# Anyone contract with Lowes?



## DaySpring Services (Feb 1, 2005)

Has anyone contracted with Lowes? I have one potentially eyed up for next season. I want to contact the store manager to find out more. I just want to make sure they're not a pain to deal with, especially if they're in with USM.


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## RTEnt (Apr 14, 2007)

We don't have a contract with Lowes, but I do know that they are contracted individually here in Rochester. I think that once you look a little more into it you may be dissapointed with the numbers. I had some insight into the one near me 3 or 4 years ago and when all was said and done I made way more money chasing driveways with pickups than I could parking a machine in the Lowes lot. Just some food for thought.


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## DaySpring Services (Feb 1, 2005)

Right now it's nothing more than a thought in my head. I'd have to get some solid numbers to pursue it. I dont work for free or next to nothing like the lowballers.


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## nms0219 (Jan 20, 2007)

Here they are USM. For what they pay and what they want you to do you can make more at mcdonalds.


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## DaySpring Services (Feb 1, 2005)

nms0219;1002590 said:


> Here they are USM. For what they pay and what they want you to do you can make more at mcdonalds.


Plowing or running the fryer:laughing:


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## LwnmwrMan22 (Jan 20, 2005)

What you'll notice about those bigger accounts.....

Alot of time every other plow guy is thinking the same thing you are, "wow, it sure would be nice to have a big account like that".

What that does is drive the numbers down, because everyone works to get an "inside track" to the management to find out what they're paying, then beat that price.

Oh, I can do that for $5 / hour less, look at all the plowing there is to do.

But then the following year, another new guy comes in, with an inside track to the numbers that are now $5 less than the year before and says, "oh, I can do that for $4 / hour less, look at all the plowing there is to do".

Now the next year the second guy gets the store to sign a 2 year contract, but only if he holds his price steady. In the meantime, the store gets a new manager, who's got a bro-in-law that plows, that tells him, "hey, you get beat this price, you can have this account", which he figures sure, I only have to plow the one account each storm to make $2,000.

After 5 years, the account is being done 20-30% cheaper than the first year it was done, and no one is making any money.


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## SteveR (Sep 24, 2003)

LwnmwrMan22;1002635 said:


> What you'll notice about those bigger accounts.....
> 
> Alot of time every other plow guy is thinking the same thing you are, "wow, it sure would be nice to have a big account like that".
> 
> ...


Well put..


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## nms0219 (Jan 20, 2007)

running the fryer. What was said above very true. Their is alot of expense doing large commercial work, Big insurance money, Big risk of slip and fall, Big equipment payments, Big labor cost, Big salt cost, Wait forever to get paid. fun aint it??


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Besides most of them are in plazas around here so you may have to call the leasing agent to see who is in charge of maintenance.


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## DaySpring Services (Feb 1, 2005)

Our new store is alone and the guy the takes care of it does a halfa$$ job, more than likely its because it's a lowballer. I figured it may be worth a shot. Maybe I can offer my services for next season. It may be a little more expensive but better service.


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## SteveR (Sep 24, 2003)

I would go for it too. I think any of us would tell you that, just don't do it for free. If a man is doing a good job he should be paid a fair price for it.


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## Superior L & L (Oct 6, 2006)

LwnmwrMan22;1002635 said:


> I only have to plow the one account each storm to make $2,000.
> .


:laughing::laughing::laughing:

Thats the funnyest thing ive heard in a while!!!
Everyone talks about plowing these big accounts. I dont want to plow any big accounts!!! I just like to salt them payup


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## 1daniel1 (Dec 17, 2009)

Careful my local friend. Being in hard lake effect land like you are with that account you could be a busy man. That may be good or bad though depending on how you work the wording of the contract. I have heard from a friend they are par for the course in terms of popular national retail stores not wanting any snow, slush, ice, or residual salt on the lot at any time. Like July in Janurary. I stick with my two Kmart lots and my three low- end strip malls. Slightly less money but significanlty less expectation. Similar to the stores themself. Good Luck.


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## LwnmwrMan22 (Jan 20, 2005)

DaySpring Services;1002886 said:


> Our new store is alone and the guy the takes care of it does a halfa$$ job, more than likely its because it's a lowballer. I figured it may be worth a shot. Maybe I can offer my services for next season. It may be a little more expensive but better service.


I mow the local school district, as well as 2 towns' parks systems.

I do them on the cheap because I can get cheap help, my dad and my wife.

I also believe in giving back to the community, so if I can keep SOME of the costs down, and keep more teachers in the schools and police on the roads, then good for the community.

I'm not doing these accounts to go broke, I'm just not charging as much as the high end commercial properties.

Now with that said, our local school district went out for bid on the snowplowing last year.

We were at 22 equipment hours, for a seasonal price of $33,000 for the season, on roughly 18 snowfalls / year.

You all can do the math and see what I was trying to get per equipment hour.

The contractor that got the job was at $16,000 for the entire year. I was at the meeting when they opened the bids and his exact quote was "Well, at least I have my house payment and truck payment covered for the season". Does anyone see the errors in that statement?

Take my equipment hours and snowfalls per season and figure out what his exact rate is.

So far we've plowed about 10 times this year with another 2 months in the season.

They've already tore out a garage door and the parking lots have lost about 25% of the parking spaces.

We had a complete proposal, with a blueprint of our operation and the ability to have the whole district completely cleaned in 3 hours.

I have a set of 3 banks that I get $10,000 for the season, 1 truck, 4 hours each snowfall total.

Find a smaller business that will pay more for the service.

The large box stores are living on 2% margin. How do you think they keep things at 2% margins?? By paying MORE for service?


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## nms0219 (Jan 20, 2007)

Ha i bid a school district last year for mowing. Wow is all i can say. They had ten bids 9 were in the 50-60k range 1 was 19k. Guy said the same thing house and truck are paid for. You should see the mess he made of the place. He was mowing 7 days a week with an old 52" lesco walk behind with a home made sit down sulky. It would take him 2 weeks to mow everything once. the grass would be 6" to 8" tall by the time he would mow it. For the trimming he used round up.


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## Brant'sLawnCare (Jun 29, 2007)

nms0219;1003210 said:


> Ha i bid a school district last year for mowing. Wow is all i can say. They had ten bids 9 were in the 50-60k range 1 was 19k. Guy said the same thing house and truck are paid for. You should see the mess he made of the place. He was mowing 7 days a week with an old 52" lesco walk behind with a home made sit down sulky. It would take him 2 weeks to mow everything once. the grass would be 6" to 8" tall by the time he would mow it. For the trimming he used round up.


Wow, the guy coulda bid $49k and still got it. Now this spring, someone will bid $15k. So much for that being a decent paying account.


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## DaySpring Services (Feb 1, 2005)

I tell you, People or businesses are really stupid when It comes to this low bidder crap. You get what you pay for. My favorite one is underbidding a job then all of the sudden having overages. "Oh well this wasn't planned or oh this came up"


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## nms0219 (Jan 20, 2007)

amazing ain't it? oh as a side note to the lowes lots, most of the buildings are leased. They are owned either by Benderson Development or DDR ( developers diversified reality).


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## DaySpring Services (Feb 1, 2005)

What doesn't Benderson own around here?


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

DaySpring Services;1003648 said:


> What doesn't Benderson own around here?


What they don't own Ciminalli (?) owns.


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## nms0219 (Jan 20, 2007)

they own some of the office max stores, and a bunch of plazas.


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## blaryslawn (Jan 8, 2010)

LwnmwrMan22;1002635 said:


> What you'll notice about those bigger accounts.....
> 
> Alot of time every other plow guy is thinking the same thing you are, "wow, it sure would be nice to have a big account like that".
> 
> ...


I couldn't agree more!!! People just undercut, then get undercut... in the end, everyone is getting the shaft. I plowed for a lowe's store back in March of 09 when that unexpected storm hit us with ten inches... Before this winter season, Lowe's stores in this market did not have contracts with Snow Management companies, but they changed their mind. I believe they are contracted with Brickman now. I spoke with a regional level manager regarding the snow contracts, they were looking for contractors for the whole region... VA & MD. Like any large management company, you have to play by their rules and you are going to get paid. It took me about 60 days to get paid when I pushed for lowe's. I also have been dealing with USM for some wal-marts. I have seen some horror stories on here regarding USM, but I would have to disagree from what I have experienced. Yea, it takes a while to get paid... dont count on a net 10. As a matter of fact I just got paid from the december 21st storm. once again, we played by their rules, called in every time we were supposed to, contacted management as ordered, and turned in invoices as described in the contract. Theres alot of money in these contracts, you just have to be patient . And when the undercutting begins, know when to walk and look elswhere


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## bmlitton (Feb 18, 2010)

Brickman Facity Management contracted 600 Lowes stores for this year. I looked at doing one and it didn't pay enough to suit me. They did however say that you get paid in a matter of days of submitting an invoice. I think a weather report would be attached and the manager at the store would sign off and your check would be en route. They already canned the guy doing the store I looked at and hired someone else. I guess the path he made around the front of the store didn't suit them.


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## ALC-GregH (Nov 26, 2008)

my wife works at the local Walmart. She told me the last big storm we got, a local company got the contract to clear the lot. They got billed over 20k! For like 90hrs total! USM is definitely not in control of this one.


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## DaySpring Services (Feb 1, 2005)

20k?! WOW that's all I have to say. I still think I'm going to approach them and see what they have to say. Nothing to lose. If I don't what they say I just walk. It's at least worth the time (to me) to investigate.


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## blaryslawn (Jan 8, 2010)

that doesnt sound too far off cost wise. Its definately worth your time to investigate, even if USM is controlling it. Just make sure you are prepared, equipment wise, to take on lots that large. Its a little much for a truck or two to handle it if it is a decent snow...


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