IM Landscape Growth Podcast

Culture, Systems, Profit: Snow Industry Lessons w/ Martin Tirado (SIMA)

Episode Summary

Rob sits down with Martin Tirado, CEO & Executive Director of SIMA, to break down what’s really holding snow and ice entrepreneurs back—and how top contractors are still hitting 19% profit margins despite unpredictable winters. They dive into culture, systems, benchmark data, training, and practical ways to grow a snow business without burning out your people.

Episode Notes

00:00 – Welcome & intro
Rob introduces the IM Landscape Growth Podcast and guest Martin Tirado, CEO & Executive Director of the Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA).

01:09 – What is SIMA and who do they serve?
Martin explains SIMA’s role: education, certification, best practices, legislative work, and the annual Snow & Ice Symposium that many just call “SIMA.”

02:33 – The unsung heroes of winter
Conversation about snow contractors as essential workers keeping transportation lines, parking lots, and entries safe when everyone else is inside.

03:14 – Member base & where they are
Martin shares SIMA’s 1,200 members across the U.S. and Canada, with major concentration in urban areas like Toronto and commercial-focused operators.

04:31 – The #1 growth constraint in snow & ice
Rob asks the core question: what’s the primary growth constraint for snow/ice entrepreneurs? Martin splits it into controllables vs. non-controllables.

05:03 – You can’t control weather, but…
Martin talks about fluctuating winters as a real but uncontrollable constraint—and why the real game is what you can control:

• Systems
  
   
• People
  
   
• Company culture
  
   

05:54 – Culture as the ultimate lever
Martin defines culture as: efficient operations, updated equipment, technology, and people who actually like working there and feel rewarded.

06:53 – Profitability: real numbers from the industry
Martin shares SIMA Foundation’s profitability study: the average snow & ice company is at 19% profitability, with many growing double digits annually when run well.

07:41 – The SIMA benchmark study (and where to get it)
They dive into SIMA’s in-depth benchmark study:

• 150+ companies
  
   
• Requires real financial data
  
   
• Covers expenses, structure, comp, equipment, contract types
  → Available at sima-foundation.org (free for members, paid for non-members).
  
   

09:30 – Why benchmarking matters
Martin explains how owners use the benchmark report to sanity-check things like:

• Sales & marketing spend
  
   
• Insurance and equipment costs
  
   
• Payroll as % of revenue
  
   
• Org structure and profit per employee
  
   

10:29 – Workforce & compensation data
They touch on SIMA’s workforce study: pay ranges, benefits, trucks, health care, retirement, and how that feeds into retention—especially in the U.S.

12:43 – Systems, people, culture: which comes first?
Rob asks Martin to rank systems, people, and culture.
Martin: culture is the umbrella—systems and people sit underneath it.

13:33 – What culture actually looks like day-to-day
Martin breaks it down simply:

• Do your people like coming in?
  
   
• Is there camaraderie and healthy competition?
  
   
• Are leaders creating energy and real connection (knowing people’s families, lives, goals)?
  
   

15:31 – The tech stack every serious snow company needs
Discussion of the “tech stack”:

• Payroll & HR
  
   
• Operations and routing tools
  
   
• CRM for sales and account management
  
   
• Weather tracking and service reporting tools (critical for slip-and-fall protection).
  
   

16:51 – Protecting yourself in slip-and-fall claims
Martin explains how service logs, weather data, and software help companies prove they did their job when claims inevitably show up.

18:20 – Fixing low-energy crews & dragging culture
Rob asks: how does an owner actually inject energy if crews are just “show up, coffee, truck, go”?
Martin suggests: small incentives, knowing your people, flexible support, and clear expectations.

19:55 – The “right people on the bus”
Martin references the classic idea: right people, right seats, properly supported—with practical incentives (money, time, flexibility).

21:28 – Retention bonuses for sidewalk crews
Martin gives a concrete example:

• Sidewalk crews are high-turnover and brutally hard work
  
   
• Some companies pay retention bonuses at the end of the season if people show up for all events—simple, powerful, and effective.
  
   

22:48 – Compensation aligned with company goals
They discuss rewarding behavior that supports reliability, consistency, and performance (instead of just “hours showed up”).

24:17 – Production rates & paying for efficiency
Martin mentions using production rates (e.g., time per acre) and paying more when crews hit or beat those benchmarks.

24:59 – How top companies recruit differently
Martin shares how strong culture companies:

• Are always recruiting
  
   
• Tap into community networks (church, sports, ethnic communities, schools)
  
   
• Turn employees into a referral engine.
  
   

26:25 – “We’re basically a training company that does X”
Rob connects the dots to top entrepreneurs in many industries who see themselves as training companies first, service providers second—and how that applies to snow & ice.

26:29 – Looking outside the industry for comp benchmarks
Martin shares a story of a member who benchmarks comp not just against snow & landscape, but against insurance, construction, manufacturing so account managers don’t get easily poached.

28:21 – Who SIMA is really for
Martin clears up a misconception:

• Big companies think SIMA is for small ones
  
   
• Small companies think SIMA is for big ones
  Reality: SIMA serves the whole snow & ice community, from boutique specialists to massive fleets.
  
   

29:43 – What big and small companies can learn from each other
Big learn from small: customer service and relationship depth.
Small learn from big: how to scale from $250K → $1M+ and beyond.

31:03 – How to get more value as a SIMA member
Martin’s quick list:

• Write for Snow Business or SIMA’s digital content
  
   
• Speak or join a panel at the Snow & Ice Symposium
  
   
• Join committees (standards, best practices, legislative)
  
   
• Use your $200 training credit each year for certification.
  
   

32:44 – Membership ROI and “gym membership” analogy
Martin compares SIMA to a gym: it only pays off if you actually use it—log in, download tools, use the training, join the community.

33:21 – Best management practices & legal protection
SIMA’s Best Management Practices are:

• Built by 10–15 subject matter experts
  
   
• Reviewed every few years
  
   
• A powerful tool when lawyers or insurers ask, “Did you follow industry best practices?”
  
   

34:34 – Training programs: CSP, ASM & safety
Martin outlines SIMA’s main training tracks:

• Certified Snow Professional (CSP) – highest level
  
   
• Advanced Snow Manager (ASM) – core training for field/ops leaders
  
   
• Safety training for sidewalk crews and equipment operators.
  
   

36:20 – How to connect with SIMA
Where to start:

• Website: sima.org
  
   
• Resource center with free downloads
  
   
• Contact form and membership team
  
   
• 24/7 chatbot (with real humans behind it during business hours).
  
   

37:33 – Snow & Ice Symposium details
Martin plugs the upcoming Snow & Ice Symposium in Cincinnati, always held in the 3rd or 4th week of June.

38:08 – Closing gratitude & final thoughts
Rob wraps with appreciation for Martin’s 18+ years leading SIMA and serving the snow & ice industry.