Upcoming Events

Snowfighters Institute Webinars: Join us live for monthly webinars built to help snow pros run stronger, more profitable operations. All sessions run 10:00 to 11:00 AM.

Contract Review | Tuesday, June 2, 2026 Internal review and update of sales contracts and subcontractor agreements.

Pricing & Estimating Review | Tuesday, July 7, 2026 Are you pricing for profit or just hoping to break even?

Finding & Managing Subcontractors | Tuesday, August 11, 2026 How do you find subcontractors who actually show up when it snows?

Capacity Planning | Tuesday, September 8, 2026 How do you determine your true operational capacity?

Recruiting | Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Why can't you find good people to hire, and what can you do about it?

Incentive Compensation & Rewards | Tuesday, November 10, 2026 Are your bonuses and rewards actually driving the results you want?

Client & Employee Appreciation | Tuesday, December 8, 2026 Are you truly appreciating your clients and employees, or just going through the motions?

See the full webinar list →

In-Person Event

GROW! Snow | September 22 to 23, 2026 An in-person event built for snow leaders and their teams. Two days of snow-specific breakout sessions, a facility tour, and content designed to drive real change at your business. Details coming soon.

This week's episode is a little different. Phil Harwood joins Marty Grunder on The Grow Show to discuss the strategic partnership between Snow Fighters Institute and The Grow Group, share his 40 years of industry experience, and explain why snow removal can be the most profitable part of a service business. From his early days running printing equipment in the family business to his current role as a consultant and attorney, Phil reveals the leadership principles that have served him throughout his career, the trends shaping the future of snow operations, and why building a sellable business benefits every owner regardless of exit plans.

Key Learnings

Snow Fighting Is Emergency Service Work - Snow removal is comparable to firefighting because crews are on call all winter and must drop everything when activity starts, requiring a mindset that embraces the calling rather than resenting it.

Find Companies That Love Snow - The best operators love snow not because they enjoy leaving their families for three days, but because they understand they're providing valuable emergency services that make a real difference.

Degrees Don't Equal Smartness or Success - Education provides knowledge, but you have to apply what you learned and surround yourself with smart people to actually succeed in business.

Outsiders Get Heard More Than Insiders - The same advice from an internal team member often gets ignored but is celebrated when delivered by an objective outside consultant with no skin in the game.

Do What You Say You're Going to Do - The basics like answering your phone, being respectful, and following through on commitments sound like cliches but remain the foundation of successful business relationships.

Be Great at What You Want Your Team to Be Good At - Leaders are always being...

• (00:00:00) - Start
• (00:02:00) - Strategic Partnership - Snowfighters + Grow Group
• (00:02:30) - Snowfighters Origins
• (00:04:54) - Why Your “Why” Matters
• (00:07:01) - From Family Business to Consulting
• (00:09:24) - Why Law School at This Point
• (00:10:20) - The Atrium Disaster
• (00:12:26) - When Core Values Backfire
• (00:13:57) - The Leap to Consulting
• (00:15:37) - Why Outsiders Get Heard
• (00:17:01) - The Basics Nobody Do
• (00:18:08) - Be the Example
• (00:23:06) - Tech That’s Changing Snow
• (00:26:05) - You’re the Hero at Night
• (00:27:05) - Build a Business You Can Sell
• (00:28:41) - Why Snow Wins on Profit

Josh Ferguson, Partner at Freeman Mathis and Gary LLP and 22-year insurance defense attorney, joins Phil to share legal insights from defending snow and ice management contractors nationwide. From handling salt shortages with proper contract language, to navigating multi-tier liability claims, to why lost text messages can sink a defense, Josh reveals why documentation is the foundation of legal protection, why the red pen approach works on client contracts, and why proactive general counsel work delivers the best ROI for contractors who want to avoid expensive litigation down the road.

Snow Fighters Institute

Snowfighters Youtube Channel

⭐️ Leave us a review!

Key Learnings

Document, Document, Document - Documentation is the single most important defense in any lawsuit, from preseason site maps to in-event records to follow-up ice watch notes.

Force Majeure Clauses Need Salt Specificity - Generic act of God clauses aren't enough; specifically identify salt shortages in your contract to limit liability when supply issues arise.

Red Pen Every Client Contract - Mark up every client contract you receive because even rejected markups help you understand your risk exposure points.

Detach Your Contract as an Addendum - When clients have rigid contracts, propose attaching your scope of work and protective language as an addendum, which works more often than expected.

Lost Text Messages Sink Defenses - Communications stored on personal phones disappear when employees leave, creating spoliation charges that work against you in court.

Use Platforms with Built-In Texting - Systems like Team Engine store communications by company rather than personal phones, protecting you when seasonal employees leave.

Document Subcontractor Capabilities - Negligent hiring claims require proof that subcontractors had the manpower, equipment, and history to service sites properly.

Mirror Client and Subcontractor Agreements - Gaps between your client contract and subcontractor agreements create exposure points that plaintiff's attorneys exploit.

Stay Involved in Insurance Claims - The squeaky wheel gets the grease; staying involved with carriers and defense attorneys leads to better outcomes over your career.

Personal Injury Lawyers Are Targeting Snow - Big law firms now handle slip and fall cases with more experts, ramped-up injuries, and multi-defendant strategies for bigger payouts.

Multi-Tier Liability Creates Multiple Pots - Plaintiff's counsel add negligent hiring claims to reach property owners, managers, contractors, and subcontractors for more money sources.

Emergency Response Within Hours Matters - Getting attorneys and experts on-site quickly protects privileged conversations and preserves evidence before witnesses change their stories.

Proactive General Counsel Beats Reactive Defense - Working with attorneys before claims happen provides better ROI than dealing with lawsuits after they're filed.

Salt Shortage Documentation Required - When experiencing supply shortages, document the actual shortage with proof from suppliers in addition to having protective contract language.

Reflection Questions

How are you managing electronic communications between your team and clients, and would your text message records survive a lawsuit two to four years down the road?

Do you have documentation proving your subcontractors are capable of servicing the sites they're assigned to, or could a negligent hiring claim catch you unprepared?

Are you treating contract review and legal counsel as a proa...

• (00:00:00) - Start
• (00:00:20) - Meet Josh Ferguson
• (00:01:12) - Josh’s Legal Practice Overview
• (00:03:17) - Why Josh Became a Lawyer
• (00:05:23) - Life Outside the Office
• (00:07:36) - Salt Shortage Contract Tips
• (00:12:03) - Handling Client Contracts
• (00:15:28) - Regulation and Environmental Trends
• (00:16:50) - Winning Claims With Documentation
• (00:18:58) - Defense Ready Documentation
• (00:21:11) - Subcontractor Risk Transfer
• (00:23:08) - Emergency Response Playbook
• (00:25:14) - Outside General Counsel Value
• (00:27:01) - Why Industry Events Matter
• (00:29:10) - Plaintiff Trends and New Claims
• (00:33:44) - The Risk with Text Communication
• (00:35:19) - Tech Solutions
• (00:35:45) - Please Like, Share & Subscribe!

Steven Walus, President of Great Lakes Snow Systems in Elgin, Illinois, joins Phil to share his journey from shoveler to skid steer operator to business owner through a five-year seller-financed buyout. From starting with two trucks and all subcontractors to building relationships with municipal contracts, Steven reveals why asking about succession planning opened the door to ownership, why seller financing keeps both parties invested in success, and how networking with successful operators eliminates the need to reinvent the wheel in business growth.

Snow Fighters Institute

Snowfighters Youtube Channel

⭐️ Leave us a review!

Great Lakes Snow

Key Learnings

Ask About Succession Planning Early - When the owner's kids showed no interest in taking over the business, expressing genuine interest in ownership opened the door to acquisition conversations.

Seller Financing Aligns Interests - A five-year buyout structure where payments depend on business success keeps the seller invested in helping the new owner succeed.

Municipal Work Provides Stability - City contracts for parking lots, cul-de-sacs, and dead ends create a reliable foundation around which to build commercial accounts.

Opportunity Comes from Preparation - Being ready when the skid steer operator quit with the door open led to advancement from shoveling to equipment operation.

Don't Reinvent the Wheel - Successful people in any trade are willing to share knowledge, so model their success rather than trying to figure everything out alone.

Snow Is Recession-Proof - Unlike landscaping services that customers can delay, snow removal is a necessity and emergency service that remains stable during economic downturns.

Start Where You Are With What You Have - Beginning as a shoveler without money or a business plan still led to eventual ownership through consistent effort and expressing interest.

Network at Every Event - Industry conferences, symposiums, and networking events provide access to knowledge and solutions from people who've already solved your challenges.

Trade Shortage Creates Opportunity - Fewer people willing to do the work means more opportunities for those committed to buckling down and growing in the industry.

Equipment Expertise Matters - Understanding what works (like John Deere 244s for specific applications) helps others avoid research time and expensive mistakes.

Small Challenges Have Been Solved - Problems that seem big to growing businesses are often small potatoes to established operators willing to share solutions.

Stay Ahead of Industry Trends - Investing in liquids, metal-plus plows, active edges, and new technology keeps companies on the forefront of industry growth.

Reflection

Have you had conversations with business owners in your area about their succession plans, and are you positioning yourself as a potential successor when they're ready to exit?

Are you networking enough with successful operators to learn from their experiences, or are you trying to solve problems that others have already figured out?

What challenges in your business seem overwhelming that might actually be simple solutions for someone with more experience who would be willing to share their knowledge?

Chapters

00:21 - Welcome Steven Walus

01:40 - Great Lakes Snow Origins

05:12 - Structuring A Buyout

07:53 - Valuation Help From Snow...