry
- Special activities for accompanying spouses. You can find out more about the next Spring Conference here.
Each Summer we host a TRADE SCHOOL for hands-on learning and getting down to the nitty-gritty of how to use the top new tools in the industry.
We also provide ongoing Collaboration and Support opportunities to our members. You can see more of our upcoming events here.
Our Mission
Moving the Snow and Ice Industry forward by thinking outside the box.
Building deep relationships with those that have similar interests and adding value to the experts leading this industry.
Encouraging contractor and manufacturer relationships through the existing connections Stork's Plows has made and continues to make.
Inspiring Innovation through Education and Collaboration
The Roots
The Storks: In December of 1979 my dad bought his first plow (a Meyer straight blade) to put on his Golden Eagle Jeep truck. In February of 1980 I was born and my parents had built their snow plowing contracts up to 30+. Growing up my sister and I spent many hours riding in the plow truck as both my mom and dad plowed snow. We have always loved snow as a family. People think we love snow because we are in the plow business, but for me there was a love for snow long before we got into plow sales. After buying the auto repair shop in 1986 my parents had to drop their plowing contracts to run the auto repair shop and they slowly sold some of our fleet of plows. While specializing in selling and repairing Jeep's there still seemed to be a constant flow of plows in and out of our shop and so it continued. It started small, but then we grew to become a Meyer dealer in 1996 and from there we added more brands until the early 2000's we were spending our entire winters working on plows. As the plow related phone calls started to overwhelm the shop, I realized I was answering questions out of my head when it suddenly hit me that I should start a website by taking all that stored information in my head and giving everyone access to what we have learned by putting it online. Initially, the idea was to give the customers the information I had learned so that they could access it and I wouldn't need to be on the phone as much, especially since we were just a small 6 man show back then. Well here we are many years later and let's just say that my website idea backfired...but in a good way! The phone calls multiplied, the website turned into an online store, and in 2015 we closed the auto repair side of our business to allow us to focus year-round on the Snow and Ice Industry business. Currently as of 2024 we have approx. 20 employees and the phones are still challenging, but the amount of people we have been able to help with their Snow and Ice needs and the impact we have had on the industry continues to grow.
Snow Alliance
In September 2022 at our Stork’s Plows Open House event, I had the opportunity to sit and talk with some of our regular customers. Throughout our conversations I became aware that I was wanting deeper connections with other people working in the snow and ice industry and quickly found that I was not the only one wanting this type of connection. In business we are often busy and unfortunately, we do not take the time to connect on a regular basis. The night of the open house I became determined that we must make it an intentional act to connect with each other. We often do not know what struggles others in the business may be having, where they are spiritually, or how can we help each other out through our own experiences. I realized that working with manufacturers and business leaders alike, I was in a unique position to bring people across the snow and ice industry together in a new way. I wanted to add value to the industry by facilitating connections that go further than transactional business, creating space where real relationships can happen and people’s stories can be shared. Thinking about how to do this, the idea of Snow Alliance emerged, an organization that focuses on real connections that will grow with us all. That night it started as an idea of just a small meeting hosted by Stork's Plows and a free event, but I wanted to make sure it was adding value to the industry. I decided to reach out to over a dozen leaders in the industry that we work with and asked, "What do you want?". The overwhelming response was not necessarily a free event, but an event that is "done well" while adding value to their lives, and done somewhere where they can learn and network. Based on the feedback I had gotten, I sat at my dining room table with a friend in the industry, my wife, and our Event Planner and we just started throwing around ideas and Snow Alliance was born. Snow Alliance is about learning for us too, it is not about what Stork's Plows sells, but learning about all the options that are available. We strive to make Snow Alliance an amazing experience and look forward to growing and learning more each year. We are simply trying to provide a local place to connect and grow, and to be an extension of other events including SIMA and SnowFighter Institute, which are other great resources out there for this industry, please check them out as well.
We launched our first event on April 15th, 2023. Our premier sponsor was Western Snowplows. After some polling about where this industry needs more education, Brine was selected as the #1 response. Our kick-off event featured training and a panel discussion on Brine from initial implementation to daily operations. The event was a hit and Snow Alliance was officially underway.
Our 2nd Annual Snow Alliance Spring Conference was just this past April 19, 2024, and again our premier sponsor was Western Snowplows. This year's event began with a choice of which class you wanted to attend including Ins and Outs of Brine Refresher, Growing Your Business with Media, and Upping Your SIdewalk Game. We then offered a choice between two workshops including Brine Making and Equipment Maintenance. We finished off the day with a Trade Show and Live Demos. Our early evening included a panel discussion with industry experts, networking time, as well as meet and greet time. Finally, our night ended with an amazing meal and delicious desserts.
This is what some of our attendees had to say about this year's event.
"Definitely educational and worth the time."
"This event was Great!" "Can't wait until next year!"
"I do events all the time and this was the best event I have been a part of."
"As a vendor we got more feedback from this one day than a full week at another event."
"We have done many Trade Shows and got more value out of this event than any other we have attended."
A huge thank you to all our sponsors, vendors, attendees, industry experts, and all who helped in making this year's event a success.
We look forward to beginning the process of planning our 2026 Snow Alliance Spring Conference soon, and hope to see some familiar faces as well as some fresh faces at our next event. Any questions, suggestions, or comments, please email [email protected].
Find Out More About Our Current Events HERE
