Behind Our Business
Rob Thibault
Q: Where did the idea for TBO Snow and Ice Management first come from?
A: I have always been mesmerized by snow. As a kid, I would play out on the back hill snowboarding and make igloos whenever we got snow in White Rock. From first thing in the morning until 9:00 or 10:00 PM at night. My mom would throw my clothes in the dryer and I’d do it all over again in the morning.
I wanted to make a living playing in the snow. I knew I couldn’t be a professional snowboarder, so I combined my love for machinery (big toys) and protecting people to create and snow & ice management company!
Q: If you were to summarize the vision of TBO Snow and Ice Management, what would it be?
A: I’m tirelessly perusing (and obsessing) about the win-win-win.
Win 1- Keeping my clients safe and well serviced while building long term relationships
Win 2- Providing a great place for our team members to work and use their skills and gifts to the fullest.
Win 3- Building a strong, community-based business that gives me flexibility through the summer months to work on passion projects and spend a little time hunting & fly fishing.
Q: Do you find that there is a specific need that brings your clients to you most often?
A: Most of our clients come to us after their expectations were unmet by a previous snow and ice management company. They want a safe bet for a fair price. When “it” hits the fan, they want to know we are going to show up and hustle until the job is done. They want to know we are going to answer the phone and address any concerns they may have.
Q: What is one thing you wish that people knew about snow and ice management?
A: Our team members are stuck in the same road closures & traffic as you. If we haven’t been to your site already, we are doing everything possible to get to you! We promise!
Q: Give us an inside tip! What is one thing that people can do to prepare for winter?
A: If the forecast is for snow over 2 inches, see if you can work from home for the day! Traffic is too slow & the risks are high. Work it out with your boss ahead of time...Or...Keep a bag of salt or deicer right outside your front door. If the forecast for tomorrow is snow, freezing rain, or temps below 1 degree, throw two handfuls of salt on your stairs/walkway before you go to bed.
Q: Last year, you were one of the only companies that didn’t run out of salt when unexpected snowstorms arrived on the West Coast. Share with us a little bit about this experience. What does this next year hold for TBO’s Snow and Ice Management?
A: Winter last year (2016-17) was off. the. charts. It was a bit unexpected… even for us! And snow is what we do. We were extremely fortunate to have one of our local suppliers who we have had a 10+year relationship roll out the red carpet for us. They worked around the clock to make sure we always had enough salt. No matter what!
We do our best as a team to always treat each vendor and client with the utmost respect and go the extra mile for them when we can. In this specific season when salt shortages hit everyone (even metro-Vancouver - who we provided salt for briefly), we had someone go the extra mile for us. Those were truly humbling and exciting times!
We have dramatically increased our fleet, even importing custom equipment made in St. Louis that will not only improve our capacity, but primarily improve our onsite service efficiency.
Q: If you could say one thing to your current and future clients, what would you say?
A: We are working relentlessly on our business to be able to offer a world class experience to our clients. Working with our GPS live tracking on all of our equipment, specific site maps with notes, client communications, and routing, our aim is to offer the the mostly timely service and smooth communication to the clients we serve in the greater Vancouver area and Fraser Valley for 2017.