Landmark Landscapes’ focus on building functional and aesthetic environments extends into snow removal operations.

Landmark Landscapes of Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin was originally envisioned as a lifestyle company focused on landscape and the art of horticulture. “The business was started in 1990 by my parents. They ran it until 2014, as a lifestyle business that allowed them to pursue their passion for gardening and horticulture, dabbling in snow removal only when necessary,” says Jesse Majerus, owner and director of operations for Landmark Landscapes. “The passion was in the horticulture behind it. And my brother Joe and I saw an opportunity for serious growth.”

Since then, Jesse and Joe Majerus have grown the business dramatically — developing the systems and business processes to become a year-round business with a focus on commercial maintenance and snow removal. “We had early success building a strong foundation of hardscape and fantastic design/build projects,” Jesse says. “But we’ve really grown the maintenance and snow removal services through focused effort recently, more than quadrupling revenue in that line of business in the last three years.”

We spend time preparing our equipment for snow removal and other cold weather work in late fall or early winter, but what steps do we take to get our equipment ready to transition back into dirt work in the spring? From checking and changing fluids, examining hoses and attachments, to doing a thorough cleaning and ensuring that all salt is cleaned from the machine – having a transition plan from season-to-season helps ensure the long-term performance and value of your equipment.

Clean-Up, Grease Up
Get each machine into a warm bay or other dry place and give it a thorough cleaning and inspection. Look for signs of wear or damage, any leaks, or any other anomaly that might indicate a problem. Thawing and freezing cycles and the presence of water can wreak havoc on greasing systems… make sure each grease point is serviced as recommended in the owner’s manual.

The equipment industry is still moving notably from traditional skid steers (w/ rubber tires) to rubber-tracked compact track loaders (CTLs). The appeal of compact track loaders is undeniable — lower ground pressure, greater lifting capacities in a comparable footprint, smoother operation over varied terrain — but there are still some applications where skid steers hold an advantage. Dedicated snow removal is one of them.

It’s important to note: if snow removal is a secondary/seasonal job for you, and you’re using CTLs that you deploy for dirt work in the summer for snow work, they’re going to work just fine. But it’s the one thing that makes these machines different that gives skid steers the advantage.