The Story of John Allin

A year after leaving Gannon University, John Allin looked to create his own business in Erie, Pa. He quickly became the President and CEO of the Allin Companies, a landscape and snow contractor that served commercial and residential clients by providing professional landscape design, construction

and maintenance services, snow and ice management, and holiday lighting. With only 55 employees, it was the largest landscape and snow contractor in Northwest Pennsylvania, raking in two million dollars in annual revenues.

John Allin is currently a full time consultant to the snow industry. He was President of Snow Management Group (SMG). SMG grew to service commercial sites in 40 states, managing over $42 million in revenues. Overseeing 3,500 sites and 5,000+ pieces of equipment, SMG had 4,000+ employees and Service Providers. In 2002, SMG conducted all snow and ice management at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. As a result of this unique, $5 million contract, John  invented  and  patented the Snow Dragon Snowmelter. John Allin served as President of Snow Dragon, LLC. Park-Ohio Holdings Corporation financed the production and start-up of Snow Dragon. Mr. Allin has traveled the world setting up distribution channels in Europe, Russia, China, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand and Asia, as well as in North America.

Because of his extensive knowledge in the snow industry, combined with his vast experience, John Allin is recognized as the foremost snow and ice industry consultant in the country today. He has been involved in the snowplowing industry for over 40 years. He is the Founder of the Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA), and served as its national Board President for six years. Erie, PA (where Allin Companies and Snow Management Group operated for 27+ years) receives between 150" and 300" of snow each season. 

John has authored several hundred articles on snow and ice management for numerous landscape and pavement maintenance national trade publications. He has consulted on snowplowing projects all over the United States. A popular and internationally recognized speaker and seminar leader, Mr. Allin has spoken about the snow and ice industry trade shows all over the United States, Canada, Scandinavia, Europe and Asia. He has also been qualified as an expert witness on snowplowing in numerous states around the country, and regularly assists legal representatives in actions involving winter accidents including 'slip and fall' incidents on commercial sites.​

Professional Work

• First Commercial Snow Contractor elected to the SnowPlowers Association of America (SPAA) National Board of Directors in 1992.
   

• Founding and Charter Member of the Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA). Served six years as Board President.
   

• Member of Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA)
   

• Certified Landscape Professional (CLP)
   

• Past MemberALCA Leadership Council and Certification Board of Governors.
   

• Nationally recognized speaker on Landscaping and Snow Removal.

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• Has spoken at the GIE National Convention on snow removal (1994-2003), at the Power Equipment Expo in Louisville, Kentucky (1996, 1997), to the Rental Dealers Association (1996, 1997), at the Ohio Landscape Association annual meeting (1996, 1998, 2003, 2011), at the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (1999), at the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (1999, 2002), SUNY Physical Plant Administrators Association

Annual Meeting (1999), Chicago Buildings & Real Estate Trade Show (1999), the Landscape Contractors Assoc. of MD (2000, 2002), The International Cold Weather Show in Washington DC (2000), Keynote speaker at Michigan Green Industry Association (2005), New England Grows (2002, 2005), the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (2012).​

• Contributing Editor to the following publications: Snow Fighters Quarterly, Lawn & Landscape Maintenance, Grounds Maintenance, Pro-Magazine, Landscape Management, Aviation Equipment Quarterly, Rental Product News, Snow and Ice Manager, Snow Business Magazine, Snow Magazine, Pavement Maintenance, The Landsculptor Magazine, the OLA's Landscape Contractor Magazine.

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• Writes regular column for Snow Magazine and for Snow Magazine online.

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• Served five years on the Editorial Review Board of the ALCA Advantage Magazine published quarterly by the Associated Landscape Contractors of America.

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• Assist in writing Snow Response Plans, quoting large plowing contracts and reviewing on-site capability.

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• Member of ASCA's Industry Standards committee which established the first written set of Industry Standards for the professional snow and ice management industry.

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• Past three year member of the ASCA Advisory Board.

Recognition

2014

Recieved the SIMA (Snow & Ice Management Association) Lifetime Achievement Award.

2013

Started, and hosts weekly broadcast "Managing Snow and Ice with John Allin" on BlogTalk Radio.

Acquired equity position in CrewTracker Software in Kansas City, MO.

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2012

​Appointed Board Chairman, Snowfighters Institute Inc.

Served as ASCA's Industry Standards committee which established the first written set of Industry Standards for the professional snow and ice industry.

Keynote Speaker- New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association Snow/Ice Management meeting.

Recognized by ASCA with a special appreciation award for contributions to establishing the first set of written industry standards.

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2011

2nd edition of Managing Snow and Ice published.

Appointed to Accredited Snow Contractors Association (ASCA) Board of Advisors.

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2010

​Consultant on snow and ice management- 2010 Winter Olympics, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Facilitator- GIE Media Inner Circle Conference

Speaker/Presenter at Tree Care Industry Association Annual Conference

Keynote Speaker- Ohio Landscape Association Snow and Ice Management Clinic

Recipient of GIE Media's Pioneer Award, for lifetime service to the snow industry

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2009

​Moderator- Snow Magazine Face-to-Face Conference

Presenter for Tree Care Industry's Webinar Series- Snowplowing as a Profit Center

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2008

​Speaker on snow melting technology at:

Vinterdagene 2008- Beitostolen, Norway

Vintermassen- Nordicway, Ostersund, Sweden

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Sold interest in Snow Dragon to parent company

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2007

​Enters consulting agreement with Beijing Municipal Administration Commission, Beijing, China to assist with development of Comprehensive Snow Response Plan (SRP) for Beijing, China streets department

speaker on melting snow at:

Outdoor Equipment Expo- Rotorua, New Zealand

Technology Equipment Trade Expo- St. Petersburg, Russia

Midwest Snow and Ice Expo- Cleveland, OH USA

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Speaker on snow removal at Michigan Green Industry Expo- Nova, Michigan, USA

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2006

Speaker on snow removal at:

China International High Tech Expo- Beijing, China

AAAE Environmental Conference- London, England

AAAE Technology Advances Conference- Prague, Czech Republic

​Speaker on snow melting at AAAE Conference- Dubrovnik, Croatia

Organizer, presenter, and sponsor at the European Snow Symposium- Salzburg, Austria

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2005

Became President of Snow Dragon, LLC- Cleveland OH.

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2004

Named by Landscape Management Magazine one of the Top 10 Large Landscape Contractors in the USA

Snow Business Magazine's #1 Snow Contractor in North America

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2003

Appointed to ALCA Board of Directors

Snow Business Magazine's #1 Snow Contractor in North America

Licensed Snow and Ice Estimating Package for sale to snow contractors in North America

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2002

​Managed all snow removal and ice management for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah

Appointed Chairman, ALCA Certification Board of Directors

Wrote and published Managing Snow and Ice, a 250 page book used as a guide for snowplowing contractors wanting to grow their business

Initiated "Snow Dragon Snow Melter" a machine used to melt snow on commercial properties in lieu of hauling snow off-site, currently sold throughout North America, Russia, Asia, and Europe

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2001

​Appointed to the ALCA CLP Certification Board of Governor's

Authored Snow and Ice Management Association's CSP Exam

​SIMA Certified Snow Professional (CSP)

Appointed Chairman- SIMA Certification Board of Governor's

Named by Landscape Management Magazine as one of the Top 10 Medium Sized Landscape Contractors in the United States

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2000

​Named by Lawn & Landscape Magazine as one of the landscape industry's 25 most influential people over the past 50 years

Don Walker's Managing Snow and Ice Control Operations- attended and instructed

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1999

Named Who's Who in Corporate America

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1996

Founder and Charter Member of the Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA). Served 6 years as Board President.

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1992

First Commercial Snow Contractor elected to the SnowPlowers Association of America (SPAA) National Board of Directors