Snow season is coming, we’re preparing

Published on January 18, 2018 by Jackson Holliday

At Terracare Associates, we like to prepare. As fall weather settles in and gives way to cooler temperatures, we are preparing our company, teams and equipment to handle colder, nastier weather conditions including freezing rain, blizzards and ice storms in the communities we operate in. Preparation now is essential; it allows us to perform timely, accurate and thorough work when winter conditions and weather hits quickly. Here is what we are currently doing to prepare our teams and clients for the upcoming winter season:

Hiring Staff. These team members are essential to keeping the communities we operate in safe and their roads clear. Staff is typically on-call from October through mid-May. While you stay warm at home, these dedicated team members are in trucks, on ATVs, even out shoveling so the community has access to as safe of conditions as possible. (Looking for extra work? Check out our careers page and apply!)
Training. Training is an on-going process at Terracare Associates. Once staff is hired on, we do conduct an “All Staff” orientation in early October which includes video training, necessary paperwork, equipment training and a driving test with a snow plow. Depending on our contracts with clients, we create curriculum and training around individual routes so our drivers are familiar with the routes before they are deployed to these routes during bad weather conditions.
Setting expectations. Our managers have thorough discussions with property managers and owners, and municipality staff to clarify the expectations of service delivery expected for each snow event. We work with property managers to plan and prepare for a variety of conditions and weather including managing tree and property damage from early season storms, huge storms that may disable an area for a while and more.
Preparing vehicles. Currently, our full-time personnel have started the process of changing over our vehicles from summer work to the winter outfitting of snow plows and sanders. They are running through safety and equipment checklists that include examining and checking tires and conducting preventive maintenance.
De-icing materials. Our team is in the process of gathering, cataloging and preparing materials to combat snowy and icy conditions on the roads. We’ve placed orders on ice melt material orders for most of our municipal contracts and will soon be ordering those same materials for the properties we currently partner with and serve.

If you have not made arrangements for snow removal this season, give us a call or send us a request for proposal and a manager will be in touch to address your needs.

Drive safely and stay warm.

Working Together to Keep our Roads Safe

Published on January 18, 2018 by Jackson Holliday

Safety on the roads starts with you. Road maintenance companies go to great lengths to make sure the road is safe for you during construction. Car and truck construction crashes are often times caused by auto drivers not paying attention or are too impatient to slow down. Sharing the road with large vehicles can be dangerous if you are not aware of their limitations. Many trucks are GPS tracked requiring truck and plow drivers to stay within in the speed limit, and possibly slower during inclement weather. As a company, Terracare Associates spends a lot of time and resources educating employees on how to work safer to prevent on the job accidents and to keep the public safe. Every new team member is given full safety training so they are up to “speed” on keeping safe on the roads (no pun intended).

Keeping employees and the public safe on roadways can be challenging because the worksite includes drivers that don’t see the inherent risks. Here are a few guidelines for you to follow when driving around work zones or near trucks on the road:

Mind the Gap – How close should you follow behind that truck? Some signs advise to stay back 200 feet to prevent damage. If you ride too close, the driver can’t see you in rearview mirrors and hence doesn’t know you are there. A good rule to follow is keep one dashed lane marker between you and the truck for every 10 mph you are driving. This distance will allow the driver to see you and will reduce damage to your vehicle by road debris. Don’t pass trucks during inclement weather, patience pays off and reduces accidents. This is especially important when following a snow plow.
Mirror, Mirror – If you can’t see a drivers mirrors, he likely can’t see you. Always position your vehicle so you can see one or both side mirrors and avoid blind spots when possible.
Mobile Disasters – Trucks entering and exiting works zones can create unexpected changes in traffic patterns. Taking your eyes off the road for a few seconds to check your phone can spell disaster. Put the phone away or pullover to take care of business when it can’t wait.
Marked for Success – Work zones are marked to protect you and the road construction project. When you cross a work zone you put your passengers and the workers in danger and a position where damage could happen to your vehicle. Fresh tar, asphalt or paint can damage your paint job or cause your tires to wear prematurely. Pay attention to signs and seek alternate routes when possible.

Safety is most readily achieved when everyone on the job understands the rules for a safe work zone. Terracare believes safety is for your family. Learn more by watching our safety video or reading about our Safety Rodeo.

3 Reasons Enhancements Improve Your Property

Published on January 18, 2018 by Jackson Holliday

A commercial property, municipal park, or other landscaped areas need ongoing improvements, but it is not always easy to justify the expense. When evaluating your landscape enhancement needs you may be looking at projects such as:

Adding a bed of perennial flowers near a parking lot
Sprucing up an entrance with trees for shade and protection
Installing a state-of-the-art water efficient sprinkler system to save money
Creating a patio area for visitors to use and beautify the area

You likely realize enhancement projects add to your property’s curb appeal, but do you know how else they can help your property? Here are a few ways.

Reduce water costs

Think long-term when it comes to your property’s landscape. Enhancements can reduce your water costs and usage. A few examples of enhancements that can help cut water use:

Upgrade to new water-efficient smart controllers for your water system will cut water usage and costs.
Invest in turf conversion in areas that grass is not used for recreation or relaxation.
Install drought-resistant plants and grasses can help reduce water usage and overall maintenance.

Increase desirability of property

Think about the last time you were on a property that was appealing and comfortable. Now think about what landscape features that property exhibited. Was it a nice water feature or vibrant flower bed? Any of these enhancements can often conjure positive feedback and attraction for visitors and employees who are on the property. It increases the property’s desirability and has proven to help raise occupancy rates or visitors, increase overall value of the property, and most importantly, those living or working in the area, have an increased desire to stay.

Protects existing landscape investments

You’ve already invested time, manpower, and money into developing and maintaining your property. Now is a good time to consider protecting these landscape assets with enhancements. Examples of enhancements that will help protect and maintain your landscape:

-Drainage: Ensure plants and trees have adequate drainage and excess water is flowing into the correct areas.

-Mulch: Mulch can reduce evaporation from soil, stabilize soil moisture, and more.

-Arbor services: You’ve invested in trees. Now make certain those trees thrive through pruning and proper fertilization.

Interested in learning more about how enhancements can improve your property? Reach out to Terracare Associates and we’ll happily answer your questions and work with you to identify which enhancements are best for your property.

Keeping it Safe! Our Annual Safety Rodeo Kicks Off Today

Published on January 18, 2018 by Jackson Holliday

Today, we’re conducting our annual Safety Rodeo for new Terracare Associates employees! Our Vice President of Public Infrastructure, Justin Stewart, is leading the all-day safety training in the Denver metro area of all Colorado-based employees. Approximately 100 new employees have joined us this spring and are being trained through eight different stations. Each training station teaches and reviews equipment safety and industry safety standards for landscape and infrastructure maintenance. Employees are learning how to operate and use maintenance and landscape equipment including mowers, trimmers, trucks and trailers, and more. This training ensures that employees are keeping themselves, teammates and the community safe while also providing quality service to our clients.

Similar ‘rodeo’ trainings will be held over the next few weeks for employees in California, Texas, and Utah.

Watch the video on our Facebook page!

5 tips for handling snow-damaged trees

Published on March 25, 2016 by Jackson Holliday

Spring snowstorms – like the snowstorm Denver just experienced – often create wet, heavy snow and the snow’s weight can cause considerable damage to a property’s trees and shrubs. Here are 5 tips for handling snow-damaged trees and shrubs:

Assess the area. Before clearing branches, make sure the surrounding area is safe. Broken tree branches often affect and damage utility lines. Be sure to take the proper steps to ensure the situation is safe – this could mean cutting the power to those lines until clean up can be handled.

Check the damage. Trees and shrubs that bend under the weight of the snow will recover. If a tree is overall healthy and possess its main branch, most of its major limbs, and 50 percent or more of its crown (top branches), then the tree has good chances of making a full recovery.

Be patient. There is little during a snowstorm, or in the immediate days following, that you can do to help a tree. Remove any hazards and broken branches, but save major decisions for later. Concentrate on how to save the tree rather than making an impulse decision to chop it down.

Don’t over prune. Remove and prune the damaged parts of the tree. The tree might look uneven for a bit however trees quickly grow new foliage that will soon cover up the bare areas.

Seek help. If the job requires a chainsaw or later or is just too much to handle, contact an insured, certified commercial company that can help assess the situation and with the clean up.

For more information when it comes to assessing and cleaning up damaged trees, visit 9News.com or the Colorado State Forest Service website.

Terracare Associates leaders in outdoor maintenance for commercial and public properties. Find best practices, tips and industry news at Terracare Talks.

Cities and Municipalities Prepare for Winter Storms

Published on April 29, 2019 by Jackson Holliday

Winter storms can be a challenge for those drivers trying to maneuver the roads. Municipal public works departments are preparing for the storms 24/7 to ensure public safety. Continue reading “Cities and Municipalities Prepare for Winter Storms” →

Partnering to Keep Road Safety a Priority

Published on April 8, 2016 by Jackson Holliday

By Steve Bertasso – Operations Manager, Utah

Road safety starts with you. Road maintenance companies go to great lengths to make sure the road is safe for you during construction. Car and truck construction crashes are many times caused by auto drivers not paying attention or are too impatient to slow down. Sharing the road with large vehicles can be dangerous if you are not aware of their limitations. Continue reading “Partnering to Keep Road Safety a Priority” →