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Snow creates work for area businesses

People need their roofs cleared off, supplies to remove snow

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Esko handyman, Ray Coulter, cleans the snow off of a garage in Cloquet. The Army Veteran said he has been busy since the snowstorm in November. The warm weather melted some snow on rooftops which caused excessive ice buildup. Jamie Lund/Pine Journal

The large amounts of recent snow have kept local businesses on their toes.

Del Matteson, co-owner of L&M Fleet Supply out of Grand Rapids, Minnesota has noticed an uptick from last winter. L&M carries a variety of snow related products, from snowblowers and roof rakes to ice melt products.

L&M works with several manufacturers to maintain adequate supplies. If one company cannot keep up with demand, they will switch to another to ensure customers have options when they need a product, he said.

“We live in this market, so we understand the need,” Matteson said.

Ray Coulter of Esko has kept busy since the snowstorm in November clearing roofs. The Army Veteran works as a handyman providing a variety of services, including snow removal.

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The recent warm weather caused snow to melt, resulting in ice dams or large icicles on roofs. The ice can weigh down gutter systems and cause them to break, or it can creep under shingles to find a way inside homes and cause issues.

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Handyman Ray Coulter clears the almost 15" of snow off of this 1 1/2 story house in Cloquet. The Esko resident and United States Army Veteran said he has had about 25 calls to clean snow off of the roofs of houses since the snowstorm after Thanksgiving. Vehicles advertising services for snowplowing to roof cleaning have been driving around the area or seen in parking lots. Jamie Lund/Pine Journal

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