Rick Kier [00:00:00]:
It was this informal networking that really showed us the value of having the trade association. We all came together in Erie, Pennsylvania for the sole purpose of forming the association. Now that said, we thought if we could get three or 400 members, we'd be doing a real stroke of business. We never imagined in a million years that we would have this kind of an association. I've gotten a lot from SIMA. It's been the single biggest factor in the growth and development of my company. It's really a great pleasure to take these other contractors and assist them and kind of pay it forward. The way that I receive help from a multitude of contractors over the years here at SIMA.
00:54 - The Birth of SIMA: From Idea to Association
Jack Jostes [00:00:54]:
So I'm here with Rick Kier, who just came to my snack and chat table. And Rick, I learned that you were one of the founders of SIMA. So tell me a little bit about your story.
Rick Kier [00:01:05]:
Well, in 1996, I was invited by John Allen to Erie, Pennsylvania so we could form a snow plowers association. And originally the thought was it was going to be all about snow contractors. And then we got together in the basement of John's house and there were eight of us that showed up and we talked about all the different aspects of the industry. We decided it needed to be bigger than just a snowplower contractors association, but rather to encompass the entire snow industry. And that's how we came up with the name SIMA. And we really spent a lot of time and energy in that basement for three days. And we discovered that we could help each other by sharing ideas. And even just within the three days, we each took away different ideas that we then went back to various cities and helped grow our businesses.
Rick Kier [00:02:02]:
And it was that concept that helped us make the Snow and Ice Management association so successful.
Jack Jostes [00:02:09]:
So was that the first unofficial Symposium?
Rick Kier [00:02:13]:
I guess you could call it that.
Jack Jostes [00:02:16]:
Eight guys in a basement getting together, sharing ideas. And then that led to forming the association.
Rick Kier [00:02:21]:
That's true, but the networking that we did and the things that we shared with each other was really very incidental. It was like during lunch, it was after the meetings. It was in between the meetings. The meetings were really all about focused on building a trade association. And most of us had been involved with other trade associations, maybe for the landscape industry or pavement maintenance. And so we all had little bits and pieces that we brought together. But it was this informal networking that really showed us the value of having the trade association. And then from there, it took us a year before we were able to get the symposium going.
Rick Kier [00:03:13]:
At first it was very, very small. We met at the Airport Marriott here in Pittsburgh. And there was no trade show. It was just a bunch of very small sessions. And it's grown to, you know, thousands of members.
03:32 - From Basement Meetings to a Thriving Organization
Jack Jostes [00:03:32]:
Is this the 27th year?
Rick Kier [00:03:34]:
This is the 27th Symposium, which means it's actually the 28th year for SIMA.
Jack Jostes [00:03:40]:
Okay, cool. Well, it's grown. Do you know how many people are here this year?
Rick Kier [00:03:45]:
I don't know, but if it's anything like past years, I would say it's over 2,500.
Jack Jostes [00:03:51]:
Yeah. So that's incredible that you guys got together and you essentially. Did you think you were going to form an association when you guys got together, or was it initially just getting together with some people to trade ideas?
Rick Kier [00:04:04]:
None of us knew each other. You know, we had either heard of one another or met each other very briefly, but nobody that was in that basement knew anybody else that was there. We all came together near Pennsylvania for the sole purpose of forming the association. Now, that said, we thought if we could get three or 400 members, we'd be doing a real stroke of business. We never imagined in a million years that we would have this kind of an association to grow at this large, have this many members, this much vendor activity and trade show. It has literally gone beyond any of our wildest imagination.
Jack Jostes [00:04:50]:
Well, that's so cool that it's grown into this. It's an incredible organization. And there was great barbecue today. It was so good that I actually got some sauce on my shirt.
Rick Kier [00:04:58]:
I see that it's hard to miss.
Jack Jostes [00:05:00]:
It's hard to miss. So I had to just tell people who are watching the video that that happened.
05:11 - Rick’s Journey: From Teen Entrepreneur to Industry Leader
Jack Jostes [00:05:04]:
So how long did you have your snow business before selling it? And then what are you doing now?
Rick Kier [00:05:11]:
Okay, so I started when I was 11 years old, snow blowing the neighborhood driveways with my father's snowblower. And a month before I turned 16, I bought a brand new Chevy truck with a plow. I had saved up $2,000 for the down payment, and I bought that truck a month before I turned 16. And I had 36 monthly payments I had to make to pay that sucker off. I was a 9th grader in high school, and I plowed snow in the morning and then went to class all day. And during the summer months, I mowed lawns and did that outside of school. So I've been doing this pretty much my whole life. I bought that first truck in 1978, and I sold the business in 2019.
Rick Kier [00:06:02]:
So, you know, I was in it for 40 years and it's been a wonderful career. I've gotten a lot from SIMA. It's really been the single biggest factor in the growth and development of my company and my business. And now that we've sold the business, I enjoy working with other contractors in the landscape and the snow industry to help them leapfrog from wherever they are today to the industry best practices. And I help them avoid all the trial and error that it took me 40 years to figure out. And it's really a great pleasure to take these other contractors and assist them and kind of pay it forward the way that I received help from a multitude of contractors over the years here at cima.
Jack Jostes [00:07:08]:
So Rick, you work as a consultant and you've got rickkier.com. I'm going to put a link to that in the show. Notes that R-I-C-K-K-I-E-R.com.
07:35 - Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Contracting
Jack Jostes [00:07:19]:
What's maybe one thing that we could give the audience that would help them avoid, like you said, making some of the mistakes that you made in your life if there was maybe like something you commonly see when you're talking with your clients that you start helping them with what might be something that you'd share with the audience?
Rick Kier [00:07:35]:
Sure. Well, one of the most common things I see is a lot of contractors, think that they're going to get work by having the lowest price and they mistakenly think that it's all about the price. And that I think is a big mistake, because it's not about the price, it's about the value. Every customer out there knows, no matter which service they're buying and no matter what they're paying, they always know they could find somebody that's cheaper. But the reason they don't is because they don't think that cheaper person or company is a good value. And so as contractors, what we should be doing is we should be figuring out what good value means to each client.
Rick Kier [00:08:26]:
And if you're getting a request for a snow removal bid, for example, and you just go on Google Maps and figure out the square footage of the property and send in a bid, you're never going to be able to give the best value for that client. But if you go meet with that client, you make an appointment, you show up at their property, you walk the property with them, you ask them about what's right, what's wrong, what have you liked in the past, what have been the problems? And then you incorporate those things into your proposal.
Rick Kier [00:09:01]:
It's going to give them that warm, fuzzy feeling that they know they can be confident that if they hire you, you're going to solve their snow removal needs or their landscape needs or whatever it is that you're bidding on. And it's going to put you way above everybody else.
Jack Jostes [00:09:21]:
I agree. You know, like you said, going and meeting with them, qualifying them a bit and then, but more importantly, listening to them and what are their needs and creating a plan that solves their needs is going to help you win those contracts. And I agree with you because I see so many snow companies that are in the spray and pray mode of proposals where they're just like you said, they're calculating square feet. Here's our bid. Not a lot of time put into it, and they're surprised that they're closing so few of their leads. But I think when you're thorough like that, that it stands out and people then understand the value that you deliver.
09:58 - Why Being the Lowest Bidder Can Hurt Your Business
Rick Kier [00:09:58]:
Well, not only that, but when you're getting a job because you're the lowest bidder, there's several possibilities. One, you may have made a mistake in the calculations of doing the, the pricing and that's why you're the lowest bidder. And so you're going to lose money on the job even if you keep it forever. Number two, if you're being hired because you're the low bidder, then that customer is always going to be looking for the low bidder. So you might be the low bidder today and next year somebody else is the low bidder and you're out. And in this industry, one of the reasons I was successful is because I got customers and I kept them for, for 15, 20, 25, 30 years in a row. And having those customers in long term contracts allows you to schedule all your work and to have your book of business all organized in such a way. You know, I've got this much business coming up for this year and if I want to grow, I can add this many trucks or this many employees or this many mowers and take it to the next level.
Rick Kier [00:11:06]:
But if you're constantly renewing or replacing customers every single year, you can't do that long term planning. And that's really where it comes in to, you know, to get that efficiency and to be well organized, you need to be able to do that same work repetitively year after year after year.
11:29 - Parting Advice and Connecting with Rick
Jack Jostes [00:11:29]:
Well, Rick, I've enjoyed talking with you. We've also, we've got to wrap up because we're hosting a nachos and networking event. You're welcome to come have some nachos with us if you want, but I just wanted to thank you for coming on the podcast. And thank you also for, you know, co-founding SIMA. It's an incredible association. I'm in many of them, and SIMA is one of the best. And this Symposium is truly excellent. So thank you!
Rick Kier [00:11:53]:
My pleasure. Thank you for having me on your podcast.
Jack Jostes [00:11:55]:
Absolutely. And I'll put a link to rickkier.com in our show notes. And are you on LinkedIn too?
Rick Kier [00:12:02]:
I am.
Jack Jostes [00:12:03]:
Cool. Well, everyone connect with Rick Kier, and thanks for sharing some tips on the podcast.
12:08 - Thanks for Tuning In!
Jack Jostes [00:12:08]:
If you enjoyed today's conversation, make sure you like this video and subscribe to our YouTube channel for weekly updates to help you grow your snow and landscape company. My name is Jack Jostes and click the link at the end of this video for the next one.
Show Notes:
Watch the full episode + see the transcript at: landscapersguide.com/podcast
Tell us where to send your beef jerky: landscapersguide.com/toolbox
🔗 Connect with Rick Kier: www.linkedin.com/in/rick-kier-08921424
💼 Learn About Forge Ahead Consulting: www.rickkier.com