Getting Ready for Spring

By now you must have noticed the crocus, tulips, and lilies peeking out from the ground seeing if its safe to emerge. The answer is YES!

There is no denying that spring is on it's way. Have you also noticed any sand & salt left over in your parking lot? Broken traffic signs, stained sidewalks, pot holes... You may need help!

Now is a great time to schedule a walk through of your property. Our trained professionals will be on the lookout for ways to help brighten up the appearance of your property. With the use of heated pressure washers, broom sweepers, and service trailers, your property and parking lots can show as fresh as the flowers that are greeting us each new day.

Our state-of-the art equipment is tuned up and ready to run with the crew.
Give us a call. 215-245-8940. Mention this blog entry and save 10%.

Save salt, Save money... save the environment.

Funny thing about winter ... just when you think it is past you, mother nature returns for another bout. And as we began to clear parking lots covered in snow, and spread salt this morning, I remembered something I had read recently.

I know it stopped me enough to want to research it a bit, and consider this and other "green" options in our business and our lives. So I thought I would share it...

Save salt, Save money... save the environment.

We are all looking for ways to be a little more "green" in our day-to-day lives. So, as I look out my window to several drifts of snow covering a nearby parking lot, I thought I’d share this "green" approach to snow removal.

A new liquid solution just hit the market that will save snow removal companies, cities, counties and municipalities thousands of dollars in salt costs, and is less harmful to the environment. Salt Saver http://greenicemelt.com/products-saltsaver.htm is a unique solution that is used as a rock salt stockpile treatment. It will make the standard rock salt much more effective, significantly reducing the amount of salt required to effectively de-ice your location. It makes the salt work faster, longer, and to colder temperatures. You use less salt, saving you money, and reducing the harmful effects on the environment.

By applying a small amount of Salt Saver liquid , only 7 gallons per ton of salt, you will be able to spread up to 50% less salt, cutting your salt expense in half. Depending on how big of an operation it is, this can add up to thousands of dollars! Salt Saver can also be added to salt in tailgate spreaders and effectively hand-mixed in seconds. With a small 23 oz application, it can even be added and mixed in with general consumer sized 50 lb bags of rock salt.

Available exclusively at GreenIceMelt.com http://greenicemelt.com/products-saltsaver.htm - Save salt, save money, and help save the environment.

Best Practices for Winter Maintenance for your Parking Lot

You should use best practices to keep parking lots and sidewalks safe and also reduce environmental impacts. You don't have to worry about educating yourself on the proper methods of snow removal and ice control if you have the right maintenance company.

Everyone wants reliable service. Utilizing a well-planned and executed winter maintenance program is key. Make sure your management company uses the latest technologies, to ensure reliability. By providing a higher level of service, we are likely to reduce slip and fall exposures. Use someone who is educated on parking lot maintenance.

• Using the right amount of material at the right time,
you will save time and money.

• Pre-treating your parking lot before a snow/ice storm will
increase safety and reduce incidence.

Parking lot owners and the public want safe parking lots and sidewalks. By understanding the materials, weather and application rates, we have a head start on controlling icy, slippery parking lots and sidewalks.

You want clean and neat parking lots and sidewalks. By using less material and increased winter sweeping, pedestrians will track less material into buildings, and there will be less damage to flooring. Proper snow storage makes debris removal in the spring easier, too.

If you'd like to discuss how we can help your organization stay on top of the best practices for your parking lot, feel free to call me at 215.245.8940 or email me at sweepbsi@aol.com.

Bramble Sweeping Marries Service, Caring and Hard Work

Check out a recent article which was written about Bramble Sweeping.

As seen in North American Sweeper Magazine, September 2010
Jodi and Paul Bramble’s twenty-year marriage has been defined, in many ways, by their sweeping business. If it weren’t so corny, you might even say they swept each other off their feet. Together they’ve been building their parking lot sweeping and maintenance business in the Philadelphia area since 1984—that’s twenty-six years ago, if you’re doing the math.

“We bought our first sweeping truck before we got married,” Jodi remembers. Today, they have thirty employees and about twenty-eight vehicles for sweeping, pressure-washing, landscaping and snowplowing. But at its core, Bramble Sweeping owes its success and steady growth to the same values that keep a marriage strong and vital: earnest, caring people who work at their relationships.

“We strive to connect personally with our clients,” says Jodi, who runs the office and serves the company as Vice President (Paul is President). “It’s something that sets Bramble Sweeping apart from other companies. This way, we learn how we can help them achieve their goals.

“Instead of just coming in to sweep, for example, we will notice areas that could use pressure-washing, signage that needs to be cleaned or replaced. We are the eyes for the property managers and owners, since we are on the property regularly, as well as when management typically is not. We develop a partnership with them that benefits us both.”

For Jodi—who was running an ice cream shop when she met Paul—and for Paul—who started out with a janitorial business—the “partnership” feature also makes the job far more satisfying overall.

Give me a challenge
Jodi takes pleasure in the fact that something comes up every day to make her job different from the day before. “I like to handle a challenge. If there’s an issue that comes up, I enjoy finding a way to make my client happy or to bring harmony to my crew. It could be an oil spill that needs to be handled or an issue with line-striping or power-washing. My goal with my employees is to make them feel part of our team, because what they bring adds value to the whole business and to all of us.”

There was one challenge the Brambles faced that went far beyond solving a minor equipment issue or correcting a mistake with a client. Eight years ago, Paul broke his femur—the thigh bone— and has spent literally years dealing with the repercussions of the injury.

“It was the height of winter, and he was out of commission for nine months. Prior to that, Paul had always been on top of it all, especially snowplowing jobs.” He eventually had four surgeries, the last one just a few years ago. “Our mechanic, supervisor, drivers, our nephew—they all pulled together,” Jodi recalls with deep appreciation. “They kept everything clean and running, with no slack in the line.”

Retaining employees and clients
Bramble’s experienced, alert, committed personnel are cross-trained on all the clients’ routes and—not coincidentally—treated with respect and high regard by management. The result, as Jodi and Paul have observed, is minimal turnover and a more stable company. “We take care of each other; there’s a sense of community all around.”

That community approach naturally extends to the clients. As Jodi explains, “I always follow up. It’s my way to make sure the job is done properly. It goes both ways, really, to clients and to employees.”

A checklist—which employees turn in with their daily reports—helps ensure that every step is completed and that problems or potential issues are noted so the property manager or owner can be notified. In addition to a full-time mechanic in the shop, Bramble’s Sweeping maintains two back-up sweepers—virtually eliminating the risk of missing scheduled sweeps.

Advancements at home
“We deal with a lot of corporate chains, but also a lot of smaller companies and business owners with whom we have a personal relationship,” Jodi says. “We resolve our issues immediately, so we make their customers happy and we make our clients happy, too.” However, with the difficult economic situation so widespread, Jodi has found a lot of clients who are trying to cut costs. “A lot of them tell us, ‘We’ll keep you on but for twenty percent less,’ which is common.”

Meanwhile, in the midst of these challenges and changes, the Brambles are planning—make that hoping—for a late fall groundbreaking for their new shop in Bensalem Township, outside of Philadelphia. It’s slated to include mechanic and garage bays and the office for employee check-in. Since it’s on the same site as the current operations, Jodi will find herself in an office trailer for the duration of the renovation.

Bramble Sweeping recently began a major website overhaul as well. The new site, www.BrambleSweeping.com, is gradually shaping up, with a new logo, new images and new copy.

Advancements in the industry
In addition to focusing upon the company’s offices and website, Jodi also recognizes the huge value in two industry-wide technologies: the growth of GPS and of low-noise, more environmentally friendly sweeping equipment. “GPS [global positioning systems] allows us to stay on top, to save on payroll and to make sure everyone is doing what they’re supposed to be doing.”

However, for all the benefits of new technologies, it’s really the values that the owners have made central to the business that make the real difference. “When it comes down to it, people are still people, and relationship is still important.” Sort of like a marriage.

For more information on Bramble Sweeping, visit www.BrambleSweeping.com, or call 215.245.8940.

By Anne Biggs